Super-Strong Scientists on Borrowed Time

Artificially augmented superhuman strength developed by creative chemists and innovative inventors Walter Davis and Rex Tyler was state-of-the-art. While Tyler employed Miraclo pills and dark-light projectors to enhance his physicality, Haley utilized a variety of treatments throughout the years to produce this same results, for the good of mankind.

Prof Haley constructed a space suit and battle armor with motors compensating for higher gravitational planetary bodies, which he and his fellow Challengers of the Unknown might visit one day. When a time lord sends radioactive boxes to the 20th century, Prof in his techno-armor combat the behemoth beast hiding with one of these objects.

Rex Tyler developed a genetically altered skin cells from his exposure to Miraclo, allowing him to possess a high degree of resilience to injury. Because of this, he didn’t need to design a protective suit to wear in his adventures. However, one of his young protégés ended up building a suit of armor similar to Haley’s.

This aspiring adventurer was astronaut Christopher Pike, who as a lad idolized the Justice Society of America and was one of Hourman’s young sidekicks, the Minute-Men of America. With this team of teen titans, Pike joined with his fellow Minute-Men in over a dozen tales with the Man of the Hour. When this team dissolved, he joined the Junior Justice Society, assisting the adult Justice Society against the Injustice Society and the Crimson Claw gang. 

Just as student Ronnie Raymond was mentored by the physicist Martin Stein whom he merged with to become Firestorm of Earth-One, student Christopher Pike was mentored by Rex Tyler is his Hourman persona. And yet, while Ronnie spurned his delinquent tendencies and matured under Stein’s tutelage, Christopher spurned the teachings of Tyler over time and grew mentally unbalanced. 

Although Pike achieved lofty goals as an astronaut, he nurtured murdeous tendencies when trying to kill his fellow space travelers during a mission around the solar system. When granted atomic powers from the sun by an amiable alien, Pike hardened not just his containment suit into a piece of armor, both also hardened his heart to humanity as Vulcan Son of Fire. With his metallic frame and solar power, the one-time Minute-Man gained superhuman strength like Hourman, which he used against the hero’s Justice Society allies time and again.

Prof Haley with his Challengers, just like Hourman with his Minite-Men, were men literally living on borrowed time. This didn’t just highlight their dangerous work as costumed crimefighters, but also in their temporary superpowers. What helped them persevere and proper wasn’t their cosmic capacities, but their consistent courage in the face of danger!