"The Making of a Madman!" is the fourth issue of the Man-Thing ongoing comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The story was written by Steve Gerber with artwork by Val Mayerik and inks by Jack Abel. It was colored by Linda Lessmann and lettered by Dave Hunt. This issue shipped with an April, 1974 cover date and carries a cover price of .20 cents per copy.
This issue includes Marvel Value Stamp #17 featuring Black Bolt.
Colorist Linda Lessmann is credited as L. Lessman in this issue.
Given the rules governing the passage of time in comic books, information supplied about Foolkiller's origin and his parents relationships with World War II and the Korean War are considered topical references, and may be rendered apocryphal.
This is the second and final appearance of Ross Everbest, the first Foolkiller; dies in this issue.
The Foolkiller's actual name is not revealed until a flashback scene from Amazing Spider-Man #225 in February, 1982, "Fools... Like Us!", which also introduces the second Foolkiller, Greg Salinger.
Reverend Mike is shown as a corpse only in this issue in the modern timeline. He is shown alive in flashback scenes to Foolkiller's origin.
Foolkiller's origin story reveals that his father was soldier in World War II and that his mother served as a nurse during the Korean War.
The latest that Foolkiller could have been born in 1945. At age eighteen, he is shown witnessing hippie protest riots. However, this would have placed him in the year 1963, which was a tad early as America had not yet become fully involved in the Vietnam conflict, which is what prompted the protests in the first place.
This is the first, and to date, only known appearance of Hank, who is the driver of the jeep for F.A. Schist.
