| Comics | Mainstream |
|---|---|
| Movies | Raimi Trilogy |
| Shows | Spectacular Spider-Man |
| “ | You try to make your mark in this world. To do something that will last... that will tell everybody who comes after you, "I was here." To make a statement for the ages. Took me a while to find my statement. To figure out what I could do that would make the world stop and take notice. I would create a long lasting piece of real-life art... something that the world would remember, no matter how long it took me to finish it. I would call it: "The death of Spider-Man". It would be my masterpiece. It would be glorious... and best of all... it would last forever. | „ |
| ~ Sandman's original oath against the wall crawler[1] |
| “ | I'm the guy who thought he was such a hotshot! I'm the one who turned to crime-- and kept tryin' to prove that he was the toughest, baddest super-villain of them all! My life has been so different-- since that time I met my old enemy the Thing-- and we spent the night talkin'-- instead of fightin'! We really opened up to each other. I told him how fed up I was with living like a fugitive, and he convinced med to go straight! [...] I wish I could pull my whole life back together as easily as I can my body! I've still got the problem of finding a new job... But I know I'll make it! Someday... somehow... yeah! | „ |
| ~ Sandman about his redemption[2] |
| “ | Spider-Man! Won't you understand? I don't want to hurt you! Why can't you just leave me and my daughter alone? I'm the only guy who ever treated Keemia like a father! Even when I was in Riker's I sent her gifts! I sent her letters! The, one day, while I was visiting, on her own-- Keemia started calling me "daddy!" You know what that means to a freak like me, who's never had anything permanent in his life? Everything always slips through my fingers-- like you-know-what! And you try and take this from me, and I'll never forgive you, wall-crawler! You hear me? NEVER! | „ |
| ~ Sandman's new life purpose after having had his morality reverted[3] |
Summary
Born in a modest family, young William Baker was abandoned by his father and left in poverty with his alcoholic mother. He soon learned that this world rewards the strong, so he turned to violence first and to crime then, going by the alias of "Flint Marko".
Constantly in and out of jail, one day he took refuge in a beach that had been set up to be the site of a nuclear test. Caught by the radioactive blast, the molecules of William's body merged with the sand beneath, transforming him into the Sandman. He used his newfound powers to resume his crimal career, first on his own and later a part of teams such as the Frightfoul Four and the Sinister Six, becoming a recurring foe of superheroes such as the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man. After a change of heart, the Sandman decided to go straight and redeem himself, becoming part of crimefighting organizations such as Silver Sable's Wild Pack and even the Avengers as a reserve member.
Sandman returned to his old habits when the Wizard subjected him to a machine that made his old criminal persona resurface. From there on, the Sandman has been a sort of anti-villain, acting more times than not as a criminal (either together or against other supervillains), but with occasional moments of goodness and altruism. He also got a big turn in his life when he found a little girl to whom he wanted to give a better life, but couldn't keep with him because of a deep personality crisis.
Powers and Stats
Tier: At least High 8-C, at most 5-B, higher by absorbing sand
Name: William Baker (real name), Sandman, aliases "Flint Marko" and "Sylvester Mann"
Origin: Marvel Comics
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown
Classification: Mutated Human (formerly), Human Mind Possessing Sand Mass, Criminal, Former Crimefighter
Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Immortality (Types 1, 3 and 6; When his human body died because of the influence of the Sandman from Earth-51838, William learned to transfer his consciousness across actual sand, allowing him to keep living potentially forever. This meeting also made him learn about the newfound immortality granted by a body purely made of sand, just like that of his alternate self, who lived for 5 billions years and almost witnessed the very end of the universe.[4][5] Such awareness led him to seek a way[6] of getting rid of this course, although he hasn't found it yet), Inorganic Physiology (His body is composed of organically charged form of silicon dioxide[7]. Although both Sandman and Valerie Merrick where putting up an act, the notion has later been confirmed to be true in Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 615. As of the events of Cracked Hourglass, Sandman's body became composed of actual sand, as his human body died and vanished[4][5]. Sandman's brain waves are contained in a single grain of sand[8], which acts as a "queen bee" and controls all the other grains under his control), Self-Sustenance (All types. His alternate self ceased to sleep[4] once he reliquished his human body, thus the same should apply to Sandman, as he has gone through the same process. Shouldn't require neither respiratory nor nutritional sustenance because of his new body being composed only of pure sand), Sand Manipulation (Has control over the sand of his body and that he comes in contact with, and can manipulate it in dozens of ways), Elemental Intangibility (By altering his own density), Body Control, Shapeshifting and Weapon Creation, Size Manipulation (Ranging from Small Size type 1 [Type 3 from individual grains] to Large Size type 1, and much higher by absorbing sand), Density Manipulation (One of his most notable powers is the ability to alter the density[9] of his sand[10], making it incredibly soft[11] or hard[12] as rock), limited Flight (Can turn into a sandstorm,[13] a tornado[14] or just hover as streams of sand[10]), Camouflage (Can disguise himself as a mound of sand[9] or just grains[15] laying on the floor. Can morph[16] into other people), Stealth Mastery (Even before obtaining his powers, he managed to escape[9] from a maximum security prison. After becoming the Sandman, he has often used his powers to sneak into secured places, perform stealth attacks or ambush his enemies. One out of many examples is the time he swapped place[17] with a security guard to infiltrate a prison), Surface Scaling (Can make his particles cling to almost any surface,[18] which also allows him to climb up walls[19] and air conditioning ducts[18]), Enhanced Senses (Sensed and countered a thug attacking him[20] from behind. Can form multiple heads[21]), Fire Nullification (Can use his sand to douse[22] flames), Regeneration (Mid-High, possibly High; Can reform[23] from scattered[22] grains. States[24] that he could put himself back even after being hit by sonic disruptor guns that vibrate molecules into atoms, although he might be regenerating lost mass, instead of putting his atoms together. Managed to put himself together after having been turned to glass and shattered[25][26]. Spider-Man states that not even being melt by hydrofluoric acid, the only chemical able to dissolve his granules, would kill him[27]), Fusionism (Accidentally merged[28][29] with Hydro-Man, giving birth to the Mud-Thing. Can merge with large pools of sand, ranging from a common beach[30] to entire deserts such as the Sahara[31]), Absorption (Can absorb new sand to speed up[21] his regeneration and grow[1] to enormous[32][33] sizes), Duplication (Can spawn many copies[27][3] of himself, each able to act on their own), Instinctive Reaction (Can hear his daughter and act even while asleep[3]), Multiple Selves (Type 1[3]; Has troubles splitting his mind as his body, to the point that various aspects of subconscious started controlling some of his bodies, making them act without the knowledge of Sandman's main persona. Such factor has seemingly ceased to be an issue when Sandman realized the reality of things, as it never manifested again, and possibly because he never attempted to duplicate himself after those events), Power Bestowal (Transfered the power to manipulate sand[5] to Spider-Man), Accelerated Development (Abilities; Figured out how to transfer his powers to Spider-Man in just a few moments[5], while it took decades to his alternate). Resistance to Fire (Unfazed by an early Human Torch's flames, as sand doesn't burn[18], and in another occasion he remained unfazed[34] by them), Electricity (Conducted through[35] Mr. Fantastic's electric ray while seemingly remain unharmed. it has to be noted that electricity has often been detrimental to him, specifically because of his vulnerability to extremely high temperatures that turn him into glass), Water (Limited; By turning his body to sandstone he can avoid being turned into mud[36], forcing others to surprise him in order to achieve such result), Transmutation (Limited; Can remain conscious and move a little even if turned to glass[37], although it leaves him extremely vulnerable. Restored his normal composition briefly after having been turned into quarz[38] by the Human Torch. Returned briefly after[25] having pulled himself together from glass shards), Radiations (Absorbed an enormous amount of randomic radiations[36], enough to be deadly to any human, and instead of hurting him, they cured the cancer he had developed because of his original exposition to an atomic blast. Hazmat's radioactive blasts had no effect[39] on him), Biological Manipulation (Overrode the lock that the Wizard had placed on his genetic structure to prevent him[40] from changing his shape), Acids (His body is virtually insoluble[7], saving for hydrofluoric acid[27]), Possession (Resisted the Earth-51838 Sandman's attempt of taking over his body, but would have succumbed if Spider-Man hadn't intervened.)
For more details and further applications of Sandman's powers, it is suggested to visit this blog.
Attack Potency: At least Large Building level+ (A long-time foe of Spider-Man, whom he has knocked out[38] in more[41] than one[42] occasion[3] and is generally portrayed as a a powerhouse among his foes. Clashed[43] with Venom and Rhino multiple[44] times[45], although he had to put quite a lot of effort. Shattered a giant boulder.[13] Destroyed[46] a tank with ease), at most Planet level (Fought[13] the Hulk a few times,[13] but ultimately[37] he wasn't a match[47] for him. Rivaled[35] the Thing for a long period[48], but failed in[49] keeping up with the progression of his strength, even though they battled again[50] after that), higher by absorbing sand
Speed: Superhuman (His shapeshifting grants him many ways to cover distances at a pace much faster than that of any normal human), Hypersonic combat speed and reactions (Kept up in battle with the likes of Spider-Man, tagging and hitting them quite a lot of times)
Lifting Strength: Class M, higher by absorbing sand (The Invisible Woman struggled[23] to hold him within a forcefield. Pried open[51] a steel roof. Lifted and threw a bulldozer.[52] Could crush and hurt[10] an early Nova. Lifted and threw a tank.[24] Spider-Man couldn't break free[11] from his hold. Overpowered[3] Spider-Man's pull. Briefly restrained[43] Venom and[53] Captain Britain)
Striking Strength: At least Large Building level, at most Planet level, higher by absorbing sand
Durability: Up to Large Building level (Can control his density at will, making it so soft that any attack just pass through him, or so hard that even his strongest foes have troubled damaging him. Withstood[54] an all-out blow from the Rhino, but got completely pulverized[44] in another occasion. Even at the beginning of his career, he was hard enough to cause Spider-Man to hurt his hand[9] when punching him. Clashed many times with the likes of the aforementioned characters and others such as Venom, withstanding blows even while not being explicitly in a rock-hard state), at most Planet level (Withstood blows from the Hulk and the Thing, but can't equal their actual power), higher by absorbing sand
Stamina: At least Athletic, likely higher (Is in a generally good fit condition and can partake in battles and long missions and infiltrations. His susceptibility to pain, damage and wounds is difficult to determine, given his unique physiology which allows him to endure a good deal of punishment. He was tough enough to endure a grievous beating against an opponent who could meddle with his ability to reform[55], and got back in seconds once he had a moment to recover)
Range: Up to tens of meters via various abilities, much higher via absorption depending on the location.
Intelligence: Above Average, possibly Gifted (Sandman is often mistaken for an idiot by both allies and foes, mostly because of his harsh and hot-heated attitude, but he has demonstrated many times to be much more than just brawn. He is a seasoned individual, with many years of experience in either committing or fighting crime. Sandman has been part of many groups and their different iterations, most notably the Frightfoul Four, the Sinister Six, the Wild Pack, the Avengers and more, with his valor being recognized by the likes of the Wizard, Silver Sable and Captain America. In his life he clashed with a great variety of metahumans, each with their own special abilities. Sandman knows dozens of creative ways to employ his powers, and has stated from time to time to having learned new tricks and applications, as well as having overcomed some of his weaknesses. In just a few minutes, he figured out he could transfer control of sand to others, while his alternate self took decades[5] to learn it. Fought evenly with Spider-Man many times, and in a couple of occasions he managed to outsmart[35] both Mister Fantastic and[18] the Human Torch. Received science lessons[56] from the Wizard, which allowed him to design his new costume. Disassembled[57] a Doombot in moments, immediately understanding its structure. Knows how to drive[58] a jet plane. Was assigned[20] to the training[59] of the recruits of the Wild Pack, and personally trained[54] the Rhino. Can manipulate his sand with enough precision to interfere with the functioning of technological devices, achieving feats such as smothering[22] Trapster's vibro-shock pulsator, defusing a bomb,[60] and causing a robot to self-destruct[46])
Weaknesses:
Several of the following weaknesses are exploited multiple times across Sandman's publication history, most notably his vulnerability to water and high temperatures. However, for the sake of practicality, this list features only a few showings that illustrate each weakness.
- Needs to actively turn his body to sand or soften it up if hardened, leaving him vulnerable to surprise attacks[9] and faster opponents.
- Sudden shocks will momentarily shatter him into countless grains,[9] and even hits delivered[61] by opponents stronger than him.
- Could be apparently be trapped inside vacuum cleaners[18], although Spider-Man states that such trick wouldn't work[62] anymore, and Sandman himself later reveals that it was all a ploy[1] set up to sneak into prison unnoticed.
- Particularly strong attacks, such as the Hulk and Namor's, can still cause him to feel pain even when solidified.
- Can be knocked out[11] if hit in sensible spots while solid.
- Large amounts of water turn his body, into mud[18] disabling his ability to alter his particles willingly.
- Still needs to breathe[15] like a normal human.
- Extremely high temperatures turn him into glass[63] or crystal[64], making him vulnerable to being shattered[37].
- Having his sand mixed with cement[10] incapacitates him.
- Needs a certain degree of concentration[64] to keep his body intact.
- Wind tunnels[45] make it impossible for him to reform himself, as long as they last.
- Can be caught[42] by turbines.
- Hydrofluoric acid can melt his individual granules, but not really kill him,[27] unless it totally eats away the one grain that holds his intellect.[65]
- Sandman is occasionally depicted as needing all of his sand mass, or even every single single molecule[35] at times, in order to pull himself together, remain sane and ultimately not die[66][67][68], but such notion has been contradicted more times than not. For example, he has left his sand behind[37] without any downside, purposedly chopped away[69] pieces of himself and absorbed new sand[21] to replace lost mass. Spider-Man also states that Sandman always gains and loses[8] sand.
- His clones are prone to turning on each other[3], because of their different personalities and motives. This might be the reason why he stopped using them.
- Can be incapacitated by isolating the one grain[8] that contains his brain waves. Sun Girl apparently incapacitated him by blasting the grain[33] with a light ray.
Note:
- Before making any changes to this page, please read and follow the Power-scaling Rules for Marvel and DC Comics
- It is suggested to visit this blog in order to have a more complete and detailed insight of the Sandman's capabilities and the various applications of his powers.
- The events narrated in the 15 minutes of shame storyline, as well the new powers displayed by Sandman's alterate state, are the result of a specific weakness that is totally unsupported and contradicted in most of Sandman's other appearances (check the "Weaknesses" section for further details). This means that such storyline doesn't represent the primary depiction of Sandman, nor the most consistent, and because of this its content isn't featured in this profile.
Notable Matchups
Notable Victories:
Notable Losses:
Inconclusive Matches:
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Annual Vol 1 1
- ↑ Marvel Team-Up Annual Vol 1 138
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 616
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol 1 308
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol 1 309
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man Vol 5 68
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Identity Disc Vol 1 1
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 684
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 4
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Nova Vol 1 14
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Amazing Spider-Man Annual Vol 1 37
- ↑ Spider-Woman Vol 6 12
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 The Incredible Hulk Vol 1 113
- ↑ Web of Spider-Man Annual Vol 1 7
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Amazing Spider-Man Annual Vol 1 1
- ↑ Silver Sable and the Wild Pack Vol 1 28
- ↑ Freidnly Neighborhood Spider-Man Vol 1 17
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 Strange Tales Vol 1 115
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 18
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Silver Sable and the Wild Pack Vol 1 26
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Amazing Spider-Man Annual Vol 1 2000
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Fantastic Four Vol 1 41
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Fantastic Four Vol 1 36
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Solo Avengers Vol 1 17
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Spider-Man Vol 1 22
- ↑ Spider-Man Vol 1 23
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 615
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 217
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 218
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 683
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 684
- ↑ Superior Spider-Man Team-Up Vol 1 6
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 Superior Spider-Man Team-Up Vol 1 7
- ↑ Fantastic Four Vol 1 63
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 Fantastic Four Vol 1 57
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 Wonder Man Vol 1 1
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 The Incredible Hulk Vol 1 114
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 Marvel Team-Up Vol 1 2
- ↑ Avengers Academy Vol 1 14
- ↑ Peter Parker: Spider-Man Vol 1 12
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 154
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 Untold Tales of Spider-Man Vol 1 3
- ↑ 43.0 43.1 Silver Sable and the Wild Pack Vol 1 18
- ↑ 44.0 44.1 Webspinners Tales of Spider-Man Vol 1 18
- ↑ 45.0 45.1 Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 281
- ↑ 46.0 46.1 The Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 303
- ↑ Incredible Hulk Vol 1 138
- ↑ Fantastic Four Vol 1 148
- ↑ Fantastic Four Vol 1 177
- ↑ Thing Vol 2 6
- ↑ Fantastic Four Vol 1 43
- ↑ Fantastic Four Vol 1 129
- ↑ Excalibur Vol 1 36
- ↑ 54.0 54.1 Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 676
- ↑ Web of Spider-Man Vol 1 108
- ↑ Fantastic Four Vol 1 61
- ↑ Avengers Vol 1 333
- ↑ Marvel Team-Up Vol 2 3
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 407
- ↑ Solo Avengers Vol 1 7
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 215
- ↑ Marvel Team-Up Vol 2 3
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 338
- ↑ 64.0 64.1 Fantastic Four Annual Vol 1 14
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 685
- ↑ Peter Parker: Spider-Man Vol 1 16
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man Vol 2 17
- ↑ Peter Parker: Spider-Man Vol 1 22
- ↑ Silver Sable and the Wild Pack Vol 1 56
Discussions
| Discussion threads involving Sandman |