In the Marvel universe, there are many strong heroes and villains. One character surpasses the powers of almost all creatures, even though he was just a lab employee. He is so powerful that his abilities pose a major problem.
Which character is it? Owen Reece was actually just a simple lab employee. One day, an accident occurred with a device, and he gained the ability to control and manipulate molecules. He became Molecule Man, who debuted as a villain in the comic Fantastic Four No. 20 in 1963.
In his first appearance, he was already quite strong, but then he became one of the most powerful entities in the Marvel universe. However, his powers were indeed a problem, as they were altered several times.
Too Powerful for the Universe
What did Marvel do with Molecule Man? His greatest appearance after his debut was likely in the first Secret Wars
event. That was a crossover event in 1984. The Beyonder, a cosmic entity that exists outside the multiverse, kidnapped heroes and villains to make them fight on Battleworld.
During this, Doctor Doom managed to bypass mental blocks from Molecule Man, allowing him to control organic material as well as space and time. This enabled Molecule Man to even restore stars that had been destroyed by the Beyonder. Afterward, he wanted to live a relaxed life with his great love Volcana.
However, in 1985 the comic event Secret Wars 2 was released. The Beyonder returned and again threatened the entire universe. There was a battle with Molecule Man, who was able to transport the Beyonder back to his original cosmic realm. Together with the Silver Surfer, he again restored all damages.
In a storyline told in the comics Fantastic Four No. 318 and 319 (1988), the Beyonder and Molecule Man returned. Here, Marvel altered the abilities of both. It was explained that they are each part of a Cosmic Cube created by the Beyonders (an omnipotent species). In this storyline, their powers were also diminished.
An additional major change to his powers occurred in 2015, shortly before the new Secret Wars
event. In New Avengers No. 33 (2015), Molecule Man explains to Doctor Doom that he is actually a bomb created by the Beyonders to destroy multiverses. He helped Doctor Doom to stop just that. They both stole the power of the Beyonders, and Molecule Man gave it to Doom, who created a new Battleworld.
At the end of this storyline, he was so powerful that together with a Mr. Fantastic (with Beyonder powers) and his powerful son Franklin, he revived the entire multiverse.
For Writers, Characters Like Molecule Man Are a Problem
What problem do characters like Molecule Man cause? Huge events that have cosmic threats are a tricky issue in comics. As crossovers, they are a good way to bring all characters together, but foes like the Beyonder surpass the power of known heroes and villains.
That’s where characters like Molecule Man come in. However, this creates a problem in writing: Could Molecule Man not just solve every problem effortlessly?
Therefore, as a writer, you have to come up with ways to write him out
or limit his powers. That is probably an explanation for why Molecule Man gets new origins or powers in all the events. Thus, such a character is a curse and a blessing.
Are there any other characters from Marvel or DC that you’d like to learn more about? Feel free to let us know in the comments. In the MCU, Thanos is among the strongest villains, but there are some in the comics who can match him: 7 Marvel villains who could take on Thanos
Your opinion is important to us!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!