Madman (Philip Sterns) is a

supervillain A supervillain, supervillainess or supercriminal is a major antagonist and variant of the villainous stock character who possesses Superpower (ability), superpowers. The character type is sometimes found in comic books and is often the primary ...

appearing in

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...

s published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

. Created by writer

Peter David Peter Allen David (September 23, 1956 – May 24, 2025), often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Grea ...

and artist Jeff Purves, the character first appeared in ''

The Incredible Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book ...

'' vol. 2 #362 (November 1989). He is the brother of the

Leader Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...

, and an enemy of the

Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...

Publication history

Philip Sterns debuted in ''

'' vol. 2 #362 (November 1989), and as the Madman in ''The Incredible Hulk'' vol. 2 #364, created by

and Jeff Purves.

Fictional character biography

Philip Sterns is a former classmate of Bruce Banner at the

California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech) is a private research university in Pasadena, California, United States. The university is responsible for many modern scientific advancements and is among a small group of institutes ...

who became envious of the Hulk and transformed himself into a Hulk-like monster using

gamma rays A gamma ray, also known as gamma radiation (symbol ), is a penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation arising from high energy interactions like the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei or astronomical events like solar flares. It consists o ...

to emulate his enemy.''The Incredible Hulk'' #364 (December 1989) In the process, Sterns develops an evil alternate personality who begins manipulating him. In subsequent appearances, Madman comes into conflict with the Hulk before being killed by the Leader in a confrontation with the Thunderbolts and sent to

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...

to be tortured.

Powers and abilities

Like the Hulk, the Madman has immense strength and durability. He is unable to grow in strength further, but possesses additional shapeshifting abilities. He is also a gifted genius, with knowledge of

nuclear physics Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter. Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies th ...

and robotics.''Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z'' Vol 1 #6 (February 2009)

In other media

* Philip Sterns / Madman appears as a boss in ''

'', voiced by Paul Dobson. * Philip Sterns / Madman has a non-voiced appearance in '' The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'' episode "Hulk vs. the World" as an inmate of a

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...

for gamma-powered villains.

References

External links

Madman
at Marvel.com {{Portal bar, Speculative fiction, 1980s Characters created by Peter David Comics characters introduced in 1989 Fictional characters who can change size Fictional characters with density control abilities Fictional characters with dissociative identity disorder Fictional nuclear physicists Fictional roboticists Hulk (comics) Marvel Comics characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength Marvel Comics male supervillains Marvel Comics mutates Marvel Comics scientists Marvel Comics shapeshifters