Megaton Man - Parody Comic by Don Simpson

Megaton Man exploded onto the indie comics scene in 1984 as a loving demolition of superhero conventions—a rippling, absurdist spoof from cartoonist Don Simpson that refused to stay a one-note gag. The series follows Trent Phloog, a mild-mannered everyman who transforms into the impossibly bulging Megaton Man—“The Man of Molecules”—whose every punch packs the force of a million tons of TNT. What could have been a straightforward parody instead grew into something far richer: a sprawling, character-driven universe held together by genuine affection for the very tropes it gleefully dismantles.

Characters and Setting

The series unfolds in Megatropolis, a bustling metropolis where costumed heroics are about as remarkable as rush-hour traffic. Megaton Man joins the Megatropolis Quartet, a gloriously dysfunctional team that includes the invisible See-Thru Girl, the stretchable Yarn Man, and the cosmic Kozmik Kat. Their rogues’ gallery runs from the absurdly named Bad Guy to the Cosmic Cue-Ball, Doctor Software, and the Partyers from Mars. But where lesser parodies coast on mockery, Simpson’s work pushes deeper—shifting over time from broad satire into character-driven storytelling that explores the civilian identities, personal anxieties, and genuine relationships of his megaheroes.

Publication History

The original series ran ten issues from November 1984 to June 1986 through Kitchen Sink Press, followed by a wave of sequels and spin-offs: The Return of Megaton Man, the one-shots Megaton Man Meets the Uncategorizable X+Thems, Yarn Man, and Pteranoman, and crossovers including Savage Dragon vs. the Savage Megaton Man for Image Comics. The character anchored Simpson’s Bizarre Heroes universe (1994–1996), a Fiasco Comics series that wove together decades of his creations into an interconnected mythology. After a long hiatus, the 2020s brought a triumphant second act: Fantagraphics, in partnership with Zoop, published the 608-page hardcover omnibus The Complete Megaton Man Universe Volume I: The 1980s in 2025, alongside Megaton Man: Multimensions, a treasury-sized anthology featuring over sixty contributors including Alan Davis, Stephen Bissette, Jim Rugg, and Dean Haspiel. During this same period, Simpson also explored darker territory with Border Worlds, a mature-readers sci-fi saga that debuted as a backup feature in Megaton Man before spinning into its own series.

Legacy

Few indie comics have aged as gracefully as Megaton Man. Its 1980s origins read as a time capsule of the indie comics revolution, when creators like Simpson proved that weird, personal, idiosyncratic work could thrive far beyond the Big Two. The series has earned praise for its kinetic artwork, deadpan humor, and genuinely affecting character arcs—a combination that has secured its devoted following across four decades. With the Fantagraphics collected editions introducing new readers to Simpson’s bulging, bewildered, and oddly lovable universe, the Man of Molecules shows no signs of shrinking.

You can follow Don Simpson’s ongoing work on his blog or subscribe to his Substack newsletter for the latest on Megaton Man, Border Worlds, and the further reaches of the Bizarre Heroes universe.

Perfect for fans of The Tick, Dave Sim’s Cerebus, Erik Larsen’s Savage Dragon, and the satirical edge of MAD Magazine.