Mister Miracle

Template:Superherobox Mister Miracle is the name of a DC Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby, originally as part of The Fourth World series of titles. Scott Free is the most famous Mister Miracle but is actually the second character to hold that name in DC Comics

Originally, the boy Scott Free was the son of The Highfather, the ruler of New Genesis. However, as part of a diplomatic move to stop a destructive war against the planet Apokolips, The Highfather agreed to a exchange of children with his enemy Darkseid. In doing so, he surrendered Scott Free to the care of his enemy while he received his enemy's son, Orion.

For years, Scott Free grew up in the care of Granny Goodness, a sadistic minion of Darkseid who oversaw the training of Darkseid's force with inhuman intensity. As he matured, Scott learned that he had a natural talent for escaping and overcoming seemingly impossible traps. His talent and his love for freedom were furthered by Himon, a natural troublemaker and the one god whom Darkseid's forces weren't able to capture. Scott refused to be hardened by the planet's cruel abuse and kept his innocence and hope in the midst of such darkness. He fell in love with Big Barda, a warrior who was leader of an elite squad of woman warriors known as the Female Furies, and she in turn was won over by his innocence and goodness.

Eventually, Scott Free escaped and fled to Earth. Once there, he became the protege of a circus escape artist, the original Mister Miracle, who was impressed with Scott's skills (especially as supplemented with various advanced devices he had taken from his previous home). Barda later followed Scott, and the two became popular circus performers, until they found that they must use their powers, equipment, and skills in the war against Darkseid, who was still interested in recapturing both of them.

Scott Free later became a member of the JLA, and remains a member of Earth's heroic fraternity. He most recently appeared in Identity Crisis.

Shilo Norman (Mister Miracle III) was the brother of a policeman killed by a gang leader. Scott Free was assigned to protect him, and continued to train Shilo with his own special escape artist techniques as well as giving him New Genesis technology. Shilo currently works as head of security at the Slab, a prison for metahumans.

Publication history

The original title featuring this character was the longest-lived of the short-lived Fourth World. It lasted 18 issues, but with the ending of the other Fourth World titles (New Gods, Forever People), the Fourth World elements disappared. The title was briefly revived in the late 1970s for an additional seven issues, ending with #25. A one-shot special was published with art by Steve Rude in 1988. And then a new series appeared in the late 1980s that ran 28 issues.

In addition, the character (and wife Big Barda) was made a member of the revived Justice League and appeared regularly in the Jack Kirby's Fourth World series by John Byrne.

Mister Miracle and Big Barda most recently appeared in an episode of Justice League Unlimited. Assisted by the Flash, they return to Apokolips to rescue Kalibak from the clutches of Virman Vundabar, in order to ransom their dwarf friend Oberon from Granny Goodness.

A future version of Mister Miracle and Big Barda (along with their daughter), appeared in the mini-series Kingdom Come. Being an escape artist, Mister Miracle would assist Superman in creating his Superprison.

Shilo Norman is soon to reappear in Grant Morrison's 2005 thirty-comic miniseries as one of the Seven Soldiers of Victory.

Other Media Appearances

Mr. Miracle first appeared in the Superman Adventures episode, "Apokalips Now" part II. Later he made a return in the Justice League Unlimited episode, "The Tie that Binds Us" and is voiced by Ioan Gruffudd.