On Earth-Two, a secondary life-form existed alongside yet in total seclusion from carbon-based humanity, the Sandmen of the Gobi Desert! Where did these silicon creatures come from, and why were they so eerily similar to that which was once Sandy the Golden Boy? Today, the tale can now be told from the chronicles of the Justice League of America, who found their genesis with both their creator the Sandman present… and with an alternate universe version of these beings in Metamorpho!
In early 1946, Wesley Dodds sought to improve upon the crime effectiveness of he and his sidekick, and so developed the silicoid gun. However, while testing it, the gun exploding, dousing Sandy in its experimental compounds. This mixture transformed the Golden Boy into the Silicon Creature, temporarily driven insane, causing Dodds' to keep the lad sedated for decades within his subterranean lair. When earthquakes began to expose a dangerous fault line underneath York City, Sandy was awoken and used his powers to save it. Years later, Wes restored Sandy to normal, although with residual abilities.
Between 1946 and Sandy's revival in 1974, Wesley resumed his Sandman costumed career and rejoined the Justice Society. Using a modified version of the silicon gun in 1966, Sandman was able to transform sand into a variety of shapes, formed with into a hardened glassy substance. Years later, while with his Justice Society allies accompanied by the Justice League in order to locate members of Law's Legionnaires to help them save the world. Sandman traveled with the Earth-One Superman and Metamorpho to the era of Genghis Khan.*
Faced with the hordes of Khan's followers thirsty for conquest in the ancient Gobi Desert, Metamorpho used his elemental body to transform into a tank, equipped to disperse the chemical compound he produced from the silicoid formula provided by Sandman, in order to disable the militant troops. The mutagenic properties of this Metamorpho concoction had an enduring effect on some of Khan's Mongul minions.
In fact, it was in 1946 (yes, the same year that Sandman invented his silicoid technology) that Jay "Flash" Garrick uncovered an ancient civilization of "Sandmen". These creatures led by Ben Otan lived in the Gobi Desert, and had the appearance and abilities that Sandy would soon manifest. Evidentally, these silicon creatures were a small portion of the men whom Sandman and his colleagues faced hundreds of years in the past when Genghis led them.
Now hating humanity, these Sandmen developed technology that would eliminate mankind, leaving them the sole dominant beings on Earth-Two. Thankfully, Flash was able to reverse their attack, as the Sandmen fell prey to their own death dealing device.
While there were more than half a dozen known Sandmen, including Sandy as well as Ben Otan and his comrades, there were also scant numbers of the corresponding Metamorphs on Earth-One** Beside soldier-of-fortune Rex Mason aka Metamorpho, there was architect Edifice Bulwalk and secret agent Urania Blackwell aka Element Girl. The oldest Metamorph was a Roman soldier named Algon who, like his love Queen Jezeba of the Ma-Phoor nation, was immortal. Then there were the similar beings of the neighboring Quarrm dimension… “Sand Superman” and a like being impersonating a Chinese warrior statue. In the end, only one Metamorph… Mason… remained as all these others ceased to exist one-by-one.
* Genghis Khan was one of the the aliases used throughout history by the immortal Vandal Savage.
** Differing physics in the two universes, as well as latent effects of Earth-One's Orb of Ra and Earth-Two's Hammer of Thor, and their artificial duplicates, played some part in Simon Stagg's transformation of Rex Mason and of Sandman's technology effecting Sandy Hawkins.
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