Cardiac (character)
Cardiac (Elias Wirtham) is a fictional character, appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer David Michelinie and penciller Erik Larsen and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #342 in December 1990. Wirtham is portrayed as an anti-hero, once a physician and surgeon, he was driven to become a vigilante after the death of his brother Joshua, which he sees as being caused by corporate greed. He has upgraded his physical body, replacing his heart with a beta-particle reactor which allows him to channel energy through a vibranium weave mesh under his skin. This has given him enhanced speed, agility, and reflexes as well as being able to channel the energy through his fists. His unyielding approach to justice has bought him into conflict with a number of heroes, most notably Spider-Man. Publication history Created by writer David Michelinie and penciller Erik Larsen, he first appeared as Elias Wirtham in The Amazing Spider-Man #342 (December 1990) and as Cardiac in The Amazing Spider-Man #344 (February 1991). Fictional character biography Wirtham is a physician and surgeon, and the owner and administrator of a biological research firm. Elias Wirtham is driven by his brother's death