Scott Free (New Earth)

Mister Miracle was Scott Free, the god of escape in the New Gods mythology. Originally, the boy Scott Free was the son of Highfather Izaya, the ruler of New Genesis. However, as part of a diplomatic move to stop a destructive war against the planet Apokolips, Highfather agreed to an exchange of children with his enemy Darkseid. In doing so, he surrendered Scott Free to the care of his enemy while he received his enemy's son, Orion.

For years, Scott Free grew up in the care of Granny Goodness, a sadistic minion of Darkseid who oversaw the training of Darkseid's forces with inhuman intensity. As he matured, Scott learned that he had a natural talent for escaping and overcoming seemingly impossible traps. His talent and his love for freedom were furthered by Himon, a natural troublemaker and the one god whom Darkseid's forces weren't able to capture. Scott refused to be hardened by the planet's cruel abuse and kept his innocence and hope in the midst of such darkness. He fell in love with Big Barda, a warrior who was leader of an elite squad of woman warriors known as the Female Furies; she in turn was won over by his innocence and goodness, and later married him.

Eventually, Scott Free escaped and fled to Earth. Once there, he became the protégé of a circus escape artist, Thaddeus Brown, whose stage name was Mister Miracle. Brown was impressed with Scott's skills (especially as supplemented with various advanced devices he had taken from his previous home). Scott also befriended Brown's assistant, a dwarf named Oberon. When Thaddeus Brown was murdered, Scott Free assumed the identity of Mister Miracle. Barda later followed Scott, and the two used their powers, equipment, and skills in the war against Darkseid, who was still interested in recapturing both of them. Unknown to Darkseid, Scott eventually acquired the complete Anti-Life Equation, Darkseid's ultimate desire. However, his will was strong enough to resist the temptation to use it.

On Earth, the two have often accompanied Orion, and all 3 have served on the Justice League.

For a time Scott retired as an active hero, and a man named Shiloh took his place as Mister Miracle.

Death of the New Gods

Following the murder of Barda, Scott became increasingly unstable. Changing his uniform to a darker version, he flung himself into the investigation conducted by Superman and Orion, briefly considering that Orion was responsible. Discovering the corpses of the Forever People, Scott used the Anti-Life Equation to resurrect their soulless bodies to try to determine their murderer, but they dissolved their bodies rather than tell. Finally, when Superman and Scott confronted Orion, Scott allowed the Anti-Life Equation to take over, trying to kill Orion, only for Orion to reveal that he was attempting to draw the murderer out.

Finally, Superman and Scott travelled to the Source Wall, where they found a second composed of the dead New Gods. Superman revealed that the murderer, posing as Himon, was actually the Infinity-Man. Scott unleashed the equation to try and destroy the Infinity-Man, only for the Infinity Man to reveal that he was an agent of the Source, attempting to reunite with the Anti-Life and create a fifth world. Broken by the knowledge that he had violated every one of his principles to avenge his wife, only to discover that the murderer was the god he had worshipped for so long, Scott Free allowed the Source/Anti-Life entity to kill him.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Whatever super-powers he had are gone, after he had the wizard Shazam take them away. After undergoing the Fourth world ritual to unlock his god-power Mister Miracle now wields the abilities every new god is naturally born with and new abilities.

New God Physiology: These New Gods have evolved due to their close proximity to the Source, a primeaval energy, believed to be one of the ultimate foundations of the Universal Expression of Energy, along with their superior technology, into beings of genetic stability and evolutionary perfection. The denizens of New Genesis are stronger, faster, and smarter than homo sapiens, despite their resemblance to the same.

Immortality: Like few other of the New Gods, Mister Miracle is functionally immortal, having ceased aging physically near the age of 30. Unless he falls in battle, Mister Miracle is immune to the ravages of time, and could easily live for thousands upon thousands of years.

Invulnerability: He is resistant to blunt trauma like punches, kicks, and blows from weapons like bats and maces, though not -completely- immune; unless the blows a dealt by a being with similar or greater strength than Barda, there just isn't a chance of injury. However, his invulnerability does not extend to bullets, laser-blasts, or other piercing/slicing weapons - his invulnerability is more akin to that of an Amazon, rather than a Kryptonian.

Superhuman Strength: While Mister Miracle's strength as a New God is naturally greater than that of a human man of his build and stature who engages in regular intensive exercise, when he uses his god-power or the Anti-Life Equation his strength can me measured in the hundreds of thousands of tons.

Superhuman Stamina: Mister Miracle's stamina and endurance is nothing short of amazing. Due to the naturally exhausting and extensive rigors of his life on Apokolips, Mister Miracle is able to manage his stamina on a certain amount of rest and sustenance (more than minimal) so that it seems he is able to constantly function, though this is not entirely the case. Tied directly to his strength and invulnerability, even his immunity to a certain extent, Mister Miracle can actually function at peak efficiency for almost 48 hours before needing to eat and rest off the stress.

Superhuman Reflexes: Like all New Gods, Mr. Miracle has a highly developed nervous system. His reaction speed and eye-hand coordination is superior to a normal human's. Scott can move fast enough to dodge a bullet before the gun fires and react with blinding speed.

Superhuman Immunity: Scott has an extremely evolved immune system. It explains how he was able to survive on Apokolips for years without dying of a dozen diseases and toxins. In addition, having survived on Apokolips means he has developed immunity to a number of toxins and diseases.

Superhuman Coordination: Mr. Miracle possesses remarkable sense of his body. He can pick a lock with his mouth or wriggle his way out of a straitjacket while Oberon throws knives at him. He can use each muscle of his body in isolation. This makes him incredibly dexterous and allows him to perform many athletic skills as though he had years of training.

Alpha Effect: the antithesis of Darkseid's Omega Energy. the Alpha Effect. Its powers seem to cancel out or undo Darkseid's Omega Effect.

Anti-Life Embodiment: Mister Miracle also has the complete Anti-Life Equation, the Anti-Life Equation is said to give the being who learns it power to dominate the will of all sentient and sapient races. It is called the Anti-Life Equation because "if someone possesses absolute control over you - you're not really alive." but he refuses to use it as it reduces other beings to mindless slaves. Most recently in the anger for the Death of Barda and his friends, Scott has revealed he possesses greater power as the embodiment of the Anti-Life Equation, this power for all purposes allows him to warp reality, space, time, matter and antimatter on a cosmic level. The ability is apparently fueled by rage and negative emotions which scott himself doesnt have a personality for normally.

Abilities

Master Escapologist: Mr. Miracle is the World's Greatest Escape Artist from it going to a self proclaimed title to a reality. He can escape most bindings in his sleep. In fact he has passed beyond unconscious competence in the realm of metacognition. He is aware of the unconscious procedures he's mastered and can modify them in their use with other skills or to use new knowledge. He is marginally better at escapes than the Batman, though it would take another expert to make that determination. Much of his skill is the result of his advanced nervous system. Scott has studied the science of traps. He could probably make the Joker green with envy. In addition to building traps, Scott can invent new ones using primitive or Fourth World tech. Mr. Miracle usually knows as much about a trap as the builder. As a corollary Scott is very knowledgeable about security and jails. He learned from the best on Apokolips and escaped the X-Pit and other traps at a young age.

Master Combatant: Scott Free is a pacifist and never uses violence unless all other means are exhausted. That doesn't mean he's a pushover. He is as skilled as the Blue Beetle or Black Canary, he was training like a warrior by Granny Goodness. In combat, Mr. Miracle often uses his acrobatic skill and extraordinary leaps and flips to outflank opponents and his enhanced reflexes to dodge attacks. Scott is a good marksman but not familiar with thrown or melee weapons. They can hurt people.

Indomitable Will: Despite the personal efforts of Granny Goodness, Scott Free rejected the totalitarian values of Darkseid, long yearning for freedom from Apokolips. Additionally, he was able to resist the lure of using the Anti-Life Equation for many years. His ability to resist the Equation was broken, however, following the death of Barda and his increasing instability.

Universally Knowledgeable: Scott has seen a lot of the Universe. He is knowledgeable about the Fourth World and much of our Universe. He can navigate a star ship or use a Boom Tube. He knows the people and places of New Genesis, Apokolips and Earth. He also has a working knowledge of many areas of Earth from his years on tour.

New God Inventive: Himon taught Scott about advanced technology. Scott is an inventor though he usually modifies or improves Fourth World devices and doesn't build totally new devices. He designed most of the equipment in his costume or heavily modified it from standard models. Scott's bugaboo is Earth technology. He keeps trying to apply New Genesis standards to it or modify it with advanced tech. Sometimes he's way too trusting of Earth tech, like propane barbecues. Sometimes he decides a fusion-powered grill would be snazzy. He's not incompetent, he did run a fix-it shop in CT. But sometimes he has lapses into mad science. Scott has no such lapses with League technology or computers. He often divide tech support duty with Beetle.

Expert Performer: Performer: Mr. Miracle is a media star as well as a superhero. He knows how to play a crowd and how to make his escapes look a lot tougher and closer than they are. Oddly this sort of thing comes in handy in superheroics. Scott is a master of escaping, using his stealth skills to sneak away and then reappear at a dramatic moment.

Persuasive: Scott is a glib taker and married life has honed his skills of persuasion. He can also be surprisingly intimidating when he wants to. Part of this is his godly heritage. Part of it is living with Barda. He learned from the best.

Weaknesses

Radion: New Gods are vulnerable to a substance called Radion. It source is unknown and its effects are toxic only in sustained amounts or after explosive exposure. The average New God can be slain by an application of Radion from a Radion blaster or bomb. More advanced beings such as Mister Miracle, protected by their mother box, armor and sheer toughness, have been known to take two hits and survive. Radion, must be hard to come by, because if it was not, Darkseid would obviously equip more of his troops with it. Perhaps it requires the mysterious Element X to create it.

Nonviolent Moral Code: Scott dislikes violence. He will only use it if it's necessary. He could never willingly take another's life except to protect innocents and even then might choke. He doesn't strike the first blow. A sneak attack or roughing a person up is often more than he is capable. He likes to resort to trickery to get things done.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Motherbox
Duplicate Test Dummy: Scott has a robot duplicate that is a perfect physical match. Mentally it leaves a bit to be desired. The robot has enough intelligence to operate a jet aircraft, it isn't very verbose or good at personal interaction. Scott has used the robot as a decoy or to test out a new trap. He has gotten very good at fixing the dummy.
Deathtraps: Scott has a variety of deathtraps he keeps around to train. Anyone breaking into his basement is in for a scare and might walk away thinking Scott was a serial killer. The traps are not set up and functional unless Scott is using one to train. But they can be lethal. He usually doesn't train this way unless Barda is around to bail him out.
Cape: Mr. Miracle's cape is made of a memory fibroid from New Genesis. Scott's Mother Box can transmute the cape into a cocoon that can withstand a sizable explosion. This can only be done once. The transmutation is not permanent and destroys the cape.
Gloves: The gloves have wide cuffs that hold secret pockets for Scott's multi-cube and assorted picks. Small explosive charges can be stored safely between the fingers. In addition the gloves can fire concussion blasts and contain a fingertip laser for fine welding or burning out a lock. The palms contain magnets to let Scott cling to metal surfaces (see aero-discs) and adhesion pads letting him hang on virtually anywhere. Scott's gloves are fireproof and damage resistant.
Mask: Mr. Miracle's mask contains back up circuitry for his Mother Box and a life support unit. The back up circuits let Scott use his Mother Box hands free. The life support system lets him conserve Mother Box power in hostile environments instead of having her provide him with an atmosphere. The mask is tight fitting and sometimes uncomfortable but Scott is one of the few superheroes who doesn't mind pulling his mask off on the job to get some fresh air.
Costume: Mr. Miracle's costume is based on Thaddeus Brown's. It seems to be skin tight, except for the gloves and cape. In reality it contains numerous hidden pockets. Each glove and boot has a pocket and the slim utility belt contains half a dozen more. The full-length flowing cape is attached with fasteners that can detach it in a moment to allow for greater freedom of movement. In a secret pocket on his right upper arm Scott hides his Mother Box .

The costume is magnetically sealed and provides limited protection from damage and fire. It's bulletproof allowing Mr. Miracle to resist the claws and blades of Parademons briefly. He also doesn't have to worry about his cape catching fire when he's hanging over a flaming pit.

X-Ray Contacts: X-ray Contact lenses are tiny devices worn on the eyes. They can see through several inches of normal matter, enough to see the inner workings of a lock or other small device. Mr. Miracle's lenses can only scan an area a few inches on a side.
Micro-suction Cups: Micro-suction cups are another tool hidden in Mr. Miracle's gloves. They are tiny cups that are nearly invisible, he can use to scale walls or cling to ceilings. Scott uses these when he wants to conserve his aero-disc power or when the slight sound of an aero-disc might give him away.
Assorted picks: An electro pick is a small tool hidden within Mr. Miracle's costume, which allows him to secretly help him escape traps he's been locked into. The electro pick gives Scott a bonus to opening locks and defeating security systems. He has several hidden pockets in his gloves and costume that hold his electro pick and he can easily hide it in his mouth. Scott has recently added a laser pick to his tool box for dealing with fiber optics equipment.

Transportation

Aero Disks: Thin metal plates about a foot across. The New Gods use them for personal travel. They can reach speeds of 250 mph and attain altitudes of a few hundred feet. They can hover. Scott has modified his discs considerably. They are designed to retract into his boots when not in use. He also added magnets to let him cling to a metal wall or ceiling and toe knives to let him cut ropes or nets in flight.

Weapons

Multi-Cube: It is a peripheral device for Mr. Miracle's Mother Box. The cube was designed by Mr. Miracle to use the transmutation power of the Mother Box to create a number of preset mechanisms in its interior. All of these functions are much easier to perform that improvised tra nsmutation. They can be activated in combat and other stressful situations.

The cube is small enough to be hidden in the palm of the hand. Mr. Miracle has hidden his in his boots and gloves as well as his utility belt. The multi-cube contains a microprocessor that is not sentient but still capable of interpreting complex commands and recording data.

The multi-cube can fly under its own power and follow the mental commands of Mr. Miracle. The cube can use the transmuting power of the Mother Box to create several hundred feet of swing line that can support several hundred pounds. The cube can rewind this line and easily support 200 pounds. Besides the cable, the cube can produce a smoke screen or fire suppressing foam.

The simplest use of the cube is to generate light effects. The cube can create lifelike holograms, a blinding flash or a laser capable of cutting through a quarter inch steel cable or handcuff links. In hologram mode the cube can record extended scenes around it or make a complete holographic recording it can then manipulate to simulate the subject in motion.

The cube can also emit a powerful sonic beam that can spring locks or shatter a brick wall. The sound blast can a stun an unprotected human being.

Notes

Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-One era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and should be considered apocryphal.
Mister Miracle's true name is unknown. Even he cannot remember it. As a child, Granny Goodness provided him with the name Scott Free as a pun on the phrase "scot free".^[1]
In the end Scott Free was killed by the Completed Source. After Free realized the deity he had worshipped all his life was uncaring and used him for its own ends, he died broken spirited at his foolishness.

External Links

Footnotes

↑ Sandman (Volume 2) #5

Jack Kirby's Fourth World

This character or group of characters are related to Jack Kirby's Fourth World, either the original concept and group of titles by Jack Kirby, or any of their subsequent adaptations by other creators. This template will categorize articles that include it into the Fourth World Characters category.

Justice League member

This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats.
This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Justice League of America members" category.

[1] Sandman (Volume 2) #5

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