Mercury
First Appearance: Red Raven Comics #1 (August 1940).
Golden Age Appearances:
Red Raven Comics #1.
Modern Appearances: Marvel Universe #6-7.
Years Active: c. 1,000,000 B.C.E.-present (see below).
"From
High Olympus, celestial retreat of the ancient gods, comes Mercury, the
fleet. He is sent by Jupiter, the All Wise, to the tumultous (sic), war
torn world of the Twentieth Century. Mankind must be saved from self destruction
and Mercury has been chosen to battle the Evil One who is spurring man
to this disastrous end--Pluto, Prince of Darkness!!!" Jupiter and Minerva
are worried about "poor, foolish, little mortals. They are so easily tempted
by visions of glory--visions that stir them to kill their own kind." Minerva
suggests that Jupiter send a god to "halt Pluto's ghastly pastime." Jupiter
runs through the gods--Vulcan is too similar to Pluto, Aeolus is too contented,
Diana "for all her ferocity is still a woman--and Pluto knows women," and
Apollo is too irresponsible and vain--and finally settles on Mercury. He
summons Mercury:
Narrator: Mercury finds a council of the gods awaiting
him as majestic Jupiter outlines the task the fleet, young god must fulfill.
Mercury: "Long have I hoped for this chance. I go!"
Jupiter: "Let one quotation of modern mortals serve as parting
words, son. I want you to lick the pants off that demon Pluto."
Mercury: "It's in the bag, all wisest."
Mercury descends to Earth and finds that Pluto is disguised as "Rudolph
Hendler...the fiery, fuming dictator" of "Prussland." Mercury confronts
Pluto and then begins foiling his war plans. Mercury defeats attempts to
stop him by "Heinrich Goertz," the head of Prussland's "Sturm Staffel,"
and by "the beautiful Thea Shilhausen, alias L-5." The story, Mercury's
only Golden Age appearance, ends with Mercury intercepting every one of
Pluto's orders before they reach a battlefield and Pluto becoming angry
with Mercury.
In Marvel Universe it was revealed that Mercury and Hurricane
were both the EternalsMakkari,
posing as a human hero to fight crime and especially the evils of the Deviants.
Mercury had superspeed and was bulletproof. His costume consisted of
a winged headband, winged yellow boots, and very short yellow trunks.
Note: The illustration above is actually Rich
Bellacera's Micro, combining Hurricane (the one in trunks and winged
boots), Mercury (the one with white eyes, winged boots, and red trunks
and belly plate), Major Mercury of the First
Line, and Makkari, all of whom were Makkari in current Marvel continuity.
