MULTI-MAN

Real Name: Duncan Pramble

Class: Human mutate

Occupation: Supervillain, formerly archaeologist

Group Affiliation: formerly League of Challenger-Haters, Injustice League, Justice League Antarctica, Suicide Squad

Known Relatives:

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile

First Appearance: Challengers of the Unknown I #14 (July, 1960)

Powers: Multi-Man was immortal, each time died he was reborn with a new super power. As a side offect of his powers Multi-Man was emotionally unstable, and exhibited severe mood swings.

History: (Challengers of the Unknown I #14) - The Challengers of the Unknown went on an archaeological expedition with Dr. Charles Ferriss and his assistant Duncan Pramble to the Island of Ruins in search of an alchemist's formula for immortality. While everyone else slept Duncan stole Ferriss' map, wanting the secret of immortality for himself. When Ferriss and the Challs woke they followed him to the alchemist's chamber, Ferriss having memorized the route, but found he'd already claimed the formula and left. Ace and Rocky pursued him while the others translated the alchemists' writings found in a box containing chemicals that acted as a counter to the immortality serum. Duncan drank the liquid light, and felt power course through him as he crackled with electricity. The liquid light gave the drinker powers, and each time they died they would be reborn with a new set of powers, turning him into a Multi-Man, the closest the alchemist could find to immortality for mortals. After clashing with the Challs they splashed the antidote on him, and he lost his electric powers. He ran up a cliff and jumped off, killing himself only to be reborn with aquatic powers. He swam to the mainland hoping to use his powers to amass a fortune. The coast guard hemmed him in with dynamite, and when the Challs used the antidote on him again he swam straight into the explosion, being reborn with a birdlike form. The Challs followed him in a plane, and Ace jumped and launched a parachute. He grabbed Multi-Man, used another antidote, and restrained him so he couldn't plummet to earth. He was placed in a secure jail cell so he couldn't kill himself and activate his powers again.

(Challengers of the Unknown I #15) - Multi-Man was contacted by a man named Gurk who promised to help him escape if he performed a job for him. Gurk smuggled explosives into Multi-Man's cell and he blew himself up, being reborn with superhuman strength. The Challs were at the prison to check on their foe, but they couldn't stop his escape, as he swung construction equipment from the prison yard at them. Gurk had a golden flower, part of a fabled golden statue, and he needed Multi-Man to acquire the other two pieces, a base and a turtle sculpture. Morgan F. Sanders, a collector, had the base, and with Multi-Man's strength it was easy to tear his way into Sanders' safe and steal it. The last part was with the South American tribe who'd originally crafted the statue. The Challengers, learning of the statue from Sanders, traveled to SA in pursuit. Gurk stole the turtle, assembled the statue and fled while Multi-Man tossed around the tribesmen. The Challs used their final antidote on Multi-Man, depriving him of his powers. He ran off, and a tribesman killed him with a spear thrown into his back, and Multi-Man changed into his final form, a large-head spindly man with superhuman intelligence. He used his superhuman brain to turn the villagers against the Challs, and followed Gurk into the hills. The Challs promised they could get the tribe's statue back, and showed them that a nearby hill looked like a turtle shell, and a tree atop it corresponded to the statue's flower. The hill contained a lost treasure horde the tribe had hidden and forgotten ages ago. The Challs apprehended the villains, returned the statue to its' rightful owners and returned to the US.

(Challengers of the Unknown I #20) - The Challs called an emergency meeting after Multi-Man escaped prison, using his super intelligence to construct a weapon from simple item and melt the bars of his cell. Multi-Man and hi newly assembled gang robbed Blair Rocket Plant, and Multi-Man took an experimental rocket pack. Ace and Rocky arrived on the scene first, but Multi-Man used knockout gas on them, and had hi gang take them back to their hideout. The other Challs found a note at the crime scene indicating that Multi-Man' next target was the Electro-Dyne Factory, and hurried over to catch him. Rocky and Ace sent out an S.O.S. using lights and a mirror, and the police arrested Multi-Man' gang. Multi-Man took an experimental energy ray from Electro-Dyne, and finished perfecting it, but when the Challs arrived he was forced to flee. Rocky and Ace had found Multi-Man' plans at hi hq, he intended to replicate all his old powers using technology. He next stole an oxygen extractor that allowed him to breathe underwater from Norse Nautical Instruments, and his last target was Astro-Metal Products, where he turned their experimental lightweight steel into impervious metal with his energy gun. The Challs used an electric magnet from the plant to pull the metal away from him, and apprehended him before he could grab his energy ray.

(Justice League America Annual #4) - By startling coincidence Big Sir, Major Disaster, Clock King and Cluemaster were reunited at the unemployment line. Another coincidence was that Mighty Bruce was working at the unemployment line. Convinced that destiny had brought them together again they decided to track down Multi-Man and bring back the Injustice League. They planned to steal the world-famous Dooley Diamond from the Metropolitan Museum of Sundries, but ran into another gang of criminals already in the process of stealing it. Enraged at being made to look foolish they thrashed the criminals, and were declared heroes by the Daily Planet the next day. Deciding they liked being heroes they offered their services to Maxwell Lord of Justice League International. He made them an official branch of JLI, Justice League Antarctica (figuring they couldn't cause any real trouble in the arctic) and foisted G'nort on them as team leader. G'Nort invited his buddy Scarlet Skier to join the new League and the team was complete. Their first case involved the discovery of a research center overrun by mutated penguins. The ravenous penguins attacked their headquarters, and Major Disaster was forced to create an earthquake to save the team. Unfortunately this also resulted in their headquarters being demolished. They were escorted back to JLI Embassy where Maxwell Lord informed them their services would no longer be needed. Justice League Antarctica disbanded and the members went their separate ways.

(JLA #34) - Mageddon approached Earth, and sent a remote sender to Belle Reve prison, where drove Multi-Man and the other prisoners berserk with rage, sparking off a riot. The JLA quelled the riot.

(DCU Holiday Bash #3)   Multi-Man let slip that he'd dug an escape tunnel from his cell. Shrapnel used the tunnel so he could see his family during the Christmas season, and Multi-Man grumbled that he'd be punished since he was helpless to stop him.

(Outsiders III #6) - The Slab, Multi-Man and his fellow inmates were offered transport to freedom as long as they helped Brother Blood fend off attacks while he used the Slab's GPS system to activate his cultist sleeper agents. The alternative was death if the prisoners failed to protect him. Multiple Man and the other prisoners couldn't stop the Outsiders from foiling Blood's plans, but in the chaos Psimon led Multiple Man and the others on a jailbreak, and after reaching Blood's transports they escaped scot free.

Comments: Created by France Herron & Bob Brown.

Multi-Man received a profile in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #16. He received a profile in Who's Who in the DC Universe #14 under the Injustice League entry.

All characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © DC Comics, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Please visit The Official DC Comics Site at: http://www.batman.com