Mind-Wave

Mind-Wave
Mind-Wave as seen in Daredevil #133.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Daredevil #133 (May 1976)
Created by	Marv Wolfman Bob Brown Jim Mooney
In-story information
Alter ego	Erik Gelden
Species	Human
Team affiliations	Esper-Ts
Abilities	Psionic powers

Mind-Wave is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a supervillain who has psionic powers that has fought Daredevil on occasion

In 2019, Benjamin Walker portrayed Erik Gelden in the third season of the TV series Jessica Jones set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Publication history

Mind-Wave first appeared in Daredevil #133 (May 1976), and was created by Marv Wolfman, Bob Brown and Jim Mooney. The character subsequently appears in Captain America #319 (July 1986), in which he was killed by the Scourge of the Underworld. Mind-Wave's real name of Erik Gelden was revealed in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Hardcover Vol. 10 when he was listed under Scourge of the Underworld's entry.

Fictional character biography

Erik Gelden

Mind-Wave was a megalomaniac criminal possessing mental abilities heightened by his own inventions. He robbed banks in Europe and America until stopped by Daredevil and Uri Geller. At the time he utilized his 'Think Tank', capable of firing various weapons.

Mind-Wave's mental abilities failed to warn him about the Scourge of the Underworld, who killed him in the "Bar With No Name" massacre.

Mind-Wave was later among the 18 criminals, all murdered by the Scourge, to be resurrected by Hood using the power of Dormammu as part of a squad assembled to eliminate the Punisher. Mirage disguises himself, Mind-Wave, and some of the other criminals as a team of Avengers trying to kill the Punisher. After the Punisher uncovers the ruse, he captures Mirage, kills Mind-Wave with a grenade, and leaves him with a grenade as a booby trap for the other criminals to find.

Mindwave

A new Mind-Wave appears as a Superhuman Registration Act violator. He amuses the officers of a Las Vegas, Nevada police precinct by claiming he was there to officially protest the Registration Act, and clarifying that his codename was different from the man who was called "Mind Hyphen Wave." He then used his telekinetic powers to destroy the station and kill the police officers present before calmly surrendering to the Thunderbolts.

Mindwave is escorted to a cell in Thunderbolts Mountain. When left alone, he begins a telepathic conversation with fellow prisoners Caprice, Bluestreak, and Mirage, during which he suggests that it would be fun to interfere with the surgery scheduled to be performed on Bullseye. However, Bullseye recovers from his surgery while Mindwave's attention is focused on the other Thunderbolts, and kills Mindwave and his allies in their cells using thrown scalpels.

Powers and abilities

The first Mind-Wave wore a helmet of his own design that boosted his natural mind powers particularly ESP, with which he could blindside a non-telepathic opponent at will. His helmet also enabled him to communicate mentally with others wearing similar helmets, with his "Think Tank", or with other ESPers. Mind-Wave's "Think Tank" was a large, heavily armed vehicle control by his mental powers which he used to rob banks. It had heat-ray cannons. He also carried hand-held versions of the heat ray.

The second Mind-Wave who has his name spelled "Mindwave" was primarily a very powerful telekinetic, with the ability to destroy structures and halt and redirect hails of bullets in mid-flight. He also had some measure of telepathic ability, which he used to converse with his fellow prisoners and combine his power with theirs, in an attempt to destroy Thunderbolts by driving them insane. He wore a costume composed of dark body armor and a helmet resembling a gas mask.

In other media

Erik Gelden appears in the third season of Jessica Jones, portrayed by Benjamin Walker. This version is an ally and love interest of the titular character who possesses empathic powers that allow him to detect evil via his headaches, though he cannot specifically identify crimes. Additionally, he has a prostitute sister named Brianna "Berry" Gelden (portrayed by Jamie Neumann). While using his powers to blackmail people who have secretly performed criminal acts and collecting money to pay off gangsters, he encounters Gregory Sallinger, who attempts to kill him, only to run afoul of Jones. Erik has Jessica and her allies protect Brianna after Sallinger threatens her. Though Sallinger finds and tortures Erik, Trish Walker rescues the latter to use him to help her find criminals to intimidate and kill. Sensing her intentions, Erik warns Jones, but she rebuffs him. He is later approached by Detective Eddy Costa to use his powers to help the police.