Marvel Isn’t All Fiction: Here’s 10 Actual People Who Got Turned Into Superheroes

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The Marvel Universe is home to just about every type of comic book character one can imagine. Marvel’s heroes range from galactic power houses such as the SIlver Surfer, all the way to “street-level” heroes like Daredevil. This diversity in character types is one of the Marvel Universe’s greatest strengths, and has helped shape it into a pop culture behemoth.

When the modern Marvel Universe debuted in the 1960s, it was pitched as “the world outside your window.” Marvel aimed for levels of realism in their titles that had not been in American comics–a groundbreaking approach that distinguished Marvel from other publishers. Occasionally, real world people would find their way into the pages of Marvel Comics, and some even helped the heroes. Here are ten real people Marvel made into heroes.

10

Sigmund Freud, the Founder of Psychoanalyis

A Nutty Take on the Famous Shrink That Only Howard the Duck Could Provide

Sigmund Freud, best known as the “founder of psychoanalysis,” found his way into the pages of Marvel Comics thanks to Howard the Duck. Psychoanalysis is a form of therapy centering around the concepts of id, ego and superego–all concepts that comics have been mining for stories for years, so naturally, bringing its creator into the Marvel Universe seemed like a good fit. Under the direction of Howard the Duck creator Steve Gerber, Freud was reimagined as “the Saint of Therapists.” Freud was known for saying “a cigar is just a cigar,” and his Marvel counterpart had one that could shoot lasers.

Sigmund Freud only made one appearance in Marvel Comics, perhaps owing to Steve Gerber’s idiosyncratic take on him. The idea of a “Saint of Therapists” might sound ridiculous, but Gerber, whose iconoclastic approach to comics was legendary, was using Freud to gently poke fun at characters like Doctor Strange, who carry titles such as “the Sorcerer Supreme.”

9

Uri Geller, Alleged Psychic and TV Personality

A “Real-Life” Psychic That Actually Had Powers in the Marvel Universe

Although the name Uri Geller is not widely known today, he was a huge star of the 1970s, so naturally Marvel found a way to incorporate him into a Daredevil story. Geller was purported to have psychic powers, and made the rounds on the talk shows of the decade showing them off. Geller’s most famous trick was seemingly bending spoons with his mind. When Geller made his Marvel Universe debut, the psychic abilities he paraded on television were actually real, the result of being struck by an energy beam of extraterrestrial origin.

In his sole comic appearance, Geller teamed up with Daredevil to take down the psychic villain known as Mind Wave, but in reality, Geller’s claims were met with considerable skepticism. Geller submitted to scientific testing, and even the Central Intelligence Agency got involved. Despite this research, many still believed Geller was a fraud. However, in the Marvel Universe, he was a hero.

8

Pythagoras, Mathematician

Pythagoras and His Contemporaries Are Far More Than Mathematicians in the Marvel Universe

Today, most people know the name Pythagoras from math classes, but in the Marvel Universe, he was once one-third of a group of magicians called the Triumvirate holding the title of Sorcerer Supreme. Assisting Pythagoras were Thales the Milesian and Pherecyde of Syros, two other Greek philosophers who were his contemporaries. Pythagoras did more than lay down theorems, he helped defend the Earth from all manners of magical threats. The power-sharing arrangement he had with others was unique in the annals of Marvel history, and has not been attempted since.

Taking real-life historical figures such as Pythagoras, Thales or Pherecyde and turning them into heroes was not a novel idea, but making them into powerful sorcerers was. It creates a contrast: Pythagoras, known today for theorems that form the backbone of modern science, was also in fact a magician, and a very powerful one at that. Fans still have yet to see Pythagoras and his buddies in action, but with Doctor Strange on his way back to the Marvel Universe, anything is possible.

7

Princess Diana of Wales

Bad Taste? Or a Brilliant Piece of Satire? We Will Never Know

Princess Diana of Wales was one of the most beloved members of England’s Royal Family, and thus became the target for tabloids and other sensationalist media–and she almost joined X-Force too. It is said that when Princess Diana was killed on August 31st 1997, she was fleeing from the paparazzi. Her death triggered a world-wide period of mourning, which again was heavily covered by the media. Princess Diana lived and died on camera.

So, when writer Peter Milligan and artist Mike Allred decided to revive Princess Diana and have her join X-Force in the early 2000s, it was met with a firestorm of controversy. Although Diana had appeared in Marvel Comics before as a normal human, her ghost was a mutant, and thus she was eligible to join X-Force. However, the media circus around reviving her scared Marvel away from the idea, and the Princess Di character was retooled into Henrietta Hunter. Art featuring Diana as a member of the team allegedly still exists.

6

John Lennon, Musician, Founding Member of the Beatles

All You Need is Love–And Some Skrull DNA

John Lennon is one of the greatest songwriters in music history, and the inspiration for one of Marvel’s more interesting heroes. As a member of the Beatles, John Lennon helped change the course of pop culture. Lennon was a highly influential media figure as well. The Skrulls understood Lennon’s appeal, and thus, in the 1960s, sent four of their kind to Earth to masquerade as the Beatles, thus opening the gates for an invasion. The Skrull Beatles proved to be a mirror of the real deal, and broke up not long after.

It was not the end of the road for the Skrull John Lennon, however, as he eventually found his way to MI13. Joining the British agency not long before the Secret Invasion, John the Skrull kept his namesake’s appearance, and aided MI13 in their missions. He even teamed up with his former bandmates to stop an invasion of Martians. Sadly, this intriguing character, who rebelled against his Skrull masters, meets his end in Secret Invasion.

5

Harriet Tubman

Controversy Remains About Marvel’s “Change Agents”

Harriet Tubman, born Araminta Ross, was an important figure both in the real world and the Marvel Universe. Born into slavery in the Antebellum American South, Tubman escaped and found her way to freedom. Once free, she became an integral part of the “Underground Railroad,” that helped other escaped slaves. All of this still happened in the Marvel Universe, but it was revealed that Tubman had been a member of the Daughters of Liberty, a group whose ranks also included Sharon Carter. Recent issues of Captain America added another layer to Tubman’s involvement in Marvel’s history: the “Change Agents.”

Throughout history, supernatural-charged “Change Agents” help alter the course of destiny, ultimately creating a better world. Tubman was one of many Change Agents. The concept was met with immediate controversy, as many felt it cheapened the contributions of the real Harriet Tubman, and others, to history. Time will tell if the Change Agents concept will stick around. While a fascinating idea, it is indeed in poor taste.

4

Stan Lee and the Marvel Bullpen

Stan and His Cohorts Became the Fantastic Four

The late Stan Lee is one of the most widely recognized comic book creators ever, thanks to cameos in nearly every Marvel movie made prior to his passing, but he also made appearances in the comics too. Stan and other members of Marvel’s staff were drawn into the comics often, but mostly as background characters. Marvel’s primary competitor, DC Comics, also put their creators into comics, and with Earth-Prime, actually turned them into heroes. Marvel decided to take their own crack at it, and used some of their biggest names in the process.

After Stan Lee is accidentally exposed to cosmic radiation, he and three other Marvel staffers become the Fantastic Four, with Stan filling in for Reed Richards. The Marvel Bullpen “Fantastic Four” would team up with the Sub-Mariner, ultimately learning their powers come from the Skrulls. The story was a fun, light-hearted romp and a sweet tribute to an era that had already slipped by.

3

Galileo, Scientist and Mathematician

The “Father of Modern Science” Also Chased Off Galactus

Jonathan Hickman’s S.H.I.E.L.D. book blew the lid off the Marvel Universe’s history, revealing a number of historical figures had been members of an earlier, secret incarnation of SHIELD, and Galileo was one of their leaders. Today, Galileo is revered as one of the founders of modern science, a true polymath who changed the course of history. In his capacity as leader of the Brotherhood of Shield, he defends the Earth from a variety of threats, including Galactus.

The Brotherhood of Shield was founded in Ancient Egypt, and over time their ranks grew to include Leonardo da Vinci, who Galielo succeeded as leader, and Isaac Newton, who would later kill Galielo. Hickman’s SHIELD was full of awe-inspiring moments, and the sight of Galileo fending off Galactus ranks chief among them.

2

Nikola Tesla, Scientist and Legendary Figure

Tesla’s Kooky Inventions Make Him a Shoo-In For the Marvel Universe

The legend of the mysterious Nikola Tesla has only grown in the decades since his death, fueled in part due to rumors he was designing super-weapons. Some believe Tesla created even more fantastic inventions, but they were covered up by those jealous of his abilities. Such a story is excellent fodder for comic books, and Tesla made his Marvel debut in Jonathan Hickman’s S.H.I.E.L.D. Like Galielo, Tesla was a member of the Brotherhood of Shield, but left in opposition to Isaac Newton’s corruption of the group.

Calling himself “the Night Machine,” Tesla would go on to become a huge thorn in Newton’s side, and even fight Nathaniel Richards and Howard Stark. Infused with a quantum power source inside of him, the limit of Tesla’s true power has not been revealed. The historical Tesla was fond of pigeons, and this carried over into his Marvel counterpart: Tesla was assisted in his adventures by a pigeon spirit named “Mina.”

1

Jack Kirby, Comic Book Artist

Marvel’s “God” Looks an Awful Lot Like Jack Kirby

Without Jack Kirby, there never would have been a Marvel Universe, so when it came time to give “god” a face in Fantastic Four #511, writer Mark Waid and artist Mike Weiringo went with the “King.” It was not uncommon for Marvel staffers to draw themselves in the pages of their comics, and Kirby was no exception. In the What If issue that saw the Marvel bullpen transformed into the Fantastic Four, Kirby was made into the Thing. Kirby would be drawn into other comics over the years as well.

In the Marvel Universe, there is no entity greater than the One-Above-All, essentially Marvel’s version of “God.” The One-Above-All created the multiverse, and giving it Jack Kirby’s likeness is a stroke of genius.

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