Origin
Travelling in Central America while hunting butterflies, Martin Kell was irradiated by a chunk of the Moon that fell to Earth.
Creation
Martin Kell was created byBernard Baily and an unknown writer. He made his first appearance in House of Mystery #97.
Major Story Arcs
The Moon Monster
Mutated into a strange creature by the radiation, the injured and disoriented Kell wanders into a nearby village. The villagers flee in horror from his appearance, while Kell’s new powers accidentally affect the ocean, causing a massive tidal wave. Kell flees into the woods, where he encounters a tribe of natives, who mistake him for their moon god. Dying and delirious, he stumbles out of their encampment to chase after a butterfly, and is struck by lightning. Coincidentally, the lightning splits a nearby mountain, fulfilling the natives’ prophecy. Kell is returned to normal by the lightning strike.
Powers and Abilities
Due to the radiation, Kell briefly acquired a massive, Moon-like head and disfigured skin. Like the Moon, he has a gravitational effect on the tide, and his nearness to large bodies of water will draw the water towards him.