Kid Marvelman

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Kid Miracleman

Cover to Miracleman #2 featuring Kid Miracleman.
Garry Leach, artist

Publisher	Eclipse Comics (USA), Quality Communications (UK)
First appearance	Marvelman #101, July 1955(UK) Miracleman #1(U.S.A.)
Created by	Mick Anglo

Characteristics
Alter ego	Johnny Bates
Affiliations	N/A, Miracleman, Young Miracleman
Notable aliases	Kid Marvelman
Abilities	Superhuman Strength, Speed and Stamina, Invulnerability, Capable of surviving in space without ill effects, Exceptionally intelligent beyond the human norm, Able to cause thunderclaps by clapping his hands, Energy Blasts, Flight, Telepathy, Laser-vision

Kid Marvelman (also known as Kid Miracleman) is a fictional comic book character appearing in Marvelman. The character was created by Mick Anglo and first appeared in Marvelman #101 published in July 1955. He is the alter-ego of Johnny Bates and transformed into superhuman form by saying the word "Marvelman" (later, for legal reasons,"Miracleman"). The character was later adapted by Alan Moore for his updating of Marvelman in Warrior in 1982. Originally, Kid Marvelman wore a yellow version of Marvelman's uniform with a KM emblem. The later, evil version of the character wore a black version (but originally street clothes, namely a business suit).

Following the atomic bombing of Kid Miracleman, Young Miracleman and Miracleman by their creator, Dr. Gargunza, Kid Miracleman survived and, believing Miracleman dead and now in the real world (versus Gargunza's Virtual Reality in which the Miracleman Family had lived the last few years of his life), decided to remain in his invulnerable superhuman form, leaving Johnny Bates never to grow up. By the early 1980s, Kid Miracleman/Bates had become a violent, sadistic sociopath and the head of a corporation known as Sunburst Cybernetics. Bates' jealousy of the attention Miracleman lavished on his other ward, Young Miracleman caused him to loathe Miracleman, who had recently re-appeared. Saying Miracleman's own name by mistake, he reverted to the traumatized, innocent form of young Johnny Bates.

Kid Miracleman lived within Johnny's mind, trying to tempt him into once more saying the word and re-emerging. Johnny Bates gave in at last (to save himself from homosexual rape at a foster home, resulting in Kid Miracleman ravaging London, destroying much of the city before Miracleman and his allies stepped in to first force Kid Miracleman to resume human form. This accomplished, Miracleman performed a kind of euthanasia on Johnny, ending the long suffering he endured from Kid Miracleman's mind games.

Following Miracleman's establishment of a global utopia, the dark allure of Kid Miracleman would as anti-hero would make him the object of admiration and veneration for the rebellious.

The massive legal entanglements involving Marvelman presumably also apply to this character as well.