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Power Man (Victor Alvarez)

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Victor Alvarez
Victor Alvarez / Power Man as part of the unofficial team "The Chosen."
Cover of Fear Itself: The Home Front #6.
Art by Marko Djurdjević.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceShadowland: Power Man #1
(October 2010)
Created byFred Van Lente
Mahmud Asrar
In-story information
Alter egoVictor Alvarez
SpeciesHuman mutate
Team affiliationsAvengers Idea Mechanics
Avengers Academy
Mighty Avengers
Heroes for Hire
Thunderbolts
Champions
PartnershipsIron Fist
Pinpoint
Notable aliasesPower Man
Abilities
  • Chi manipulation granting:
    • Superhuman strength, speed, durability, and agility
    • Power augmentation
    • Energy absorption
    • Size manipulation
  • Skilled martial artist

Power Man (Victor Alvarez) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Fred Van Lente and Mahmud Asrar, the character first appeared in Shadowland: Power Man #1 (October 2010).[1] Victor Alvarez is the third incarnation of Power Man.[2][3] He is the son of the supervillain Shades.[4][5][6]

Publication history

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2010's

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Victor Alvarez debuted as part of the "Shadowland" crossover in Shadowland: Power Man #1, created by writer Fred Van Lente and artist Mahmud Asrar.[7][8][9] He appeared in the 2010 Avengers Academy series. He appeared in the 2011 Power Man and Iron Fist series.[10][11][12][13] He appeared in the 2011 Fear Itself: The Home Front anthology series.[14] He appeared as part of the Marvel NOW! initiative in the 2013 Mighty Avengers series.[15]

2020's

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Victor Alvarez appeared in the 2022 Thunderbolts series, by writer Jim Zub and artist Sean Izaakse.[16][17][18]

Fictional character biography

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Victor Alvarez was first introduced as a teenager from the neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen in New York City. He is the son of Reina Alvarez and Shades. As a child, he was caught in an explosion caused by the villain Bullseye that resulted in the deaths of over 100 people including his father. Victor survived by somehow using a technique that drew the chi from the dead bodies around him and temporarily granted him superhuman strength and fortitude.[19]

Some time later during the Shadowland storyline, Victor took on the name Power Man and began using his abilities to fight crime as a hero for hire, advertising his services on sites like Craigslist. Victor's activities eventually drew the attention of Luke Cage, a member of the Avengers who had once used the Power Man name. Cage and his partner Iron Fist eventually learn that Victor is the son of Shades, a Puerto Rican supervillain that Cage had fought years earlier. Though Victor dislikes both Cage and Iron Fist, he eventually teams up with them to help the other heroes fight the crazed Matt Murdock and his army of Hand ninjas.[20][21]

During the Fear Itself storyline, Power Man ends up teleported onto a station in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with Amadeus Cho, Spider-Girl, Thunderstrike and X-23. They end up fighting a group of samurai Shark Men.[22] Power Man is part of the new class of students when the Avengers Academy moves to the former headquarters of the West Coast Avengers.[23]

During the Infinity storyline, Power Man was with Heroes for Hire while they stopped Plunderer's men from stealing robot parts. After Superior Spider-Man (Doctor Octopus' mind in Peter Parker's body) stops Plunderer, he called Heroes for Hire mercenaries in front of Power Man. While at a café with Luke Cage, Power Man expresses a desire to attack Spider-Man, Luke is more concerned with the consequences for his family. Power Man then plans to start his own version of the Avengers.[24]

Powers and abilities

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Victor Alvarez acquired a range of superpowers after a traumatic explosion during his childhood. He possesses the ability to draw chi energy from his environment.[25] His skin color changes to a glowing red when Victor Alvarez uses this power. It grants him superhuman strength, speed, durability, and agility. This technique is similar to the one that gives Iron Fist his abilities, something the hero commented on during his first encounter with Victor Alvarez.[26] He is able to enhance the superpowers of others. He has the ability to change his size.[27] Victor Alvarez can also absorb energy. Additionally, he is a skilled martial artist.

Victor Alvarez wears a yellow and black body suit with metal embellishments, similar to the look of Luke Cage, the first Power Man.[28]

Reception

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Critical response

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Tom Moore of Looper included Victor Alvarez in their "Young Marvel Heroes Who Still Need To Appear In The MCU" list.[29] Screen Rant included Victor Alvarez in their "10 Best Street-Level Heroes Not Yet In The MCU" list,[30] and in their "10 Iconic New York City-Based Marvel Superheroes We Haven't Seen In The MCU" list.[31] Comic Book Resources ranked Victor Alvarez 5th in their "10 Iconic Marvel Characters Who Debuted In Comic Events" list.[32]

References

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  1. ^ Dodge, John (September 3, 2022). "The New Thunderbolts Are Changing a Twisted Marvel Legacy". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  2. ^ Dievendorf, Schuyler J. (May 5, 2014). "8 Heroes in Comics That Celebrate Cinco de Mayo". The Escapist. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  3. ^ DeCandido, Keith R. A. (September 29, 2016). "A Brief History of Luke Cage in the Comics". Tor.com. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  4. ^ Cahuasqui, Meagan (February 15, 2020). "10 Marvel Superheroes That Haven't Appeared On Screen (But Desperately Need To)". Screen Rant. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  5. ^ Byrne, Craig (September 3, 2016). "Best Luke Cage Comics to Read Before the Netflix Series". Collider. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  6. ^ Thomas, Leah Marilla (September 30, 2016). "Who Is Shades On 'Luke Cage'? Marvel Comics Offer Him A Few Different Paths". Bustle. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  7. ^ Matadeen, Renaldo (August 17, 2019). "The New Power Man Might Be Marvel's Latest Omega-Level Superhero". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  8. ^ Richards, Dave (May 11, 2010). "Van Lente on "Shadowland: Power Man"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
  9. ^ Rogers, Vaneta (May 11, 2010). "An All-New POWER MAN Bursts out of the Marvel's SHADOWLAND". Newsarama. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  10. ^ Richards, Dave (July 22, 2010). "CCI EXCLUSIVE: Van Lente's New "Power Man & Iron Fist"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  11. ^ Ching, Albert (July 23, 2010). "SDCC 2010: POWER MAN & IRON FIST: Reunited For The 1st Time". Newsarama. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  12. ^ Brothers, David (November 18, 2010). "The Top 10 Marvel Comics Coming In February 2011". ComicsAlliance. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  13. ^ Langshaw, Mark (February 4, 2011). "Marvel teases 'Power Man And Iron Fist'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  14. ^ Van Lente, Fred (w), Vitti, Alessandro (a). "The Chosen" Fear Itself: The Home Front, no. 5-7 (October–December 2011). Marvel Comics.
  15. ^ Siegel, Lucas (June 7, 2013). "MIGHTY AVENGERS Creative Team, Details Revealed". Newsarama. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  16. ^ Dar, Taimur (February 11, 2022). "Jim Zub and Sean Izaakse reunite for all-new THUNDERBOLTS miniseries this May". Comics Beat. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  17. ^ Adams, Timothy (February 11, 2022). "Thunderbolts: Hawkeye, America Chavez, and Spectrum Headline New Team". ComicBook.com. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  18. ^ Marston, George (July 28, 2022). "First look - Marvel reinvents the Thunderbolts again ahead of their 2024 movie". Newsarama. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  19. ^ Shadowland: Power Man #3
  20. ^ Shadowland: Power Man #1-4
  21. ^ "Shadowland: Power Man #1". 23 August 2010.
  22. ^ Fear Itself: The Home Front #5-7
  23. ^ Avengers Academy #21 (Nov. 2011)
  24. ^ Mighty Avengers Vol. 2 #1
  25. ^ Killham, Evan (June 14, 2017). "15 Superheroes And Villains Who Literally Stole Their Identities". Screen Rant. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  26. ^ Shadowland: Power Man #2
  27. ^ Sengupta, Abhirup (February 12, 2022). "Marvel announces new Thunderbolts team led by Hawkeye: All about the upcoming comic series ahead of its rumored MCU debut". Sportskeeda. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  28. ^ "Earth's Mightiest Costumes: Luke Cage". Marvel.com.
  29. ^ Moore, Tom (March 19, 2023). "Young Marvel Heroes Who Still Need To Appear In The MCU". Looper. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  30. ^ Prom, Bradley (September 28, 2022). "10 Best Street-Level Heroes Not Yet In The MCU". Screen Rant. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  31. ^ Shayo, Lukas (May 2, 2022). "10 Iconic New York City-Based Marvel Superheroes We Haven't Seen In The MCU". Screen Rant. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  32. ^ Allan, Scoot (March 28, 2023). "10 Iconic Marvel Characters Who Debuted In Comic Events". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
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