Marvel Celebrates 50 Fearsome Years Of Man-Thing With New Series And Haunting Variant Covers

Jay Cochran - December 18, 2020

Announced earlier today, Marvel will honor the 50th anniversary of Man-Thing with a new series this March. The horror comics icon will star in AVENGERS: CURSE OF THE MAN-THING, the start of a three-part Marvel Universe-spanning saga that will redefine one of Marvel’s most unique characters for a new age. Critically acclaimed writer Steve Orlando (Martian Manhunter, Batman, Wonder Woman) makes his Marvel Comics debut with the series, joined by rising star artist Francesco Mobili (Old Man Hawkeye). Each issue will focus on a different corner of the Marvel Universe, starting with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

For decades, the Man-Thing has haunted the Florida Everglades. Now a new enemy has hijacked his body on a quest to take his incendiary abilities global! The Marvel Universe wakes to fear as gargantuan monoliths menace cities worldwide, with only the AVENGERS standing between the population of Earth and a planetwide inferno. Can they save Man-Thing in time to douse the fires? And does the man inside the thing, Ted Sallis, even want to be saved? All this plus a sensational new villain designed by Marvel’s Stormbreaker Carmen Carnero await readers in the exciting opening tale that will kick off an unforgettable journey for Man-Thing and your favorite Marvel heroes including the X-Men, Spider-Man, and more!

“It's a huge honor to be asked to make my debut as part of a character's anniversary. There's an incredible amount of faith and opportunity there, and it's something I never take lightly!” Orlando told Bloody Disgusting in an exclusive interview. “It is honestly amazing to be welcomed to Marvel and tell this nailbiter of a story that's going to remind people just how unique Man-Thing is. He'll be better positioned than ever to shock and scare readers and villains alike, but first he'll have to survive an attack that cuts him to his core and sets the Marvel Universe ablaze.”

“If you like super heroes and the supernatural, you’ll LOVE this high octane celebration of one of Marvel’s strangest characters,” Editor Mark Paniccia said. “It feels like its own big event. And Steve’s epic story will reveal, amongst other things, an unexpected new dimension of the Marvel Universe.”

March will also see some of your favorite Marvel heroes transformed into outrageous Man-Thing personas on stunning variant covers by today’s best artists including Superlog, Bernard Chang, Greg Land, Sara Pichelli, and more! Check out the first three now and be on the lookout for more Man-Thing variant cover reveals in the coming weeks.

Since his creation by Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, and Gray Morrow in 1971’s SAVAGE TALES #1, the misunderstood swamp monster has taught readers the true meaning of fear in thought-provoking tales by legendary creators such as Steve Gerber and R.L. Stine. Prepare to burn at the Man-Thing’s touch once again when AVENGERS: CURSE OF THE MAN-THING # hits stands this March.

AVENGERS: CURSE OF THE MAN-THING #1
Written by STEVE ORLANDO
Art by FRANCESCO MOBILI
Cover by DANIEL ACUÑA

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #62 SPIDER-MAN-THING VARIANT COVER by GREG LAND

CAPTAIN MARVEL #27 CAPTAIN MARVEL-THING VARIANT COVER by BERNARD CHANG

CHAMPIONS #5 MS. MARVEL-THING VARIANT COVER by SARA PICHELLI

DAREDEVIL #28 DAREDEVIL-THING VARIANT COVER by RAY-ANTHONY HEIGHT

FANTASTIC FOUR #30 THE THING-THING VARIANT COVER by DANIEL ACUÑA

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #12 GAMORA-THING VARIANT COVER by MEGHAN HETRICK

MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN #24 MILES-THING VARIANT COVER by KEN LASHLEY

VENOM #34 VENOM-THING VARIANT COVER by SUPERLOG

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Comments...

Last 10 comments - ( Read All Posts )

Atlantis - 2020-12-19 @ 3:42 am

Man-Thing is an interesting character but "icon"....I don't know that I'd agree. Tomb of Dracula, now there's your Marvel horror icon.

Though I'm glad to see a team tackle him that really seems to be interested in him, its odd that his 50th is being celebrated when other far more popular characters haven't been. I still think its bizarre that Marvel hasnt saluted their golden age Big Three (Sub-Mariner, original Human Torch & Captain America) in Legends format.

Nevertheless, here's wishing success to the new book and hopefully a renewed interest for the Legends team to re-release a Man-Thing in exclusive form!

Lord_Scareglow - 2020-12-18 @ 9:26 pm

23 minutes ago, McHogan said:
Part of the reason I quit monthlys was due to the ridiculous amount of variant covers that Marvel put out. Equal parts my fault for giving into my need for completion but they priced me right out a hobby I loved. Now only get TPBs of the books I have interest in..
Man-Thing as a character is pretty cool. I read a comparison between Man and Swamp and like both Captain Marvels they have an long history of gaining prominence at the same time as each other as well as fading from the spotlight roughly at the same time..
The BAF is amazing, which figures did people have trouble finding? I got lucky and found them all in one stop at a WalMart I never visit.. actually sold off Bullseye only to pay the amount of the figure again to get the extra head for a Dark Avengers Hawkeye kit bash..
i would buy this guy again, while I love this figure the paint apps Hasbro can do now would make a Deluxe version so much better

here in Canada that wave was so hard to complete, I could only ever find Daredevil, Elektra and Punisher , I bought both DD and Elektra but always passed on Frank because I didn't at the time want that figure and I expected maybe I'd get lucky at a con finding all of the Man-Thing pieces but never did, I really wanted Blade, Bullseye and Jessica, but never once could I find them inless I wanted to pay a really high price and as time went on they became even priceier and harder to obtain, so Man-Thing slipped by my grasp, I decided I would be fine with having the Toybiz Man-Thing, but I was kidding myself.. I want that BAF so damn badly

McHogan - 2020-12-18 @ 9:26 pm

12 minutes ago, RyanDaly said:
I saw the whole wave in stores several times, but the only figure from the wave I wanted was Bullseye. I don't collect MCU figures and I'm not a fan of that version of Blade. So as much as I adore Man-Thing, I'm notwilling to pay $120 for him.

Gotcha, and I admire your restraint. I loved the Kingpin BAF and but wanted zero figures in wave. I ended up getting them all and completing Fisk onlyto have him released again as a deluxe. Now I have two Kingpins haha.

Those Netflix figures are pretty good, I think the Jessica Jones is the underrated gem of the wave ( DDs apparent allergic reaction to being cast in plastic bumped him down even though he was my most wanted going in.. not sure why his head is so puffy but wish they had fixed that with SDCC set) Blade, I didnt mind. I ended up keeping him after having him in hand, close enough to both comic and movie looks for me.

in a deluxe Man-Thing, Id like to see his fear fire powers somehow.. maybe an arm with flames. And a more detailed paint app, I didnt mind what we got but the most common knock I heard was he was kinda bland

RyanDaly - 2020-12-18 @ 9:14 pm

12 minutes ago, McHogan said:
The BAF is amazing, which figures did people have trouble finding? I got lucky and found them all in one stop at a WalMart I never visit

I saw the whole wave in stores several times, but the only figure from the wave I wanted was Bullseye. I don't collect MCU figures and I'm not a fan of that version of Blade. So as much as I adore Man-Thing, I'm notwilling to pay $120 for him.

McHogan - 2020-12-18 @ 9:08 pm

Part of the reason I quit monthlys was due to the ridiculous amount of variant covers that Marvel put out. Equal parts my fault for giving into my need for completion but they priced me right out a hobby I loved. Now only get TPBs of the books I have interest in..

Man-Thing as a character is pretty cool. I read a comparison between Man and Swamp and like both Captain Marvels they have an long history of gaining prominence at the same time as each other as well as fading from the spotlight roughly at the same time..

The BAF is amazing, which figures did people have trouble finding? I got lucky and found them all in one stop at a WalMart I never visit.. actually sold off Bullseye only to pay the amount of the figure again to get the extra head for a Dark Avengers Hawkeye kit bash..

i would buy this guy again, while I love this figure the paint apps Hasbro can do now would make a Deluxe version so much better

Lord_Scareglow - 2020-12-18 @ 8:53 pm

48 minutes ago, RyanDaly said:
Apropos, why the hell was Man-Thing the build-a-figure packaged with the Netflix Daredevil wave?!! I really hope he gets re-released the way Kingpin and Monster Venom were.

Oh Man-Thing..that is still my most wanted Legend figure that damn BAF I can't build...I really wish they would re-release him as a deluxe maybe more then currently any character.

also this just because I'm a Man-thing fan seems really fun! I am into reading this. plus those covers look really cool, finally more Man-Thing love!

Satam - 2020-12-18 @ 8:45 pm

41 minutes ago, RyanDaly said:
Apropos, why the hell was Man-Thing the build-a-figure packaged with the Netflix Daredevil wave?!!

Because dark and gritty or something...probably.

RyanDaly - 2020-12-18 @ 8:11 pm

Apropos, why the hell was Man-Thing the build-a-figure packaged with the Netflix Daredevil wave?!! I really hope he gets re-released the way Kingpin and Monster Venom were.

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