This is "Just Like the Time Before," a feature where I examine instances from comic book history where comic book creators did early versions of later, notable comic book characters and plot ideas. Essentially, the "test runs" for later, more famous characters and stories.
Just like the last one of these, this one I believe is almost assuredly a coincidence, but it is a funny enough coincidence that I'm still going to sfeature it. As suggested by reader Mark G., we take a look at the debut of Mystivac, in Mister Miracle #12 and its surprising connection to Wolverine!
Wolverine, as you likely know already, debuted on the final page of 1974's Incredible Hulk #180 (by Len Wein, Herb Trimpe and Jack Abel)...
He then had his full debut in the following issue...
Note that Wolverine did not retract his claws all throughout the issue. So it was not until the following year, in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (by Wein and Dave Cockrum) that we first got that famous "snikt" sound effect with Wolverine's claws...
Amusingly enough, though, in very late 1972, Jack Kirby and Mike Royer released Mister Miracle #12. The issue introduced what appeared to be a robot named Mystivac, who had the ability to control people's minds through its voice. It tells Mister Miracle that he wants to die...
And sure enough, during a training session, he almost dies because he didn't want out of a death trap enough...
Mister Miracle agrees to fight Mystivac, and if Miracle escapes, he wins a bunch of money. Mystivac's owner assumes that Mystivac's power will cause Miracle to die, but Miracle fights off the control...
So Mystivac has to break out its other offensive capabilities, including two claws that extend from his arm with a "snik"...
Pretty funny, right?
Miracle ultimately wins the fight and learns that Mystivac is not a robot, but an alien inside a suit of armor...
Mystivac later dies (as the bullet meant for Miracle instead pierces his shell)...
Now, was Len Wein reading Mister Miracle at the time? Almost certainly, but it seems unlikely that he actually took the claws or the "Snikt" (different from "Snik" anyways) from Kirby, but it's still funny enough to note it.
Thanks to Mark G. for the suggestion!
Okay, folks, you MUST have some suggestions for other characters and/or plots that fit into this theme! Preferably more obvious ones than these coincidental ones, but I'll take coincidental ones, too! So drop me a line at [email protected] for future installments!
