Robins’ Relationships with Winged Wonders

On twin Earths, two lads named Dick Grayson became sidekicks to their worlds’ Batmen, as Robin the Boy Wonder. Interestingly, relationships later formed between the Robins and two young men who the Batmen's next partners, Jason Todd and Jan Haasan.  

On Earth-One, Jason accidentally discovered the Bat Cave underneath Wayne Manor, and pieced together a uniform from fragments of Robin's older costume. Aiding the Dynamic Duo who were rounding up several criminals recruited by Joker to use against new Gotham City crime boss Killer Croc, Jason soon discovered that Croc had slain his parents whom Dick tasked them with spying on. The vengeful masked man-child Jason pummeled Croc until restrained by the heroes. 

On Earth-Two, Jan Haasan was an orphan of Holland, displaced after his parents were slain in the early days of World War II. Encountering the American masked man the Atom of the Justice Society, who was visiting his country to render aid to the Dutch people, Jan was motivated by the young hero's example to make a difference in the world. Soon after, Jan was recruited by Rick Carter into joining the Boy Commandos, combating evil in Europe and around the world.

Shortly after Bruce adopted Jason, Dick retired his costumes career as Robin and created a new alter ego as Nightwing, the alter originally created by Superman and his Kryptonian cousin in the Bottled City of Kandor. Following this, Dick passed along the mantle and alias of Robin to Jason, becoming a secondary mentor and role model to the new Boy Wonder. At least on Earth-One future timeline, Jason continued the legacy of Robin for years to come.

Decades earlier on a parallel planet, a now older Jan Haasen returned to America after reuniting with his family and having left the Boy Commandos. Now adopting the alter ego of Wingman, Jan sought training from Batman so that Haasen could become Holland’s first superhero. Initially, this caused a rivalry between Wingman and Robin, as Dick was a few years younger than Jan (whereas the other Dick was a few years older than Jason). This subsided after the men initially training together, when Dick discovered that Batman and Wingman had exchanged identities, with the “European” hero becoming more proficient than before. Robin came to the realization that  in the end, he was irreplaceable.

Interestingly, this experience seemed to solidify the Earth-Two Dick’s Robin as an alter ego he would keep as an adult, as there was another “wing” hero in Wingman. While the Earth-Two Dick felt liberated from his Robin also as now that another adopted that identity, motivating him into becoming a “wing” hero in Nightwing. Likewise, Grayson-One founded his own team of superheroes in the New Teen Titans to step outside Batman’s shadow, while Grayson-Two filled the vacancy in the Justice Society of America left vacant when Batman retired from crimefighting. And while Nightwing left behind his home town to become a protector of New York City, the adult Grayson-Robin assumed the role of guardian of Gotham City. Although the Grayson’s lady partners Batgirl and Huntress also helped.

Good and Greedy Geniuses: Grayson & Hammond

While physically Hector Hammond and Chuck Grayson were near identical in appearance, psychologically these two counterparts couldn’t be more different. The older Chuck was far more benevolent, seeking to use his scientific knowledge for the betterment of mankind, while his younger doppelgänger Hector was more malevolent, intent on using science for more sinister and self-serving means. 

Hector gained his considerately intellect from a unique meteor which landed on Earth-One, enhancing his intelligence after exposure to its radiation. Chuck acquired his intellect from years of education and practical application of those lessons learned. As such, Grayson used his knowledge to assist Doctor Robert Crane in constructing a Robotman, which he soon after transplanted Crane’s brain into following the scientist’s murder caused by gangsters. Hammond forcibly recruited four scientists whose brains he mutated with his meteor, making them his genius slaves. 

While Green Lantern opposed Hammond and freed his hostages, Robotman helped cleanse his friend Grayson’s name as he was initially charged with the murder of Crane. Green Lantern and Hector Hammond would repeatedly clash throughout the years, even involving the hero’s teammates in the Justice League. Robotman and Chuck Grayson would be valuable allies and an occasion adversary of the All-Star Squadron allies, including the golden age Green Lantern!

The first conflicts involving these men and their worlds’ greatest heroes occurred when Hector was recruited by Professor Amos Fortune aka  Mister Memory and when Grayson was forcibly recruited by the Ultra-Humanite. 

Amos and Ultra assembled informal groups of villains foes to hasten the defeat of the League and Squadron, who opposed these malevolent masterminds. Hammond was eventually captured along with his cronies. while Grayson was soon afterwards freed from Ultra.

At that time, Hector mutated his own brain with the meteorite’s rays while Chuck’s brain was exposed to the rays emitted from Ultra’s Powerstone. This potent radiation would eventually lead to a prolonged yet immobile life for the pair, as Hector gained both immortality and immobility, and Chuck was kept in cryogenic stasis for decades after he succumbed to brain cancer leaving his mind dead. The radiation from Hammond’s meteorite and its corresponding meteor (which brought Solomon Grundy back to Earth-Two from his exile on the moon) enhanced life. As for the Powerstone and its doppelgänger on Earth-One, Eclipso’s Black Diamond, each were deadly to most humans.

Hammond would later hatch schemes involving mentally controlling the synthetic Shaggy Man and later the robotic Ace of the Royal Flush Gang, both defeated by the League. Grayson assisted Robotman in reviving the future robot known as Mekanique, opposed by his world’s Green Lantern and the All-Star Squadron. 

While the history of Hector Hammond is well documented, such is no the case with Chuck Grayson as his last appearances were shortly after his becoming acquainted with his long lost cousin Dick “Robin” Grayson. It is presumed that by the mid 1940s, following a stint when Chuck worked for the United States’ Project M to build their prototype G.I. Robots based on his and Robert Crane’s Robotman, he perished.

Caped Crusaders' Crusading Careers : Batgirl & Huntress

Barbara Gordon and Helena Wayne were not only crimefighters as Batgirl and the Huntress, they were also practitioners of the law in their civilian identities. Each were practicing attorneys, only their career trajectories took them in opposite yet similar directions. One started her crusading law career in Washington D.C. before returning to her home in Gotham City, and the other built her law career in Gotham City before graduating to Washington D.C.! But how was this to be?

For Barbara, this is when she ran for and was elected to congress, where she represented her home state's district as Congresswoman Gordon. Now residing in Washington D.C. as one of her home state's representatives, Barbara continued her costumed career as Batgirl for a time in this new setting. After her term was up and she wasn't reelected, Babs returned to Gotham City where she was hired a one of the departmental directors of Humanities Research and Development Center. This organization's mission statements was investigating viable solutions to urban and cultural development for underserved communities, when her supervisor was James Stein and her amiable coworker was Richard Bender.

For Helena, this is when she became a name partner at the law firm of Cranston, Grayson and Wayne in Gotham City as Helena Wayne, Esq. Starting both her civilian and costumed careers in Gotham City as attorney by day and vigilante by night, Helena balanced her schedules as both herself and the Huntress. This public interest research firm worked on cases such as urban development, under the direction of her boss Arthur Cranston and her adversarial coworker Roger Demarest. A few years later after establishing herself in the legal community, Helena was called upon to be the legal representation of her Justice Society allies during a Congressional case against them in Washington D.C., which she successfully won against her law partner turned legal adversary during that case, fellow lawyer Richard "Robin" Grayson... himself forced into this position due to circumstances related to his guardian and her father Bruce "Batman" Wayne's diary which seemingly incriminated the Society.

Chemically Created Corporate Crimefighters

Distinct corporate entities developed on Earths One and Two from those existing on Earth-Prime, and some birthed metahumans from their research. The notable and largest of these was Earth-One's S.T.A.R. Laboratories and Earth-Two's Garrick Research Laboratories, with branches across the United States.

Competitors to these included Dayton Industries and Stagg International of Earth-One, as well as Dodds-Bessing Steel and Tyler Chemical Laboratories of Earth-Two.

Similar to other revolutionary corporate think tanks such as that owned by the Metal Men’s Will Magus and Rex Tyler’s former employer Bannermain Chemical, these organizations fostered cultures of innovation, adapting to radically changing worlds with the advent of superheroes and their supervillain opponents. Regrettably, they didn’t always count the cost.

These legal entities spawned synthetic superheroes Mento, Metamorpho, Sandman, Sandy and Hourman… each of whom gained amazing abilities derived from the innovative research of these companies. Although each had debilitating side effects for those gifted with their synthetic science, as time would tell.

Steve Dayton's company developed the ultra-durable metal known as Promethium and cybernetic weaponry which he incorporated into his Mento suit. With this uniform and its helmet, Dayton aided the Doom Patrol and his wife Rita “Elasti-Girl” Farr.

Wesley Dodd's company refined steel as well as developed weaponry such as ray guns and silicoid guns. While granting users tremendous abilities, the adverse effects of these industry titan's creations led to Steve Dayton's declining mental health and Sandy Hawkins mutated silicon body.

Then there were the dual chemical-based technologies introduced to their respective worlds by Simon Stagg and Rex Tyler. While Stagg built his business from the ground up, Tyler acquired Bannermain Chemical, both growing these companies into successes.

Stagg International uncovered the ancient process of transforming humans into elementals, including Simon’s employee and future son-in-law Rex "Metamorpho" Mason. His science unleashed both good and evil.

Meanwhile, Tyler Chemical Laboratories through its founder's research developed the strength-enhancing drug known as Miraclo, graning its user Rex "Hourman" Tyler with a superhuman  physique for one hour at a time. However, these processes led Rex Mason to losing his humanity, and causing Rex Tyler to become addicted to Miraclo for a time.

Atomic Antagonists Agonize Adventurers

An interesting historic fork in the road occurred when intentional incidents were insidiously instigated at a pair of nuclear power plants. While on one world, these was initiated by the TNT Trio terrorists of Ted Grand, Nat Tryon and Tim Moore under the employ of Lex Luthor which was thwarted by the superstrong caped crusader Superman... the trio's counterparts on a parallel planet these same three were scientists seeking to stabilized their facility from the superstrong caped crusader the Atom.

On Earth-One, the TNT Trio sought to damage a nuclear reactor in the Metropolis of Earth-One, they were opposed by Superman. However, while the hero captured Ted and Tim, Nat was trapped under some lead shielded equipment, hiding his presence from Superman who carried away his crony colleagues. Succumbing to severe radiation poisoning, once Tryon freed himself and made his way to one of his boss' Luther Lairs, he pleaded for Lex's help. Placing his henchman in a specialized suit while bathing him in rays to stabilize his condition, Luthor promised to return once the process was complete within a week. However, Luthor was captured by arch-enemy, resulting in Tryon remaining in this state for over a year until freed during a conflict between Superman and the villain named the Mole. Awakening now as sentient radiation, the metahuman menace known as Neutron was born!

On Earth-Two, following being submerged in the evil-inducing waters of the Koehaha River along with four other Justice Society allies by the golden age Superman of his world, the Atom later awoke craving to gain more power. Arriving at a nuclear power plant in Nevada, the Atom made his way into the reactor room, seeking to bathe in that facility's tholium rays. While Ted and Tim's counterparts were overwhelmed by Atom's indominable strength as he knocked both men out, the Atom was prevented from irradiating himself by the timely intervention of his superhuman godson Albert "Nuklon" Rothstein who pursued him across country.

Seeking revenge upon the men who turned him into a monster, Neutron hunted Ted and Tim before Superman intervened. After a brief battled, Tryon was subdued and imprisoned in a facility that could keep him locked away. However, the immortal villain Vandal Savage of Earth-Two employed a lawyer to legally overturn the case against Tryon, freeing Neutron to frame Superman for a crime he didn't commit. Once all was revealed including Savage's sinister schemes, Neutron was this time kept immobilized in S.T.A.R. Labs. That is, until the Fearsome Five felons freed him to enhance their ranks as they engaged in a rematch with their foes, the New Teen Titans. Once more, Neutron ultimately failed.

As for the conflict between Nuklon and his temporarily insane godfather Al "Atom" Pratt, the lad was able to overpower his elder and shield him from the Tholium radiation. However, Nuklon's own body was irradiated, further mutating him. When an incensed Atom approached the third scientist at that facility, Neutron's Earth-Two counterpart, he was told by the man that the radiation device he activated couldn't re reengaged for six months. Leaving the three men and Nuklon behind, the Atom left to reunite with his fellow Justice Society allies, who ultimately regained their sanity when opposed by Nuklon and his Infinity, Inc. pals

The Mystery of Rubberman: Plentiful Plastic

Among the rogues gallery of adversaries which the golden age Robotman faced throughout his lengthy career on Earth-Two, one undoubtedly bore him a striking resemblance to a long-lost All-Star ally of his years earlier. In fact, the resemblance wasn't just uncanny, but his true origins were even more so, as we unwind this mystery.

This foe known as Rubberman led a gang in a payroll heist, witnessed by scientist Paul Dennis and his intelligent cybernetic canine Robbie. In fact, Dennis and his pet were Robotman and Robotdog, and shortly after witnessing this crime in action, they purused the criminals and were rebelled by their pliable leader.

This led the robotic duo to visit a local circus, where the attraction's owner refers them to the local fire eater who knew the recently departed Indian rubber man personnally. However, when approached by the metal man and his dog, the fire eater breathes intense flames that nearly melt the pair's metallic frames. Dousing their fiery-tempered foe, Robotman and Robbie track down Rubberman himself, who ensnared them in liquid rubber hardened around them. Despite this, the heroes escaped and subdued Rubberman and his gang.

But some questions can be asked: Who was this Rubberman? Why did he resemble a former teammate of Robotman who disappeared years earlier? In fact, this artificial being was a replica of the original Plastic Man, himself a member of the All-Star Squadron who joined the Freedom Fighters and left their native world of Earth-Two to protect the parallel planet of Earth-X.

Prior to Plastic Man's departure from Earth-Two, a gangster allied with a criminal mastermind created synthetic Plastic Men, with the same abilities and appearance of the original, which he used to initiate a crime wave. During this caper, Woozy Winks had himself transformed through this process into a version of his partner Plastic Man. After the pair defeated the crooks behind the elastic clones, apparently all the Plastic Men were eliminated, although conceivably at least one seemingly remained behind. This being reverted to the criminal mindset of Plastic Man's former identity as criminal Eel O'Brien.

And on another parallel planet, Earth-One. the young hero known as Robbie Reed. the possessor of the H-Dial. This lad could "Dial 'H' for Hero" , allowing him to become various superheroes. Twice, Robby become a clone of Plastic Man, first as a hero and years later as a misguided villain for a brief period. During his second adventure in this identity, Robby was defeated by the Plastic Man native to his world, who helped Reed recover his sanity once their battled had concluded.

The Ladies Behind the Legendary Leeches of Parasite & Atoman

While themselves nearly as infamous as their fellow vile villains, the Luthors the Toymen and Pranksters, counterparts Parasite and Atoman may not have achieved their legendary status without the women behind the scenes. For Parasite, this was is former attorney turned wife Lorna Kramer*, a selfless woman who saw the good in the irradiated rogue whom she sought to legally defend. For Atoman, this was the black marketeer who gave prized Kryptonite meteor rock to Nazi scientist Der Teufel to spawn the irradated Atoman.

Black Widow initiated a bidding war with four prominent men including Teufel, demonstrating to potency of the recently discovered Kryptonite which weakened their mutual foe, Superman. Although Widow's relationship with Atoman was tangental through her client and his superior Teufel, together they were able to  hatch a threat upon the Superman of Earth-Two that nearly ended his life. Although Atoman failed to subdue and slay his foe after multiple encounters, Atoman would return decades later to renew their conflict, while the Widow retired from crime.

Lorna Kramer was a German American defense lawyer, working on the early release from prison request of her client, Raymond Maxwell Jensen aka the Parasite. After a period of time together, the pair fell in love, and as a newly wed couple sired twins. Despite this, the strains of Parasite's former criminal past as a recurring foe of Superman coupled with his powers becoming reactived due to an alien invader known as Mister Xavier caused the couple to divorce.

However, Raymond and Lorna's son Troy and daughter Trini inherited the mutated genes of their father, which nearly ended their lives. Having moved with her children back to her native Germany, Lorna eventually sought out her ex-husband who was able to restore their health with his renewed powers. With the aid of scientists, Parasite was able to extra enough energy from a captive Superman to rid the children of their life-threatening “para-fever”, while giving them temporary powers.

Sadly, continuing to be with his ex-wife and children might eventually have debilitating effects on them physically, as well as emotionally for the bad example he was setting. So Jensen left them once more, finding solace is his continual conflict with his greatest foe, Superman!

While neither Heinrich "Atoman" Melch nor Scarlet Widow had any children of their own, the doppelgängers of Troy and Trini were the German Jewish brother and sister Horst and Frieda, children of the telepathic mutant Friedrich who perished protecting his family and Wonder Woman from Nazi sailors using his power for their benefit. Unlike Troy and Trini, Horst and Frieda had neither father nor mother as they were placed in an American orphanage. Such was the sad tale of these children of gifted men with tragic lives.

* The existence and canonicity of Lorna and her children Troy and Trini were verified in the Parasite's entry in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Vol 1 17.

Sinister Symbionts Siphoning Supermen

Two documented techniques were employed to drain powers possessed by the Supermen, one which left him weakened and the other which potentially had far deadly effects. Interestingly, two pairs of deadly doppelgänger employed each of these techniques against their world's Man of Steel, very nearly leading to the demise of the Last Sons of Krypton. Although each counterpart used a a different technique against Superman than had the other!

The first technique is exposing the heroes to Green Kryptonite, the radioactive substance remaining from the planet Krypton. On Earth-One, the criminal cyborg Roger "Metallo" Corben was implanted with a Kryptonite "heart" with a two-fold purpose, to keep his cybernetic body alive and as a radiological weapon against the modern day Superman. On Earth-Two, the German soldier Heinrich "Atoman" Melch was injected with a Green Kryptonite serum which both empowered his superhuman body and as a radiological weapon against the golden age Superman.

A less common technique is projecting purple energy dampening radiation, coming from an extraterrestrial origin. On Earth-One, janitor turned criminal Raymond Maxwell "Parasite" Jensen was inadvertently exposed to radioactive material brought from outer space, and which Parasite then used against Superman which weakened him. On Earth-Two, scientist turned villain George "Metalo" Grant developed a purple ray projecting weapon which likewise weakened Superman. While Parasite employed his purple ray aura to transfer Superman's abilities to himself, Metalo developed a related super-serum from the purple radiation to grant Grant his Superman-like attributes.

Parasites’ Power Plays

Maxwell Raymond Jensen and Heinrich Melch were the recipients of tremendous power thrust upon them through exposure to extraterrestrial radioactive elements. These substances transformed them into living atomic furnaces, burning through as much energy as they could absorb. As the Parasite and Atoman, these sinister supervillains required devices that would enable them to control these awesome abilities.

In order to maintain and harness this awesome energy, they were in possession of the Power Prism and Power Regulator. While the Parasite developed his Power Prism with the help of the stolen intellect he purloined scientists, Atoman was bequeathed his Power Regulator (or Control Device) from his mentor. That man was Dr. Teufel, a Nazi scientist bent on seeking vengeance against the man he believed was Germany’s greatest foe, the Superman of Earth-Two. And undoubtedly, the prime intellect from whom Parasite obtained the blueprints for his Power Prosm was Teufel’s counterpart on, the alien adversary known as Amalak. And  indeed, Amalak had a seething hatred towards all surviving Kryptonians in his universe, especially the Superman of Earth-One.

The synthetic prism of power enabled the Parasite the ability to drain energies and vitality from individual from afar, while his innate power required him to make physical contact with his prey to enable this energy-drain. Although in its test phase, the prism inadvertently empowered other random individuals, such as Superman’s young friend Jonathan Ross, this defect was later corrected. Parasite used the prism to animate some toxic muck from Earth-Two’s Slaughter Swamp which its famous resident, Solomon Grundy, brought with him to Earth-One on one occasion. This created an Earth-One version of Grundy, similar to how decades earlier the villain Per Degaton used his temporal crystal which empowered his Time Machine to spawn a temporal clone of Solomon in 1941.

Despite this technology which potentially could’ve tipped the balance of power towards Parasite and Atoman, it was the quick wit and strategy of the Men of Steel who always came out on top during their battles with the Supermen.

Mindful Malevolent Metallics Mask Mystery

The Responsometer was a revolutionary device developed by robotics scientist Dr. Will Magnus. Theorizing that the intrinsct properties of various metals reflects "personality traits", and so created this mechanism which when implanted in specific metals gave them a form of sentience. From this invention, Magnus created the Metal Men, consisting of the original six members: Gold, Iron, Lead, Mercury, Platinum and Tin. Over time, other metals and elemental substances would also be implanted with their own Responsometers, spawning various sub-groups similar to the Metal Men themselves. These robots at times teamed up with various members of the Justice League of America on Earth-One, including the Batman whom they worked with throughout the years.

On Earth-Two, sentinence also was implanted in the vehicle originally named Esmerelda and eventually named Goitrude. Throughout the decades of its existence, this car had various forms consisting of numerous parts, yet was aware of its existence and its surroundings. Eventually, it became the property of cab driver Doiby Dickles, and aided its owner and his friend Alan "Green Lantern" Scott of the Justice Society of America in various adventures. Possibly due to exposure from the emerald energies of Scott's green lantern battery, Goitrude gained its intelligence.

The Metal Men was a cohesive unit, working as one, and even on occasion were fused together as an alloy entity. They also from time to time used their shape-changing abilities to become various racing vehicles. Although the "Jovian Metallic Horde" invading Earth-Two originating from Jupiter-Two were also doppelgängers for these Metal Men, they lacked the moldability and individuality, working as cohesive collective replicating the metallic substances they touch.

Goitrude was the forerunner of a generation of special vehicles aiding various superheroes, including the Black Widow, Sand-Car, Atomobile, Esmerelda and the Doll-Plane... driven by the Spider, Sandman, Atom, Wonder Woman's friend Etta Candy and the Doll Man, respectively. 

While none of these other transports evidentially displayed the same self-sentience as had Goitrude, that cab itself passed a portion of its own sentience onto various clones of the supervillain Sinestro, as that renegade former Green Lantern of Earth-One's universe merged his mind with Goitrude's in order to restore his body. It seems that the sentience of the Green Flame Starheart empowering Alan’s lantern also imparted a portion of its intellect to Goitrude, with its emerald energies attracting Sinestro, which he would thereafter absorb.

Those Sinestro clones remained on Earth-Two, presumably incarcerated or transported off-world to prevent them from harming humanity. They seem to have have been ingrained with Goitrude's redeeming quality of loyalty, as these synthetic Sinesteos allowed themselves to be easily defeated by the Green Lanterns of Earths One and Two, despite having superior numbers and power matching the pair. Perhaps these clones eventually turned good themselves, with Goitrude’s personally overwriting that of Sinestro’s, who returned to his own native universe.

Mercurially Malevolent Metal Men

Will Magus' and Herbert Crawford's Metal Men were either malevolent machines or menacing mechanisms. On Earth-One, Magus developed his Responsometers which stored personalities within the malleable metallic frames of his Metal Men, originally developed to assist the United States government and later the world in combating various threats, both those originating from their own planet as well as those arriving from outerspace. 

On Earth-Two, Crawford developed a means to communicate with an extraterrestrial metallic horde from Jupiter-Two, luring them to his world where solar rays enlarged these Metal Men. Magus designed his artificially produced Metal Men based on the metals of gold, lead, iron, mercury, platinum and tin. Crawford's alien Metal Men replicated the metals of gold, silver, iron, magnesium and copper (another form of Metal Men remained on an alternate Jupiter that Starman once visited).

While the Mangus Metal Men had dozens of adventures as protectors, the Crawford Metal Men only had one notable appearance opposing the Justice Society of America. However, while the original five robot men of Gold, Iron, Lead, Copper, Mercury and their lady robot Platinum were all destroyed after their debut, Mangus rebuilt them and would continue to each time they were destroyed. The later models proved structurally superior to the originals he built.

Besides the original Metal Men, either a maddened Mangus or a robotic duplicate of his spawned other malevolent mechanized men, These included the Robots of Terror aka the "New Metal Men", consisting of Barium, Aluminum, Calcium, Zirconium, Sodium, and Plutonium. Shortly after, the Gas Gang is unleashed on the world, consisting of Oxygen, Helium, Chloroform, Carbon Monoxide, and Carbon Dioxide. Then there was the most notable Metal Men clones, the Metal Women!

While these various versions of the Metal Men co-existed, so too were multiple copies of the Jovian Metal Men on Earth-Two, consisting of at least four of each metal: Gold, Cooper, Silver, Iron, Magnesium, and Metal-X. All these quartets save the Metal-X men were destroyed during their battle with the Justice Society.

The Metal Women consisted of five female counterparts and a male counterpart of the Metal Men created to be love interests for their opposite numbers. The five Metal Women tragically had their synthetic lives cut short during their first adventure, with only the sole male member Platinum Man remaining functional. He would reappear years later, seeking revenge against the Metal Men while entrapping the honorary Metal Men femme-bot known as "Nameless". Batman and the Metal Men defeated Platinum Man and his robotic minions, while the object of his... and Metal Man Tin's... affection perished protecting them.

On occasion, the Metal Men even transformed into various vehicles, which mirrored those automated entities who took the place of Crawford's Metal Men. These were the vehicles Goitrude, Black Widow, Sand-Car, Atomobile, Esmerelda and the Doll-Plane... driven by Green Lantern's pal Doiby Dickles, the Spider, Sandman, Atom, Wonder Woman's friend Etta Candy and the Doll Man. Sometimes these mechanisms, such as Goitrude and its former host vehicle Esmerelda displayed sentience, while others such as the Doll-Plane and Black Widow were at times self-piloting vessels. Some had metamorphic properties, such as the Sand-Car and Atomobile.

The Metal Men of Earth-One had scores of adventures handling a wide-range of threats, both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial. The Jovian Metal Horde only had a single case with the majority of their members versus the Justice Society on Earth-Two, while the aforementioned vehicles had rendered valuable assistance to their human masters in dozens of cases throughout the years.

Cantankerous Cops Cause Costumed Crusaders Conundrums

Sergeant Harvey Bullock was a... complicated... officer who had been a part of the Gotham City Police Department of Earth-One for an unknown period of time. While he had a spurious reputation that hinted at some unethical behavior, while led to his suspension by Police Commissioner James Gordon, Bullock was reinstated to the police force by the corrupt Mayor Hamilton Hill. As a paw of the mayor, who saw Gordon as a political obstacle, Bullock employed a prank on Gordon which backfired, leading the Commissioner to being in a coma for a short period. Regretting his prior decisions, Harvey sought to restore his reputation and became a notable office within GCPD. His relationship with the vigilante Batman was... also complicated.

On the parallel planet of Earth-Two, Detective McGonigle had a similar salty disposition towards the Batman of his world, going so far as to seeking to uncover the vigilante's secret identity. Both Batman and McGonigle save each other from threats to their lives, when both men pursue an ugly horde of gang members secretly led by Larry Larrimore, who himself disfigured the gang members as he himself had been in an attempt to seek both revenge for himself and a cure for his condition. Despite repeated tries, McGonigle is unable to unmask the Batman, and thereafter left Gotham City Police Department.

Bullock would have tense exchanges with Batman and other members of the Batman family, although he restrained himself and worked alongside these masked manhunters. McGonigle moved the Empire City, joining that city's police force where he became the supervisor of police officer Dan Richards, who was secretly the original Manhunter*. 

At this point, McGonigle gave up trying to uncover the secret identities of costumed crusaders whom he met, with Richards finding his coworker an amusing distraction from the grime of crime. It’s unknown if McGonigle came up in conversations between Batman and Manhunter at All-Star Squadron meetings, of which they were both members.

* This is confirmed in the Batman Encyclopedia entry on Detective McGonigle.

What is a Penny Worth? Enough to Fund the Wayne Foundation

For this year's Super Blog Team Up, we each look back on key foundational issues that led to our comic book journey. Yours truly had his passion for this medium sparked by Batman Family #13, although the road to this issue began years earlier.

It all began when Batman and Robin left town, leaving the infamous Tri-State Gang with a golden opportunity to plunder Gotham City uncontested. Nurturing his budding detective skills, Batman's butler Alfred Pennyworth seeks to track down and disrupt the Gang's activities, leaving behind a trail for his employer to pursue. When Batman and his young ward return to the Batcave, ascertaining Alfred is in pursuit the Tri-State crooks, the Dynamic Duo follow his trail. Although they, like Alfred, are captured by the Gang... all three escape and each confront the felons. When Alfred sees his beloved Master Bruce and Master Dick the target of a dislodged boulder, he pushed them out of the way at the cost of his life. Pennyworth perishes, leaving behind his heartbroken masters.

In fact, Alfred was in a deep deathlike coma, and when his body is retrieved from his mausoleum by physician Brandon Crawford, he enters a dramatic new phase in his life! Simultaneous to these events, Bruce decides to fund a new charity enterprise with his vast wealth, naming it the Alfred Foundation. While this was to honor the memory of noble Mr. Pennyworth, Crawford's experimental research unlocked an ignoble side of this same man! From Crawford's radical radiation treatment, Alfred was transformed into the unearthly anomaly known as the Outsider!

In his new identity, the Outsider sought to disrupt and destroy the lives of the two men whom his alter ego Alfred cherished deeply. Unleashing from the behind the scenes the man-monster known as Blockbuster, the Grasshopper Gang, and even Batman's future Justice League colleague Zatanna against the Caped Crusaders... the Outsider's schemes were designed to tear away the confidence of Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson until they ended up as he felt they had left him. But the memory of their fallen friend Alfred helped them to endure.

Eventually, Batman and Robin were able to vanquish the Outsider, and restore Alfred Pennyworth to the man he once was. Although forgetting his brief path towards villainy, the experience subconsciously shaped his life, subtly hardening him as had young Bruce when faced with his own trauma years earlier. Meanwhile, the foundation of their friendship endured and grew, just as the foundation named after Alfred transformed.

In fact, the Alfred Foundation was rechristened the Wayne Foundation, still endeavoring to help the underserved in the community through monetary means, just as its founders had through their costumed crimefighting. While these events transpired on Earth-One, on the parallel planet of Earth-Two, that world's Bruce Wayne had himself founded his own version of the Wayne Foundation. This was seen in a similar structure to that of its counterpart, as each Wayne built a Wayne Foundation Penthouse. 

Although the Earth-One Penthouse resided in Gotham City, the Earth-Two Penthouse resided in Metropolis, perhaps due to that world's Wayne having divested himself of his business entanglements to pursue a position as Gotham City's police commissioner. This may also be due to the fact that the Justice Society made their home in Gotham City, unlike the Justice League which headquarters their operations in space orbiting the Earth, and so performed charitable works there. The nearest city to Gotham, Metropolis, was Bruce’s next best option for his Foundation. By that point, Alfred Beagle had retired from being a valet, exploring his thespian side in New Stratford where he could put on his own performance as an “outsider” on the stage.

While Alfred Pennyworth of Earth-One would on occasion revert to his Outsider alter ego, his doppelgänger Alfred Beagle had a different type of physical transformation, as he in his younger years engaged in extensive physical fitness to shed some girth, becoming more gaunt like his cosmic twin

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Batman Family #13 was the first issue purchased by a young Doppelgänger aka Mallo, founder of this blog, and had a profound impact in his comic journey. Subsequent purchases of further comics, highlighting the adventures of an older Bruce Wayne's daughter Helena "The Huntress" Wayne along with his teammates the Justice Society, and their team ups with the Justice League sparked an intense interest not only in comic books, but also in the Multiverse. Points of divergence, where one man retains his station as the trusted butler of the Wayne family, while another man transforms into a supervillain for a time. Such is the shear beauty.... of the DC Multiverse!

Super-Blog Team-Up: Foundations

Date: August 21st 2024

Our comic book  journey takes us to foundational works that ignited your collecting passion. We cover works that built the basis of a character such as a 1st appearance or a major storyline development. We can consider a major story or plot line that had major foundational impact on a universe, set of characters or over all genre. A foundation can be a start point, a central point in history, a trigger, a catalyst. The sky is the limit.. the Foundation begins now.

Participants:

Between the Pages Blog - Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Star Trek 

https://www.betweenthepagesblog.com/2024/08/everything-i-need-to-know-i-learned-from-star-trek.html

TEAL Productions/NewsPrint Commando - Witzend A Foundational Comic

Superhero Satellite: The Comics Digest. A foundational entryway to comics from Archie to DC Blue Ribbon and Beyond.

https://charltonhero.wordpress.com/2024/08/21/super-blog-team-up-foundations-a-digest-story/

Dave’s Comic Heroes Blog - Justice League Of America 200.

https://davescomicheroes.blogspot.com/2024/08/justice-league-of-america-200.html

*51 - My First Next Issue, Incredible Hulk #333

https://asterisk51.blogspot.com/2024/08/my-first-next-issue-incredible-hulk-333.html

The Source Material Comics Podcast - “Traumatic Resonance - What I Learned from Deb Whitman” -  https://www.spreaker.com/episode/super-blog-team-up-traumatic-resonance-what-i-learned-from-deb-whitman--61072981

DC Multiverse - What is a Penny Worth? Enough to Fund the Wayne Foundation 

https://earth-one-earth-two.blogspot.com/2024/08/what-is-penny-worth-enough-to-fund.html

2nd Generation Goggled Gliders: Von Hammer II & McNider II

Rittmeister Hans Von Hammer and Doctor Charles McNider were noble individuals with heroic dispositions. However, while McNider was a doctor and a healer, VonHammer was a warrior and a killer. Each faced tragedy, the Rittmeister from the blind greed of his society and the Doctor the literal blindness inflicted by a bullet. As the Enemy Ace and Doctor Mid-Nite, these two doppelgänger led among the most diametrically divergent lives of any two counterparts on Earths One and Two respectively.

At some point, possibly in the 1940s, Von Hammer died of undisclosed causes. In the late 1940s, McNider himself technically died alongside his fellow members of the Justice Society when each of them was attacked by an insane museum guard impersonating history's greatest villains. While Von Hammer had progeny in the form a descendant named Heinrich Von Hammer, McNider faced a drastically different situation.

After being brought along with four other Justice Socialites to Transformation Island by their colleagues Wonder Woman and Black Canary, each of them was revived thanks to Paula VonGunther's Purple Healing Ray (of which the original model was invented by Wonder Woman herself). Months after the Society defeated the crazed museum bandit, the Justice Society faced Professor Zobar Zodiak, who bound the male members of the team on his perpetual motion machine.

Freeing themselves by reverting their bodies to that a adolescent boys using Zodiak's elixir of youth, McNider gained that which the other four members already gained years before, a second chance at a new life! While Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman and Atom gained extended life due to exposure from the shadows emitted from their foe Ian Karkull, a revitalized McNider/Mid-Nite was born that day!

After a sky duel in which Heinrich assumed his forefather's role as the Enemy Ace versus Batman, the German lost his life when his plane crashed. At this point, it was his rival and the true heir to the original Enemy Ace's legacy, the Batman who took up his role. As such, shortly after during a cosmic crisis involving Creator 2, the cosmos deemed that Doctor Mid-Nite's closest Earth-One counterpart was the Batman, since both previous Enemy Aces had since perished. Soon after, the Batman of Earth-Two would himself die in battle saving his allies of the Justice Society.

Miracle Medicines Manufacture Meta-Human Marvels

Many catalysts imbued various humans throughout the Multiverse with a wide range of superhuman abilities. From intense solar radiation to divergent gravitational forces, from lightning bolts to hard water, from white dwarf stars to atomic radiation, from genetic mutation to biological adaptation. Such were the catalysts that spawned the Supermen, the Flashs, the Atoms and the Aquamen of Earths One and Two.

But there were other means, developed by scientists, to unlock metahuman potential in themselves and others. Among these were miracle medicines or divergent drugs, such as those considered below. These examples are both a small sampling of the many possible chemical combinations potentially available in each universe.

Zoologist Kirk Langstron of Earth-One sought to harness traits found in the unique flying mammals which inspired his personal hero, the Batman, Through his Bat-Gland serum, Langstrom was able to transform his body into Man-Bat, a hybrid hero blending but human and bat into a new life form. Initially, his transformations affected his mind, until Batman was able to help him regain his sanity. Man-Bat would oscillate between hero and villain, using his wings to glide, his sonar sense to navigate and his superior strength to subdue his foes.

Chemist Rex Tyler of Earth-Two developed the Miraclo pill, enabling him to obtain superhuman strength, speed, durability and agility for one hour at a time. As the Hourman, he successfully carved out a costumed career for himself, soon after becoming a founding member of both the Justice Society of America and the Freedom Fighters. However, addiction to Miraclo caused Rex to experience adverse affects, leading him to partially retire until he could reformulate his miracle drug into a safer compound.

Research assistance Duncan Pramble of Earth-Two worked alongside an archaeologist when he discovered an ancient elixir known as Liquid Light, which when ingested caused Pramble to mutate into various bodies. Each body had its own superhuman abilities, which he used unsuccessfully as the supervillain Multi-Man, as the Challengers of the Unknown defeated him time and again, as its leader and resident scientist Prof Riley developed an anecdote that neutralized Liquid Light's effects.

Rex Tyler eventually developed a variation on his Miraclo treatment, creating a Black-Ray device which helped him unlock the pills powers by bathing in its radiation. Eventually, Tyler developed a safer version of Miraclo, perhaps derived from investigating the foe of his Justice Society ally Doctor Fate. That foe, Mister Who, had himself developed the Z-Solution which allowed him to transform into various forms similar to that displayed by both Multi-Man and Garfield "Changeling" Logan of Earth-One, who's father treated him with to save his life. Having observed how Mister Who displayed no detrimental physical defects to his solution when both Doctor Fate and Hourman battled him, Tyler may have adopted part of Who's formula and integrated into his reinvented Miraclo pill.

Green Globs vs Glowing Globes: Good vs Greed

The Guardians of the Universe, that is the universe of Earth-One, sought to restore order to their chaotic realm through various means. First, the converted the rogue member of the race Krona, transforming him into a globe orbiting the expansive cosmos for all eternity. Second, the Guardians exile energy incompatible with their own emerald energy, which the concentrated and projected into the heart of a star in Earth-Two's universe. Third, they developed a series of powerful protectors, which they dispatched throughout the galaxies surrounding their planet Oa.

Among these avenging agents were the android Manhunters, who eventually became defective as they saw all living beings as inherently evil, which they saw as falling into the mission statement and purpose to remove all evil from the universe. Following this, the Guardians developed numerous power batteries and power rings which drew energy from these, appointing living agents throughout thousands of space sectors as Green Lanterns. To further aid in civilizations untouched by the Lanterns' activities, the Guardians also developed sentient Green Globs, empowered by their emerald energy to teach individuals moral lessons. One such Green Glob arrived on Earth-One during the 1960s, prior to the appointment of that world's first Green Lantern, Hal Jordan.

Meanwhile, in last 1941, Earth-Two was invaded the the exiled Globe of Evil. This entity sought out an individual nursing animosity which it could harness to split its essence into multiple globes. Together with this human, former boxer and trainer Joe Morgan, the Evil-Globes fomented a conflict between Joe's three former students.... Ted "Wildcat" Grant, Al "Atom" Pratt, and Jim "Guardian" Harper... versus Alan "Green Lantern" Scott, Jay "Flash" Garrick and Diana "Wonder Woman" Prince. Once freed of the globes' mental control, the three protegees of Morgan joined their three former foes to track down Joe and combat the original Globe.

One such individual whom the Green Glob regrettably never had opportunity to encounter and thus effect was gym teacher Guy Gardner, who was later be recruited by the Guardians as the backup Green Lantern of Sector 2814. Although Gardner was eventually tasked with substituting for the primary Lantern, Hal Jordan, this case led to tragedy which fractured Guy's mind. Like his counterpart Joe Morgan, Guy Gardner became corrupted by the emerald energy gifted him, turning him into a morally dubious Green Lantern when finally called upon once more during the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Following their battle with the Evil-Globes, the six members of the All-Star Squadron vanquished the creature as Morgan perished, with Alan Scott using his power ring to exile the emerald entity from Earth-Two. Like the Evil-Globes, the Green Globs left Earth-One, nevermore to return.

Plant People Pester Planetary Protectors

Bur Ser and his son Ker Sed were self-appointed "Keepers of the Balance", who traveled to various worlds attempt to return the worlds they visited to ecological balance. Their terraforming of Earth-One was opposed by members of the Justice League, including Superman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Black Canary, Atom and Hawkman.

King Tassel and his lieutenant Lord Cob were the rulers of the planetary moon known as Rykornia, which sought to usurp control over worlds they visited. Their terraforming of Earth-Two was opposed by Justice Society member Wonder Woman, along with her friend Etta Candy and the other Holliday Girls of Holliday College.

Each Dastardly Duo was armed with powerfully potent seeds, which they spread across areas of North America. These subverted the normal ecology of the Earths, causing devastating effects to the environment as their alien nature was incompatible with the worlds they were introduced to. Initially, they plant men and their vile vegetation seemed to overwhelm their superhuman opponents.

Ker Sed and his papa Bur Sed wielded staffs, which were the source of their amazing powers. This included the power of flight, teleportation, force fields and the ability to redirect any force projected against the ones who wield them, which made the Seds nearly invincible when facing individual Leaguers and the combined team. Similarly, the various forms of plant life which they introduced on Earth-One proved difficult to remove.

Lord Cob and his master King Tassel had a vast army of creatures like themselves. While mentally controlling their fellow Plant People, the Rykornian’s forests quickly grew to gigantic size, sucking the nutrients from soil of which it was planted. 

Eventually, the Justice League hatched a scheme where they tricked the father-son foes by pretending to aid them I  spreading their seeds, distracting them as their staffs were stolen from them. Now susceptible to the excess oxygen in Earth-One’s atmosphere, Bur Sed and Ker Sed had to flee from that planet once their staffs were given back to them.

Similarly, Wonder Woman and the Holliday Girls constructed and unleashed a gigantic mechanical vacuum, capable of capturing King Tassel, Lord Cob along with their Plant People and large stalks. With this device, the Amazing Amazon exiled them back to Rykornia, which she was able to thrust back into space.