NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Animal Man

Animal Man (Buddy Baker) is a fictional DC Comics superhero. As a result of being in proximity to an exploding extraterrestrial spaceship, "Buddy" Baker acquires the ability to temporarily “borrow” the abilities of animals (such as a bird's flight or the proportionate strength of an ant). Using these amazing powers, Baker fights crime as the costumed superhero, Animal Man. DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... Vertigo logo Vertigo is an imprint of comic book and graphic novel publisher DC Comics. ... In comic books, first appearance refers to first comic book to feature a character. ... Strange Adventures was an American comic book published by DC Comics. ... Cover for Spider-Woman #8 (November 1978). ... For the animated television series, see Justice League (TV series) or Justice League Unlimited. ... The Forgotten Heroes were a team of DC Heroes who had faded from the limelight. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... For the upcoming parody of superhero films, see Superhero!. Batman and Superman, two of the most recognizable and iconic superheroes. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... A hummingbird Female Mallard Duck in midflight A dragonfly in flight Flight is the process by which an object achieves sustained movement either through the air by aerodynamically generating lift or aerostatically using buoyancy, or movement beyond earths atmosphere, in the case of spaceflight. ... For other uses, see Ant (disambiguation). ...

Publication history

Created by writer Dave Wood and artist Carmine Infantino, he first appeared in Strange Adventures #180 (September 1965). Animal Man was a minor character for his first twenty years, never gaining the popularity of other DC heroes such as Batman or Superman. However, he became one of several DC properties—such as Shade, the Changing Man and Sandman—to be revived and revamped in the late 1980s for a more mature comics audience. As seen in the comic below he was billed as a "full time hero" an aspect that would be the most changed by Morrison's revamp. Cover for Spider-Woman #8 (November 1978). ... Strange Adventures was an American comic book published by DC Comics. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ... Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ... Shade, the Changing Man is a fictional comic book character created by Steve Ditko for DC Comics in 1977. ... The Sandman is a comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and published in the United States by DC Comics for 75 issues from 1988 until 1996. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ...

Grant Morrison’s Animal Man was innovative in its advocacy for animal rights, willingness to break the fourth wall and portrayal of Animal Man as an everyman hero with a wife and children. After that series ended in 1995, the character has made brief appearances in DC crossover events. Animal Man recently was a major character in the weekly series 52. Grant Morrison (born January 31, 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer and artist. ... For the album by Moby, see Animal Rights (album). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... It has been suggested that Gaming crossovers be merged into this article or section. ... 52 is the title of a comic book limited series published by DC Comics, which debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. ...

Fictional character biography

Beginnings

Animal Man debuted in Strange Adventures #180 in 1965, in a story written by Dave Wood and drawn by Carmine Infantino and George Roussos. Animal Man was given his costume and name in Strange Adventures #190. He continued as a semi-regular feature in the book, making occasional cover appearances, until the introduction of Deadman, who became the main feature with issue #205. Image File history File links Strange_adventures_195. ... Image File history File links Strange_adventures_195. ... John Edmond Jack Sparling (June 21, 1916 - 1997) was a Canadian - American comics artist. ... Strange Adventures was an American comic book published by DC Comics. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... Cover for Spider-Woman #8 (November 1978). ... George Roussos a. ... For other uses, see Deadman (disambiguation). ...

His subsequent appearances were sporadic and sparse. In 1980, Animal Man made a notable guest appearance in Wonder Woman #267-268. For other uses, see Wonder Woman (disambiguation). ...

His main appearances in the 1980s were as a member of the "Forgotten Heroes", a team of minor DC heroes. It was in that capacity that he appeared in the company-wide crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths. The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... The Forgotten Heroes were a team of DC Heroes who had faded from the limelight. ... Crisis on Infinite Earths was a 12-issue comic book limited series (identified as a 12-part maxi-series) and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 in order to simplify their fifty-year-old continuity. ...

Revival

In the late 1980s, following the slate-cleaning Crisis on Infinite Earths event, DC began employing innovative writers — mostly young and mostly British — to revamp some of their old characters. In the period that saw Alan Moore reinvent Swamp Thing, and Neil Gaiman do the same with The Sandman, Animal Man was re-imagined by Scottish writer Grant Morrison. Morrison wrote the first 26 issues of the Animal Man comic book, published between 1988 and 1990, with art by Chas Truog and Doug Hazlewood; Brian Bolland provided the covers. Crisis on Infinite Earths was a 12-issue comic book limited series (identified as a 12-part maxi-series) and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 in order to simplify their fifty-year-old continuity. ... For other persons named Alan Moore, see Alan Moore (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Swamp Thing (disambiguation). ... Neil Richard Gaiman () (born November 10, 1960) is an English author of science fiction and fantasy short stories and novels, graphic novels, comics, and films. ... The Sandman was a comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics for 75 issues from 1988 until 1996. ... Grant Morrison (born January 31, 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer and artist. ... Bollands cover to Hellstorm: Prince Of Lies #16. ...

Although the series was initially conceived as a four issue limited series, it was upgraded into an on-going series following strong sales. Consequently, Morrison developed several long-running plots, introducing mysteries, some of which were not explained until a year or two later. The title featured the protagonist both in and — increasingly — out of costume. Morrison made the title character an everyman figure living in a universe populated by superheroes, aliens, and fantastic technology. Buddy's wife Ellen, his son Cliff (10 years old at the beginning of the series), and his daughter Maxine (6 years old) featured prominently in most storylines, and his relationship with them, as husband, father, and provider, was an ongoing theme. The limited series is a term referring to a comic book series with a set finite number of issues. ... In literature and drama, the term everyman has come to mean an ordinary individual, with whom the audience or reader is supposed to be able to identify, and who is often placed in extraordinary circumstances. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The series championed vegetarianism and animal rights, causes Morrison himself supported. In one issue, Buddy helps a band of self-confessed eco-terrorists save a pod of dolphins. Enraged at a fisherman's brutality, Buddy drops him into the ocean, intending for him to drown. Ironically, the man is saved by a dolphin. This article refers to human nutrition and diet, for plant based diets in the animal kingdom see herbivore A variety of vegetarian food ingredients Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes all animal flesh, including poultry, game, fish, shellfish or crustacea, and slaughter by-products. ... For the album by Moby, see Animal Rights (album). ... Eco-terrorism is defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigations Domestic Terrorism Section as the use or threatened use of violence of a criminal nature against innocent victims or property by an environmentally-oriented, subnational group for environmental-political reasons, or aimed at an audience beyond the target, often... Genera See article below. ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering. ...

A jacket was added to Animal Man's costume (so he could have pockets and a place to put his keys). However, this jacket was not a leather jacket: Buddy specifically discusses that he won't wear leather, he considers this immoral.

An early aspect of the character was his desire for fame, as is manifested by his wish to be in the Justice League. Buddy joins the newly-formed Justice League Europe and bonds with Dmitiri of the Rocket Reds over the shared experiences of being fathers. (Justice League International, vol. 1 #24) However, he soon resigns due to personal problems. (Justice League Europe #12) For the animated television series, see Justice League (TV series) or Justice League Unlimited. ... Justice League Europe was a DC Comics book run that was a spin-off of Justice League International (which was renamed Justice League America at the time). ... The Rocket Red Brigade is a DC Comics superhero team. ...

During his run on the title, Morrison consistently manipulated and deconstructed the fourth wall — the imaginary barrier separating the reader from the setting of the story which also extends to the characters and their creators. One visual expression of this theme was to present characters in a state of partial erasure — often juxtaposing the artist's pencil drafts with the finished art. The series notably contained the only overt references to the various Earths of the pre-Crisis DC Multiverse. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (400x613, 49 KB) Summary Cover to Animal Man #19, published by DC Comics. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (400x613, 49 KB) Summary Cover to Animal Man #19, published by DC Comics. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Bollands cover to Hellstorm: Prince Of Lies #16. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A depiction of several alternate Earths within the Multiverse and the different variations of the Flash inhabiting each Earth. ...

Breaking the Fourth Wall

Issue #5, "The Coyote Gospel," features Crafty, a thinly-disguised Wile E. Coyote (of the Road Runner cartoons). Weary of the endless cycle of violence which he and his cartoon compatriots are subject to, Crafty appeals to his cartoonist-creator. A bargain is struck: he can end the violence only by willingly being condemned to leave his cartoon world, entering Animal Man's "comic" world instead. The issue concludes with a series of "pull-back" shots beginning with a close-up of Crafty's bleeding body (and white blood), culminating with a panel depicting the cartoonist's immense hand, coloring Crafty's blood with red paint. Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote The Road Runner cartoons are a series of Looney Tunes cartoons created by Chuck Jones for Warner Brothers. ... Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote The Road Runner cartoons are a series of Looney Tunes cartoons created by Chuck Jones for Warner Brothers. ...

The culmination of this self-referentiality is Animal Man's discovery that all of the actors in the DC universe are fictional characters. He even meets Grant Morrison, the callous "god" who controls his life.

Buddy fought several menaces, such as ancient, murderous spirit that was hunting him; brutal, murderous alien Thangarian warriors; and even the easily-defeated red robots of an elderly villain who was tired of life.

Buddy suffers a tragedy when his wife and children are brutally murdered while he is away on a case. (Animal Man #20) Buddy tracks down the killers and exacts vengeance. Animal Man ultimately confronts his creator, and his family is restored to life. (Animal Man #21-26)

Morrison's run on the series is collected into three trade paperbacks entitled: Animal Man, Animal Man: Origin of the Species (which includes the Secret Origins #39), and Animal Man: Deus Ex Machina. Brian Bollands cover to the 1989 Secret Origins collection. ...

Following Morrison's run, Peter Milligan wrote a 6-issue series featuring several surreal villains and heroes, exploring questions about identity and quantum physics. Tom Veitch and Steve Dillon then took over for 18 issues in which Buddy goes to work as a movie stuntman and explores mystical totemic aspects of his powers. Jamie Delano wrote 29 issues with Steve Pugh as artist, giving the series a more horror-influenced feel with a "suggested for mature readers" label on the cover, beginning with issue #51. Peter Milligan is an Irish writer, best known for his comic book, film and television work. ... Tom Veitch is an American writer, best known for his contributions to the Dark Horse line of Star Wars comicbook titles, notably Dark Empire and Tales of the Jedi. ... Steve Dillon is a British comic book artist. ... Stunt man and stunt woman redirect here. ... A totem is any entity which watches over or assists a group of people, such as a family, clan or tribe (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary [1] and Websters New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition). ... Jamie Delano Jamie Delano (born 1954, Northampton) is a British comics writer. ... Steve Pugh is a British comic book artist who has worked for most of the major comic producers on both sides of the Atlantic: DC, Marvel, Dark Horse and 2000 AD. Bibliography Comics work includes: Third World War: Ivans story: Why me? (with Pat Mills, in Crisis, #36, 1990...

Animal Man is a man of great compassion toward all creatures, an ardent animal rights activist, an environmentalist, and a vegetarian. His link to the M-field has been passed on to his daughter, Maxine, who is also connected to the animal kingdom. Although he wears a mask, he goes to no great lengths to conceal his true identity.

Vertigo

Starting with issue #57, the series became one of the charter titles of DC's new mature readers Vertigo imprint, and its ties to the DC Universe became more tenuous. Vertigo was establishing itself as a distinct "mini-universe" with its own continuity, only occasionally touching the continuity of the regular DC Universe. The super-hero elements of the book were removed — Buddy discarded his costume, stopped associating with other heroes, and generally abandoned his crime-fighting role. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Vertigo logo Vertigo is an imprint of comic book and graphic novel publisher DC Comics. ...

The title evolved into a more horror-themed book, with Buddy eventually becoming a non-human animal god. A brief run by Jerry Prosser and Fred Harper featured Buddy as a white-haired shamanistic figure before the series was canceled after 89 issues due to declining sales. The shaman is an intellectual and spiritual figure who is regarded as possessing power and influence on other peoples in the tribe and performs several functions, primarily that of a healer ( medicine man). The shaman provides medical care, and serves other community needs during crisis times, via supernatural means (means...

Back in the DCU

Although Animal Man served as an occasional character in other titles after the cancellation of his own series, he did not disappear altogether. Baker continued to split his time between his family, his career as Animal Man, and regular stunt work for films. He occasionally lent his talents to various super groups, including the JLA, Forgotten Heroes, and played a prominent role in the Swamp Things's task force, Totems. ^[1]

This marked the reappearance of Buddy in costume, and heralded his return to the DC Universe. He subsequently appeared alongside Aquaman, Hawkman and Resurrection Man (Resurrection Man #24-27). In JLA #27 (March 1999) Buddy officially joins the League to battle a rampaging Amazo in the Florida Everglades. He, and many other emergency recruits, are defeated and their powers copied on a conceptual level; since Amazo is programmed to copy the League, anyone who is a member can have their powers copied. Superman literally disbands the entire team, defeating Amazo. Buddy does not stay for the reorginization. During a JLA crossover event, the Martian Manhunter seeks out Animal Man's expertise in the morphogenetic field to assist the League. (JLA #40) During this encounter, Martian Manhunter was disturbed by his accidental glimpse of Buddy's understanding of the true nature of the DC Universe. Cover to the History of the DC Universe trade paperback. ... Aquaman is a fictional character, superhero in DC Comics. ... Carter Hall is a DC Comics superhero, the original Hawkman. ... Resurrection Man is the title of a DC Comics comic book series about Mitchell Shelly which ran for 27 issues from 1997 to 1999. ... Amazo is a fictional android from DC Comics. ... It has been suggested that Gaming crossovers be merged into this article or section. ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ...

Animal Man also makes an appearance in the Identity Crisis limited series, helping to search for the murderer of Sue Dibny. This article is about the DC Comics series. ... Susan Sue Dearbon Dibny is a fictional character from DC comics. ...

After encountering danger signs from the animal world, Animal Man is recruited by Donna Troy as part of a team journeying to New Cronos to stop the Infinite Crisis, mirroring his role in Crisis on Infinite Earths, in which he journeyed into space with the Forgotten Heroes on Brainiac's ship. During this adventure, he formed a mentoring friendship with Firestorm, Jason Rusch. Donna Troy is a fictional character, a superheroine in the DC Universe. ... Infinite Crisis was a seven-issue limited series of comic books published by DC Comics, beginning in October of 2005. ... Crisis on Infinite Earths was a 12-issue comic book limited series (identified as a 12-part maxi-series) and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 in order to simplify their fifty-year-old continuity. ... The Forgotten Heroes were a team of DC Heroes who had faded from the limelight. ... Brainiac is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain and frequent opponent of Superman. ... This article is about the Ronnie Raymond/Martin Stein version of Firestorm. ...

Due to a malfunction of the zeta beam which Adam Strange deploys to return to the team to earth, Animal Man, along with most of the heroes, go missing after Infinite Crisis. Eventually some of the heroes are recovered but Adam Strange, Buddy and Starfire are still missing. They become core cast members of DC's weekly series 52. Image File history File links 52twenty. ... Image File history File links 52twenty. ...

In 52, Animal Man, Starfire and Adam Strange are stranded on an alien planet. The trio escape, but are pursued by bounty hunters. They are joined by Lobo. In issue #36, during a battle with Lady Styx and her horde, Animal Man is killed by a necrotoxin, which causes its victims to rise again in the service of Lady Styx. Animal Man makes Starfire promise not to let him come back as a zombie. He gestures to the reader, saying, "Look, they're cheering us on. I told you the universe likes me." At the moment of his death, Ellen, still on Earth, senses his death and begins to cry. 52 is the title of a comic book limited series published by DC Comics, which debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. ... Starfire is the name of three superheroes who have appeared in comic books published by DC Comics. ... Adam Strange is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. ... Lobo is a DC Comics antihero. ... Lady Styx is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. ...

In issue #37, moments after Starfire and Adam Strange leave Animal Man in space, Buddy comes back to life. The aliens who originally granted his powers stand next to him, saying: "And so it begins." After plucking him out of the timestream and repairing his body, they leave him in outer space. Animal Man must reach out to another life form in order to survive, and claims the abilities of a group of Sun-Eaters, including their homing sense. He observes his wife from a wormhole in space; Ellen is seeing another man. This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ...

Buddy returns to earth, describing the marvels of space to his delighted family. Ellen throws a party to celebrate his return, but some followers of Lady Styx appear, bent upon killing the family. They are eliminated by Starfire, who has only partially recovered from wounds suffered in space. She delivers Buddy's jacket and faints from weakness and surprise when she sees him alive, leaving the family to care for her.

Countdown To Adventure

Animal Man is to join Adam Strange and Starfire in the upcoming series titled Countdown To Adventure written by Adam Beechen.

Powers and abilities

Buddy can mimic any abilities of any animal as a result of his encounter with a crashed alien spacecraft. He does this by either focusing on a specific animal near him, or, as he learned later, by drawing power from the animal kingdom in general (this enables him to even mimic animals that are extinct). The nature of these powers has been described in various ways, including the superficial "alien radiation" explanation of his early appearances, the reconstruction of his body by aliens with "morphogenetic grafts" at the cellular level, and currently, mystical access to a "morphogenetic field" created by all living creatures, also known as "the Red". He does not grow wings to fly as a bird (instead he flies in classic "Superman style"), nor does he form gills to breathe underwater when mimicking a fish, but he has occasionally been known to mimic the actual appearances of animals, such as adopting the claws of a wolverine temporarily, or his metamorphosis toward the end of Delano's run on his series. The Space Shuttle Discovery as seen from the International Space Station. ... Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ... In aquatic organisms, gills are a respiratory organ for the extraction of oxygen from water and for the excretion of carbon dioxide. ... Binomial name Gulo gulo (Linnaeus, 1758) Wolverine range The Wolverine (Gulo gulo) is the largest land-dwelling species of the Mustelidae or weasel family (the Giant Otter is largest overall), and is the only species currently classified in the genus Gulo (meaning glutton). It is also called the Glutton or...

The level of Buddy's abilities are proportional to the size of the animal they are drawn from. Hence, drawing the jumping ability from a flea would allow him to cover great distances. However, taking the abilities of a larger animal does not result in diminished power for him. In some appearances, he can also talk to animals and enter their minds. Species T. rex (type) Osborn, 1905 Synonyms Manospondylus Cope, 1892 Dynamosaurus Osborn, 1905 ?Nanotyrannus Bakker, Williams & Currie, 1988 Stygivenator Olshevsky, 1995 Dinotyrannus Olshevsky, 1995 Tyrannosaurus (IPA pronunciation or , meaning tyrant lizard) is a genus of theropod dinosaur. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Fish (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Ant (disambiguation). ... Diversity 111 families, 40,000 species Suborders Mesothelae Mygalomorphae Araneomorphae See table of families Wikispecies has information related to: Spiders Spiders are predatory invertebrate animals that have two body segments, eight legs, no chewing mouth parts and no wings. ... Binomial name Alpheus bellulus , Tiger pistol shrimp (Alpheus bellulus) is a type of shrimp, also called Symbiosis Shrimp, or Snapping Shrimp. ... A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly. ... Genera Conepatus Mydaus Mephitis Spilogale Skunks are mammals, usually with black-and-white fur, that are best known for their ability to excrete a strong foul smelling odor. ... For other uses, see Chameleon (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Snake (disambiguation). ... This article is about the animal. ... For other uses, see Worm (disambiguation). ... Wikisource has an original article from the 1911 EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica about: Protozoa Protozoa (in Greek proto = first and zoa = animals) are single-celled eukaryotes (organisms whose cells have nuclei) that commonly show characteristics usually associated with animals, most notably mobility and heterotrophy. ... Families Blaberidae Blattellidae Blattidae Cryptocercidae Polyphagidae Nocticolidae Cockroaches (or simply roaches) are insects of the order blattodea. ... For other uses, see Flea (disambiguation). ...

Tapping into the Red, Animal Man can also fire blasts of force or unidentified energy. He can even use the primordial energies to start a new universe.

In 52, Buddy experiences an upgrade that allows him to connect to the Universe's morphogenetic field, providing him unlimited access to all animals in the universe regardless of origin.

Considering his ability to connect to Suneaters, he is now one of DC's most powerful heroes.

Awards

The series bearing the name won the Squiddy Award for Most Improved Series in 1992. In addition, issues #5 and #19 tied with eleven other comics for the Squiddy Award for Favorite Single Issue of Any Series in 1989. ^[2] The Squiddy Awards, also known as The Squiddies are the annual awards given by the participants in the Usenet newsgroup rec. ...

Other Versions

Animal Man appears in Justice League Unlimited #29, helping Superman and B'Wana Beast against Queen Bee. Bwana Beast is the name of a comic book superhero in the DC Universe. ... Queen Bee is the name of four different DC Comics supervillainesses. ...

In the Titans Tomorrow alternate future from Teen Titans vol. 3 #17-19, Buddy Baker died in a crisis along with most of the other main DCU superheroes. His replacement as Animal Man in that future was Garfield Logan (aka Beast Boy). Titans Tomorrow is a storyline of a possible alternate future in the DC Comics Universe, from Teen Titans (vol. ... Beast Boy (real name Garfield Mark Gar Logan) is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, a shapeshifting superhero who is a former member of the Doom Patrol and member of the Teen Titans. ...

Bibliography

Grant Morrison's run on the series has been collected in the following graphic novels:

References

Footnotes

In the American comic book industry, the term one-shot is used to denote a pilot comic or a stand-alone story created to last as one issue. ... Vertigo logo Vertigo is an imprint of comic book and graphic novel publisher DC Comics. ...

External links

Contents

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