Madcap - What a Crazy SOB!

[Midnyte_Sun]

Madcap

Anybody remember this Joker? This guy actually LIKED the Penance Stare because it made him feel the sensation of pain that he was numb from.

Heres his bio thanks to a geocities hosted website:

Real Name: Unrevealed. Or maybe he just completely forgot that he had one.
First Appearance: Captain America 307

What's His Problem? The devoutly religious young man who became Madcap was on a church-sponsored field trip with his family when their bus collided with a tanker truck transporting chemicals for A.I.M.; all but the young man were killed, though he himself was driven mad by the senselessness of their deaths and his own survival. Attempting suicide, he discovered the chemicals had mutated him so that any injury to his body healed almost instantly. Deciding life was meaningless, he set out to convert the general public to his way of thinking through his antics as the costumed crazy called Madcap.

Powers: Madcap has a healing factor that puts Wolverine's to shame: he's bounced back from brain injuries, dismemberment and being burned beyond recognition with nary a scratch. He is also no longer able to feel pain, making him insanely fearless and utterly heedless of injury. Madcap has the psionic ability to drive those near him temporarily mad via eye contact, though he likes to claim that the source of this power is the plastic bubble-making soap gun he always carries. The gun is merely a distracting prop.

Favorite Quote: "I can do things the Comics Code not only wouldn't approve, but wouldn't put in a birdcage!" Sensational She-Hulk 9. A suddenly meta-fictional Madcap speaks true, especially since he's in the midst of amputating his own leg with a circular saw for the heck of it.

Heroes He Keeps Running Into: Madcap has tormented Nomad, Captain America, Daredevil, Power Pack, She-Hulk and Hawkeye, though the latter hero was actually rescuing him from criminal captors Dr. Malus and the Power Tools (don't ask).

He was subjected to Ghost Rider's penance stare when the two met...and liked it so much he decided he would do anything to be subjected to it again!

People Who Think He's Not So Bad: Nomad tried playing mentor to the misguided Madcap before realizing how dangerous the clownish vigilante really was. Small-time film producer and former Defenders groupie Dollar Bill thinks Madcap is way cool and built a cable TV show around him. In fact, the show has actually attracted a healthy cult following -- although "sizable" may be a better word for it than "healthy".

Most Despicable Act: Madcap means no harm and no longer truly comprehends the consequences of his actions, but he often endangers lives with both his own stunts and the deeds he inspires. People affected by his power become as heedless of their own and others' safety as he is. He has sparked potentially life-threatening mass hysteria on several occasions just for the fun of it.

Source: http://www.geocities.com/marvel_villain/madcap/madcap.html

Additional:

http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix3/madcapcap.htm
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This villain was insanely funny and sadistic. I'd like to see a return of this sadistic Joker just so Ghost Rider can give him his now more potent Penance Stare that will fry him to charcoal, I'm sure he'll love being sent to hell to be ripped apart by the Demons down there.

 

[-The Rider-]

I've never read the issue, but I think it was just utter genius to present a story where GR encounters someone who actually loves the penance stare. Eversince, the penance stare has been hyped as an agonizing ordeal. And all of a sudden, here comes this nut job who actually yearns for it! Quite an interesting and clever twist. Props to Marvel for that. (Now I really really want to read the issue).

Cool origin too. There is depth in an origin where a religiously devout person makes a 180 when he is the only survivor in an accident which kills his his whole family, and albeit a whole group of innocent people. And to think it was a church sponsored trip. Kinda like the "father, why have you forsaken me" kind of thing. Interesting.

If I remember right though, and I can't actually remember where I heard this, the story is short and unfinished. In typical Mackie style, there is no mention or hint as to what happened to Madcap after this issue. A totally one issue affair. At least thats what I heard.

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

Well it was about that time that sales hit a little dip because they lost their good artists and many people complained about the art on this issue and subsequent issues with this artist..can't remember his name. That might have been one reason for them not going back to it.

Ironic origin huh? There were a few characters that were too crazy, even for GR, another one was that reject Suicide who chased GR begging him to kill him. Ghost Rider never did kill him. I wonder what happenned to him?

 

[Jim Yost]

Ah, Madcap... when I entertained the youthful delusion that one day I would write Ghost Rider, my intro arc was going to be about Madcap coming back - an addiction metaphor, how now he was going to do everything and anything terrible he could, spilling as much innocent blood as he could, just to get Penance Stared over and over... Alas.

 

[-The Rider-]

many people complained about the art on this issue and subsequent issues with this artist..can't remember his name.

Judging from the art, I think its Bret Blevins. Yeah, I didn't like his art too. There was something sketchy about it. For me, the only ones who really give justice to GR are Saltares, Tex, Kubert and Garney. (Not much of a fan of Larocca quite frankly )

Suicide! Yeh, the dude who can never die!

an addiction metaphor, how now he was going to do everything and anything terrible he could, spilling as much innocent blood as he could, just to get Penance Stared over and over... Alas.

Now thats a story!!

 

[Bubonic]

The issue with MadCap was one of my favourites in all of the Dan Ketch series!!!
Did they ever bring him back, they should in the new series!

 

[OddBob]

I was disappointed that Madcap never got a rematch with GR. (And at the time, I thought that GR #33 was Madcap's first appearance ever, so I thought it was especially strange that they'd create a character like that and never do a follow up.)

Ironic origin huh? There were a few characters that were too crazy, even for GR, another one was that reject Suicide who chased GR begging him to kill him. Ghost Rider never did kill him. I wonder what happenned to him?

I was also disappointed that we were left hanging on the Suicide story. I really liked that character. The last we saw of him, he was regenerating from being blasted into skeletal pieces.

 

[TwilightPro101]

That was actually my first Ghost Rider comic and I've bought that comic, a number of times again. It's on the cheap rack more often then not but such a great villian for the Rider.