Madman (Marvel Comics)

Publication history

Philip Sterns debuted in The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #362 (November 1989), and as the Madman in The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #364, created by Peter David and Jeff Purves.

Fictional character biography

A former classmate of Bruce Banner at the California Institute of Technology, Sterns possesses a love/hate obsession with Hulk, originating from his envy and fascination with his former peer. In an attempt to emulate the Hulk, Sterns exposes himself to gamma radiation, transforming into a monster with abnormal strength and developing multiple personality disorder.

Calling himself the Madman, Sterns hatches a plot to kill the Hulk by injecting him with a poison that rapidly deteriorates his body. Samuel Sterns, the Leader and Phil's brother, comes to aid the Hulk so he can help him track down the Madman for an antidote. In the ensuing battle, the Hulk manages to cure himself and poison the Madman, leaving the cure to the poison just out of reach.

Later, the Madman revealed that he simply increased his mass to grab it and recovered in time. He masquerades as a researcher in the Red Skull's "New World Order" organization. Here, he helped to engineer the transformation of a captured S.H.I.E.L.D. agent into the power-mimicking creature Piecemeal.

In the series Thunderbolts, the Madman resurfaces and has been seen supplying gamma technology on the island of Kata Jaya. He encounters Red Hulk's incarnation of the Thunderbolts and is killed by the Leader.

Powers and abilities

Like the Hulk, the Madman has immense strength and durability. He is unable to grow in strength further, but possesses additional shapeshifting abilities. He is also a gifted genius, with knowledge of nuclear physics and robotics.

In other media

• Philip Sterns / Madman appears as a boss in Hulk, voiced by Paul Dobson.
• Philip Sterns / Madman makes a non-speaking appearance in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes episode "Hulk vs. the World" as an inmate of the Cube.

References

References

1. (October 19, 2007). "Madman (Hulk enemy)".
2. Nason, Max. (December 23, 2019). "The Immortal Hulk: 5 Classic Hulk Villains We Want To See (& 5 We Don't Want)".
3. (2019). "The Marvel Encyclopedia". [[DK Publishing]].
4. ''[[The Incredible Hulk (comic book). The Incredible Hulk]]'' #364 (December 1989)
5. ''The Incredible Hulk'' #366 (February 1990)
6. ''The Incredible Hulk'' #367 (March 1990)
7. ''The Incredible Hulk'' #408 (August 1993)
8. ''[[Thunderbolts (comic book). Thunderbolts]]'' (vol. 3) #6 (March 2013)
9. ''The Incredible Hulk'' #407 (July 1993)
10. ''Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z'' #6 (February 2009)
11. "Madman / Philip Sterns Voice - ''Hulk'' (Video Game)".