Radioactive Man (comics)

Radioactive Man is the name of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first incarnation of Radioactive Man, Chen Lu, first appeared in Journey into Mystery #93 (June 1963). He was best known as a founding member of the Avengers opponents the Masters of Evil. The second incarnation, Igor Stancheck, debuted in Black Panther vol. 4 #3 (June 2005).

Chen Lu / Radioactive Man first appeared in Journey into Mystery #93 (June 1963), and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

Igor Stancheck / Radioactive Man first appeared in Black Panther vol. 4 #3 (June 2005) and was created by Reginald Hudlin and John Romita Jr.^{[citation needed]}

Radioactive Man's debut story begins with Thor's alter ego Donald Blake providing medical care for Indian soldiers injured in clashes with Chinese soldiers in the Himalayas. Thor then defeats a Chinese armored column. Later in Beijing, Zhou Enlai suggests to Mao Zedong that Thor must be destroyed and Mao orders Chinese scientist Chen Lu to devise a way to defeat Thor or die trying. Chen exposes himself to small doses of radiation until he is able to endure a massive barrage, becoming a living "Radioactive Man". He plans to take over the world.

Chen travels to New York City on a submarine. There, he battles Thor whom he hypnotizes in Times Square. Eventually, Thor is able to recover and uses a tornado to send Chen to western China, where Chen detonates.

Radioactive Man becomes a recurring foe of the Avengers, being coerced by Baron Zemo to join the original Masters of Evil in a bid to destroy the Avengers. He is the first to confront the Avengers, and sticks Captain America and Giant-Man to the pavement with an adhesive, which Thor dodges. He is defeated by Giant-Man and Iron Man when they imprison him in lead coils. He is then deported back to China. The character reappears with the new Masters of Evil, organized by Ultron. The villains, however, are betrayed by the Black Knight. Radioactive Man and his teammates appear once again during a Halloween parade and are defeated by a coalition of superheroines called the Lady Liberators.

Chen escapes and travels to Vietnam, where he joins Soviet villains Titanium Man and Crimson Dynamo as part of a team called the Titanic Three. Acting as crime fighters in Vietnam, the trio is duped by a con man and petty thief called the Slasher and end up battling the Avengers until the deception is uncovered. After an encounter with Iron Man, the characters go their separate ways. After a humiliating defeat by Kang the Conqueror in Giant-Size Avengers, Chen joins another incarnation of the Masters of Evil - led by Egghead - but is defeated by Ant-Man and deported back to China.

Radioactive Man continued to feature in Iron Man, and is employed by Iron Man's arch-enemy Mandarin. Chen is employed in his civilian capacity as a physicist by Stane International (taken over by Obadiah Stane). Radioactive Man appears in the graphic novel Deathtrap: The Vault, among other supervillains attempting to escape from the Vault. Chen, however, aids the heroes in preventing a nuclear meltdown.