Making his first appearance in Marvel’s Savage Tales comic book, Man-Thing eventually lumbered into his own monthly series and captured the imagination of readers everywhere. Formerly merely a man named Ted Sallis, the Man-Thing is the animated form of Sallis’ soul, trapped within a swamp creature of unimaginable strength.
Though the Man-Thing himself is almost always silent, the books he appears in are a plethora of great quotes and he often teams up with more established heroes. Though he is usually compared to DC’s Swamp Thing, Man-Thing is his own unique character with a distinct personality.
Breaking The Fourth Wall
“The Gem Started Glowing…And The Monster Started Growing…Until It Had Become A (Dare I Say It)…Giant-Size Man-Thing.”
Though Man-Thing may be one of Marvel’s strangest creations, he is certainly given a run for his money by frequent ally Howard the Duck. Appearing together in Man-Thing vol. 3 #6, Howard explains why Man-Thing is suddenly revived when before he was in a dormant state.
In typical Howard the Duck fashion, the comic character can’t help but shatter the fourth wall by making a sly reference to the title of a comic book that Man-Thing appeared in. Once appearing in a series entitled simply, Man-Thing, the swamp creature eventually evolved into a much larger title called Giant Size Man-Thing, in an attempt to spur reader interest.
What Could Have Been
“Somewhere Within The Man-Thing, Trapped Deep Inside What Was Believed To Be A Vacant Mind…Ted Sallis Is Forced To Bear Helpless Witness Throughout Eternity.”
As the character progressed and his storylines got more complicated, Man-Thing’s psyche became as complicated as his imminently quotable counterpart, Swamp Thing. Ted Sallis, having been trapped within the body of the Man-Thing and unable to do anything but watch, inspired writers to explore the existential crisis of the eternal bystander.
Marvel Knights: Millennial Visions was a one off book that envisioned certain possibilities surrounding many of Marvel’s most famous characters. In his terrifying alternate universe, Ted Sallis as Man-Thing has been unleashed upon the earth and his swamp has devoured every living thing on it. Most terrifying of all, Marvel’s heroes could do nothing to stop him.
Man-Thing Or Man-Thang?
“Trixie, Meet Bachelor Number Three, The Man-Thing!! And Remember…’Whoever Knows Fear (Or First Date Jitters) Burns At The Man-Thing’s Touch’!”
Marvel’s comics and movies are known for their sense of humor and often produce hilarious moments. Marvel also has produced several books that set out to lampoon their own comics as well as other competitors’ works. In issue #2 of What The–?!, the hilarious writers pitted Man-Thing against his DC counterpart Swamp Thing in a Dating Game parody show.
The humor of the segment is multifaceted and manages to capture the spirit of both swamp creatures in a funny way. By incorporating Man-Thing’s famous tagline, the writers were able to poke fun at Marvel’s verboseness as well as play off of the old rumor that Marvel ripped off DC with their own swamp character.
Heart To Heart With Doctor Strange
“You Don’t Have To Be Ashamed Of Who You’ve Been…What You’ve Done. I Know…What It Is To Sink To The Depths. To Be On Bended Knee Before God–Screaming For Deliverance.”
By volume 3 of Man-Thing, the writers had taken the character to the depths of despair as well as the far reaches of outer space, and everything in between. The short-lived series saw the reunion of Man-Thing and his ex-fiancee Ellen Brandt who tracks him down in an attempt to find forgiveness for herself for the things she did.
In issue #2 of Man-Thing, Doctor Strange arrives to join with Man-Thing in an attempt to stop “the End of All Things” from coming to destroy the universe. With no one to talk to, Brandt finds solace in Strange who has a heart-to-heart with her about her guilt and shame. Looming over the entire story like a symbol for guilt is Man-Thing (formerly Ted Sallis), who she betrayed which led to his eventual death and transformation.
The Wrath Of Ted Sallis
“You Wanted To Burn The World Like It Burned You…And You, Failed, Ignored, Irrelevant…You’re Afraid. And Whatever Knows Fear…Burns At The Man-Thing’s Touch.”
Man-Thing has made many crossovers with other established characters and in X-Men: Curse of the Man-Thing he had a run-in with the legendary mutant faction. Having been entrusted to guard the Nexus of all Realities, Man-Thing had been given purpose and yet Ted Sallis was still trapped within, merely watching.
When given the option to escape his fate, Sallis is faced with a conundrum and he is nearly torn apart by indecision. However, when he learns of the true intention of his offered freedom, he shows that he isn’t entirely helpless and exposes Harriet to the demon world within that he controls. In the one-off book, Sallis shows that he has come to grips with being Man-Thing and has even embraced his fear.
The Man-Thing Speaks!
“Whatever You Fear Is Shadow Mist! All Worlds Are Dream And Sleep. Become This Truth, Sweet Fated Child, And God Is Yours To Keep.”
Man-Thing doesn’t speak often in the comics, the slow lumbering brute is thought to be incapable of communication and is instead driven by pure rage. However, in issue #4 of volume 3, Man-Thing is given a voice to speak and to everyone’s surprise, he is eloquent and lyrical.
The words that Man-Thing speaks are a combination of his primal driving urges and Sallis’ own view of the world. The Man-Thing is pure primal emotion, while Sallis is able to look out on the world with longing. Man-Thing’s entire premise is that he is attracted to fear, and that anyone who fears is burned by his touch, therefore Sallis has learned that life should be lived without fear at all. Man-Thing is a terrifying monster, but if he is approached without fear, he is harmless.
The Thoughts Of A Foggy Mind
“The Dreary Haze Dampens The Senses, Deadens The Process Of Thought. The Monster Doesn’t Notice. The Fog That Enshrouds His Mind Is Denser And More Oppressive By Far.”
The choice to make Man-Thing a swamp creature was not arbitrary, and in many ways, a swamp is indicative of the human mind itself. Man-Thing is a human soul trapped in a quagmire of raw emotion that is symbolized by the swamp and it all goes back to that central theme.
Infernal Man-Thing offered a unique view of the classic creature and even gave him an updated look and art style. In issue #1, Man-Thing lumbers forth from the swamp and is once again tormented by demons both inner and outer. Most of the dialogue from the books comes from a narrator and in the quote, the narrator manages to summarize Man-Thing in such a way that perfectly re-introduces the character to a new audience.
The Epic Tag Line
“Whatever Knows Fear Burns At The Touch Of…The Man-Thing!”
Marvel comics have always been known for their pithy quotes and memorable tag lines. Nearly every hero and villain has a catchphrase or piece of dialogue that is inescapably synonymous with them, and it follows them from comic books to the big screen. In an attempt to hype up the terror of Man-Thing, his famous tag line was splashed across many of his most iconic comic book covers.
More than just a pithy quote, the tag line gives the reader everything they need to know about the central theme of the character. Man-Thing is attracted to fear and wishes to stamp it out, and therefore anyone who truly knows the terror of death cannot stand to be touched by the swamp creature.
