Sandman (Marvel Comics)

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==Summary==
Born in a modest family, young William Baker was abandoned by his father and left in poverty with his alcoholic mother. He soon learned that this world rewards the strong, so he turned to violence first and to crime then, going by the alias of "Flint Marko". 
Constantly in and out of jail, one day he took refuge in a beach that had been set up to be the site of a nuclear test. Caught by the radioactive blast, the molecules of William's body merged with the sand beneath, transforming him into the Sandman.
He used his newfound powers to resume his crimal career, first on his own and later a part of teams such as the Frightfoul Four and the Sinister Six, becoming a recurring foe of superheroes such as the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man.
After a change of heart, the Sandman decided to go straight and redeem himself, becoming part of crimefighting organizations such as Silver Sable's Wild Pack and even the Avengers as a reserve member.
Sandman returned to his old habits when the Wizard subjected him to a machine that made his old criminal persona resurface. From there on, the Sandman has been a sort of anti-villain, acting more times than not as a criminal (either together or against other supervillains), but with occasional moments of goodness and altruism. He also got a big turn in his life when he found a little girl to whom he wanted to give a better life, but couldn't keep with him because of a deep personality crisis.
==Powers and Stats==
Tier: At least , at most , higher by absorbing sand
Name: William Baker (real name), Sandman, aliases "Flint Marko" and "Sylvester Mann"
Origin: Marvel Comics
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown
Classification: Mutated Human (formerly), Human Mind Possessing Sand Mass, Criminal, Former Crimefighter
Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Immortality (Types 1, 3 and 6; When his human body died because of the influence of the Sandman from Earth-51838, William learned to transfer his consciousness across actual sand, allowing him to keep living potentially forever. This meeting also made him learn about the newfound immortality granted by a body purely made of sand, just like that of his alternate self, who lived for 5 billions years and almost witnessed the very end of the universe.Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol 1 308Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol 1 309 Such awareness led him to Amazing Spider-Man Vol 5 68 of getting rid of this course, although he hasn't found it yet), Inorganic Physiology (His body is composed of Identity Disc Vol 1 1. Although both Sandman and Valerie Merrick where putting up an act, the notion has later been confirmed to be true in Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 615. As of the events of Cracked Hourglass, Sandman's body became composed of actual sand, as his human body died and vanished. Sandman's brain waves are contained in a single grain of sand, which acts as a "queen bee" and controls all the other grains under his control), Self-Sustenance (All types. His alternate self once he reliquished his human body, thus the same should apply to Sandman, as he has gone through the same process. Shouldn't require neither respiratory nor nutritional sustenance because of his new body being composed only of pure sand), Sand Manipulation (Has control over the sand of his body and that he comes in contact with, and can manipulate it in dozens of ways), Elemental Intangibility (By altering his own density), Body Control, Shapeshifting and Weapon Creation, Size Manipulation (Ranging from Small Size type 1 [Type 3 from individual grains] to Large Size type 1, and much higher by absorbing sand), Density Manipulation (One of his most notable powers is the ability to alter the of his , making it or Spider-Woman Vol 6 12 as rock), limited Flight (Can turn into a ,The Incredible Hulk Vol 1 113 a Web of Spider-Man Annual Vol 1 7 or just hover as ), Camouflage (Can disguise himself as a or just Amazing Spider-Man Annual Vol 1 1 laying on the floor. Can Silver Sable and the Wild Pack Vol 1 28 into other people), Stealth Mastery (Even before obtaining his powers, he managed to from a maximum security prison. After becoming the Sandman, he has often used his powers to sneak into secured places, perform stealth attacks or ambush his enemies. One out of many examples is the time he swapped placeFreidnly Neighborhood Spider-Man Vol 1 17 with a security guard to infiltrate a prison), Surface Scaling (Can make his particles cling to almost , which also allows him to climb up Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 18 and ), Enhanced Senses (Sensed and countered a thug Silver Sable and the Wild Pack Vol 1 26 from behind. Can form Amazing Spider-Man Annual Vol 1 2000), Fire Nullification (Can use his sand to flames), Regeneration (Mid-High, possibly High; Can from scattered grains. that he could put himself back even after being hit by sonic disruptor guns that vibrate molecules into atoms, although he might be regenerating lost mass, instead of putting his atoms together. Managed to put himself together after having been turned to glass and shatteredSpider-Man Vol 1 22Spider-Man Vol 1 23. Spider-Man states that not even being melt by hydrofluoric acid, the only chemical able to dissolve his granules, would kill him), Fusionism (Accidentally mergedAmazing Spider-Man Vol 1 217Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 218 with Hydro-Man, giving birth to the Mud-Thing. Can merge with large pools of sand, ranging from a common Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 683 to entire deserts such as the SaharaAmazing Spider-Man Vol 1 684), Absorption (Can absorb new sand to speed up his regeneration and Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Annual Vol 1 1 to enormousSuperior Spider-Man Team-Up Vol 1 6 sizes), Duplication (Can spawn many copiesAmazing Spider-Man Vol 1 616 of himself, each able to act on their own), Instinctive Reaction (Can hear his daughter and act even while asleep), Multiple Selves (Type 1; Has troubles splitting his mind as his body, to the point that various aspects of subconscious started controlling some of his bodies, making them act without the knowledge of Sandman's main persona. Such factor has seemingly ceased to be an issue when Sandman realized the reality of things, as it never manifested again, and possibly because he never attempted to duplicate himself after those events), Power Bestowal (Transfered the power to manipulate sand to Spider-Man), Accelerated Development (Abilities; Figured out how to transfer his powers to Spider-Man in just a , while it took decades to his alternate). Resistance to Fire (Unfazed by an early Human Torch's flames, as sand , and in another occasion he remained Fantastic Four Vol 1 63 by them), Electricity (Conducted Fantastic Four Vol 1 57 Mr. Fantastic's electric ray while seemingly remain unharmed. it has to be noted that electricity has often been detrimental to him, specifically because of his vulnerability to extremely high temperatures that turn him into glass), Water (Limited; By turning his body to sandstone he can avoid being turned into mudWonder Man Vol 1 1, forcing others to surprise him in order to achieve such result), Transmutation (Limited; Can remain conscious and move a little even if turned to glassThe Incredible Hulk Vol 1 114, although it leaves him extremely vulnerable. Restored his normal composition briefly after having been turned into quarzMarvel Team-Up Vol 1 2 by the Human Torch. Returned briefly after having pulled himself together from glass shards), Radiations (Absorbed an enormous amount of randomic radiations, enough to be deadly to any human, and instead of hurting him, they cured the cancer he had developed because of his original exposition to an atomic blast. Hazmat's radioactive blasts had Avengers Academy Vol 1 14 on him), Biological Manipulation (Overrode the lock that the Wizard had placed on his genetic structure to prevent himPeter Parker: Spider-Man Vol 1 12 from changing his shape), Acids (His body is , saving for Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 615), Possession (Resisted the Earth-51838 Sandman's attempt of taking over his body, but would have succumbed if Spider-Man hadn't intervened.)
For more details and further applications of Sandman's powers, it is suggested to visit this blog.
Attack Potency: At least Large Building level (A long-time foe of Spider-Man, whom he has knocked outMarvel Team-Up Vol 1 2 in moreAmazing Spider-Man Vol 1 154 than one occasion and is generally portrayed as a a powerhouse among his foes. ClashedSilver Sable and the Wild Pack Vol 1 18 with Venom and Rhino multipleWebspinners Tales of Spider-Man Vol 1 18 , although he had to put quite a lot of effort. Shattered a . a tank with ease), at most Planet level (Fought the Hulk a few times, but ultimately he wasn't a matchIncredible Hulk Vol 1 138 for him. Rivaled the Thing for a long periodFantastic Four Vol 1 148, but failed inFantastic Four Vol 1 177 keeping up with the progression of his strength, even though they battled againThing Vol 2 6 after that), higher by absorbing sand
Speed: Superhuman (His shapeshifting grants him many ways to cover distances at a pace much faster than that of any normal human), Hypersonic combat speed and reactions (Kept up in battle with the likes of Spider-Man, tagging and hitting them quite a lot of times)
Lifting Strength: Class M, higher by absorbing sand (The Invisible Woman Fantastic Four Vol 1 36 to hold him within a forcefield. Fantastic Four Vol 1 43 a steel roof. Lifted and threw a .Fantastic Four Vol 1 129 Could Nova Vol 1 14 an early Nova. Lifted and threw a .Solo Avengers Vol 1 17 Spider-Man couldn't from his hold. Spider-Man's pull. Briefly restrained Venom andExcalibur Vol 1 36 Captain Britain)
Striking Strength: At least Large Building level, at most Planet level, higher by absorbing sand
Durability: Up to Large Building level (Can control his density at will, making it so soft that any attack just pass through him, or so hard that even his strongest foes have troubled damaging him. an all-out blow from the Rhino, but got completely pulverized in another occasion. Even at the beginning of his career, he was hard enough to cause Spider-Man to when punching him. Clashed many times with the likes of the aforementioned characters and others such as Venom, withstanding blows even while not being explicitly in a rock-hard state), at most Planet level (Withstood blows from the Hulk and the Thing, but can't equal their actual power), higher by absorbing sand
Stamina: At least Athletic, likely higher (Is in a generally good fit condition and can partake in battles and long missions and infiltrations. His susceptibility to pain, damage and wounds is difficult to determine, given his unique physiology which allows him to endure a good deal of punishment. He was tough enough to endure a grievous beating against an opponent who could meddle with his ability to reformWeb of Spider-Man Vol 1 108, and got back in seconds once he had a moment to recover)
Range: Tens of Meters via various abilities, far higher via absorption depending on the location.
Intelligence: Above Average, possibly Gifted (Sandman is often mistaken for an idiot by both allies and foes, mostly because of his harsh and hot-heated attitude, but he has demonstrated many times to be much more than just brawn. He is a seasoned individual, with many years of experience in either committing or fighting crime. Sandman has been part of many groups and their different iterations, most notably the Frightfoul Four, the Sinister Six, the Wild Pack, the Avengers and more, with his valor being recognized by the likes of the Wizard, Silver Sable and Captain America. In his life he clashed with a great variety of metahumans, each with their own special abilities. Sandman knows dozens of creative ways to employ his powers, and has stated from time to time to having learned new tricks and applications, as well as having overcomed some of his weaknesses. In just a few minutes, he figured out he could transfer control of sand to others, while his alternate self to learn it. Fought evenly with Spider-Man many times, and in a couple of occasions he managed to outsmart both Mister Fantastic and the Human Torch. Received Fantastic Four Vol 1 61 from the Wizard, which allowed him to design his new costume. Avengers Vol 1 333 a Doombot in moments, immediately understanding its structure. Knows how to Marvel Team-Up Vol 2 3 a jet plane. Was to the Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 407 of the recruits of the Wild Pack, and personally Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 676 the Rhino. Can manipulate his sand with enough precision to interfere with the functioning of technological devices, achieving feats such as Fantastic Four Vol 1 41 Trapster's vibro-shock pulsator, defusing a bomb,Solo Avengers Vol 1 7 and causing a robot to self-destructThe Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 303)
Weaknesses:
Several of the following weaknesses are exploited multiple times across Sandman's publication history, most notably his vulnerability to water and high temperatures. However, for the sake of practicality, this list features only a few showings that illustrate each weakness.
*Needs to actively to sand or soften it up if hardened, leaving him vulnerable to and faster opponents.
*Sudden will momentarily shatter him into ,Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 4 and even hits deliveredAmazing Spider-Man Vol 1 215 by opponents stronger than him.
*Could be apparently be inside vacuum cleanersStrange Tales Vol 1 115, although Spider-Man states that such trick Marvel Team-Up Vol 2 3 anymore, and Sandman himself later reveals that Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Annual Vol 1 1 set up to sneak into prison unnoticed. 
*Particularly strong attacks, such as the Hulk and Namor's, can still cause him to feel pain even when solidified.
*Can be Amazing Spider-Man Annual Vol 1 37 if hit in sensible spots while solid.
*Large amounts of water turn his body, disabling his ability to alter his particles willingly. 
*Still needs to like a normal human. 
*Extremely high temperatures turn him Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 338 or Fantastic Four Annual Vol 1 14, making him vulnerable to being shattered. 
*Having his sand mixed with cement incapacitates him. 
*Needs a certain degree of to keep his body intact. 
*Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 281 make it impossible for him to reform himself, as long as they last. 
*Can be Untold Tales of Spider-Man Vol 1 3 by turbines.
*Hydrofluoric acid can melt his individual granules, but not really kill him, unless it totally the one grain that holds his intellect.Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 685
*Sandman is occasionally depicted as needing all of his sand mass, or even every single at times, in order to pull himself together, remain sane and ultimately not diePeter Parker: Spider-Man Vol 1 16Amazing Spider-Man Vol 2 17Peter Parker: Spider-Man Vol 1 22, but such notion has been contradicted more times than not. For example, he has without any downside, purposedly chopped awaySilver Sable and the Wild Pack Vol 1 56 pieces of himself and absorbed new sand to replace lost mass. Spider-Man also states that Sandman always gains and loses sand.
*His clones are prone to turning on each other, because of their different personalities and motives. This might be the reason why he stopped using them.
*Can be incapacitated by isolating the one grainAmazing Spider-Man Vol 1 684 that contains his brain waves. Sun Girl apparently incapacitated him by Superior Spider-Man Team-Up Vol 1 7 with a light ray.
Note: 
*Before making any changes to this page, please read and follow the Power-scaling Rules for Marvel and DC Comics
*It is suggested to visit this blog in order to have a more complete and detailed insight of the Sandman's capabilities and the various applications of his powers.
*The events narrated in the 15 minutes of shame storyline, as well the new powers displayed by Sandman's alterate state, are the result of a specific weakness that is totally unsupported and contradicted in most of Sandman's other appearances (check the "Weaknesses" section for further details). This means that such storyline doesn't represent the primary depiction of Sandman, nor the most consistent, and because of this its content isn't featured in this profile.
==Notable Matchups==
Victories:
Losses:
Inconclusive:
==References==
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