Frankenstein's Monster (Marvel Comics)

Frankenstein's Monster is a fictional character featured in various comic book titles published by Marvel Comics. The character of the Frankenstein Monster, as well as much of his supporting cast was the vision of 19th century author Mary Shelley. Shelley first published her work Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus in London in the year 1818. The Monster made his Marvel Comics debut in a flashback sequence from Uncanny X-Men #40. He also made a brief flashback appearance (more closely resembling his Universal Pictures counterpart) in a film reel in Silver Surfer (Volume 1) #7. In 1977, Marvel adapted Shelley's original work in Marvel Classics Comics #20. Although the adaptation does not actually take place within standard Marvel Universe continuity, the events depicted in the retelling reflect the history of the Marvel Frankenstein.

18th century
In 1788, Victor Frankenstein left his family estate in Geneva, Switzerland to study natural science at the University of Ingolstadt. While there, he became obsessed with the idea of recreating life from dead tissue and began robbing graveyards in order to acquire body parts. He stitched the various body parts together and subjected the patchwork creature to chemical treatments and electrolysis. Frankenstein succeeded in bringing his creation to life. Horrified by the creature's grotesque features, Victor abandoned his creation and returned to Geneva. The monster was left to fend for himself.

The creature wandered the forests for days and nearly died of starvation. He eventually came upon a grizzly bear, which he wrestled and killed. After consuming the raw meat, he skinned the carcass, and fashioned a makeshift coat, which he continued to wear for several years.

As weeks passed, the monster continued wandering the countryside, doing his best to avoid human contact. The entire time however, he nursed a hatred for the man responsible for his miserable existence – Victor Frankenstein.

His travels eventually brought him to a small cottage owned by the De Lacy family. The monster observed the family for several days, and discovered that the family patriarch, was an old blind man. Here was a being who would not shriek in horror at the monster's grotesque form. The Monster concealed himself in a stable for several days until he had a chance to catch the old man alone. As luck would have it, a wolf had entered the cottage and threatened to kill old De Lacy. The monster rose to his rescue and killed the beast, then slowly nursed De Lacy back to health. Before long however, De Lacy's children returned to their cottage, and mistook the monster for a savage murderer. Shouting their lamentations, they chased the monster away from the house, back into the woods.

Eventually, the creature found his way to Geneva, where he learned that his creator's family lived. Still nursing a deep-seated hatred for all things Frankenstein, he decided to exact his revenge by brutally murdering Victor's young brother, William. To further compound the tragedy, he framed the Frankenstein servant, Justine Moritz, for the crime. Justine was sentenced and hanged for the crime, but Victor knew that the true murderer of poor William, was his own pathetic creation.

Victor met with the monster for the second time in a mountain cave far to the north of the family estate. The monster told him of his experiences and demanded that Victor use his scientific prowess to create a mate for him. Victor felt he had little choice but to acquiesce, so he set upon creating a female version of the Frankenstein Monster. The monster kept a close vigil over Victor's work, and even assisted him by providing a fresh human heart for the creation. Victor brought the second creature to life, but was so disgusted by the sight of it, that he immediately destroyed it before it had barely taken its first breath.

The monster was outraged. His need for revenge against Victor Frankenstein intensified and he satisfied this need by strangling Victor's close friend, Henry Clerval. He then tracked down Victor and his new bride, Elizabeth on their wedding night, and brutally murdered her as well.

Consumed by grief, Victor endeavored to track the creature down and finish him off for good. He chased him as far as the North Pole, but by this point, Victor's health had declined significantly. He contracted pneumonia and passed away without ever having seen his task to its conclusion.

Despite his hatred for Victor Frankenstein, the monster was eerily distraught over the loss of the only "father" he had ever known. Now, he yearned for nothing more than his own destruction – if such a thing was even possible. He began walking across the frozen plains in search of a good place to build himself a funeral pyre. As he journeyed, he entered warmer climates and discovered a small tribal camp. A community of brute Neanderthal men discovered the monster and attacked him. None of them however, could overcome the monster's strength and he easily battered them back. The tribe's chieftain recognized the creature's great strength and ordered his warriors to stand down. He invited the monster to stay with them and he became an honorary member of their tribe.

Some days later, a nomadic tribe of rival barbarians stumbled upon the community and raided the camp. The monster joined forces with his Neanderthal friends and fought back, but most of them died in the battle. The barbarians tried their best to destroy the creature, but ultimately failed. During the raid, the Neanderthal chieftain was mortally injured. The monster took the dying man and traveled far away with him so that he could die in the tradition of his people. After erecting a funeral pyre for the Chieftain, a massive quake erupted beneath him. The monster fell off of the icy precipice and landed into the frigid waters below. The extreme temperatures rendered him inert, and remained trapped in the ice for the next hundred years.

19th century
In January of 1898, explorer Robert Walton IV mounted an expedition to the North Pole. Walton was the great grandson of the explorer who first encountered Victor Frankenstein in 1798. His crew and he came upon the frozen remains of the Frankenstein Monster. Walton recognized the creature from stories passed down to him, and ordered it brought on board. Several superstitious crew members too umbrage with Walton’s command and formed a mutiny. During the conflict, a fire broke out in one of the ship's lower cabins, and the intense heat thawed out the Frankenstein Monster. Revived, the creature lashed out and took a young cabin boy named Sean Farrell as hostage. To make matters even worse, Walton's ship struck an iceberg, killing several crewmen. Both Walton and Sean Farrell passed away, but before he died, Walton told the creature that the last living descendant of his creator was still alive.

Forging a small wooden raft for himself, the Monster began a personal voyage to track down the last Frankenstein. The first leg of his journey brought him to a small hamlet in Scandinavia. While there, he discovered the local citizens preparing to execute a comely young woman named Lenore. Empathizing with Lenore's persecution, the Monster rescued her only to discover that the reason the villagers tried to kill her was because she was a werewolf. The Monster fought with the werewolf under the light of the full moon, and ultimately ended her existence using her father's silver-tipped sword.

The creature's quest eventually brought him back to the land of his creation – Switzerland. Returning to Ingolstadt, he entered the dilapidated Castle Frankenstein where he discovered a misshapen horde of mindless servants. These pathetic beings were the slaves of a military man named Colonel Blackstone. Blackstone had taken residence in Castle Frankenstein and had acquired a giant mutated spider that possessed the ability to steal the souls of others. Blackstone captured the Monster with the intent of having him converted into another mindless slave, but the Monster managed to free himself, and Blackstone was killed during the scuffle.

Leaving Ingolstadt, the Monster continued his journey throughout the Bavarian countryside. There he met an old gypsy woman named Marguerita who told him that she knew information concerning the last Frankenstein. The Monster remained with Marguerita for a short time, until he discovered that Marguerita was in fact a vampire. The vampire tricked the Monster into helping her resurrect the lord of all vampires – Dracula. Enraged by her treachery, the Monster slew Marguerita and fought with Dracula. Dracula attempted to drink the Monster's blood, but the long period of inactivity had greatly weakened the vampire and he was not prepared for a protracted battle with the Frankenstein Monster. He did manage to wound the Monster's throat, rendering him temporarily mute. Dracula fled from the cave and returned to Transylvania.

Moments after the battle, Vincent Frankenstein, the grandson of Victor's brother, Ernst, entered the cave along with his hunchbacked giant assistant, Ivan. Recognizing Vincent as the last Frankenstein, he attacked him and would likely have strangled him to death, had Ivan not intervened. Ivan’s strength was prodigious enough to keep the Monster at bay. Frankenstein calmed the Monster down, and told him that he may be able to transplant his brain into a normal human body. The monster, though still suspicious of Vincent's motives, agreed to go with him back to England, In the basement of a London townhouse, Vincent Frankenstein prepared the Monster for surgery. The creature quickly realized that Vincent actually planned on transplanting Ivan's brain into the Monster's body, an act which would certainly mean the end of the Monster's own life. In a moment of selflessness, Ivan refused to be a party to the death of another creature, and betrayed his master. Vincent shot Ivan and ran from the cellar. Vincent died soon after, but not because of the Monster. It was actually his maid, Betty, who took Frankenstein's life for failing to heal his ill wife, Lenore – a woman that Betty held great affection for.

The Monster left the London estate, little realizing that Vincent was not the last of the Frankensteins as he had believed. Moments before she died, Lenore Frankenstein gave birth to a son, Basil.

With no true direction in his life, the Monster returned to Switzerland. He found himself in an encounter with some wild dogs, who forced the creature to fall from an icy precipice into the cold waters below. Once again, the Monster was placed into suspended animation, and remained frozen in a block of ice for several decades.

Notes & Trivia

 * There have been several iterations of the Frankenstein Monster concept seen in various Marvel Comics publications over the years. One of the more mysterious figures, a man known only as "Frank", may actually be the original Frankenstein Monster, though there is no solid evidence to support this. Not much has been revealed regarding the history and origin of the hero known as Frank prior to his appearance as a member of the First Line during the 1960's. His appearance, powers, and demeanor suggest he may be or may have ties to Frankenstein's famous monster, although this has yet to be established. Frank's ultimate fate remains to be revealed.


 * In Silver Surfer (Volume 1) #7, the monster's creator is referred to as "Henry" Frankenstein, not Victor. Henry was the name give to Colin Clive's character in the 1931 Universal film, Frankenstein. In all other canonical sources, Frankenstein is referred to by the name given to him by his creator - Victor.