The Mysterymen

Membership: Flaming Carrot, The Shoveler, Jackpot, Mr.Furious, Screwball, Captain Attack, Bondo Man, Jumpin' Jehosaphat, Red Rover, The Strangler, The Spleen, the Metro Marauder, Hummer, Disc Man, Jumo the Magnificent, the Whisperer, Mystic Hand, Star Shark, the Zeke

(movie version only, as far as I know) The Bowler, the Blue Raja, the Sphinx, Invisible Boy

Purpose: To battle crime and evil wherever they find it.

Affiliations: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dr. Heller, (movie) Captain Amazing

Enemies: (comic version) the "wimpy" vampires of Pismo Beach, the Vile Brotherhood

(movie version, not sure if they fought the comic version) Casanova Frankenstein, Tony P. and Tony C. and their Disco Boys, the Frat Boy gang, the Furrier Gang, the Not-So-Goodie mob, the Red-Eyes, the Suits gang, the Susies

Aliases: The Dirty Thirty

Base of Operations: (movie) Champion City

First Appearance: Flaming Carrot #16 (Renegade Press, 1987)

History: When danger threatens the entire world and a team of heroes are needed to save us all, you'd call for the Avengers, the Justice League, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Legion of Superheroes. But not the Mysterymen. Frankly, you'd call just about anybody before you called them.

As the Shoveler puts it "We're not your classic superheroes. We're not the favorites. We're the other guys". The Mystermen are a team (their creator Bob Burden describes it as more like a gang) of second-string, blue-collar superheroes who can't make the big leagues because of a variety of flaws: mediocre powers, ridiculous (even for superheroes) costumes, behavioural problems and severe character flaws, terrible reputations, etc. Unable to find a major team that would take them, they formed their own. They've been nicknamed the Dirty Thirty because at their height they had around that many members, but time and a high casualty rate has brought that down a bit. In fact they have the highest casualty rates of any superhero team in existence, but then they also have the highest kill ratio too - they might not be powerful, but they don't hold back with what they do have.

Comments: Created by Bob Burden

Starting out as guest stars in the Flaming Carrot comic, the Mysterymen managed to get their own short lived title a little while later. They also managed to get a big screen outing, with Universal Studios releasing Mystery Men in 1999.


The Shoveler

EddieStan BelarskyReal Name: Stan Belarsky; (movie version) Eddie

Identity/Class: Human with mystic weapon

Occupation: (comic) Ditch-digger and quarryman

(movie) tunnel construction worker

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: (comic) Two daughters by a former marriage; (movie) Lucille (wife), Roland (son), Butch (son) and unnamed daughter

Aliases: None known

First Appearance: Flaming Carrot (#16 or 17, not sure which)

Powers/Abilities: The Shoveler wields a sentient shovel, which speaks in a sort of semi-Shakespearian style. The shovel is a deadly weapon in his hands.

(movie version) The movie version of the character lacks the magical shovel, but, as he puts it "God's given me a gift. I shovel well. I shove very well." He uses a trowel as well, as a sort of back-up weapon.

History: Stan Belarsky was a typical blue-collar worker, scraping a living as a ditch-digger and quarryman until one day he discovered King Arthur's legendary singing shovel. Judging him to be honest and just, the shovel adopted him as its new master. Creating a costume, he became the Shoveler, protector of the weak and avenger of injustice.

Comments: The movie version of the Shoveler was called Eddie, a somewhat hen-pecked hero who wears his son's baseball vest and roller-blading kneepads for protection. Although his wife would prefer he didn't go out trying to be a hero and stay out so late, she admits he is a great father and husband. Eddie was played by William H.Macy.

Thanks to Paul North and the Mirage Studios webmaster for filling in some blanks in this character's profile.


Jackpot

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Unknown

Occupation: Unknown

Known Relatives: Unknown

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Aliases: None known

First Appearance: Flaming Carrot (#16 or 17, not sure which)

Powers/Abilities: Unknown

History: Unknown

Comments: I know virtually nothing about this guy at this time.


Mr. Furious

The comic versionReal Name: Roy (at least in the movie, not sure if that is comic version's real name or not)

Identity/Class: Normal human with poor anger management

Occupation: (Comic version) Repossesses cars

(movie version) Works as a breaker in a junkyard

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: Unknown

Aliases: None known

First Appearance: Flaming Carrot (#16 or 17, not sure which)

Powers/Abilities: (comic version) Mr.Furious is so angry about crime that he's impervious to bullets. He is not adverse to using machine guns on opponents.

(movie version) Mr.Furious claims to have superhuman strength when he loses his temper. Much of the time, he is lying, but on at least one occasion, he did demonstrate some level of increased potency when enraged.

History: (movie version) Roy is an average guy working in a dead-end job, who suffers from an extremely violent temper. Deciding to put this to some good use, he became the hero Mr.Furious, which means he now has to act angry all the time, even when he isn't, in order to maintain his image.

Comments: At the moment I only really have info on the movie version, and as the Shoveler's profile shows, the two versions aren't necessarily too similar. He was played in the movie by Ben Stiller.

Thanks to Paul North and the Mirage Studios webmaster for filling in some blanks in this character's profile. 


Screwball

Real Name: Unknown

Other Appearances: Flaming Carrot #17, 19, 24, 26, 27, Flaming Carrot Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Crossover #1 - 4, Bob Burden's Original Mysterymen Comics #3.

Identity/Class: Extra-terrestrial - Monitor

Occupation: Superhero

Affiliations: the Men from Unknown Worlds, Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: Unknown

Aliases: the Happy Hero

First Appearance: Flaming Carrot (#16)

Powers/Abilities: Able to fly using his "Missile-Toed Feet".

History: Screwball is an alien, the proverbial strange visitor from a funny planet. He is a Monitor, a sort of organic machine, who came to our world and absorbed our culture by reading the entire contents of a Library in a single day. A member of the Men from Unknown Worlds, he is a hero on other planets too, and not just our own. Because of his constant and unflinching good mood and pleasant nature, he is adored by the public. But being an alien, he is still somewhat bizarre by Earth standards, keeping a pet shoelace, sleeping in a burrow, and watching up to five televisions at a time.

Comments: None


Captain Attack

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Unknown

Occupation: Unknown

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: Unknown

Aliases: None known

First Appearance: Flaming Carrot (#16 or 17, not sure which)

Powers/Abilities: His suit is covered in dozens of guns.

History: Unknown

Comments: I know virtually nothing about this guy at this time.


Bondo Man

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Being of living bondo - not sure if he is some sort of artificial construct (like a golem) or a transformed human

Occupation: Unknown

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: Unknown

Aliases: the Man of Living Bondo

First Appearance: Flaming Carrot (#16 or 17, not sure which)

Powers/Abilities: Body is made of living bondo.

History: Bondoman, the man of living bondo, once devised an organic putty to use in his bodyshop but the experiment got out of control.

Comments: Thanks to Paul North and the Mirage Studios webmaster for filling in some blanks in this character's profile.


Jumpin' Jehosaphat

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Unknown

Occupation: Unknown

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: Unknown

Aliases: None known

First Appearance: Flaming Carrot (#16 or 17, not sure which)

Powers/Abilities: JJ has spring like legs allowing him jump to great heights

History: Unknown

Comments: I know virtually nothing about this guy at this time.


Mystic Hand

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Unknown

Occupation: Unknown

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: Unknown

Aliases: None known

First Appearance: TMNT/Flaming Carrot #1

Powers/Abilities: Mystic Hand's hand can come off and float across the room to punch, strangle or poke an enemy in the eye. If he loses sight of them, however, they can get lost and out of his control!

History: Unknown

Star Shark: rolls fast on all five points like a pinwheel. Like a shark, he bites and can eat almost anything!

The Zeke: special super snout can sniff out anything like a bloodhound. His eyes can see well in the dark or far away. His big ears can hear a pin drop on the other end of any company's long distance phone line!

Comments: Thanks to Paul North and the Mirage Studios webmaster for filling in some blanks in this character's profile.


Star Shark

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Unknown

Occupation: Unknown

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: Unknown

Aliases: None known

First Appearance: TMNT/Flaming Carrot #1

Powers/Abilities: Star Shark rolls fast on all five points like a pinwheel. Like a shark, he bites and can eat almost anything!

History: Unknown

Comments: Thanks to Paul North and the Mirage Studios webmaster for filling in some blanks in this character's profile.


The Zeke

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Unknown

Occupation: Unknown

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: Unknown

Aliases: None known

First Appearance: TMNT/Flaming Carrot #1

Powers/Abilities: The Zeke's special super snout can sniff out anything like a bloodhound. His eyes can see well in the dark or far away. His big ears can hear a pin drop on the other end of any company's long distance phone line!

History: Unknown

Comments: Thanks to Paul North and the Mirage Studios webmaster for filling in some blanks in this character's profile.


Red Rover

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Unknown

Occupation: Unknown

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: Unknown

Aliases: None known

First Appearance: Flaming Carrot (#16 or 17, not sure which)

Powers/Abilities: Unknown

History: Unknown

Comments: I know virtually nothing about this guy at this time.


The Strangler

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Magically enhanced human

Occupation: Studio wrestler

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: Unknown

Aliases: None known

Base of Operations: New York City

First Appearance: Flaming Carrot Annual #1

Powers/Abilities: Invulnerability and great strength in his hands, granted by a magical bunt cake. While under the cake's influence, he is violently allergic to metal.

History: The Strangler was a Viet Nam vet, once a member of a search-and-destroy unit which was rewarded for each kill with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (hence his motto "I kill for ice cream") Having left the forces he made his living as a studio wrestler in New York, until one day the postal service delivered an enchanted bunt cake to him, sender unknown. The cake granted him superhuman powers, which he used to become the Strangler, sculking through the city at night looking for criminals to kill. One of his closest friends was the Hummer, a fellow hero who went off the rails and the Strangler was forced to kill.

Comments: None


The Spleen

Paul Reubens as the SpleenThe comic version of the SpleenReal Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Human, cursed by magic

Occupation: Unknown

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: The Love Child of Love Canal

First Appearance: Bob Burden's Original Mysterymen #1

Powers/Abilities: The Spleen can break wind which is so toxic that those in the path of the gas pass out.

History: (comic version) "Nicknamed "The Love Child of Love Canal," the Spleen (the son of hippies) was involved in a chemical accident and mutated into a kind of genetic hippie. He is a kleptomaniac with the ability to spew acids and glues.

(movie version) As a child the Spleen was rude to an old Gypsy woman, trying to pass off his own flatulence as hers. So she cursed him, making his emissions extremely potent, to the extent where they can knock people out.

Comments: Thanks to "Jack ^_^" for information about the comic version of the Spleen.


The Metro Marauder

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Unknown

Occupation: Unknown

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: Unknown

Aliases: None known

First Appearance: Bob Burden's Original Mysterymen #1

Powers/Abilities: Unknown

History: Unknown

Comments: I know virtually nothing about this guy at this time.


The Hummer

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Normal human armed with high tech weapon

Occupation: Unknown

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: Unknown

Aliases: None known

Base of Operations: New York City

First Appearance: Bob Burden's Original Mysterymen #1

Powers/Abilities: Using his hummer device, the Hummer could discharge vibrations that could disable people, shake machinery apart, or even knock bullets off their course.

History: The Hummer was a New York superhero who was best friends with the Strangler. With a special "humming" device mounted on his fist, he was always up for adventure, accompanying his fellow Mysterymen on many missions.But the Hummer was a hero who enjoyed partying - he went on drinking binges, he loved practical jokes and pulling insane stunts, and he burned the candle at both ends. When he discovered that low level usage of his device could give him a high, he soon became an addict, eventually driving himself insane. It eventually came down to his old friend the Strangler to bring his rampage to an end permanently.

Comments: None


Disc Man

Real Name: Lance Fortnight

Identity/Class: Normal human armed with high tech or mystic discs

Occupation: Yuppie

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: None known

Aliases: None known

First Appearance: Bob Burden's Original Mysterymen #2

Powers/Abilities: Disc Man's discs seem to be able to fly. By standing on a couple, he can travel through the air. He can also launch them at opponents with lethal force.

History: Lance Fortnight was a yuppie who was converting a downtown loft into the home of his dreams, when he discovered seven mysterious discs inside a wall. The discs proved to be "living", somehow wrecking his life and transforming him into a grim avenger of the night.

Comments: None


Jumo The Magnificent

Real Name: Glen Gilke

Identity/Class: Mutated human

Occupation: Unknown

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: Unknown

Aliases: Blue Belly

First Appearance: Unknown

Powers/Abilities: Jumo is invulnerable to everything except wicker furniture and leafy vegetables. His stomach constantly glows with a blue beam of light.

History: During a meal Glen Gilke swallowed something he presumed was a Swedish meatball. Unfortunately for him, it was actually a marinated meteor, which mutated his stomach and intestinal tract. He was granted superhuman powers, but left with a permanently glowing gut.

Comments: None


The Whisperer

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Unknown

Occupation: Unknown

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: Unknown

Aliases: None known

First Appearance: Unknown

Powers/Abilities: Unknown

History: Unknown

Comments: I really know zip about this guy, other than the fact he was one of the Mysterymen.


The Bowler

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Unknown

Occupation: Unknown

Affiliations: Mystery Men

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: Carmine the Bowler (father, mostly deceased)

Aliases: None known

First Appearance: Mystery Men (Universal Studios, 1999)

Powers/Abilities: The Bowler is incredibly accurate with the crystal bowling ball that contains her father's skull. She is made even more accurate by the fact that her father is perfectly capable of directing the ball when he feels like it, causing it to fly through the air and alter course like a guided missile. The ball is pretty well indestructible. Carmine seems to communicate with his daughter telepathically.

History: (movie version) With a superhero for a father, you know a child is going to have issues. The Bowler is the daughter of the late, great Carmine the Bowler, a hero who used a bowling ball with deadly accuracy in the fight against crime. But he was murdered by Tony P. of the Disco Boys, Carmine's ghost pestered his daughter to take up the mantle and avenge his death. She had his skull encased in a crystal bowling ball, and joined the Mystery Men. Eventually she succeeded in catching up with Tony P., and her father did the rest. Now, according to their deal, she can go back to grad school.

Comments: Played by Janeane Garofalo.

"The Bowler evolved from a 51-year-old-divorcee who got her powers via a super suit won from her third husband in a divorce settlement." - from the Mystery Men DVD.


Blue Raja

Real Name: Jeffrey

Identity/Class: Normal human with extreme skill

Occupation: Sales assistant in a high class bridal shop, cutlery section

Affiliations: Mystery Men

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: Violet (mother)

Aliases: Master of Silverware

First Appearance: Mystery Men (Universal Studios, 1999)

Powers/Abilities: The Blue Raja can throw cutlery with incredible accuracy. He won't use knives though (at least the movie version won't. The comic one seems to be prepared to kill, unlike the cinematic incarnation).

History: (comic version) "The Blue Rajah is a former US prisoner of war who spent his years of imprisonment learning to use cutlery of all types as weapons of war. He became especially skilled with forks and knives, but if necessary he could also kill with an egg spoon."

(movie version) Still living with his mother, the effete superhero The Blue Raja puts on an English accent and fights crime with forks and spoons.

Comments: Played by Hank Azaria


The Sphinx

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Unknown

Occupation: Works at a Mexican eaterie, bussing tables

Affiliations: Mystery Men

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: None known

Aliases: None known

First Appearance: Mystery Men (Universal Studios, 1999)

Powers/Abilities: Able to slice guns in half with the power of his mind. Able to spout platitudes better than Confuscious or Yoda.

History: A mysterious crime-fighter from down south, the Sphinx and his never ending fortune cookie advice helped forge the Mystery Men (in the movie at least) into an efficient team of heroes. A tactician, he often advises the other in battle.

Comments: Played by Wes Studi.

"The Sphinx was a combination detective and wrestler back in the 1960s. He concealed his true identity behind a cryptic metal helmet and 'moonlights' as a bus boy in Champion City's top taco stand. The filmmakers outfitted him to resemble a classic Mexican Wrestler" - from the Mystery Men DVD


Invisible Boy

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Mutant human

Occupation: Student

Affiliations: Mystery Men

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: Unnamed father

Aliases: None known

First Appearance: Mystery Men (Universal Studios, 1999)

Powers/Abilities: Able to turn invisible, but only when no one is looking at him and when he is naked.

History: Years of being ignored allowed the youth known as Invisible Boy to develop the power of invisibility. When the Mystery Men needed to strengthen their line-up, he was one of the first recruits.

Comments: Played by Kel Mitchell

"Invisible Boy started out as a joke that (Bob) Burden told at a party. The intoxicated writer-artist joked about a character who was only invisible when no one was looking. Producer Mike Richardson brought up the concept at an early Mystery Men production meeting and he suggested that Burden explain Invisible Boy to the studio executives present. But Burden, now sober, had completely forgotten his own joke!" - from the Mystery Men DVD.


Associates of the Mysterymen

Doc Heller

Real Name: Doctor Heller

Identity/Class: Mad scientist (on the side of good)

Occupation: Mad scientist

Affiliations: Flaming Carrot, Mystery Men

Enemies: Casanova Frankenstein

Known Relatives: None known

Aliases: None known

First Appearance: Unknown

Powers/Abilities: Unknown

History: Doc Heller isn't a member of the team, but rather an ally, a weapons designer who is willing to lend his newest devices to the team in their fight against evil.

Comments: Played in the movie by Tom Waits.


Amazingly, there are some heroes so useless that even the Mysterymen won't have them - at least in the movie version. They included Powerwoman (two of them), Supervacman, Reverse Psychologist, Mr.Pups, the Waffler, Ballerinaman, Mailman, Pencilhead (and Son of Pencilhead), Little Miss Vengeance, Squeegeeman, the Maintainer, the Artiste, Big Billy Hill Billy, the PMS Avenger, Radio Man, Globalman, the Gardener, the Bullfighter, Stiltman, Fisherman and Thirstyman.

Thanks to "Jack ^_^" for a number of quotes about various characters above.

CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

Back to US Independents Page

Home

All images and characters depicted on this site are copyright their respective holders, and are used for informational purposes only. No infringement is intended and copyrights remain at source.