Who's Dat: Doctor Cobalt

PERSONAL DATA
Real Names: Onassis Sklar; "Stanley Cobalt"
Occupation: Super-criminal
Group Affiliation: None
Base of Operations: United States
Height/Build: Average
Eyes: Light
Hair: Black
First Appearance: Triumph #1 (June, 1995)

HISTORY
In Post-Zero Hour continuity, Doctor Cobalt, the self-professed "Lord of the Atom" was a super-villain active in a period years prior to the modern age of super-heroes. The alter ego of Onassis Sklar was a thorn in the sides of both the local sheriff and the Golden Age hero Hourman, with whom he tangled often. One of Dr. Cobalt's associates was James "Jimmy Mac" MacIntyre, a getaway car driver and henchman who wore a green caped costume and drove a souped up muscle car dubbed the Finmobile. After a botched job, Sklar was wounded in the right shoulder and authorities were closing in. Jimmy Mac, acting as his wheelman, decided to take a detour to drop off their ill-gotten loot in an abandoned bomb shelter, just in case they got caught. Unbeknownst to Sklar, Jimmy Mac had arranged for his wife to steal the money out from under Sklar to take care of herself and their son "Billy Mac" if he ended up doing jail time. Sure enough, both men were soon captured, and six months into his stay at Statesville Penitentiary near Evanston, Sklar died from cancer.

Onassis Sklar's legitimate son Trevor grew up to become a lawyer, but Sklar also had a bastard named Stanley with one of his associates, May Westin. Stanley believed himself the rightful heir to the legacy of Doctor Cobalt, going so far as to legally change his surname and to repeatedly sue Onassis Sklar for a share of Onassis's estate. Through unrevealed means, Cobalt eventually developed powers and rebuilt or recovered the operation of his father. He maintained a secret base where he appeared to live with his mother, and purchased a garage from an fellow named Gomer who stayed on as his mechanic. Doctor Cobalt II arranged for Jimmy Mac to escape from prison, and after six months of work, the group was prepared to recover Onassis Sklar's final score.

However, the jailbreak eventually drew the attention of Jimmy Mac's son William, who was now operating as the super-hero Triumph due to the intervention of Hourman after his father's incarceration. Doctor Cobalt II repeatedly attempted to murder Triumph and his associates in "The Machine," as well as to frame Trevor Sklar as the culprit. Failing that, Cobalt began an intimidation campaign that was eventually used to force the Machine to aid in the recovery of the loot. Triumph misdirected Dr. Cobalt with his own plot, trapping him in a helicopter where his powers were dampened enough for Triumph to defeat him.



POWERS & WEAPONS:
Onassis Sklar was a brilliant scientist who fired radioactive blasts from his hands. Stanley Cobalt is also a great intellect, but seems to possess a much broader array of powers. From his cerebral cortex, Cobalt generates fierce electrostatic energy. He is a telepath, with telekinetic and hallucinogenic capabilities, although he is reliant on a connective medium (like the specialized suits worn by the Machine.) Doctor Cobalt II could simulate flight, strength and invulnerability through his telekinesis. In their first face-to-face confrontation, Dr. Cobalt easily brutalized Triumph, breaking multiple vertebrae and nearly killing him without trying (and in fact assuming it was a failed act when the Machine had to enact lifesaving measures.)

Quote:
"Your dad was a crook. Mine was a super-criminal. A master planner. He had a brilliant mind. Your dad was just my dad's grease monkey. His spear carrier."

Created by: Christopher Priest & Mike S. Miller

Who's Dat: Sunburst

PERSONAL DATA
Real Name: Omar Pairut
Occupation: Oil Tycoon
Group Affiliation: None
Base of Operations: Bakushi, Iran
Height/Build: Approximately 6'0", average
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black
First Appearance: DC Special Series #1 (September, 1977)

HISTORY
In the Middle East circa 334 B.C., before Alexander the Great emerged victorious over the Persians, a wise old man sought to safeguard a "sun stone" that he had been entrusted with. The stone was given to a Scythian slave, who was ordered to flee from the invading Greeks through a hidden passage under the city before Alexander put the old man to the blade. The stone continued to be protected by the same family for twenty-three centuries, until a modern descendant used the money earned from an oil fortune to unlock its secrets.

After eight years of study, Omar Pairut confided the history of the sun stone to a friend who was also Iran's ambassador to the United Nations. Pairut had learned that the stone could bestow unto him great powers, which he intended to use to glorify his own name and recreate the Persian Empire. Transforming into "Sunburst," Pairut ordered Ambassador Karhum to inform the U.N. of his intentions. Sunburst took a test flight over the ocean, traveling half a world away in just forty minutes, before encountering a jetsub piloted by Aquaman. Downing the craft, Sunburst saw Aquaman as an easy target for death in order to demonstrate his new power to the world. Pairut killed some dolphins under the Sea King's command, defeated Aquaman, and then stranded him in a desert.

The next day, Sunburst returned to Bakushi to announce himself as emperor of a new empire before his people. In the intervening hours, Aquaman had escaped his death trap and arrived in Iran to confront Sunburst. After a brief scuffle, Aquaman used a mirror to turn one of Sunburst's energy blasts back on the villain. The feedback reduced the sun stone to slag, and Pairut was taken into custody. Ambassador Karhum felt that Pairut had become a madman, but mourned his friend's end.



POWERS & WEAPONS:
Pairut's sun stone allowed him to convert solar energy into a field of force, transforming him into a "human sunburst." With the stone placed on his chest, Pairut became a flaming entity that could fly, emit energy blasts, burn with his touch, and lift heavy objects through super-thermal forces. Sunburst appeared to be dependent on the stone's being in contact with his person, and seemed to lose all power with its destruction.

Quote:
"I go now to give the world a symbol of my power and my destiny! ...A new force is upon the Earth-- and from this day forth, mankind will never be the same!"

Created by: Gerry Conway & Dick Dillin

Who's Dat: Mister Big

PERSONAL DATA
Real Name:
Other Aliases:
Occupation: Super-Rich
Group Affiliation:
Base of Operations: Electric City, The World To Come
Height/Build: Approximately 6'0", thin
Eyes: Blue
Hair: White
First Appearance: OMAC #2 (November-December 1974)

HISTORY
Mister Big was among the "Super-Rich" of The World To Come, but lusted for greater power. To this end, he rented the entirety of Electric City for one night under the guise of hosting a street party for his invited friends. The true purpose was to locate Professor Myron Forest and destroy Project: OMAC. Agents of Mister Big escorted OMAC into the city, then followed him to the lab of Professor Forest, whom they assassinated in a hail of bullets. OMAC himself was eventually believed shot and killed, with his body brought to Mister Big's personal physician for inspection. OMAC's death was a ruse facilitated by the satellite Brother Eye, which remained an unknown factor in Project: OMAC to Mister Big. The Mayor of Electric City had been working with the Global Peace Agency to ensnare Mister Big, who was taken into custody by Peace Agents.

POWERS & WEAPONS:
Mister Big had his own private security force armed with conventional weapons who wore militaristic green uniforms. Big also had special agents prone to disguises who sometimes wore costumes wired to deliver electrical shocks on contact. They had access to hovering aircraft that could carry about three men.

Quote:
"Hmmmm-- I can't help thinking about those rumors-- that Project OMAC included something else, besides this one-man army--- there was something else, I tell you!"

Created by: Jack Kirby

Who's Dat: Madam Fatal

PERSONAL DATA
Real Name: Richard "Dick" Stanton
Occupation: Retired stage actor turned altruistic social crusader.
Marital Status: Widower
Known Relatives: Unnamed wife (deceased) and daughter.
Group Affiliation: Sure-Fire Detective Agency
Hair: Blond
First Appearance: Crack Comics #1 (May, 1940)

HISTORY
On April 30, 1930, Richard Stanton, famous character actor and master of makeup played the last role of his long and successful career. Mr. Stanton portrayed an old woman in a performance that thrilled and amazed his audience. A millionaire through the stock market, Stanton had married and produced an heir, only to have his daughter kidnapped just a year after retiring. The culprit was crimelord John Carver, who waited two years from the day the woman he loved married Stanton to make off with their child. Knowing her shady past was responsible for the crime and unable to touch Carver, Stanton kept silent from police, though his bride died of a broken heart. For nine years, Stanton perfected a new identity, recreating his role as an elderly woman to perfection. He then spent the next eight years pursuing Carver before a break in the case led the pair to meet. Stanton revealed his long simmering plot, as he'd worked to help others and develop his skills for this final confrontation. Carver attacked, but shot himself in the chest when Stanton literally pulled the rug out from under him. With his dying words, Carver assured Stanton his daughter was still alive. Stanton decided to continue to employ the Madam Fatal disguise in pursuit of justice in general and his missing daughter specifically.

Stanton had many more rollicking encounters in the Madam Fatal disguise, doing the same duty as most heroes while managing in a skirt and heels. There were clear benefits to opponents assuming Stanton was an elderly woman, and the actor proved plenty capable of holding his own when the charade was revealed. One suspects he took some special pleasure in the role, since he generally passed on any other. Madam Fatal's foes often veered toward the "queer" as well, such as a cross-dressing thief who caught Stanton's eye because he so resembled Fatal; or Dwarf Rogan, a famous gang leader of slight stature but rough disposition who literally stole the wife of a friend of Stanton's before being left to die at sea.

Madam Fatal eventually gained a fame all "her" own, becoming a Miss Marple type in interactions with police. To my knowledge, the only people ever made aware of the Madam's little secret were a medical team that tended to a Fatal bullet wound, though the doctor chose not to reveal the truth to Stanton's cohorts.

A good many online resources have deigned to correct the author and refer to the character as "Madame," but the strip title remained "Madam" through to the end, by which point Stanton was teamed with a pair of bumbling dicks from the makeshift Sure-Fire Detective Agency: Tubby White, condemned with Ed Grimley hair and Fatty Arbuckle girth; and Scrappy Nelson, a gap-toothed and mangy redheaded child. Also, the internet suggests that Stanton eventually rescued his daughter, but if that's so, it doesn't seem the child ever came up again.

POWERS & WEAPONS:
Dick Stanton was an accomplished actor, expert swimmer, pugilist and acrobat. He carried a walking cane and a convincing disguise.

Created by: Art Pinajian

Who's Dat: The Godmother

PERSONAL DATA
Real Name: Unknown
Occupation: Mobster
Marital Status: Unknown
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: Crime Cabal
Base of Operations: Electric City
Height/Build: Approximately 5'6", morbidly obese
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black
First Appearance: OMAC #5 (May-June 1975)

HISTORY
The Godmother was a high ranking member of the Crime Cabal in The World To Come who operated out of a large sun-palace in Electric City. She attempted to purchase a beautiful girl into whose body the Godmother's mind would be placed, but the deal was quashed by the arrival of OMAC. The Global Police Agency took the Godmother into their custody.

POWERS & WEAPONS:
The Godmother presumably had the resources of the Crime Cabal at her disposal, which included manpower, weapons and vehicles.

Quote:
"Hah! It's nuthin' money can't solve! ...and I've got plenty, Freddy! I want to be young again! ...and look like that!"

Created by: Jack Kirby

Who's Dat: Stretcho, the India Rubber Man

PERSONAL DATA
Real Name: Unknown
Occupation: Carnival Freak
Marital Status: Unknown
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: None
Base of Operations: Mobile
Height/Build: Variable, with an average build
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black
First Appearance: Police Comics #69 (August, 1947)

HISTORY
Stretcho was part of a touring carnival that made its way to Plastic Man's town. Working as an attraction, Stretcho supplemented his income by using his abilities to pick pockets during his shows. Two crooks named Reggie and Monk had just been released from prison, and had already made one attempt on the life of the fellow who put them there, Plastic Man. Escaping capture to the carnival, the thieves caught Stretcho in the act, and competed with him over who would rob Wall Street Wells, the Millionaire Gambler. Plastic Man arrived to bust his would-be killers, but Stretcho took offense at Plas horning in on his act, and an elastic fight ensued. Despite his bungling sidekick Woozy Winks' unfortunate "help," Plas managed to knock Stretcho clear across the carnival.

During the melee, Reggie and Monk had made another break, but approached the sore Stretcho with the proposition of framing Plastic Man. Following through, Stretcho disguised himself as Plas and began cutting the lines on a parachute drop partaken of by Wall Street Wells. The real Plas responded to Wells' cries for help, lowering him to safety as a makeshift parachute. Plastic Man fell on top of Reggie and Monk, covering them while using a free arm to choke the disguised Stretcho. Clearly no true match for the real thing, Stretcho was tied up in knots and turned over to authorities.

POWERS & WEAPONS:
Stretcho appeared to have powers of elongation comparable to Plastic Man, but did not take on any complex shapes, or otherwise stretch his abilities to the degree seen by others with the same power set.

Quote:
"Beat it, you amateur! This is a closed shop!"

Created by: Jack Cole

Who's Dat: Fancy Freddy Sparga

PERSONAL DATA
Real Name: Freddy Sparga
Occupation: Regional Manager for the Crime Cabal
Marital Status: Unknown
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: Crime Cabal
Base of Operations: Electric City
Height/Build: Approximately 5'9", overweight
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black
First Appearance: OMAC #5 (May-June 1975)

HISTORY
The Crime Cabal was one of the major mob outfits in The World To Come, and Fancy Freddy Sparga was their regional manager in Electric City. This placed him in charge of "The Terminal," an underground operation where kidnap victims would have their minds evacuated and replaced by the highest bidding "body-buyer." This computer brain transplant was still in the planning stages when it was discovered by an undercover Peace Agent and reported to OMAC. Sparga was alerted to the double agent, and ordered his and OMAC's assassination via a new missile rifle. However, both men were saved by the satellite Brother Eye, and evidence of their seeming demise was planted to allow OMAC a free hand in investigating. With the help of mugger Buck Blue, OMAC caught Sparga while he was negotiating a sale to the Godmother, and Fancy Freddy was arrested by Peace Agents.

POWERS & WEAPONS:
Fancy Freddy Sparga presumably had the resources of the Crime Cabal at his disposal, which included manpower, weapons and vehicles.

Quote:
"That'll teach the Peace Agents ta poke in Fancy Freddy's apple pie!!"

Created by: Jack Kirby

Who's Dat: Marshal Kafka

PERSONAL DATA
Real Name: Kirovan Kafka
Occupation: Bandit Marshal
Marital Status: Unknown
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: Leader of his own mercenary army
Base of Operations: Central Europe, The World To Come
Height/Build: Approximately 6'0" and stocky
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
First Appearance: OMAC #3 (January-February, 1975)

HISTORY
Marshal Kirovan Kafka commanded his 100,000 strong mercenary army within his own unnamed Central European nation and against territorial neighbors. Massacre was their specialty, as Kafka played out his dream of becoming a Caesar. Those dreams were crushed by the One Man Army Corps, who used his own advanced weaponry and the incredible resources of Brother Eye to demolish the bandits and capture their leader. Kafka was turned over to the Global Peace Agency to be tried for war crimes at the Court of Justice. Kafka was charged with the following:

• Mass Homicide: 3 Counts
• Execution of Prisoners: 9 Counts
• Conspiracy to Invade: 2 Counts
• Intent to Subjugate and Enslave: 12 Counts
• Design and Execution of Mass Terror upon Civilians: 3 Counts
• Use of Weapons Outlawed by International Agreement: 2 Counts

Kafka was unrepentant, laughing at the charges and threatening more deaths when his avenger arrived at the super-court. True to his word, a doomsday creation had been unleashed against the court, but was redirected into space by OMAC. Kafka was last seen being escorted to confinement.

POWERS & WEAPONS:
Marshal Kafka had an enormous army and spectacularly advanced arsenal at his disposal. These included remote guided rockets, massive tanks, vertical take-off planes, barrages of barbed cannonballs, armored golf-carts, and a heavily armed mobile bunker weighing seventy tons. All of Kafka's forces were geared for mobility, so that all of his resources could be redirected on short notice to overwhelm any opposition. Kafka also had a bioengineering program with which he created an astonishing creature of unidentified construction with a nigh-impervious exterior that could project intense flames and sonic waves.

Quote:
"I'm not impressed by your gimmicks or speeches... Marshal Kafka will dictate peace! ...By the power of his weapons!"

Created by: Jack Kirby

Who's Dat: Doctor Skuba

PERSONAL DATA
Real Name: Sandor Skuba
Occupation: Rogue Scientist
Marital Status: Unknown
Known Relatives: Seaweed (daughter,) Apollo (son-in-law)
Group Affiliation: None
Base of Operations: Secret lair
Height/Build: Approximately 5'10" with slight build
Eyes: Black
Hair: None
First Appearance: OMAC #7 (September-October, 1975)

HISTORY
Sandor Skuba was a genius "lone wolf" atomic researcher. As noted by the infallible Brother Eye intelligent satellite, "Skuba has mastered the atom. He can literally manipulate the form of matter." Among his accomplishments was the ability to reform human life to the shape of his wishes, developing beings of "manipulated, unstable atoms," such as his aesthetically superior daughter and son-in-law. Later, Skuba devised a means of compressing millions of tons of water into a foot long rectangular "bar," then neutralize the weight so that it could be carried and stored with relative ease. Aided by his daughter and son-in-law, Doctor Skuba began stealing The World To Come's natural bodies of water, in a bid for global influence.

OMAC was sent to investigate Doctor Skuba, and with the direction of Brother Eye, located his hidden base within a large volcanic rock island. OMAC was remotely observed by Doctor Skuba, who determined his allegiance to the Global Peace Agency, and recognized OMAC as having benefited from the same matter manipulation process as his children. Using a specialized weapon, Skuba was able to revert OMAC back to his original form of Buddy Blank, leaving him powerless. Skuba then focused his attentions on locating and combating Brother Eye. In the conflict that followed, Brother Eye was imprisoned in slag metal by Doctor Skuba's equipment, which was explosively demolished by the strain. Skuba's entire island was destroyed, and presumably the doctor with it.

POWERS & WEAPONS:
Doctor Skuba was responsible for a slew of inventions, including the Weight Neutralizer, Neutro-Gloves, small bars into which the atoms of entire oceans could be compressed, a flying ship capable of carrying enormous weight, dematerializing rays, and a mountain headquarters with formidable automated defenses.

Quote:
"You can be made into a powerful instrument for what I detest most! --The law and order of lesser men!"

Created by: Jack Kirby

Who's Dat: Buck Blue

PERSONAL DATA
Real Name: Buck Blue
Occupation: Mugger
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: Crime Cabal
Base of Operations: Electric City
Height/Build: Approximately 6'2", average
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
First Appearance: OMAC #5 (May-June 1975)

HISTORY
Buck Blue was a mugger who kidnapped people to turn over to the Crime Cabal. Blue was captured at a video arcade by OMAC, and forced to lead him to "the Terminal," where the kidnap victims were sold as surrogate bodies to the highest bidder. Unbeknownst to Buck Blue, his own girlfriend was taken by Fancy Freddy Sparga for use by the Godmother. Buck Blue was outraged at the offense at first, but was tempted to look the other way for a substantial fee. OMAC took the decision out of Buck Blue's hands, pressing him to lead a trek through abandoned subway tunnels against mutated guards and heavily armed resistance from the Crime Cabal. Finally, the pair smashed their way to the Terminal, where Buck Blue turned on OMAC. However, a Peace Agent disarmed Blue, and his girlfriend was liberated. Buck Blue was then taken into custody by the Global Peace Agency.

POWERS & WEAPONS:
Buck Blue could handle a firearm, as available.

Quote:
"I can use this bird's heater."

Created by: Jack Kirby

Who's Dat: Karnage

PERSONAL DATA
Real Name: Charlie Karnage
Other Aliases:
Occupation: Enforcer
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: Stenville Enterprises
Base of Operations: Gotham City
First Appearance: Wonder Woman #286 (December, 1981)

HISTORY
Charlie Karnage was a street punk who decided his ticket to the big time rackets was to make his name as "the enforcer who offed the Huntress!" To that end, he was outfitted with weapons and a costume by a mysterious new employer named "Mister Stenville." Likely following police reports related to the Huntress centering on Gotham Memorial Hospital, Karnage assaulted the heroine in a back alley the morning after an exhausting nighttime mission. Karnage initially subdued her in a choke hold, but the Huntress broke free with a back flip and kick to the jaw. Karnage then continued his attack with advanced weaponry, but lacked the skill and aim to use them effectively, allowing the heroine to escape unharmed. Karnage returned to his employer, who suggested the enforcer kill Arthur Cranston, "--a lawyer she and Robin risked their lives to protect! Kill him. Then wait for her to come to you."

Karnage burst through the window of Cranston, Grayson and Wayne, a public interest law firm, where he encountered Helena Wayne and litigator Charles Bullock. "I want Arthur Cranston, fools-- and I want him now! That turkey's my ticket to the Huntress' funeral!" While Wayne debated compromising her secret identity, Bullock leapt to her defense. However, Karnage easily caught the shyster by the throat and tossed him aside, snapping Bullock's tie in two with his whip as he fell. Realizing Cranston wasn't on the property, Karnage left. Wayne exposed Bullock to sleeping gas to insure she wouldn't be followed, then gave chase as the Huntress.

The heroine determined that Karnage's benefactor was the same mobster whose Stenville Enterprises had tried to bury Arthur Cranston and his firm before being threatened by Huntress and Robin. Huntress badgered the mobster until he fainted from fright, then interrogated one of his goons at knifepoint to learn Karnage's whereabouts. The Huntress managed to catch Karnage unawares, and quickly separated him from his arsenal. With a kick to the Adam's apple, Karnage was taken out of commission.

POWERS & WEAPONS:
Karnage possessed minor super-strength. He was armed with wrist-launching mini-missiles and an electrified bullwhip.

Quote:
"Lady, you just wrote out your death notice! There ain't been a dame made who can outslug me!"

Created by: Paul Levitz & Joe Staton

Who's Dat: Hate

PERSONAL DATA
Alter Ego: Hate
Occupation: Crime Enthusiast
Marital Status: Unknown
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: None
Base of Operations: Mobile
Eyes: Pure white
Hair: White
First Appearance: Plastic Man #5 (Autumn, 1946)

HISTORY
Within a book called Evil Knowledge there exists a spell involving the burning of phosphorus and sulphur [sic] while speaking the words “Abraxas--- sator arepo tenet---.“ The incantation would invoke the mysterious being called Hate, something of a genie who would grant malevolent wishes.

The book was once found by a nebbish named Mr. Giglamp in a used book store, who decided to perform the ritual in the belief that it was a recipe. Hate passed by Mr. Giglamp’s window, and asking what the fellow would like most in the world, Hate awarded him a fistful of money. “That and more, if you want it! You read the words and burned the materials… I’ve waited a long time to be called!” Mr. Giglamp was happy with how things turned out, and was open to doing Hate another favor whenever he needed it. Hate made it clear Giglamp had plenty more to do, whether he liked it or not. “I’m not satisfied with the way certain professions are being run! Crime, for instance… Bungling idiots practice it! You shall carry out my enthusiasms! I have plenty of connections! Do as I say and you’ll go far!”

The diminutive Giglamp showed up at the hideout of the Rickens gang, whose leader had just gotten out of jail after having been pinched by Plastic Man. Hate trailed behind, seemingly invisible, urging Giglamp on. Hate gave Giglamp a hypodermic shot in the arm that made him “invulnerable—powerful—merciless,” which was used to flatten a burly gang member. Hate then gave the rest of the gang a shot that had the opposite effect, “weakens and confuses!” It was no work at all to show Rickens the door, allowing Giglamp to take over the gang.

Giglamp led the burglars to rob the Jewel Museum of the priceless Crown of Cleopatra. This was accomplished by stealing one guard’s uniform, and then having swift crime tailors doctor up a replica set for the gang to wear. However, Plastic Man and Woozy Winks had been following Rickens since his release, and questioned the still dizzy thug after his ejection. Plas made his way to the museum, and threatened one phony guard with drowning to extract information, but the rest of the gang got away.

Hate left Giglamp to his own devices for a bit, as the nerd relished counting the loot with his gang. Rickens showed up, hoping for a cut from the heist that had been his idea, but he was turned away. However, Plastic Man was hidden behind Rickens, and acted as his discreet enforcer in collecting the ill-gotten gains. While Plastic Man ensnared the lot until a paddy wagon could arrive, Woozy Winks followed Giglamp back to his home.

As Giglamp tried to perform the incantation from memory, Woozy stole the book of evil knowledge and read the same incantation backwards. Giglamp choked on a red gas that emitted from his lamp, then wandered off into the street. Woozy gave the book to Plastic Man, who while not necessarily superstitious, still chose to chuck it into the harbor waters.

Without being called, Hate found Giglamp hiding in an alley. Hate had no use for failures, and with the book destroyed, believed this would probably be his last appearance. Before he went though, he caused Giglamp to die of fear. Police found no marks on the body, and Plastic Man chalked it up to suicide, “in a manner of speaking…”

POWERS & WEAPONS:
Hate carried a stout hypodermic needle that could enhance or weaken people with a shot.

Created by: Jack Cole

Who's Dat : The Crab

PERSONAL DATA
Alter Ego: Bunk Norton
Occupation: Crooked Entrepreneur
Marital Status: Unknown
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: None
Base of Operations: Norton Amusement Pier
First Appearance: Police Comics #63 (February, 1947)

HISTORY
Bunk Norton ran scams before being sent to prison by Plastic Man (disguised as a red setter with yellow and black stripes.) Norton stewed in the pen through the best years of his life, learning never to smile and to imagine himself with a protective shell around him. Norton came to appreciate crabs for their toughness, defense mechanisms, and slow but calculated movements. Norton was himself apple-bodied with long lean appendages, a bald head, and jagged teeth. Combined with his fascination with crustaceans, Norton picked up the nickname “The Crab.”

After his release from prison, the Norton Amusement Pier went into full swing, without much attempt to conceal the criminal activities within. Folks might win a hundred grand at the Casino Faro, but there was sure to be a blackguard waiting to rob anyone who got too lucky, and turn the loot over to the Crab. Anyone who complained wouldn’t get further than one of Norton’s other goons in the company offices, too wound up in tossing through girlie magazines to take notice.

One night, Plastic Man decided to investigate the pier, and ran into his sidekick Woozy Winks. Woozy had parlayed his pool skills into winnings enough to have an attractive girl in each arm and cash sticking out of every pocket. Plastic Man looked on discretely as the girls helped distract Woozy from pickpockets, and silently observed another fellow robbed at gunpoint. Plas took note of the victims’ names and losses so that their money could be returned once his investigation was completed.

While concealed as a bust on an office mantle, Plastic Man observed the Crab hold a hireling named Lefty’s hands together behind his back as he lifted Lefty’s arms well over his head, and ground his feet into the man’s back. This torture technique was used when Lefty tried to hold back money, and after it was retrieved, he was tossed out a door opening directly on the water. Plastic Man rushed to save Lefty, who couldn’t swim, but the fellow died of a heart attack induced by fear at the site of crabs in the water.

Almost immediately, all the lights and rides on the pier were shut down, and all of the patrons were shuffled off. Woozy Winks stayed behind to complain that he had been robbed, and wound up diving in the river, trying to retrieve a quarter. Plastic Man dove in after him, and both discovered that the Crab had a secret underwater headquarters. Woozy wanted to continue after his money, but Plastic Man sent him to dry out so that he could address Norton’s more serious crimes.

Norton was with the two women that had helped to bilk Woozy, and slapped one for failing to notify him that she had seen Plastic Man earlier that evening. The other lady hoped to changed the subject to avoid being hit herself by pointing out the large red fish watching them from a porthole. The Crab noticed the fish’s yellow and black stripes, and used the suction from the opening of an antechamber to draw Plastic Man into a trap. As it turned out, Norton enjoyed starving crabs until he could make them eat anything, even an India rubber man.

Woozy Winks had been searching Norton’s offices for his money, and stumbled upon a secret elevator. Woozy accidentally locked himself inside, but also Norton without. The Crab stopped laughing in the face of Plastic Man’s pain to try forcing his way through his elevator’s gates. Meanwhile, the Pliable Paladin stretched to open a hatch to the water outside, flooding the secret headquarters. Plas then worked his way out of his cage and on into the elevator, then managed to open the gate’s lock. While the heroes escorted the ladies to safety before water fouled the elevator’s cables, Norton was left to be eaten alive by his pet crabs. The Crab’s smut loving henchman Rick soon agreed to help Plastic Man retrieve Norton’s ill-gotten gains and see them back to their proper owners.

POWERS & WEAPONS:
The Crab was quite tall and exceptionally strong, but did not appear to possess any superhuman powers. His teeth were all sharpened, making him resemble a piranha.

Quote:
I don’t consider it an insult to be called a crab… I admire crabs! They’re smart! They move slowly, but they get what they’re after! And did you ever see a crab eat a victim once he got him?”

Created by: Jack Cole

Who's Dat: Weapons

PERSONAL DATA
Real Name: Unknown
Occupation: Weapons development and trafficking
Marital Status: Unknown
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: None
First Appearance: PLASTIC MAN #5 (Autumn, 1946)


HISTORY

Weapons was a "merciless wizard who created tools of death for a murder-mad underworld!" Initially working with the Grub Street Gang, Weapons made "an amazing improvement in automatic firing" which seemed to bridge the classic Thompson submachine gun of the prohibition era with later full automatics. The advanced firearm came to the attention of Plastic Man when it was used against federal officers as they attempted to raid the gang's lair. Unable to silence a gunman while entering the hideout through a window, Plastic Man saw the fellow gunned down by his compatriots, distracting them long enough for G-men to storm in and wipe out the gang.

The mobster Jimalong was impressed with Weapons' gear, but wanted improvements, and the addition of a high-powered grenade launcher seemed to do the trick. However, Jimalong never arranged an exclusivity agreement, so Weapons sought out his rival Hoopsnake and began profiting from arming both gangs. However, Plastic Man was allowed to examine one of the Grub Street Gang's confiscated rifles, and after breaking it down, found it required a specific type of spring specially made by a single known vendor. Unfortunately, that lead never bore fruit.

Gang warfare broke out in the streets, and Plastic Man was able to partially interrogate a participant before the gangster was shot in the back with a grenade. Weapons was also on the scene to observe his creations in action, and began spying on his pursuer. The Ductile Detective swiftly eliminated several possible work spaces for the arms' production, and zeroing in on a correct location, was the subject of an attempted assassination by Weapons. Failing that, Weapons returned to his lair, Plastic Man and his sidekick Woozy Winks close behind. While the pair were forced to overcome a gauntlet of traps within Weapons' house, Plastic Man eventually caught his man. However, Weapons chose death over confinement, and killed himself by smoking an explosive cigar.


POWERS & WEAPONS:
Besides his grenade launching machine gun, Weapons thoroughly fortified his home with devices acquired and of his own invention. These included a trap door leading to a nearby waterfall, a photo-electric cell triggered machine gun battery secreted behind wall panels, bombs, a swinging guillotine, a "multiple knife thrower," a rifle with a barrel designed to shoot around corners, a battle axe, and a disintegrator ray. Weapons ended his life with a cigar that would fire a bullet into the smoker's mouth five minutes after being lit.

Quote:
"I don't like that chap! He's too selective-- too critical! If he sees many more wrong answers, he'll find the right one!"

Created by: Jack Cole

Who's Dat: Abel Carmody

Real Name: Abel Carmody
Occupation: Industrialist, former U.S. Calvary soldier
Legal Status: United States citizen with no criminal record.
Place of Birth: U.S.A.
Marital Status: Married
Known Relatives: Unnamed wife, Kishana Lewis (descendant)
Base of Operations: Carmody’s Folly, Black Spirit Lake, the Badlands
Group Affiliation: None, formerly 6th Calvary “C” Troop
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Intelligence: 19th century medium.
Strength Level: Normal human strength.
Superhuman Powers: None
First Appearance & Origin: JLA: Scary Monsters #1 (May, 2003)

History:
In 1877, Abel Carmody was a “Buffalo Soldier” serving under Sergeant-Major Lincoln Freeman in the 6th Calvary “C” Troop. Disgusted by the orders of Colonel Daniel Rutledge to massacre a peaceful encampment of Plains Indians, Carmody and Freeman hid an elderly medicine man and his granddaughter, “same as my Pappy did runaways in slavery time.” The old man informed the black soldiers that their commander and fellow white soldiers who rode into a nearby valley to murder “surviving hostiles” were already dead. “There will be cold, and there will be snow… and horror will come for those who ride with him, to crack their bones and feast on the marrow of their souls. And then it will come for us! You must beat it back. You must keep the horror within the confines of this valley… or the world will end.”

Shortly thereafter, in the middle of summer, the snow fell, and the monsters came. “We fired our guns ‘til the barrels blazed too hot to hold. We never saw what wuz killin’ us. The snow wuz too heavy. They moved too fast. The only thing we learned for sure… wuz that iron made them hurt.” With only two men from the company left alive after the initial assault and one left standing, the medicine man explained further, “The portal that admits the horror to our world opens only for a time. When it closes, it must return to its own place. But each time, the door opens wider, and for longer. The horror means to claim our world for its own. It must be stopped.” The shaman was too old to survive a fight of the magnitude necessary to drive out the demons, and the Calvary had killed his son and intended successor. His granddaughter had the “blood for such a battle, but not the knowledge.” Sending Carmody and his granddaughter out of the mountains, the shaman explained, “I cannot destroy the dark trail, only block it for a time. The power I summon must be renewed, else the seals will be broken someday, forever! That, child, must be your task.” Freeman and the shaman stayed to face the horror, and perished in an explosion of flames.

Abel Carmody went on to become one of the great industrialists of the 19th century, and has been claimed to be the only African-American to whom that honor can be applied. “Born a slave, he died a millionaire… From the moment he made his fortune, he started building "Carmody’s Folly," a massive fortress completed around the times of Carmody and his wife's deaths.

Created by: Chris Claremont & Josh Hood

Who's Dat: Anti-Man

PERSONAL DATA

Real Name: Boris (last name unrevealed)
Other Aliases: Anti-Man
Occupation: Rebel leader
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: Rebel forces of Santa Culpa, formerly the Blackhawk Squadron
Base of Operations: Santa Culpa
First Appearance: MILITARY COMICS #2 (1941)
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Red

HISTORY

The Russian Boris was one of the first recorded members of the acclaimed international World War II aviation aces known as the Blackhawk Squadron. Boris was accepted as a friend by teammate Chuck Wilson, but was distrusted by other members, and vanished without explanation early on. Well after the war, it was revealed that on an early mission raiding the island lab of the enemy scientist Professor Distov, Boris was caught in an explosion and left for dead.

Unbeknownst to his fellow Blackhawks, Boris had been exposed to a form of anti-matter energy Distov had been experimenting with, which protected and transformed the Russian. Boris was then drawn to another source of anti-matter, found within Mount Sebastion in the South American country Santa Culpa. This source renewed the strange new powers Boris had acquired, so he remained in the country. Boris worked with Professor Ortega to create a battle suit to help him wield the energy under the title Anti-Man. Not only did Anti-Man become the head of a rebel army in Santa Culpa, but he even conspired with President Carlos in his plot to overthrow the government.

Fearing his former comrades in the Blackhawk Squadron might interfere with his plans, Anti-Man began to harass and kidnap members of the group. Before Boris could gather the entire team and work out a suitably diabolical revenge, the Blackhawks in Santa Culpa managed to escape and route Anti-Man's coup. Having been abandoned by Carlos and having murdered Prof. Ortega to protect his secrets, Anti-Man was forced to face Blackhawk and Chopper on his own. Despite his powers, Boris was beaten into submission and captured. Preferring death before further dishonor, Boris caused the anti-matter in Mt. Sebastion to erupt, seemingly taking him with it. The Anti-Man has not been heard from since.

POWERS & WEAPONS

With his anti-matter powers, Boris managed to survive a deadly explosion, presuming that was not the very source of his abilities. Afterward, Anti-Man could fly and fire "anti-blasts" of energy from his fingertips. Anti-Man was still physically susceptible to conventional attacks, so he wore a suit of armor for protection.

Created by Will Eisner and Chuck Cuidera

Who's Dat: Edge

PERSONAL DATA

Real Name: Tom O’Brien
Other Aliases: Edge
Occupation: Iron Factory gym trainer
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Mary (mother,) Katie (sister,) Petey (brother,) unnamed brother
Group Affiliation: None
Base of Operations: Metropolis
First Appearance: SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL ANNUAL #2 (1993)
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 250 lbs.
Eyes: Featureless white, formerly blue
Hair: Bald, formerly strawberry blond

HISTORY

Tom O’Brien’s father passed away when he was twelve, forcing the youth prematurely into the role of man of the house. O’Brien developed a tough reputation as a protective shell against the world, but was a “knight in shining armor” to his family. Although bright, O’Brien skipped school to do odd jobs, before dropping out entirely to work full time. At some point, O’Brien struck up a friendship with John Henry Irons, and both lived in the same neighborhood around the time of Superman’s presumed death at the hands of Doomsday.

O’Brien was in his late teens to early twenties when, one night, he confronted a man he assumed was assaulting a young woman in an alley near where he worked. The supposed assailant turned out to be a co-worker of Tom’s, who was fending off the disguised alien predator Angon, which proceeded to feed off O’Brien’s spinal fluid in his stead. Angon enjoyed the sweetness of its meal, which came to be an indication of humans that could survive the parasite’s attacks and develop super-powers. This proved true of O’Brien, who was discovered on a mound of less fortunate victims dumped in a sewer by the Underworlders who lived there. Upon reviving, O’Brien’s hair fell out, to be replaced by metallic blades of various sizes and degrees of sharpness. Believing O’Brien to be the murderer, the Underworlders fled the scene, and then reported their findings to the investigating super-hero then known as the Man of Steel. This was actually Irons, who had been searching for his missing friend. However, O’Brien suffered from temporary amnesia, and wrestled with Steel once the hero located him. Steel explained himself to O’Brien, and together the pair escaped arrest from police.

Joining forces, O’Brien and the Man of Steel managed to drive Angon away and rescue Tom’s younger brother Petey. Forgiven by Metropolis P.D., O’Brien vowed to find Angon, and force the alien to turn him back to normal. Taking on Petey’s suggested codename of Edge, O’Brien decided to pursue Angon to end its rampage. Edge learned of the existence of more Bloodlines aliens, and other victims like himself who had gained super-powers from their assaults. Edge joined fellow New Bloods Nightblade, Sparx, Loose Cannon, and Anima in tracking Angon to the Great Salt Lake, Utah. Near the Powell Institute, the New Bloods encountered a fresh victim turned metahuman, and fought this amnesiac, dubbed Prism. Cooler heads prevailed, as the team pulled together with the adventurer Johnny Peril to fend off attacks from the self-styled god of vengeance Eclipso.

The New Bloods around the globed shared an undefined connection to their attackers, and answered a call to rescue Earth’s heroes from the Bloodlines aliens ultimate manifestation. Edge was among the most prominent New Bloods who saw the aliens to their final defeat, and O’Brien was honored to meet the real Superman as a reward for his efforts. Edge’s further activities are unknown.

POWERS & WEAPONS

Edge produces razor sharp metallic shards of various sizes all over his body, most in areas where hair once grew. These blades have proven capable of rending steel and piercing alien armor. Because of their broad placement, the shards act as both offensive and defensive adaptation, since the blades have to be passed through to reach Edge's body. Edge can also eject the blades, as a whole or in part, from his body as projectiles. The expelled shards then rapidly regenerate.

Created by Louise Simonson and Eddy Newell

Who's Dat: John Henry (Silver Age)

Real Name: John Wilson
Occupation: Machinist turned Vigilante
Marital Status: Widower
Known Relatives: Lucille (wife, deceased;) Loretta (daughter, deceased)
Group Affiliation: None
Base of Operations: Tennessee
First Appearance: DC: The New Frontier #3 (2004)

John Wilson was a Korean War veteran who fought with distinction, before returning home to take a young bride in Lucille, who then gave birth to their daughter Loretta. Wilson supported his family working at local machine shop in in a Knoxville, Tennessee, until the night of March 17th, 1957. Wilson’s wife and child were killed when members of the Ku Klux Klan, for reasons unknown beyomd the obvious, set his home ablaze. Wilson himself was lynched from a nearby tree and left for dead. Wilson survived, and freeing himself, fled to a cabin where he began formulating a plan for revenge. Forging a pair of oversized sledgehammer’s, Wilson took to wearing a pointed black hood “inspired” by the appearance of Klansman and looking out for their next hate crime against the African-American populace. In stylized garb wearing the noose that failed to end his life on he same night as his family’s, Wilson began a vigilante campaign against violent racists, for which the media dubbed him “John Henry.” Meanwhile, the authorities remained unaware of the connection between Wilson and “Henry,” claiming Wilson himself had murdered his family and fled justice.



For years, “John Henry” continued his personal war against the Klan, appearing frequently and with the typical result being the hospitalization of those he encountered. The crusade caught the public’s attention, leading to an article by famed journalist Vicki Vale and a cover story in Time magazine. His revolutionary fight stoked the hearts of many, including John Jones, the Manhunter from Mars, and a young John Henry Irons, later to be known as Steel. His battle ended in 1959, when a battered “John Henry” staggered to collapse down a back alley while pursued by an angry mob. Falling through a fence, he was found by a young blonde girl who’s back yard he found himself in. As he removed his hood, Wilson pleaded, “Please, child... help me. Hide me.” The girl looked away from Wilson with her blue eyes and shouted for the Klansman, referring to the fallen hero with a pejorative not to be repeated here. Three nights later, the most respected television journalist in America shared John Wilson’s heroic story with the nation, damning the Klan and those who conspired with them as terrorists. He revealed on discovery Wilson was “beaten and humiliated, then hung from a post in town square and burned alive.” Only two photographs of Wilson are known to exist, one of his family in happier times, and the other of the grim vigilante wicked men forced him to become.

Creator Darwyn Cooke explained the origins of the character in the Absolute collection of his work. “Any effort to insinuate the DCU into the real world of the 1950s wouldn’t have been complete without looking at the civil rights issues of the day. The problem was DC catered to white culture, and there were very few black characters to explore this theme.

I finally settled on Steel, and John Henry Irons. Continuity tells us Steel didn’t come along ‘til much later, but I thought that perhaps I could retro-fit a backstory that shows a simpler man in a simpler time donning the mantle of John Henry to fight racism.”

Who's Dat: Wyldheart

Click for D.E.O. Special Report File

PERSONAL DATA

Real Name: Gillian Wahrman
Other Aliases: Wyldheart
Occupation: Student
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Nadjia (adoptive grandmother,) Abriam (adoptive father,) Dathan (adoptive uncle)
Group Affiliation: Symbolix Corporation
Base of Operations: Hollis-Reynolds Academy for Girls near Richmond, VA
First Appearance: DAMAGE #3 (June 1994)
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 120 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black with white streaks
Other Distinguishing Features:

HISTORY

Abriam Wahrman was on an East African hunting expedition when a sonic boom and mysterious figures in the distance caught his attention. The figures vanished, but Wahrman did find an infant girl lying in a high tech carrier within the bush. Wahrman became the child's foster father, and soon discovered she had amazing powers that grew as she aged. Wahrman and his family trained the girl, Gillian, in their use. Gillian Wahrman became a student and occasional young agent of the Symbolix Corporation, codenamed "Wyldheart." She was nearly killed in a training exercise by the beastly Troll, fostering continuing animosity between the two. Wyldheart was forced to again confront Troll in an effort to protect and observe the test subject Telemachus, also known as the hero Damage. Partnering with Damage led Wyldheart to meet Iron Munro and the New Titans, as well as causing conflicts with The Baron and Steelhawk. Once Damage learned of Wyldheart's connection to Symbolix, he cut ties with the girl, despite her aid and the fast bond they shared. Gillian tearfully implored, "All right-- I'll go. I... won't bother you anymore-- but please let me help you!" It was not to be, as Wyldheart left Damages life for good, returning years later to attend his funeral.

POWERS & WEAPONS

Gillian Wahrman can manipulate energy into constructs like force shields, as well as project multi-pronged energy beams. She is also capable of high speed flight.

Note:
Some sources claim that Wyldheart came from New Genesis, but if so, she would be the rare survivor of the recent "Day Evil Won," which was preceded by the death of the New Gods.

Created by Tom Joyner and Bill Marimon