Origin

Two brothers from Los Angeles, Charles and Hal Chandler, have both, in time, been known as the hero 3-D Man. During the 1950s, NASA was beginning to put its first astronauts into orbit. The key to the space program's success was the XF-13 rocket plane, an experimental aircraft capable of reaching the uppermost atmosphere. When it was time to test this craft, one of the first men chosen to fly it was Charles "Chuck" Chandler. On Chuck's very first test flight of the XF-13 aircraft, he was tailed and later abducted by the alien Skrulls. The Skrulls had been observing planet Earth for ages in the hope of using its strategic position to gain an advantage in their long-standing war with the alien Kree. With that in mind, the Skrulls became interested in Earth's space exploration programs. The night before Chuck was to make his first test flight of the XF-13, the Skrulls orchestrated a failed kidnapping attempt in which Chuck's brother Hal helped him escape. The Skrulls wanted to abduct test pilots to gain vital information regarding the space program where they operated.

Realizing that Chuck would never willingly give up any information, the Skrulls prepared to use a mind probe ray on him. In that instant, Chuck broke free of the Skrulls grasp and escaped. During his desperate efforts to escape, Chuck damaged several components of the ship's warp drive necessary for its continued safe operation. Just as Chuck made his dramatic escape in the XF-13, the Skrull ship exploded due to an overload in the power core caused by all the damage Chuck caused. Chuck made his exit unharmed, but was then exposed to the alien radiation that was released due to the ship's explosion. The XF-13 was severely damaged in the escape, so Chuck decided to land the ship in the Mojave Desert, where he knew his brother Hal would be watching the test flights. When Chuck ejected from the XF-13, Hal ran over to greet him, but Chuck vanished in a burst of light just as Hal drew near.

Believing that his brother had perished, Hal returned to Los Angeles to inform their parents and the NASA authorities. That night, Hal noticed an image of a man imprinted into the lens of his pair of glasses, and that one lens was red and the other green. Hal figured out that the images on the lenses of his glasses belonged to none other than that of his brother Chuck, and that they were imprinted there when Chuck vanished in the burst of light. By wearing the pair of glasses, concentrating on the two images, and focusing on a flat surface, Hal triggered a dimensional transfer that returned Chuck to reality but left Hal in a trance-like state.

The radiation exposure from the explosion of the alien Skrull ship had altered Chuck. While still human, the radiation had bonded Chuck's spacesuit to his body. His new body was colored and mismatched into shades of red and green on two halves of him. He also discovered that his physical abilities had been tripled as a result of his new transformation. The last thing Chuck discovered about his newfound abilities was that he was particularly attuned to the presence of Skrulls, no matter what form they took. When the Skrulls attempted to invade the United States, Chuck's powers of Skrull detection came in handy, ultimately thwarting their plot to take over the planet. Although he had foiled many of the Skrulls' attempts to take over the planet, much of Chuck's time was spent in another dimension, as he could only remain on earth for 3 hours at a time. When Chuck would return to the 2-D dimension of the glasses, Hal could then regain control of his body and emerge from his trance.

Creation

3-D Man was created by Roy Thomas and Jim Craig and first appeared in Marvel Premiere Vol.1 issue 35 (1977).

Major Story Arcs

Early Adventures

One night, the Skrulls followed Hal home in hopes of destroying the 3-D Man. They blasted him with an energy beam that ultimately destroyed the Chuck persona locked within his glasses. Thus the hero named 3-D Man was lost forever. Soon afterward, Hal became involved romantically with Chuck's girlfriend, Peggy Clark, which caused Hal to abandon the glasses, seeing the 3-D Man as a threat to his relationship. Later, when Hal became threatened by the presence of the Hulk, he needed the glasses again, and Chuck was still in the 2-D realm in the glasses. The Hulk overpowered Chuck in a physical altercation, but Chuck did indeed convince him to leave.

Secret Invasion

During Secret Invasion, Chuck and Hal told their story to the new 3-D Man, Triathlon. They were retired from being superheroes, so it was fitting that another would carry on their legacy.

Triathlon\Delroy Garrett Jr.

Delroy Garrett Jr., formerly known as Triathlon, gained access to the 3-D Man goggles at his graduation from the Initiative, making him into the new 3-D Man.

Powers & Abilities

The 3-D Man possesses strength, durability, speed, and stamina, three times that of a normal human being. He can run up to 70 mph, but can also attain short bursts of speed up to 90 mph. He can leap heights of up to 30 feet into the air. He can lift or press up to 1,400 lbs regularly. He also possesses a quasi-telepathic link to the distinct aura of the Skrull race, making him able to detect them in any shape they assume.

Commentary

In an alternate reality, F.B.I. agent Jimmy Woo recruited the 3-D Man and several other heroes of the 1950s (Marvel Boy, the Human Robot, Gorilla-Man, and Venus) to fight the agents of the Yellow Claw as the Avengers. In the Earth-616 reality, this team did not include the 3-D Man and was known as the "G-Men."

In at least one timeline, a team of adventurers known as the Avengers briefly formed in the 1950s, before disbanding at the request of the President, who felt the public was not ready to learn of them and their exploits. The 3-D Man was part of that short-lived Avengers team. Their rescue of the President from Yellow Claw helped dispel the 3-D Man's reputation as a dangerous outlaw, thanks to the President's influence.

In another alternate timeline where the 3-D Man was a member of the 1950s Avengers, Vice-President Richard Nixon was replaced by a member of the Skrulls. This led to vast xenophobia and a need among Earthmen to create a space army to strike back at these invaders. Immortus later negated the reality at the point where the Skrull deception was discovered.

Other Versions

EARTH A-EARTH 721 3-D MAN

At some point in his career he made an expedition to Earth-616; the central Marvel Earth, and impersonated the real 3-D Man for a while, before getting apprehended and sent back to his own dimension.

EARTH-9904-WHAT IF?

There are no real stats or information specified for this version of 3-D Man, but seemingly he appears exactly like the 3-D Man from Earth-616. He appeared in the What If? comic: What if the Avengers fought evil during the 1950's.

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES & SKILLS

Intelligence: Above Normal (below gifted)

Strength: Enhanced Human (Strength Class 2,400 lbs)

Speed: Enhanced Human (105 mph)

Stamina: Peak Human

Agility: Peak Human

Fighting Skills: Good\Above Average (Level 3/Minimal training/no mastery)

Special Skills & Abilities: (Chuck) Expert Pilot, Exceptional Football Player (Hal) Experienced Researcher