| Mr. A | |
|---|---|
 Mr. A, in a panel from witzend #4, 1968. Art by Steve Ditko. | |
| Publication information | |
| First appearance | witzend #3 (1967) |
| Created by | Steve Ditko |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Rex Graine |
| Abilities | Wears armored gloves and full-head armored mask for protection Proficient at hand to hand combat |
Mr. A is a fictional comic book hero created by Steve Ditko. Unlike most of Ditko's work, the character of Mr. A remained the property of Ditko, who wrote and illustrated the stories in which the character appeared entirely himself. The character first appeared in Wally Wood's witzend #3 (1967).[1]
Mr. A was inspired by Objectivism, the philosophical system and Ethical Egoism of the philosopher-novelist Ayn Rand.[2] Ditko has been quoted as saying that his creation The Question was intended as a version of Mr. A that would be acceptable to the Comics Code Authority that censored mainstream comics during the era.[3] Ditko explained: "Where other ‘heroes’ powers are based on some accidental super-element, The Question and Mr. A’s ‘power’ is deliberately knowing what is right and acting accordingly", and "Where other heroes choose to be selfmade neurotics, The Question and Mr. A choose to be psychologically and intellectually healthy."[4]
- ^ Markstein, Don. "Mr. A". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ Wells, John (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965-1969. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 166. ISBN 978-1605490557.
- ^ Mr. A Archived 2009-01-07 at the Wayback Machine at vicsage.com
- ^ Kinowa, Western Scourge; Charlton's Pulp - Issuu