- "Scratch your mossy butt! Pick your nose! If you've got one!"
- ―Ellen Brandt
| "Christmas in Bedlam!" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Man-Thing | |
| Title: | "Christmas in Bedlam!" |
| Volume: | 3 |
| Number: | 3 |
| Cover price: | $2.99 |
| Cover date: | February, 1998 |
| Publisher: | Marvel Comics |
| Credits | |
| Chief: | Bob Harras |
| Writers: | John Marc DeMatteis |
| Pencilers: | Liam Sharp |
| Inkers: | Liam Sharp |
| Cover artists: | Liam Sharp |
| Cover inker: | Liam Sharp |
| Colorists: | Christie Scheele |
| Letterers: | Jonathan Babcock |
| Editors: | Mark Bernardo |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | Man-Thing #2 |
| Next: | Man-Thing #4 |
"Christmas in Bedlam!" is the title to the second issue of the Man-Thing ongoing comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The story was written by John Marc DeMatteis with artwork and inks by Liam Roger Sharp, who also rendered the cover art illustration for this issue. It was colored by Christie Scheele with lettering by Jonathan Babcock. It was edited by Mark Bernardo. This issue shipped with a February, 1998 cover date and carries a cover price of $2.99 per copy (US).
"Christmas in Bedlam!"[]
It's Christmas Eve, and Eric Simon Payne, the hero formerly known as Devil-Slayer, is a patient at Rosewell Sanitarium in Charles, Massachusetts. He has been suffering massive delusions as of late, many attributed to guilt that he feels over the death of his wife Cory. The only person who seems capable of reaching Eric is a fellow patient known only as Sorrow.
Meanwhile in the Florida Everglades, Ellen Brandt tries to establish an empathic connection with her former husband the Man-Thing. Ellen knows that she must guide the Man-Thing on a quest to reconstitute the shattered Nexus of All Realities, and in the process, perhaps even heal her own fractured psyche. Unfortunately, Ellen has no idea how she is going to accomplish such a feat.
Mister Termineus appears in the swamp holding a gnarled wooden staff while wearing an old fashioned Santa Claus outfit. He addresses Ellen and tells her that he is a colleague of Stephen Strange. He wants to help her achieve her objectives and hands her the wooden staff. After doing so, Termineus disappears in a wall of fire.
At Rosewell, Eric Payne visits the mute Sorrow. Sorrow has the ability to inspire hope in others, and Eric sees a vision of himself when he was still bearing the Shadow Cloak that allowed him to traverse dimensions. He knows this is just a hallucination though and when the vision ends, he finds himself still a patient at the hospital. A man wearing a Santa Claus outfit approaches Eric and unleashes all of the man's internal demons. The demons take corporeal form and begin causing havoc at the hospital.
In Florida, Ellen Brandt uses the staff given to her by Mister Termineus to transport the Man-Thing and herself to Rosewell Sanitarium.
Featured characters
Supporting characters
- Devil-Slayer, Eric Simon Payne
- Ellen Brandt
- Sorrow (1st appearance)
Villains
Minor characters
- Joseph
- Mary Garcia
Organizations
Races & Animals
Locations
- Charles
- Rosewell Sanitarium
Items
Vehicles
Powers
Miscellaneous
- Alternate dimensions
- Christmas
- Hallucinations
- Mental health facility
- Santa Claus
- Space portal
- Swamps
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.
- This issue bears the "Strange Tales" logo upon the cover.
- Writer J.M. DeMatteis is credited as John Marc DeMatteis in this issue.
- Letterer Jon Babcock is credited as Jonathan Babcock in this issue.
- This is the first appearance of Sorrow. She appears next in Man-Thing #4.
- Eric Simon Payne appeared last in Over the Edge #2.