- "How huge and all-pervasive the evil in you must be, spawn of the swamp! Even the white fire of the Almighty cannot cleanse it without effort!"
- ―Foolkiller
| "Day of the Killer, Night of the Fool!" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Man-Thing | |
| Title: | "Day of the Killer, Night of the Fool!" |
| Volume: | 1 |
| Number: | 3 |
| Cover price: | .20 |
| Cover date: | March, 1974 |
| Publisher: | Marvel Comics |
| Credits | |
| Chief: | Roy Thomas |
| Writers: | Steve Gerber |
| Pencilers: | Val Mayerik |
| Inkers: | Jack Abel |
| Cover artists: | Jim Starlin |
| Cover inker: | Frank Giacoia |
| Colorists: | Linda Lessmann |
| Letterers: | Jean Simek |
| Editors: | Roy Thomas |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | Man-Thing #2 |
| Next: | Man-Thing #4 |
"Day of the Killer, Night of the Fool!" is the third issue of the Man-Thing ongoing comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The story was written by Steve Gerber with artwork by Val Mayerik and inks by Jack Abel. It was colored by Linda Lessmann and lettered by Jean Simek. This issue shipped with a March, 1974 cover date and carries a cover price of .20 cents per copy.
"Day of the Killer, Night of the Fool!"[]
The Man-Thing emerges from the swamps near the site of one of F.A. Schist's construction projects and begins running amuck ("muck", get it?) The workers attack him with various tools, and even manage to cut through Manny's arm. Manny picks up Schist and Hargood Wickham and pitches their asses into the swamp. He continues to tear up the site while the other workers retreat in their swamp boats.
Meanwhile, Rory Regan and Ruth Hart say goodbye to their new biker friends. Rory laments forgetting to ask the Skull-Crushers for gas for his van. The bikers speed off and run into a costumed vigilante called the Foolkiller. A religious zealot and psychopath, the Foolkiller kills French and Darby as part of his sacred crusade. He then makes his way to Schist's construction site and causes even more trouble for the corrupt businessman.
Sometime later, Rory and Ruth happen upon a motorist who helps them out by giving them two gallons worth of gas for Rory's van. Rory feels strange about the exchange as if he has had "a meeting with destiny -- and slept thru it".
At night, the Foolkiller ventures deep into the swamp on the hunt for his next target - the Man-Thing. He spots one of Schist's helicopters flying overhead, which alerts the Man-Thing. Angered by this interference, he shoots it out of the sky. He then realizes that the helicopter was actually transporting a family of refugees from a nearby flooded shelter. The people survive the crash, but the Foolkiller laments endangering innocents.
A group of alligators emerge and converge on the family's location. The Man-Thing appears and fights the alligators, tossing them about until they scatter. Foolkiller now has his quarry in range and unleashes the light of his "purification" ray onto the Man-Thing. Repeated blasts from the light weapon dries out all of the moisture in the Man-Thing's body, and he collapses.
Featured characters
Supporting characters
Villains
Minor characters
- Darby, Ernest Logan (Final appearance; dies)
- French, Morton Small (Final appearance; dies)
- Snake
Organizations
Races & Animals
Locations
Items
Vehicles
Powers
Miscellaneous
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Ted Sallis, aka the Man-Thing was created by writers Roy Thomas & Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow. He first appeared in the third story in Savage Tales #1 in May, 1971. Most of the early Man-Thing stories following his inaugural appearance were written by Steve Gerber.
- The tagline to this issue is "Death-Winds Across the Everglades!"
- This issue carries the approval stamp of the Comics Code Authority.
- This issue shipped to retailers on December 4th, 1973.
- This issue is reprinted in black and white in the Essential Man-Thing, Volume 1 trade paperback collection in November, 2006, and in full color in the Man-Thing Omnibus hardcover collection, published in October, 2012 as well as the Man-Thing by Steve Gerber: The Complete Collection, Volume 1 edition, released in October, 2015.
- One of Schist's workers makes reference to another man named Jake. This was Schist's pit work boss who died in Adventure Into Fear #16.
- Rory Regan and French became amigos at the end of Man-Thing #2.
- Ernest Logan compares Foolkiller to Zorro in this issue. Zorro is a pulp western hero created by Johnston McCulley in 1919. His real name is Don Diego de la Vega, and he is known for carving his trademark "Z" into items with his sword.