Weather Wizard (original) (raw)

[[Weather Wizard]](bigimages/weather2.jpg)

Real Name: Mark Mardon
Known Relatives: Clyde (brother, deceased), Josh Jackam (son)
Occupation: Criminal
Group Affiliation: The Rogues
Past Group Affiliation: Blacksmith’s Rogues
First Appearance: Flash v.1 #110, December 1959–January 1960
Created By: John Broome and Carmine Infantino

[[Weather Wizard’s classic costume]](bigimages/weather.jpg)

On his way to prison, Mark Mardon escaped, fleeing to his brother Clyde’s home. Clyde had just discovered a way to control weather, building the tech into a “weather wand.” Clyde threatened to call the police, the brothers fought, and Mark killed him with his invention. Mardon steadfastly claims his brother had died of a heart attack just before he arrived, and no one could prove it was murder.*

Mardon began a criminal career as the Weather Wizard, sometimes using his powers on a small scale (such as zapping someone with lightning) and sometimes on a large scale (imprisoning a town with winter), but he was defeated by the Flash frequently enough early on that he returned to Central City on many occasions to seek revenge. After that Flash’s death, the Weather Wizard went into semi-retirement.

Lost in obscurity, Mardon could not resist when Abra Kadabra brought him and four other Rogues an offer that would bring them respect. An offer that would “guarantee that they would be remembered forever not as has-beens... but as the most infamous villains of their age.” What Kadabra did not tell them was that it would cost them their lives. The five died, and unleashed the demonNeron upon Earth (Underworld Unleashed #1, 1995).

Neron was not finished with them, however. As part of a convoluted plot to force the Flash into a deal, he sent the Rogues’ bodies to Earth without their souls. The bank robbers who had so enjoyed matching wits with the Flash were now soulless killers, in command of vastly enhanced powers, with even more powerful avatars that caused enormous damage and killed thousands before the Flash was able to turn the deal around and force Neron to halt the destruction and return the Rogues’ souls to their bodies (Flash #127–129, 1997).

The Weather Wizard, like his fellow Rogues, returned to his life of crime, though also concerned with protecting himself from Neron and trying to make up for his past deeds—like theTrickster, he has a personal reason to avoid Hell.

Legacy

Through Blacksmith, the Weather Wizard learned that he had an infant son, Josh Jackam, who had somehow inherited the ability to control the weather. He attempted to retrieve Josh—for study—but after failing, seemed to lose interest (Flash v.2 #175–176, 2001). Eventually, Inertia forced him to confront the truth: Mardon had internalized the wand's power. He hadn't needed the weapon in years, but it took Inertia breaking it to make him let go of the crutch (Flash: TFMA #11, 2007).

Weather Wizard was one of the three Rogues who delivered the killing blow to Flash 4: Bart Allen (Flash: TFMA #10–13: Full Throttle & All-Flash #1, 2007). He was captured and sent with the rest to the alien prison planet, Salvation (Salvation Run, 2007–2008).

Text by Kelson Vibber. Do not copy without permission.

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Profiles

Significant Silver-Age & Bronze-Age Flash Appearances

Significant Legacy-Era Flash Appearances

Significant One-Year-Later Flash Appearances

Notes

* Since the Weather Wizard’s introduction, the story has always been that he found his brother dead and either took the wand, or used his notes to complete it. Beginning in 2001, characters started referring to rumors that he had actually killed his brother to take the wand. This version was confirmed in Flash #220 (May 2005). He has only admitted the truth to Captain Cold, and probably only once.