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Samuel Smithers (Earth-616)

From Marvel Database

Character Template Help
Real Name
Samuel Smithers
Current Alias

Aliases
Blackheath

Identity

Alignment

Affiliation
Thunderbolts (as Blackheath), formerly associate of the Maggia under Count Nefaria, ally of Wizard.

Relatives
None

Universe

Base Of Operations
A submarine somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean

Characteristics
Gender

Height


Eyes

Hair

Status
Citizenship

Marital Status

Occupation
Professional Criminal, formerly Gardner

Place of Birth

First appearance

Contents

History

Plantman, Porcupine, Eel, & Scarecrow

Samuel Smithers was born in London and orphaned out very early. Some point during his childhood, he left the orphanage. He went to work, as a lab assistant to a well-known London botanist who was exploring the low-order mental activity of plant life. After ten years, the botanist died. After his death Samuel came to the U.S., in hopes of continuing his work: an invention to make plant life smart enough so that human beings could speak with plants and understand them.

He did not have the proper education needed so Smithers went to work as a gardener in Glenville, Long Island, New York. He worked for Morris Evans, who eventually fired him because he was spending more time working on his invention than gardening. Not long after lightning struck his plant ray gun, giving it the power to control and animate all plant life. He made a disguise and called himself Plantman. Smithers then thought out a suitable revenge for his former boss Morris Evans. He thought up an idea to frame Evans for robbery. The only problem was that Evan's daughter Dorrie had a boyfriend, Johnny Storm, also known as the Human Torch, who thwarted Plantman and cleared Evan's name. Even though the Human torch destroyed Plantman’s ray gun, the Plantman escaped.[1]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Plant Manipulation: As Blackheath, Samuel Smithers' body seems completely composed of vegetable matter, allowing him superhuman strength and resistance to injury. He can also alter his shape and elongate his body. He is capable of mentally communicating with the Verdant Green, the psychic embodiment of Earth's biosphere, and he can mentally command plant and vegetable matter.

Abilities

Despite his lack of formal education, Smithers is a brilliant botanist, biochemist, and inventor.

Strength level

Normal strength, average male that partakes in minimal regular exercise.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

The Plantman would also use a unique humanoid plant life of his own creation called “simuloids,” creatures capable of mimicking human life and possessing rudimentary artificial intelligence. (Many times he has fooled the authorities or escaped capture by using a plant-duplicate of himself. Another simulacra even developed its own identity as Terraformer.) He has created armies of such plant-life, including at least one 100-foot tall tree-man. Moreover, he would equip these simuloids and personal duplicates with weaponry that could launch poisoned thorns or spores.

Weapons

As Blackheath, Smithers carries no weapons. As Plantman, he would often employ guns that fired a “vege-ray,” a type of unique energies that could stimulate rampant plant growth and animate plants according to his whims. These plants could remain under his control for hours.

Notes

First Appearance

Links

Discover and Discuss

  1. ↑ Strange Tales #113
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