by John Byrne, 1987

Wizard

Real Name: Bentley Wittman
Identity: Inventor, magician, chess champion, now professional criminal
Group Affiliation: Leader of the Frightful Four
First Appearance: Strange Tales #102
Status: Active

Powers & Abilities:

The Wizard has no inherent superhuman powers. However, his intellect is of genius level, and he has made breakthrough discoveries in his work with gravitons and his study of other dimensions.

Equipment & Weapons:

The Wizard has created a variety of devices and weapons to further his ambitions and defend himself against opponents. His most notable devices are his anti-gravity discs (also referred to as "flying discs"). These discs are designed to counteract the pull of gravity. The Wizard wears an anti-gravity disc as part of his costume. This allows him to fly and hover in the air. These discs can be attached to people or objects making them virtually weightless. This can allow the Wizard to carry heavy objects, or when thrown and attached, they can cause opponents to fly helplessly upwards.

The Wizard's gauntlets can be used to unleash electrical blasts. They also magnify the effect of the Wizard's blows allowing him to shatter rock or metal. They can also generate a force-field around the Wizard which can protect from the equivalent force of anti-tank shells.

Finally, the Wizard developed an ID-machine which can brainwash a victim into serving him. The Wizard has used this machine to put the Thing, Human Torch, and Spider-Man under his control at one time or another.+

Origin:

The Wizard was once a celebrity in scientific circles. He developed many futuristic inventions and devices that he sold to the wealthy to amass his own fortune. Looking for new challenges, he used his intellect to become a world-champion chess player as well as a magicians staging "magic tricks" performed using his advanced science and technology. He was dubbed "The Wizard" because of many feats and accomplishments.

Eventually, the Wizard decided his next intellectual challenge would be the defeat of the Human Torch. This led to series of confrontations with the Torch. Also, the Wizard has attacked the Fantastic Four on many occasion in his attempts to steal many of Mr. Fantastic's inventions and equipment.

Wizard's Timeline (in Spider-Man comics)

The Frightful Four - Marvel Team-Up #3