"Sideways" star Thomas Haden Church will play the character of 'Flint Marko' aka 'Sandman' in director Sam Raimi's PG-rated "SPIDER-MAN 3", now set for a May 2007 tent-pole release by Sony.
CLICK HERE FOR "VENOM"
Speculation also surrounds a special story arc featuring Marvel's 'Hobgoblin' villain.
CLICK HERE FOR "HOBGOBLIN"
Debuting in "Amazing Spider-Man" #4 (1963), the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko creation of 'William Baker' aka 'Sandman', was expelled from high school after accepting a bribe to throw a football game.
Assuming the alias 'Flint Marko', he began to work for a criminal organization, is caught and serves time. Upon his release, the girl of his dreams leaves him for another man. Marko goes on a crime spree, is captured and sent to 'Ryker's Island' prison.
But he escapes and finds refuge at a nuclear test site near Savannah, Georgia. While resting on a beach, Marko is bombarded by radiation after a reactor's steam system explodes, mutating his body into a sand-like substance.
Eventually he joins the 'Sinister Six' villains, including 'Doc Ock', 'Vulture', 'Mysterio', 'Kraven The Hunter' and 'Venom'.
Sandman's powers include the ability to transform his body into a malleable, granular substance that can be hardened into glass, dispersed at will or shaped on command.
SPIDER-MAN comic book appearances for the SANDMAN character include "Amazing Spider-Man" #4, 18, 19, 154, 214, 215, 217, 218, 280, 281, 302, 303, 334-339, 348, V2 #4, 12, 17, Annual #1, 24 & 25; "Spectacular Spider-Man" #39, 40, 42, 169, 170 & Annual #11; "Marvel Team-Up" #1, 2, 39,40, 58, 99 & 138, V2 #3 & 4; "Web of Spider-Man" #107, 108 & Annual 7; "Spider-Man V2" #12, 16, 22, 42 & 43; "Untold Tales" #3; "Webspinners" #7-9, 17 & 18; and "Generation X" #59.
Other comic book appearances for SANDMAN include "Incredible Hulk" #113 & 114, "Fantastic Four" #36, 57, 61, 62, 378 & Annual 14, "Marvel Two-In-One" #86 & 96, "Silver Sable" #1-5, 7-9, 11, 12, 15-23, 25-35, "Avengers" #329, 330 & V3 #1-3, "Marvel Fanfare" #22, "Solo Avengers" #6, 7 & 17, "Heroes For Hire" #10 & 11, "Excalibur" #36, "Thunderbolts" #40 & 41, "Marc Spector Moonknight" #15, "The World's Greatest Comics Magazine" #9 & 10, "Defenders V2" #10.
