Plantman

Plantman, born Samuel Smithers in London, is a British gardener and villain.

Biography

By 1963, Sam Smithers was working as a private gardener in Glenville. Convinced that plants possessed innate intelligence and sentience, Smithers developed a device that supposedly helped bring out that ability. His employer, one Mr. Evans, got fed up with Smithers' bizarre behavior, and fired him. Smithers continued to obsessively experiment with his device, until one night when it was struck by lightning. At that moment, Smithers' device succeeded in rapidly increasing target plants' intelligence, as well as making them follow his orders. Smithers began commiting crimes under the guise of Plantman, publicly declaring that he would tear down City Hall unless the mayor surrendered control to him. The Plantman's threat was met by the Human Torch, who conjured a large fireball that evaporated all of Plantman's plants' moisture. The plants turned against their master, destroying the device that gave him his power. Plantman was forced to hide, evading capture for the time being. Several months later, Plantman succeeded in building a plant ray that was even more powerful than the previous one. Filled with bravado, Plantman broke into the home of the Human Torch, doused him with water, and declared his next crime while he was unable to flame on. He then robbed the hotel just down the street from Torch's home, easily making off with a bundle of cash before Torch could even respond. He sent a letter to the Torch the next day challenging him to a fight at the nearby botanical gardens. He also arranged for a plant to threaten Doris Evans—daughter of his former employer and Torch's girlfriend—as a backup plan. Torch and Plantman's fight was evenly matched until Torch sent a signal into the air calling for the police. But Plantman's backup backfired, as Torch had suspected he might use Doris as an out, and got his friend the Thing to watch over her. The police overwhelmed Plantman and he was finally brought into justice, but continued to vow revenge.