Shilo Norman is a
superheroA superhero is "a fictional character of unprecedented powers dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest"...
in the
DC ComicsDC Comics is one of the largest and most popular American comic book and related media companies, along with Marvel Comics. It is the publishing division of DC Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary company of Warner Bros. Entertainment...
universe, he is the third person to use the title "Mister Miracle". Created by
Jack KirbyJacob Kurtzberg , better known by the pen name Jack Kirby, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor. Growing up poor in New York City, Kurtzberg entered the nascent comics industry in the 1930s. He drew various comic strips under different pseudonyms, ultimately settling on Jack Kirby...
, he first appeared in
Mister MiracleMister Miracle is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Mister Miracle #1 and was created by Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
(1st series) #15 August (1973).
Shilo's mother abandoned him as an infant. He spent the early parts of his youth in a
Suicide SlumSuicide Slum is a notorious fictional slum in publications from DC Comics. The area was first introduced in the "The Newsboy Legion" feature as a slum in New York City...
orphanage (
MetropolisMetropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16, in 1939....
). Shilo was unsatisfied with his lot in life, so he fled the abuses of the orphanage and began living on the streets.
Young Shilo Norman became the informal ward of escapologist Thaddeus Brown (Mister Miracle I), and also served as an occasional stand-in.
Shilo Norman is a
superheroA superhero is "a fictional character of unprecedented powers dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest"...
in the
DC ComicsDC Comics is one of the largest and most popular American comic book and related media companies, along with Marvel Comics. It is the publishing division of DC Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary company of Warner Bros. Entertainment...
universe, he is the third person to use the title "Mister Miracle". Created by
Jack KirbyJacob Kurtzberg , better known by the pen name Jack Kirby, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor. Growing up poor in New York City, Kurtzberg entered the nascent comics industry in the 1930s. He drew various comic strips under different pseudonyms, ultimately settling on Jack Kirby...
, he first appeared in
Mister MiracleMister Miracle is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Mister Miracle #1 and was created by Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
(1st series) #15 August (1973).
Orphan
Shilo's mother abandoned him as an infant. He spent the early parts of his youth in a
Suicide SlumSuicide Slum is a notorious fictional slum in publications from DC Comics. The area was first introduced in the "The Newsboy Legion" feature as a slum in New York City...
orphanage (
MetropolisMetropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16, in 1939....
). Shilo was unsatisfied with his lot in life, so he fled the abuses of the orphanage and began living on the streets.
Young Shilo Norman became the informal ward of escapologist Thaddeus Brown (Mister Miracle I), and also served as an occasional stand-in. When Thaddeus Brown was murdered by a mobster named
Steel Hand, his protege
Scott FreeScott Free may refer to:*Mister Miracle, the DC Comics character of the same name*Scott Free , a Chicago-based queer punk/folk/rap artist*Ridley Scott's production company, whose productions include Man on Fire and Numb3rs...
avenged his new friend's death by taking on the identity of Mister Miracle and brought Steel Hand to justice. After Brown's death, Shilo worked with the new
Mister MiracleMister Miracle is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Mister Miracle #1 and was created by Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
and his wife Barda.
Shilo eventually found his brother, who was murdered before his eyes by a gang member. He ran to the police, and
MetropolisMetropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16, in 1939....
policeman
Solomon Driver (Mister Miracle #15) was assigned to leave Shilo Norman in the protective custody of Scott Free. Driver's relationship with Scott was cordial; he didn't take Mister Miracle's crimefighting career very seriously, and believed that "escape artists could give us police a lot of trouble".
Shilo escaped to take revenge for his brother's death on his own, but Scott and
BardaBig Barda is a fictional superhero and New God in the DC Comics universe. She first appeared in Mister Miracle vol. 1 #4 , and was created by Jack Kirby....
followed, preventing him from making a terrible mistake. During the course of these events Shilo saves Scott’s life.
Scott decided to train Shilo in his own special escape artistry techniques and gave him advanced
New GenesisNew Genesis is a fictional planet in the . It is the home-planet of the New Gods from Jack Kirby's Fourth World metaseries.-History:...
technology.
Inventor
Later, as a student at
New York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian, research university in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, Shilo studied a wide variety of subjects, and in his spare time he performed
sleight of handSleight of hand, also known as prestidigitation or légèreté des mains , is the set of techniques used by a magician to manipulate objects such as cards and coins secretly....
and small feats of street magic for the crowds in
Washington Square ParkWashington Square Park is one of the best-known of New York City's 1,900 public parks. At 9.75 acres , it is a landmark in the Manhattan neighborhood of Greenwich Village, as well as a meeting place and center for cultural activity...
. He developed an annoying habit of talking in
non sequiturNon sequitur is Latin for "it does not follow." It is most often used as a noun to describe illogical statements.Non sequitur may refer to:* Non sequitur, an irrelevant, often humorous comment to a preceding topic or statement....
s, which he attributes to too many comparative
philosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing these questions by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on reasoned...
classes. He was apparently studying for a degree in
physicsPhysics is a natural science; it is the study of matter and its motion through spacetime and all that derives from these, such as energy and force...
, and had taken several other modern science courses. NYU was also where met his girlfriend Fiona Leeway.
During this time, Shilo tried on the "hero gig" as a third generation Mister Miracle, standing in for Scott as a member of
Justice League InternationalJustice League International is a DC Comics superhero team written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis, with art by Kevin Maguire, created in 1987.-Publication history:...
using New Genesis technology that he had either modified or built himself such as his Enerjams and Zoom Pads.
Warden
Still a master escape artist, the now-adult Shilo was appointed security chief of the Slabside Island Maximum Security prison for
MetahumanMetahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
s, also known as the
Slab. For his heroic actions during the
Joker'sThe Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics and appearing as the archenemy of Batman. Created by Jerry Robinson, Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the character first appeared in Batman #1 ....
"Last Laugh" riot, he was promoted to Warden of the Slab, which had by then been relocated to
Antarctica| style="border-top:solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding:0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align:top;" | 14,000,000 km
2 280,000 km
2 13,720,000 km
2 |-! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top;...
.
Celebrity
Recently, Shilo has appeared as a very successful and well-paid escape artist, using the name Mister Miracle. He became famous for large scale televised stunts, including well-publicized escapes from the second dimension, the center of the earth, and inside the event horizon of a miniature
black holeIn general relativity, a black hole is a region of space in which the gravitational field is so powerful that nothing, not even light, can escape. The black hole has a one-way surface, called an event horizon, into which objects can fall, but out of which nothing can come...
, stunts which enabled him to live a lavish celebrity lifestyle.
Within the black hole, Shilo had a vision of a familiar, but different life, spanning years. In his vision, he still possessed a
Mother BoxMother Boxes are fictional devices in Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting in the DC Universe.-History:Created by Apokoliptian scientist Himon using the mysterious Element X, they are generally thought to be sentient, miniaturized, portable supercomputers, although their true nature and origins are...
, but had no memory of the
New GodsThe New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comics about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby....
. Shilo saw all his friends fall to the
Anti-Life EquationThe Anti-Life Equation is the fictional equation for which the DC Comics villain Darkseid is searching in the Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting. It is for this reason that he sends his forces to Earth, as he believes part of the equation exists in the human subconscious...
, after which
DarkseidDarkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby. The character was ranked number 23 on Wizard magazine's Top 100 Greatest Villains Ever list...
subjected him to the "Omega Sanction", in which he lived a series of oppressive lives (including one in which he was working at the Slab). Upon escaping from this trap, Shilo found himself in the black hole where he first met
MetronMetron is a character created by Jack Kirby for his Fourth World series in DC Comics. He was "based on Leonard Nimoy as Spock," and designed as a character who "would frequently change sides
[between New Genesis and Apokolips
]." He first appeared in New Gods #1 .-...
, seven days later.
In
Seven Soldiers #1, Shilo heads to the Club Dark Side to free
AuraklesAurakles is a fictional character, a superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Justice League of America vol. 1 #100 , and was created by Len Wein and Dick Dillin.-Publication history:...
, Earth's first superhero, in order to break the
SheedaThe Sheeda are a fictional race published by DC Comics. They first appear in Seven Soldiers #0 , and were created by Grant Morrison and J.H. Williams III. Their first DC Universe appearance was in Morrison's introductory run on the JLA: Classified series in 2004.- History :The Sheeda are a...
's contract with
Dark SideDarkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby. The character was ranked number 23 on Wizard magazine's Top 100 Greatest Villains Ever list...
to "harrow" Earth and let him hunt down the Gods. In exchange, he sacrifices his life, and at the end of the issue his second resurrection is shown -- escaping literally from the grave, apparently thanks to his absorption of Mother Box's consciousness and abilities.
Firestorm
Shilo appears in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #33 and approaches Jason Rusch and Martin Stein, the two men who currently come together to form Firestorm. He then informs them that one quarter of the Life Equation is hidden within the
Firestorm Matrix, the other quarters are apparently held by Earth's other three Elementals, the
Red TornadoRed Tornado is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. he first appeared in Justice League of America #64 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Dick Dillin.-Publication history:...
,
NaiadNaiad is a fictional water elemental published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man vol. 2 #90 , during the four part Elemetal War storyline that ran to issue #93, and was created by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake.-Fictional character biography:Mai Miyazaki was a Japanese...
and
Swamp ThingSwamp Thing is a fictional character, a plant elemental in the . He first appeared in House of Secrets #92 , and was created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson...
.
Final Crisis
In the second issue of
Final CrisisFinal Crisis is a seven-issue comic book limited series published by DC Comics in 2008 and written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and Doug Mahnke later provided art for the series...
, Shilo is seen talking to the Japanese
metahumanMetahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
Sonny Sumo, telling him of a "
cosmic warDeath of the New Gods was an eight-issue comic book limited series published in 2007 and 2008 by DC Comics. It was written and pencilled by Jim Starlin.The series follows the final days of the New Gods as they are stalked by a mysterious killer....
", that "the powers of evil won", and that
MotherboxxxMother Boxes are fictional devices in Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting in the DC Universe.-History:Created by Apokoliptian scientist Himon using the mysterious Element X, they are generally thought to be sentient, miniaturized, portable supercomputers, although their true nature and origins are...
is "the only thing left." He asks for the hero's help in recruiting a team. He's so able to lead a team of rookie Japanese heroes in a desperate bid against
DarkseidDarkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby. The character was ranked number 23 on Wizard magazine's Top 100 Greatest Villains Ever list...
's growing power on Earth, but he fails: in the same moment in which Darkseid is able to take fully over
Dan TurpinDaniel "Terrible" Turpin is a fictional character published by DC Comics. Turpin was created by Jack Kirby, he first appeared as Brooklyn in Detective Comics #64 , and first appeared as Dan Turpin in New Gods #5 .-Publication history:Due to a recent retcon, Dan Turpin was made the adult version of...
's body, and be reborn on Earth, a sniper shoots him in the chest, seemingly killing the
Avatar of Freedom and bringing forth the
Victory of Evil. In the next issue it is revealed that he survived due to a bullet proof vest and speaks to Mister Terrific about defeating Darkseid, who is destroying the universe (apparently he is falling metaphysically and taking all
52 EarthsThe DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct that exists in stories published by comic book company DC Comics. The DC Multiverse consists of numerous worlds, most of them outside DC's main continuity allowing writers the creative freedom to explore alternate versions of characters and...
with him).
Equipment
- Enerjams - Are probably his most distinctive invention, being mounds of pure energy produced from his gloves, which can also emit heat and magnetic fields that help him grip onto walls.
- Mother Box - None of Shilo's new devices would work without the symbiotic power of Mother Box, a living computer he received from Scott Free. Shilo adapted his Mother Box to speak with the voice of his favorite pop singer.
- Multi-Cube - Shilo has his own version of Scott's multi-cube, a 1" square that acts as computer and communicator, emitting both regular and ultraviolet light, sonic vibrations, and holograms.
- Sticky Boots - His boots contain thermal inductors, as well as magnetic grips.
- Uniform - Incorporated within the hood of his JLI
Justice League International is a DC Comics superhero team written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis, with art by Kevin Maguire, created in 1987.-Publication history:...
era uniform were synapse-sensing devices that allowed much of the circuitry in his costume to react at the speed of thought. To track criminals, he carried tiny mini-transmitters with a Morphogenetic Gamma Field Detector equipped with an Em Filter Circuit to dampen electromagnetic interference.
- Zoom Pads - A redesigned version of Mister Miracle's Aero-Discs.
External links