List of Marvel Family Enemies - India Rubber Man

India Rubber Man

Only appearing in Captain Marvel Adventures #10. An India rubber man in the Bingling Bros Circus, Mahatma Squatma, who gets sick of tying himself in knots every day. He passes Thor the Strong Man while of duty, and finds he is also unhappy, so they join together. They find the Wild Man from Borneo is also unhappy. Squatma reveals a strange oriental poison he brought from India, with which they can rule instead of be ruled. The others agree with him. That evening they go to the home of Baker, the rich banker as they need money. The India Rubber man gets into Baker's house and poisons Baker's soup with his skills. Baker is having dinner with Billy, but sddenly realises he has been poisoned. Mahatma reveals the antidote pill and says Baker will die in 24 hrs unless he gives them a million dollars. Baker says it will bankrupt him, but the Rubber Man tells him to bring it to the Circus tomorrow. The Wild Man tries to hit Billy's head with a hammer, but Billy transforms and defeats the Wild Man, and when Thor attacks him he is knocked out. Marvel attacks the Rubber Man, but his contortionist skills mean he can absorb the blows easily. Marvel stretches his foe back, but the crook flies out of the window like a rubber band. Baker's doctor can find no cure, so Baker decides he will call his bank for the million dollars. Billy tells Morris, but says he did not tell the police or Squatma would destroy the antidote and Baker would die. Billy goes to the Circus and sees Baker handing over the million dollars, so he summons Captain Marvel. Squatma gives him the pill, which stops Baker shivering, then Baker calls the police he brought with him. The policemen run past Marve, so the two henchmen of Squatma break the roller coaster supports, delaying Captain Marvel while he rescues the occupants. He then follows them into the house of mirrors. Captain Marvel is unable to find the real criminals, allowing them to slip away. The manager runs in to sue Marvel for wrecking the place, so he transforms to Billy, who says Squatma will pay as he is the cause of this. Billy reports the story, but gets stomach cramps which is reported on the radio. Squatma gets in pretending to be a Doctor, then his men and him hold Billy down and pour the poison down his throat before he can say Shazam. Billy cannot say the magic word as his teeth are chattering too much. The two henchmen tie up Sterling Morris and escape. Billy sees a nantiote pill has been dropped by Squatma and swallows it, enabling him to transform. Marvel tries being conspicuous, so rings the bell and wins a cigar each time. He performs sword swallowing and fire-eating acts. The three villains notice it, but Squatma has made enough of the poison to kill an army, and plans to dump it in the city reservoir to enslave them all. They reopen the Three Tasks exhibit. Marvel does not recognise Squatma wearing dark glasses apparently and enters the exhibit. First he must lift a stone cat, which Marvel lifts revealing it is connected to an underground stone, then defeat what looks like an old weakman who is actually a strong wrestler, which Marvel also wins revealing it is a robot which he destroys with a single blow. Then he must empty a drinking horn with one gulp, which the other two henchmen are filling with all the poison, enough to kill five states. But Marvel survives it and knocks the two henchmen onto a merry-go-round. The leader still withstands the blows of Marvel, so is bounced round with the blows until he gets dizzy, then tied up in a human knot, which is how it all started.