File Photo

Replace File Photo

Attributes

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 175 lbs

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Black

Features: Wears a fish-bowl on his head

Summary

Created By: Stan Lee, Steve Ditko

Real Name: Quentin Beck/Nicholas Macabe

Current Aliases: None

Former Aliases: Dr. Ludwig Rinehart

Dual Identity: Known to legal authorites

Current Occupation: Professional Criminal

Former Occupation: Hollywood special effects designer and stunt man

Citizenship: United States of America

Legal Status: Criminal record in U.S.

Place of Birth: Riverside, California

Marital Status: Single

Known Relatives: Macguire Beck (Distant cousin, Mysterio Manifesto #3)

Known Confidants: Daniel Berkhart

Known Allies: The Wizard, Electro, Vulture, Hobgoblin, Shocker, Scorpia, Beetle, Doctor Octopus, Kraven (deceased), Sandman

Major Enemies: Spider-Man, Scarlet-Spider, Kaine

Usual Bases: Mobile

Former Bases: Hollywood, California

Current Groups: Sinister Seven (Beetle, Electro, Hobgoblin, Scorpia, Shocker, Vulture)

Former Groups: Sinister Six I (Doctor Octopus, Electro, Kraven, Sandman, Vulture), Sinister Six II (Doctor Octopus, Electro, Hobgoblin, Sandman, Vulture)

Education: Film school graduate

Powers & Paraphenalia

Strength Level: Normal

Powers: None

Abilities: Expert designer of special effects devices (Hologhraphics) and stage illusions, master hypnotist & prestidigitator, talented chemist and roboticist.

Equipment: One-way Plexiglas helmet w/half-hour air supply & holographic projector; gas jets mounted in gloves and boots capable of emitting hallucinogenic, sense- dulling, or "web" dissolving gases. Also elaborate stage sets and props as part of his schemes for revenge.

Weapons: Occasionally carries hypnotic aides & conventional hand held weaponry.

Limitations: His quest for an 'artistic' revenge on Spider-Man means that he never really actually wants to kill him outright.

Background

Beck started his career as a Hollywood stuntman. He later branched into special effects, and within a few months was one of the industries top special effects designers. But Beck grew tried of his continual backstage role and wanted something greater. Unfortunately, he didn't have the looks to be a Hollywood actor. One day a friend jokingly told him to take out one of the new costumed crime-fighters, that were popping out of the woodwork at the time, if he wanted to make a name for himself. Beck took the idea to heart and began to study the then fledgling Spider-Man.

He entered into a partnership with the Tinkerer to steal industrial and military plans. The two men pooled their genius and developed an alien disguise to mask the true nature of their crime. The scheme was foiled by Spider-Man, but the hero did not see through the villains' disguises. After more planning and study of his foe, Beck attacked Spider-Man as Mysterio, under the approval of the Daily Bugle and J. Jonah Jameson, but was soundly defeated.

Mysterio accepted Doctor Octopus's invitation to join Vulture, Electro, Sandman and Kraven the Hunter in the Sinister Six, a group made up of former spider-foes all looking for revenge. Mysterio used robotic versions of the X-Men to attack Spidey, who quickly realized that he wasn't fighting his old allies. Using his Spider-Sense, he found the control room and easily defeated Beck.

Mysterio has fought Spider-Man many times since then, never once hesitating to use innocent people as pawns. He and the Wizard tricked Spidey and the Human Torch into battling each other. Naturally, they discovered the plot and defeated thier enemies. Beck used Maxie Shiffman, Peter Parker's agent before he became a crime fighter, to lure Spidey out to do battle. Most notably was his prolonged campaign with the burglar to recover a fortune from Aunt May's house, which he eventually discovered had been eaten by silverfish.

Beck's self confidence never seemed to really rebound, as he often worked with other criminals. He re-joined the Sinister Six three times. He was used by Doc Ock, tried to get revenge on Ock and reformed the Six to rid themselves of the criminal killer, Kaine. After Kaine killed Octavius, Beck and others (Vulture, Jason Macendale and Electro) tried to steal his adamantium tentacles, but were stopped by Spider-Man and the Scarlet Spider.

He started planning his final revenge, but his long-time enemy Spider-Man was no longer who he knew, but a clone. Ben Reilly faced off against Mysterio and his ally, Armada, when they created the MysteryVision TV channel. MysteryVision was an addictive broadcast that turned its viewers into mindless zombies. I assume the point was to keep people watching the channel, earning Beck inflated TV ratings and thus, mucho dinero.

While being imprisoned in Ravencroft, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and lung cancer, both afflictions beyond help, and both caused by the products Beck had used for years. With the maximum estimate of one year to live, and deemed sane and no longer a danger to society, they released him. Not wanting a revenge on such a mere clone, Beck remembered his past meeting with Daredevil, and how intrigued and interesting he was. He bought all the information about Daredevil from the Kingpin, and elaborated a complex plan to drive him mad. He hired Daredevil's nemesis, Bullseye, who killed DD's love, Karen Page. Beck destroyed Foggy Nelson's relation with Liz Osborn and he almost made DD kill an innocent baby. But when it came down to it, Beck's plan to have an insane Daredevil killing him failed, because Matt Murdock wouldn't give him that pleasure. Instead, he breaks him down with words. Beck says his final move is stolen from Kraven, and shoots himself.

Before his death, Mysterio trained his cousin Maguire Beck, the person inside the Conundrum costume and his friend and one-time stand-in Daniel Berkhart in the use of his technology. Berkhart would become his successor, seeking to avenge his friend by tormenting Spidey and Daredevil, as well as pursuing his own personal agenda.

Beck briefly appeared post posthumously at Midtown High. He confronted Miss Arrow, telling her that he knew what she really was. His new masters were watching her, and they wanted to know if she had what it took to kill Spider- Man. She didn't appreciate being lectured by a dead man.

Beck achieved his greatest victory over Spider-Man and never even knew it. Years before he died, he was hired by Norman Osborn to create an elaborate illusion to fool Spider-Man into thinking that Harry Osborn was dead. He also created a genetic duplicate for the coffin (which came in handy when Harry's "body" was exhumed in the "Dynasty of Evil" story) and falsified the autopsy report.

Quiz: Quick Quiz on Mysterio.

Thanks To:

The assistance of the Marvel Chronology Project is gratefully acknowledged.

Character Appearances

Image Gallery

Edit

Edit

Edit

Upload a New Image

These images are the copyright property of Marvel Comic Group. They are used here without permission. My sole intent in providing these images is to interest people in the works of Marvel Comics. If you like these characters then why not go out and buy the comic books, read the stories, and enjoy the real thing!