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Power Man
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Power Man

385 appearances Β· Bronze Age Β· 1972–2026 Β· 15 key issues
Who is Power Man?

A mercenary who gained superhuman strength through ionic energy treatment while serving Baron Heinrich Zemo and the Enchantress, Erik Josten operated as a super-powered villain before eventually joining the Thunderbolts, where he took the identity Atlas and gained size-changing abilities alongside his ionic powers.

Few Bronze Age debuts have proven as enduringly magnetic as Power Man, who first burst onto the Marvel scene in Iron Man #46 in 1972, brought to life by Gary Friedrich and George Tuska. Over more than five decades of publication, this street-level titan has carved out a remarkable niche, headlining Power Man, the beloved Power Man and Iron Fist, and Daredevil while sharing pages with some of Marvel's finest β€” Iron Fist, Spider-Man, Captain America, and more. With 15 key-issue appearances flagging him as a serious collector's quarry and nearly 200 catalog appearances spanning 1972 all the way to 2026, Power Man is no footnote β€” he's a fixture of Marvel's toughest, most grounded corner of the universe, and absolutely worth your attention.

Identity

Real name. Erik Josten

Powers. Ionic energy empowerment: superhuman strength/durability/stamina; as Atlas, can grow to giant size (Pym Particles + ionic body) and increase strength with size.

Teams & affiliations
Avengers
β˜… First appearance
The Avengers #15
Apr 1965

Trivia

  • Power Man was never conceived as a standalone identity from the start β€” the title grew out of the original 'Hero for Hire' concept, with the book itself rebranding the character as Power Man before the series ultimately evolved into the team-up title Power Man and Iron Fist.youtube.com
  • Marvel treated the Power Man name as little more than a temporary marketing identity, and Luke Cage eventually reclaimed his original name in the early 1990s when the solo series was relaunched under the stripped-down title Cage.youtube.com
  • The Power Man and Iron Fist partnership has one of the roughest origin stories in Marvel team-up history β€” Cage and Danny Rand's first encounter was violent enough to send Cage crashing through walls and a collapsing building, making it one of the least friendly introductions in the entire bromance canon.youtube.com

Top series

Covers through the years β€” 1972–2023

Iron Man #46 β˜… 1972
Iron Man #46
Spider-Woman #13 β˜… 1979
Spider-Woman #13
Power Man #66 β˜… 1980
Power Man #66
G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #37 β˜… 1985
G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #37
Daredevil: Marked for Death #[nn] 1990
Daredevil: Marked for Death #[nn]
The Punisher #60 1992
The Punisher #60
Code of Honor #2 1997
Code of Honor #2
Deadpool #34 1999
Deadpool #34
Essential Luke Cage, Power Man #1 2005
Essential Luke Cage, Power Man #1
Spider-Man Visionaries: Roger Stern #1 2007
Spider-Man Visionaries: Roger Stern #1
Iron Age #1 2011
Iron Age #1
Power Man & Iron Fist Epic Collection #1 2015
Power Man & Iron Fist Epic Collection #1
Marvel Masterworks: Howard the Duck #1 2020
Marvel Masterworks: Howard the Duck #1
Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man #25 2023
Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man #25

Appearances (301–385 of 385, oldest first)

Fantastic Four: Crusaders & Titans (2013)
The Superior Foes of Spider-Man (2013)
#3
Marvel Universe Ultimate Spider-Man (2012)
Avengers: Operation Hydra (2015)
#1
Power Man & Iron Fist Epic Collection (2015)
#1
Ultimate Spider-Man (2015)
#3
Hip-Hop Variant Sampler (2016)
#1
Avengers Standoff: Assault on Pleasant Hill Alpha (2016)
Deadpool (2016)
#13
Power Man and Iron Fist (2016)
#1
Captain America: Sam Wilson (2016)
#2
Thunderbolts (2016)
Monsters Unleashed (2017)
#2
Occupy Avengers (2017)
Incredible Hulk Epic Collection (2015)
Defenders (2017)
#7
Avengers Epic Collection (2013)
Marvel Masterworks: Ant-Man / Giant-Man (2006)
#3
Ant-Man / Giant-Man: Growing Pains (2018)
Black Widow Epic Collection (2019)
Marvel Masterworks: Howard the Duck (2020)
#1
Thor No. 229 Facsimile Edition (2020)
Doctor Strange (2019)
#3
Hawkeye Epic Collection (2021)
#1
New Mutants Omnibus (2020)
#2
Marvel Avengers and Other Heroes! (2021)
#2
Captain Britain Omnibus (2021)
Luke Cage Omnibus (2021)
Marvel Comics - La collection (2014)
The Death of Captain Marvel Gallery Edition (2021)
Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection (2018)
#4
Fantastic Four (2019)
#8
Marvel Legendary Collection (2022)
#35
Marvel (2022)
Rom: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus (2023)
Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man (2003)
#25
Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil (2003)
#18
Thunderbolts: Winter Soldiers (2024)
Devil's Reign Omnibus (2023)
Timeless (2024)
#1
Luke Cage Epic Collection (2020)
#2
Avengers West Coast Epic Collection (2018)
#7
Thunderbolts Epic Collection (2023)
Defenders Epic Collection (2016)
#2
Thunderbolts: Worldstrike (2024)
Iron Fist 50th Anniversary Special (2024)
#1
Marvel Origins (2023)
Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection (2013)
#12
Uncanny X-Men (2024)
Ultimate X-Men (2024)
Power Man: Timeless (2025)
Thunderbolts: Doomstrike (2025)
Rom Epic Collection: The Original Marvel Years (2025)
Uncanny X-Men by Gail Simone (2025)
#2
Marvel - Γ‰dition spΓ©ciale maillots de bain : amis, ennemis et rivaux (2025)
Battleworld (2026)
The Avengers (2003)
#11
Toyfare: The Toy Magazine (1997)