Mysterio 315916 226182817 2008-07-17T05:36:14Z 67.162.108.96 rvt - i doubt it {{Superherobox |image=[[Image:Mysterio2.jpg|250px]] |caption=Mysterio drawn by [[Todd Nauck]]. |character_name=Mysterio |real_name= - Quentin Beck</br>- Daniel Berkhart</br>- Francis Klum |publisher=[[Marvel Comics]] |debut='''(Beck)'''<br>''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]'' #13 (June [[1964]]) |creators=[[Stan Lee]]<br>[[Steve Ditko]] |base of operations=mobile |alliances=[[Sinister Six]] |aliases='''(all)'''<br>Master of Illusion<br>'''(Beck)'''<br>Ludwig Rinehart |powers='''(Beck and Berkhart)'''<br>Special effects expert and masterful [[magic (illusion)|illusionist]]</br>'''(Klum)'''<br>Teleportation |}} {{for|the professional wrestler known by the [[ring name]], Rey Mysterio|Rey Mysterio, Jr.}} {{for|another Marvel villain known as Mysterio|Mysterio (Francis Klum)}} <!-- If you have been adding stats, see your talk page before adding them again. There's a reason we don't include that. --> '''Mysterio''' is the name of three [[fictional characters]] in the [[Marvel Universe]]. The original Mysterio was created by [[Stan Lee]] and [[Steve Ditko]] and [[first appearance|first appears]] in ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #13, although it was later [[retroactive continuity|retconned]] that the aliens seen in ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #2 had been Mysterio and his men in disguise; it was revealed that he had been hired by the [[Tinkerer]] to disguise himself as an extraterrestrial and uncover military and industrial secrets. <ref> {{Cite comic | Writer = Roger Stern | Penciller = Marie Severin | Inker = Jim Mooney | Story = Aliens And Illusions! | Title = The Spectacular Spider-Man | Volume = 1 | Issue = 51 | Date = January, 1981 | Publisher = Marvel Comics }} </ref> ==Fictional character biography== ===Quentin Beck=== Quentin Beck was born in [[Riverside, California]]. Before becoming Mysterio, Beck was a [[special effect]]s wizard and stunt man who worked for a major Hollywood studio and had dreams to make a name for himself in the film industry. However, he lacked the looks and talent to be a star and the patience to be a director, and saw his career in special effects to be a dead-end job. When a friend jokingly suggested that the quickest way to become famous is to take out a costumed hero, Beck realized that his expertise in illusions could make him an effective supervillain. Choosing [[Spider-Man]], a relatively weak and inexperienced target, Beck prepared his resources for a few months before attempting to eliminate the wall-crawler. Mysterio, his chosen identity, became one of Spider-Man's most elusive and persistent foes. Mysterio showed his full range of talents in his first battle with Spider-Man, fogging the hero's [[Spider-Man's powers and equipment#Spider-sense|Spider-Sense]] with a special gas and dissolving his webbing with a chemical abrasive.<ref>''Amazing Spider-Man'' #13</ref> He later joined the original [[Sinister Six]] in a failed attempt at revenge on Spider-Man.<ref>''Amazing Spider-Man Annual'' #1</ref> Mysterio created the alias of world-renowned psychiatrist Dr. Ludwig Rinehart and used technology and [[hypnosis]] in an attempt to convince Spider-Man that he was losing his mind.<ref>''Amazing Spider-Man'' #24</ref> Mysterio later established a brief partnership with the [[Wizard (Marvel Comics)|Wizard]] in a failed plot to kill Spider-Man and the [[Human Torch]] on a Hollywood movie set.<ref>''Amazing Spider-Man Annual'' #4</ref> He convinced Spider-Man into believing he was 6 inches tall using a post-hypnotic suggestion.<ref>''Amazing Spider-Man'' #66-67</ref> Some time later, Beck's cellmate [[#Daniel Berkhart|Daniel Berkhart]] briefly became the new Mysterio on the original's behalf.<ref>''Amazing Spider-Man'' #141</ref> Much later, Beck resumed his Ludwig Rinehart identity to manipulate Spider-Man's [[Aunt May]] into revealing the whereabouts of a supposed fortune hidden in her house.<ref>''Amazing Spider-Man'' #198-199</ref> Beck used bogus alien disguises to frighten May Parker into revealing the location of the fortune, but then learned that the money had long ago been eaten by [[silverfish]].<ref>''Spectacular Spider-Man'' #50-51</ref> Some time later, Mysterio tricked Spider-Man into believing that he had caused the death of a bystander.<ref>''Amazing Spider-Man'' #311</ref> Mysterio then attempts to scare the tenants from an apartment complex in real estate thwarted by the preteen superhero team, [[Power Pack]].<ref>''Power Pack'' #55</ref> He was recruited by [[Doctor Octopus]] to form the second Sinister Six, and battled Spider-Man.<ref>''Amazing Spider-Man'' #335-339</ref> In other encounters, Mysterio has faked the death of Spider-Man's [[Aunt May]], and made deals with demons from [[Limbo (comics)|Limbo]]. Despite this, however, Mysterio was constantly beaten by Spider-Man and usually arrested. He joined Doctor Octopus' Sinister Six on several occasions, but this never gave him the edge against his foe that he desired. Eventually, he began to lose credibility as a supervillain with his defeat at the hands of Power Pack, being a particularly humiliating moment. After his final imprisonment, Mysterio was given an early release, as he had been diagnosed with a [[brain tumor]] and [[lung cancer]], both caused by the chemicals and radiation from his equipment. He was given one year to live. Obsessed with enacting his final revenge on Spider-Man, he was disappointed when he deduced from newspaper articles that the current Spider-Man was just a [[Ben Reilly|clone]], and saw no dignity in overpowering a 'copy' of the real thing (even though by then, the clone had been killed, and the current Spider-Man was indeed the original). Mysterio decided to change his plan and focus on [[Daredevil (Marvel Comics)|Daredevil]], who he had encountered recently during an insurance scam that the Man Without Fear had thwarted; he believed that he had found a 'kindred spirit' in Daredevil, in the sense that both were second stringers with little reputation outside their homes. After the [[Kingpin (comics)|Kingpin]] gave Mysterio all the information he possessed about Daredevil's past, Mysterio developed an elaborate plot to drive Daredevil insane. Daredevil was nearly manipulated into killing an innocent baby (falsely accused of being the [[Antichrist]]), [[Karen Page]] was killed by [[Bullseye (comics)|Bullseye]] after Mysterio had convinced her that she was suffering from [[HIV]] due to her time as a [[pornographic actor|porn star]], Matt Murdock's partner [[Foggy Nelson]] was framed for murder after cheating on his current lover, and Daredevil nearly lost his mind as he appeared to be tormented by the forces of Hell. However, Daredevil's will proved stronger than Mysterio expected, and he unmasked Mysterio as the mastermind, shattering the villain's helmet in fury and revealing his now languishing appearance. Beck had thought Daredevil would kill him upon discovery, which in his eyes, was a "grand way to end his final show". Daredevil denied him this and instead verbally abused Mysterio's plot and very existence, dismissing Mysterio's scheme as a basic 'B-Movie' plot and calling Mysterio a 'human xerox', incapable of having an original thought in his life; if nothing else, the Kingpin had already attempted to drive Daredevil insane, and he had used the 'supernatural intruding on our world' idea in a previous attack on [[J. Jonah Jameson]]. Broken in every sense of the word, Mysterio, saying he was stealing an idea from [[Kraven the Hunter]], pulled out a gun and shot himself dead. While Mysterio has faked his own death several times in the past, this act was legitimate, as Mysterio had nothing left to live for. ===Daniel Berkhart=== [[Image:Mysterio1.jpg|left|185px|thumb|Daniel Berkhart as Mysterio.]]Someone claiming to be Mysterio appeared later with the revised [[Sinister Six]], making references to his 'death', stating how after fighting Daredevil he had exited in a 'most spectacular fashion'. There was some confusion to this Mysterio's identity until ''Spider-Man: The Mysterio Manifesto'' hinted that it was '''Daniel Berkhart''', an old friend of Beck and a previous [[Jack O'Lantern (Marvel Comics)#Mad Jack(s)|Jack-O-Lantern]] who had taken over the mantle of Mysterio during a period when Beck had previously faked his death, and has reassumed it after Beck's death. This issue was not addressed again until a Mysterio briefly fought Spider-Man and was captured in ''[[Spider-Man Unlimited (comic book)|Spider-Man Unlimited]]'' (Vol. III) #7. In a recent storyline in ''[[Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man]]'' #12, Berkhart was confirmed to be this second Mysterio by [[#Return of Beck|Quentin Beck]]. ===Francis Klum=== A teleporting [[mutant (Marvel Comics)|mutant]] named '''[[Mysterio (Francis Klum)|Francis Klum]]''' was seen purchasing Mysterio's costume from the [[Kingpin (comics)|Kingpin]], swearing revenge on Spider-Man for the events in ''[[Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do|Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do]]''. This would make him the third Mysterio, and the first Mysterio to have actual powers instead of using illusions. ===Return of Beck=== [[Image:Mysterio02.png|145px|Mysterio unmasked in ''[[Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man]]'' #12. Art by [[Todd Nauck]].|right|thumb]] In ''[[Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man]]'' #11, Klum plots to destroy the recently unmasked Spider-Man in revenge for the events that took place in ''[[Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do|The Evil That Men Do]]''. Enacting his plot by turning the school Peter Parker worked in into a 'haunted house', Klum fills it with hauntings and death-traps, including luring the children away from Peter's protection. To prevent interference, Klum cordons off the school with a barrier of toxic smoke, which only served as a beacon to Daniel Berkhart, who recognized the trick and was incensed that someone was stealing his Mysterio act. Penetrating the barrier, Berkhart prepares to team up with Spider-Man in order to defeat Klum. Before the fight began, however, Klum had already encountered a third man in a more radical, purple and red Mysterio costume. Lecturing Klum on the aspects of showmanship, he eventually removes his helmet to reveal that he was apparently Quentin Beck, back from the dead, still with half of his head missing. The full nature of this alleged resurrection has yet to be revealed (although Beck did cryptically state "While I was done with life, it appears life was not yet done with me", implying that the resurrection was not intentional on his part and Beck had meant to stay dead). In a conversation with [[Miss Arrow]], he revealed that his "bosses" and her "bosses" had further plans for Peter Parker and that she should keep him employed in the school. ==Powers, abilities and equipment== Quentin Beck was an expert designer of special effects devices and stage illusions, a master [[hypnosis|hypnotist]] and [[Magic (illusion)|prestidigitator]], and an amateur chemist and [[roboticist]]. He had extensive knowledge of hand-to-hand combat techniques learned as a stuntman but didn't otherwise possess superhuman abilities. Daniel Berkhart, a former friend and protégé of Beck's, presumably has much of the same training and skills that Beck does, though to what extent is unknown. Francis Klum, having purchased the identity from the Kingpin, has not been identified as having any such training. He is, however, depicted as being at least knowledgeable enough to operate some of the Mysterio equipment and techniques. Additionally, he has the mutant ability to teleport both himself and other objects, and the ability to control other people's body parts. Mysterio (in any incarnation) has personal weaponry that includes a one-way plexiglass fishbowl helmet (with 30 minute air supply) with [[holography|holographic]] projector and gloves and boots armed with nozzles which emit [[Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants|hallucinogenic]] gas. He developed a gas that can cancel Spider-Man's spider-sense, and when he is cloaked in his mist gases, he uses sonar to detect objects and beings nearby. He also has more advanced technology (not of his own design) at his disposal. ==Other versions== ===Ultimate Mysterio=== No counterpart for Mysterio has thus far been written into the [[Ultimate Marvel]] universe yet. However, the character was alluded to in the "Hollywood" arc of ''[[Ultimate Spider-Man]]'' (which poked fun at the ''Spider-Man'' movies) as a villain in a movie about Spider-Man. ==In other media== ===Television=== ====Spider-Man (1967)==== Mysterio, voiced by [[Chris Wiggins]], appears in the ''[[Spider-Man (1967 TV series)|Spider-Man]]'' episodes "The Menace of Mysterio", "Return of the Flying Dutchman", and "The Madness of Mysterio", with the latter episode depicting him solely without his costume. ====Spider-Man (1981)==== Mysterio appears in the ''[[Spider-Man (1981 TV series)|Spider-Man]]'' episode "The Pied Piper of New York Town". ====Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends==== Mysterio appears in the "Spidey Goes Hollywood" episode of ''[[Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends]]''; he is voiced by [[Peter Cullen]]. ====Spider-Man: The Animated Series==== [[Image:Spidermanep5.jpg|thumb|185px|right|Mysterio as he appears in ''[[Spider-Man (1994 TV series)|Spider-Man: The Animated Series]]''.]] In the 1994 Spider-Man animated series Mysterio, voiced by [[Gregg Berger]], was a [[supervillain]] who blames Spider-Man for ruining his reputation. In his first appearance, "The Menace of Mysterio", Mysterio frames Spider-Man for various crimes, but his plan is exposed by Spider-Man and Detective Terri Lee, and he is jailed. Later, he becomes a member of the Insidious Six in the episodes "The Insidious Six" and "Battle of the Insidious Six", but the entire team fails and disbands to avoid being arrested. In Mysterio's final appearance in the series, "The Haunting of Mary Jane", he creates a studio in secret. He kidnaps [[Mary Jane Watson]] (or rather, her clone) and Spider-Man teams up with Mysterio, battling robot versions of [[Carnage (comics)|Carnage]], [[Venom (comics)|Venom]], [[Rhino (comics)|Rhino]], [[Lizard (comics)|Lizard]], and Dr. Octopus, all of whom Spider-Man fought in the past in a deathtrap Mysterio had designed to one day lure Spider-Man to and kill him (though not all the villains were exact copies, namely the Venom robot with fire-breath). Spider-Man discovers that Mysterio was in love with a woman named Miranda Wilson, a former actress who was disfigured and planned the entire kidnapping to swap bodies with the similar-looking Mary Jane. The studio exploded, Spider-Man saved the Mary Jane clone, and Mysterio apparently died in the explosion, staying with Miranda to the end. In the five-part "Six Forgotten Warriors" storyline, in which the Kingpin hires the Insidious Six again, the [[Vulture (comics)|Vulture]] replaces the late Mysterio. ====The Spectacular Spider-Man==== Quentin Beck appears in [[The Spectacular Spider-Man (TV series)|''The Spectacular Spider-Man'']], voiced by [[Xander Berkeley]]. In the season one episode "Persona", he works for [[Chameleon (comics)|Chameleon]] along with [[Tinkerer|Phineas Mason]], until being arrested at the end of the episode. <ref>[http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0801/29/index.htm Comics Continuum by Rob Allstetter: Tuesday, January 29, 2008<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Mysterio is confirmed to be the villain in the first episode of season two. <ref>http://s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/latest.php</ref> ===Video games=== * Mysterio appears in the Spider-Man [[Questprobe]] game. * Mysterio appears as the first [[boss (video games)|boss]] of ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man (handheld game)|The Amazing Spider-Man]]'' for [[Game Boy]]. * Mysterio appears as the final boss in the sequel [[The Amazing Spider-Man 2]]. * Mysterio appears in the [[Sega Mega-CD|Sega CD]] version of ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin]]''. * Mysterio is the main villain in ''[[Spider-Man: Mysterio's Menace]]'' * Mysterio is the main villain in the game ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man (video game)|The Amazing Spider Man]]''. * Mysterio appears in ''[[Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six]]''. * Mysterio appears as a boss in both the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] and [[Sega Mega Drive|Sega Genesis]] [[Spider-Man: The Animated Series (video game)|games based on the animated series]]. * Mysterio appears as a boss in the Japanese only [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Nintendo]] game ''[[Spider-Man: Lethal Foes]]''. * Mysterio appears as the first boss in the [[Game Boy Color]] game [[Spider-Man 2: The Sinister Six]]. * Mysterio appears in the 2000 ''[[Spider-Man (2000 video game)|Spider-Man]]'' [[Personal computer|PC]], [[Nintendo 64]], [[Dreamcast]], and [[PlayStation]] game, voiced by [[Daran Norris]]. * Mysterio appears in the [[Spider-Man 2 (video game)|game]] based on ''[[Spider-Man 2]]'', voiced by [[James Arnold Taylor]]. * Mysterio appears in ''[[Marvel: Ultimate Alliance]]''. As a member of [[Doctor Doom]]'s [[Masters of Evil]], he invades the [[S.H.I.E.L.D.]] Omega Base with [[Crimson Dynamo]] and [[MODOK]]. His part was to steal the plans that would upgrade [[Ultron]] to serve S.H.I.E.L.D.. Mysterio has special dialogue with Spider-Man and [[Venom (Eddie Brock)|Venom]]. One simulation disk has the heroes fighting Mysterio in Murderworld and another has [[Iceman (comics)|Iceman]] fighting Mysterio in [[Mephisto (comics)|Mephisto]]'s Realm. * Mysterio is the main antagonist in ''[[Spider-Man: Friend or Foe]]'' voiced by [[Robin Atkin Downes]]. In this game continuity, he is ultimately revealed to be the main villain of the storyline and was responsible for using the various meteor fragments that brought Venom to the world to create technological/biological hybrids known as P.H.A.N.T.O.M.s (Perpetual Holographic Avatar Nano Tech Offensive Monsters). He uses these creatures to capture several of Spider-Man's enemies and brainwashes them to serve his purpose until they are freed by Spider-Man himself. ===Toys & collectibles=== *Mysterio has been the subject of two different action figures produced by [[Marvel Toys|Toy Biz]] under their [[Spider-Man (1994 TV series)|Spider-Man: The Animated Series]] and [[Spider-Man Classics]] lines. The Toy Biz Mysterio was repainted for the first wave of Spider-Man figures by [[Hasbro]]. *Mysterio has been reproduced as a mini-bust and as a thirteen-inch statue by [[Bowen Designs]]. He has likewise been crafted as a mini-bust by [[Art Asylum]] as part of their Rogues Gallery line. He also makes up one-seventh of the "Sinister Six" statue set from Diamond Select. *[[Hasbro]] will be adding a [[Spider-Man 2]] game version Mysterio to their [[Spider-Man 3]] Movie figures series as well as [[Shocker (comics)|Shocker]] and Vulture. Source can be found on Cool Toy Review.com *The Marvel Figurine Collection & magazine have released a Mysterio figure. He is number 57 in the collection. ===Novels=== *Mysterio is a member of the Six in the ''Sinister Six'' novel trilogy by [[Adam-Troy Castro]], set shortly before his terminal illness and including references to his feeling ill. In Castro's novels, he is heavily implied to be [[homosexuality|gay]]; he states in the first book that one of his murder victims, explicitly identified as gay, was once "more than [a] friend"; in the third book, he says that by "life preference," he does not have a sexual interest in women. *Mysterio appears in the kids' book ''Spider-Man and the Menace of Mysterio'', written by [[Scott Ciencin]] and published by [[Scholastic Corporation]]. ==External links== *[http://www.marvel.com/universe/Mysterio Marvel.com Bio] *[http://www.spiderfan.org/characters/mysterio.html Profile of Mysterio I at Spiderfan.org] *[http://www.spiderfan.org/characters/mysterio2.html Profile of Mysterio II at Spiderfan.org] *http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/mysterioklum.htm == References == {{reflist}} {{Spider-Man}} [[Category:American comics characters]] [[Category:Fictional characters from California]] [[Category:Marvel Comics characters who can teleport]] [[Category:Marvel Comics martial artists]] [[Category:Marvel Comics supervillains]] [[de:Mysterio]] [[es:Mysterio]] [[fi:Mysterio]] [[fr:Mystério]] [[it:Mysterio]] [[nl:Mysterio]] [[pt:Mystério]] [[sv:Mysterio]] [[tr:Mysterio]]