History
Frank Hart was just an ordinary bloke until an unfortunate encounter with some radioactive sludge caused his skin to become transparent, turning him into the walking 3D anatomical diagram known as the Visible Man, a freak whose appearance caused chaos wherever he went. He tried tanning his skin back to normal but quickly discovered that his new condition made him very sensitive to UV radiation, which burned him immediately.
Hart was hunted by a government scientist who wanted to use him as an object of study and experimentation, but eventually escaped the good doctor's clutches by stealing an experimental space capsule and heading out of the solar system, announcing that he was "resigning from the human race."
Hart inexplicably returned to Earth five years later (despite having had no means of surviving in space for so long) and again encountered the doctor, who speculated that Frank had found help out there in deep space before introducing a horrified Hart to his latest experiment: Frances, the Visible Woman!
The diaphanous duo escaped the doctor's clutches, became fugitives from the government and sought refuge with a priest, Father Hugo Wace. He turned out to be a paedophile who liked hanging out in the cliff-top presbytery where he had abused young boys, and who had alerted the authorities to the pair's whereabouts. Luckily, it turned out that Frank had found aid in the interstellar void, and had brought it back with him: a monstrous alien paranormal entity that suddenly materialised and attacked the priest. With a frenzied cry of "the Starman needs blood!" Frank escaped with Frances by hijacking the government's helicopter while the presbytery and its resident pervert fell into the sea.
Powers and abilities
Abilities
Hart's transformation has apparently given him amazing regenerative capabilities (he can regrow missing body parts) as well as giving him the ability to gain sustenance from sunlight, ridding him of the need for food, sleep or even oxygen.
Weaknesses
Very sensitive to UV radiation (despite simultaneous ability to gain sustenance from sunlight).
Paraphernalia
Transportation
Stolen helicopter.
Notes
- Though he ultimately debuted in 2000 AD progs 47 to 52, the Visible Man was originally intended to be a part of the comic's opening line-up, appearing in the 'test' issue.
- Frank Hart featured in a one-page humour strip in the 2000 AD 40th Anniversary Special which was written by Matt Smith and drawn by Rufus Dayglo.
Trivia
The Visible Man was based on a popular educational toy from the seventies.
Links
- Appearances of Frank Hart
- Character Gallery: Frank Hart
- Images that feature Frank Hart
- Fan-Art Gallery: Frank Hart
- Frank Hart quotations
Discover and Discuss
- Search News for: Visible Man · Frank Hart · Frank Hart