Humus Sapien

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Humus Sapien (Sony Baredo) is the name of a fictional, comic book mutant in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Marvel's self-produced fan magazine, FOOM #3 (Fall 1973), created (as supervillian Humus Sapiens) by Michael A. Barreiro of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, and was the winning entry in the magazine's character-creation contest. Although FOOM founding editor Jim Steranko wrote in the in the premiere-issue introduction that, "The winning entry (to be selected by Ol' Smilin' Stan [Lee] himself) will become a super guest-star featured in one of Marvel's top hero mags", this never occurred, and both the character and the contest faded into obscurity.

The character as he appeared in FOOM #3 (Fall 1973).

In 1998, writer Kurt Busiek and editor Tom Brevoort decided to use Barreiro's character in the superhero series Thunderbolts. Fabian Nicieza, who succeeded Busiek as Thunderbolts writer (and who, along with brother and future fellow Marvel editor Mariano Nicieza had also entered the FOOM contest), agreed. Renamed Humus Sapien, the character eventually debuted, after 28 years, in Thunderbolts #55 (Sept. 2001).

In this incarnation, the character emerged from a suspended animation chamber in which he had been imprisoned. He has vaguely defined superhuman abilities powered by Earth's population. Each time he uses his powers, however, random people around the world die. Humus Sapien's final battle, after which he voluntarily leaves Earth, drains the lives of 2,400 people, including the Middle Eastern costumed crimefighter the Arabian Knight).

Barreiro later in the '70s inquired at Marvel about the charcter, but received no response. Comics columnist Fred Hembeck in 1979 wrote in the magazine Buyer's Guide to Comic Fandom about the contest and Humus Sapiens, but nothing came of it. Barreiro grew up to become a carpenter and a freelance artist living in the Carrick neighborhood, and did a small amount of work for Marvel and Dark Horse Comics.