20

Lightning Lad


Origin - Garth Ranzz was born on the planet Winath. When he was fourteen years old, Garth and his brother Mekt and twin-sister Ayla crashed on the planet Korbal. They discovered that their shuttle craft had run out of power and that its engines needed to be recharged. Garth lured a herd of Lightning Beasts towards the craft hoping to use their electrical discharges to power the ship. The animals’ energy bursts struck the teens, not the ship, imbuing all three of them with the ability to generate electricity. A short time later, Garth, Ayla and Mekt used their powers to recharge the ship's engines and return home. Mekt Ranzz mysteriously disappeared into the underworld of the galaxy, and Garth set out to try to find him. Garth boarded a shuttle en route to the planet Earth where upon he met Rokk Krinn of Braal and Imra Ardeen of Titan. Also on the shuttle was R.J. Brande, a wealthy industrialist who claimed to be the third richest man in the galaxy. Garth and Rokk immediately bonded with one another, but Imra felt that the two of them were little more than childish boys. When the shuttle reached Earth, an assassin attempted to murder Brande, but Garth, Rokk, and Imra used their respective powers to save the older man's life. Brande was so impressed with their bravery, that he petitioned the United Planets to form a Legion of Super Heroes – an ever-growing cosmic team inspired by the exploits of 20Th century super hero Superboy. In his first appearance, Garth went by the code-name Lightning Boy. Garth Ranzz became a charter member of the team using the name Lightning Boy. During a battle with a villain named Zaryan Garth was hit by a freeze blast and killed. Mon-El, a fellow Legionnaire, discovered a way to bring Garth back to life. Never a stranger to tragedy, Garth experienced his next great loss only a few short years later. Picking up a distress call from a passing cargo ship, Lightning Lad investigated the scene and came into conflict with a giant creature colloquially known as the Super-Moby Dick of Space. Fighting the mineral-eating monstrosity, Lightning Lad fired his electric bolts at the creature, but they reflected off it, transforming into a poisonous current that struck Garth in the arm. Returning to the Legion Clubhouse, Garth was forced to amputate his arm to stave off further infection. He replaced the missing limb with a cybernetic prosthetic, which greatly amplified his electrical discharge powers. Garth's final adventure with the Legion involved the Time Trapper, the conclusion of which resulted in the destruction of the Legion of Super-Heroes time-line in an event known as Zero Hour. Other incarnations of Garth have gone by the name Live Wire. Originally, Live Wire was supposed to be called Lightning Lad, but R.J. Brande claimed that his marketing department determined that Live Wire would be a "fresher and more noticeable" codename. Live Wire has lost and regained his right arm several times. It was originally severed from his body during a battle with Lightning Lord who turned out to be his missing brother Mekt.

Powers and Abilities - Lightning Lad has the ability to generate electricity within his own body without harming himself. This electricity he is able to discharge in the form of potent "lightning bolts"; in some undisclosed way his power prevents these bolts from taking the path of least resistance to Earth, such that he is able to target objects with great accuracy. He can also create flashing lettering which can been seen from great distances. He has occasionally displayed a limited control of weather. In more recent versions of the character, Garth is also able to direct his electric powers internally so as to move at superhuman speed, with his top speed being approximately one-third the speed of light. Lightning Lad is immune to the harmful effects of electric currents, not only those currents which he himself generates. As a Legionnaire, Lightning Lad has participated in Legion combat training and is an adequate hand-to-hand combatant. Lightning Lad possessed the strength level of a man his age, size and weight who engaged in intensive regular exercise. Like all members of the Legion, Lightning Lad possessed a ring, which enabled him to fly under his own willpower.

Weaknesses and Limitations - Garth has the same weaknesses and limitations a man of his size and physical makeup would have.

A brief intermission

I will be putting the rest of the list on hold for a few days as I must now go away for a few days while my better half and I go out of town for her to have knee surgery. If all goes well I should be posting the first installments of the top 20 by this time next week. It could be earlier if I get to write any of the entries on my laptop. As for now, heading to Atlantic City for a few days to do a lot of sitting and waiting. Seacrest out!

21

Green Lantern - John Stewart

Origin - John Stewart was an architect who was selected by the Guardians of The Universe as Hal Jordan's backup after Guy Gardner was seriously injured. Although, Jordan objected after seeing that Stewart had a belligerent attitude to authority figures, the Guardians stood by their selection. Jordan complied and recruited and equipped Stewart with the standard uniform and power ring. For some time, Stewart occasionally filled in as Green Lantern when Jordan was unavailable, including some missions with the Justice League. After Jordan gave up being Green Lantern, the Guardians selected Stewart to full time duty. Stewart filled that role for some years, during which time he married to another Green Lantern named Katma Tui from the planet Korugar. After Tui’s murder, Stewart became the administrator of the "Mosaic World,” a patchwork of communities from multiple planets that had been brought to Oa by an insane Guardian. After giving up his power ring for a while he regained his power ring during Kyle Rayner's tenure as Earth's main Green Lantern, and remained his backup for years, until Hal Jordan was resurrected after his spirit was freed from Parallax, after which Jordan took over Rayner's role as Rayner went to serve an administrative position in the Green Lantern Corps on Oa. In the subsequent restructuring of the Corps, each sector now has two Green Lanterns assigned to it, and Stewart and Jordan now share the responsibilities for Earth's sector 2814. After the Sinestro Corps War, John was asked by the Guardian to join a new division within the Corps: the Alpha Lanterns, but John refused. During the Blackest Night storyline John is almost overwhelmed by Black Lanterns, but is saved by seven different Lantern Corps united against Nekron. Following during the Brightest Day, John is nearly physically forced to become an Alpha Lantern by Hank Henshaw the Cyborg Superman. While surgically trying to fuse Stewart to the power battery of the Alpha Lanterns Kyle Rayner breaks into the lab and manages to save him. In the process it seems that the Henshaw's body was destroyed (which is what he wanted to have happen in the first place) but his mental essence is left floating through space. For a short time during The War of the Lanterns storyline John becomes an Indigo Lantern. Using the power of the Indigo ring, John discovers a residual amount of Black Lantern energy residing at the core of Mogo (a sentient or "living" planet which was also a Green Lantern). John absorbs the Black Lantern energy, along with all the Green Lantern energy, and regretfully uses it to destroy Mogo. Following the wars conclusion, John assists a new Green Lantern from Sector 2828. Despite the possibility that she will not be allowed to keep the power ring, he assists her in halting a war taking place in her sector, his new student later reflecting that, despite John's reputation after destroying two worlds, she now knows that nobody could regret that action more than John himself.

Powers and Abilities - John Stewart’s power ring provides him with the abilities of all other Green Lanterns; these abilities include flight and limited invulnerability. As with all other Green Lanterns, the ring is a weapon of the mind and powered by will. Like all Green Lanterns, Stewart's personality affects his ring's creations, giving them a solid, architectural quality. Stewart's constructs are amongst the most powerful. Hal Jordan has remarked that "everything John builds is solid". He builds them from the inside out, down to the last nut and bolt. He also remarked that Stewart is the best flyer in the Corps. John's willpower, at least one time has exceeded the limit of his ring when he tried to recreate a planet from scratch, a feat that had not been depicted before this point. While a member of the USMC John was trained to be an expert sniper. John is a accomplished architect having had a hand in building the new Hall of Justice and the JLA Watchtower as well as rebuilding Coast City. He was also pivotal in renovating the estate of the late Wesley Dodd into the JSA Museum. While using constructs created by the ring John is effectively able to lift/move tremendous weights far heavier than 100 tons with little effort. Without the ring John possesses the strength of a man his age,height and build who engages in regular exercise making him capable of press lifting over 200 pounds.

Weaknesses and Limitations - Unlike Guy Gardner's power ring that has had the weakness to yellow removed, John's still has the weakness. John's power ring is only limited by John's own imagination. However, John is the first Green Lantern to have been shown to be able to out think his own ring by imagining something even his ring could not create. The Power Ring is limited to a 24 hour charge and must be recharged in the Power Battery on a daily basis.

22

Blue Beetle

Origin - Growing up, Ted was extraordinarily bright. He was good at science, business, and everything else he tried. In college, he received degrees in Physics, English Lit, and Theoretical Mathematics. When Ted's uncle made an attempt to take over the world, Ted set out to stop him, recruiting the help of his archaeology teacher Dan Garrett - the first Blue Beetle, who could call on superhuman powers from an ancient scarab he had found in Bialya. In the course of the adventure, Dan was fatally wounded and asked Ted to carry on the legacy of the Blue Beetle, passing the scarab onto him. However, Ted couldn't get the scarab to work for him, and eventually set it aside, electing to go ahead without it. Ted trained himself to his physical peak, constructed an aerial vehicle affectionately nicknamed the "Bug", made himself a Blue Beetle costume, and set out to establish his own identity as a superhero, using his wit, agility, and a large number of gadgets to stop evildoers. Ted joined the Justice League as it was being reformed, and often served as the pilot for the League's many vehicles. As part of the JLI, Ted met and befriended Booster Gold. The two had their differences, but served together for many years and had a bond that went beyond their wisecracks and buffoonery. Following his time on the League, Ted reasserted control of his business from his father, eventually making Kord Omniversal a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises. Ted discovered a shipment of Kryptonite was stolen from one of Kord Omniversal's warehouses. With Booster's help, Ted set out to investigate the Kryptonite theft. After Booster found himself in the hospital, Ted decided to go it alone after he realized nobody except for Wonder Woman was willing to take the investigation seriously. On the trail of his last remaining lead Ted tracked the signal from a bug to Checkmate headquarters in Switzerland, where he discovered a series of files that held the identities, strengths and weakness' of all of Earth's heroes. There, he confronted the mastermind behind Checkmate; its Black King, and Ted's one time friend, Maxwell Lord. After being offered a chance to change sides by Max, he told Max to "rot in hell" and was shot and killed by his former ally. The Blue Beetle name survived as teenager Jaime Reyes became the new guardian of the Blue Beetle scarab, following in Dan and Ted's footsteps as the third Blue Beetle.

Powers and Abilities - Ted Kord has no superpowers however he does possess an IQ of 192. Rivaling Batman's inventive mind, Ted was the creator of many inventions and crime-fighting technologies, like his solar-powered "Bug" vehicle, BB gun, and many more. He also ran a company, Kord Industries, which produces hundreds of new technologies. He was proficient in numerous sciences such as chemistry, physics, engineering, aircraft, and solar tech, as well as an understanding of alien tech. Despero once claimed that Ted's mind was second only to that of J'onn J'onzz. Former Justice League teammate Guy Gardner claims that Ted was smarter than Batman, "although nobody ever noticed." Kord was an Olympic-level acrobat and skilled hand-to-hand combatant, having studied in the martial arts of karate and aikido. Dick Grayson stated that Ted was very adept physically, to the point where he was almost ambidextrous. He was highly skilled in the art of espionage. Ted had the strength of a man his height and weight who engaged in regular intensive physical exercise. The Bug, a multipurpose 80% solar powered beetle-shaped craft, is capable of operating in air and water and built with a mobile lab, blasters, magnetic manipulators, grasping "claws" and defense shields. The "Bug" also contained a radiation suit similar to his standard suit. The Bug was able to send out small bug-shaped flying surveillance drones used for spying or for hazardous areas e.g. radiation zones. Ted also carried The Beetle Gun which could produce a blinding flash or a blast of compressed air capable of knocking down several grown men. He also had other weapons and gadgets in the "Bug" to deal with larger numbers of opponents.

Weaknesses and Limitations - Ted Kord had the same limitations that a normal name of his age, height, weight, and physical condition would have.

23

Captain Comet

Origin - In 1931, John and Martha Blake gave birth to a son named Adam. Moments after his birth, a comet streaked across the Midwestern sky. John jokingly commented that the comet represented a sign of good fortune, but had little foreknowledge of how truthful his statement would come to be. Although the Blakes were unaware of it at the time, the comet had emitted low-level waves of radiation, which triggered multi-genetic cell growth in Adam Blake's body. As such, Adam began to develop incredible mental attributes. By the time he was eight, Adam possessed a photographic memory and was able to memorize and comprehend all of the information that he had read from an entire volume of encyclopedias. His mental skills continued to sharpen well into his teenage years, and he developed expert talents in nearly everything he attempted. He could perform a Mozart concerto on a clarinet without ever having picked up the instrument before. Adam's physical prowess did not begin to develop until his college years. Although his body's development matured at a slower rate than his mind, he excelled in nearly every athletic event, notably football. He was virtually indestructible, and his superhuman stamina prevented him from ever tiring. At this time, Adam’s mental acuity evolved even further. He began to demonstrate mild telepathic and telekinetic capabilities and once used these powers to save the life of a fellow college student. Adam could not keep his abilities safely hidden for long. In 1951, a global catastrophe took place, which forced Adam to reveal himself to the public. Calling himself Captain Comet for the very first time, Adam donned a space suit and oxygen tank and intercepted an alien spaceship. Using the advanced scientific tools at his command, Captain Comet pledged himself towards aiding humanity, but was cautious to keep the truth about his mutant heritage a secret from the general populace. After the events of Infinite Crisis Captain Comet was tortured and killed by Lady Styx, which forced him to eject his consciousness from his body. Several months afterwards, Comet's psyche came into contact with the Weird's soul, which caused the two of them to create new bodies, each possessing some of the other's memories. Captain Comet created a new younger body for himself with all the memories and mental abilities of his previous body. Captain Comet then teleported home and created a modified costume for himself and went by the name Comet, dropping the "Captain" title from his moniker. With Starro the Conqueror attempting to take over the universe, Captain Comet allied with Vril Dox to stop him. After Starro was stopped, Comet stayed on Vril's new team and started a romance with Starfire.

Powers and Abilities - Captain Comet is the pinnacle of human evolution. He has evolved mental functions and physiology. Captain Comet can teleport instantly to anywhere in the universe. He is virtually invulnerable as well as possessing superhuman strength and stamina. He is a master of telepathy, Clairvoyance, mind control, and telekinesis. By using the latter, he can alter matter (usually in the form of creating and dispelling clothing) without having any physical contact with it as well as giving him the ability to fly. He can create barriers of psychic force to deflect most physical attacks, and his telekinetic shields can be used to simultaneously protect himself from the vacuum of space, while surrounding himself with an aura of oxygen to breathe. On the offensive side; he can fire bursts of psionic energy that strike a target with concussive impact or energy of various forms, such as electricity or fire. He can read the emotions of others as well as determine a target's powers, weaknesses and skills, or to gauge how difficult a task will be. Captain Comet is a prodigy with the ability to master any skill upon his first attempt. He has a photographic memory, and possesses a comprehensive intellect well in advance of that of the average human. He is also a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant. The full limit of his strength levels are unknown. Comet's super-strength is vastly diminished after his rebirth.

Weaknesses and Limitations - Comet must rest for five minutes after teleporting a short distance, and for one hour after teleporting a greater distance.

24

Cyborg

Origins - Vic Stone was the son of a pair of scientists who decided to use him as a test subject for various intelligence enhancement projects. One day when he visited his parents at work at S.T.A.R. Labs an experiment in dimensional travel went horribly awry when a massive gelatinous monster crossed over an experimental portal and killed Victor's mother. The creature then turned on Victor and severely mutilated him before his father managed to force the creature back through the portal. To save his son, Victor's father outfitted him with experimental prostheses of his own design. Upon release from medical care, he found his life was seriously inconvenienced with the fearful reactions of the public at his implants; even his girlfriend rejected him. He joined the Teen Titans, initially for the benefit of a support group of kindred spirits and freaks. Throughout his association with the Titans, Victor has been destroyed, reconstructed, assimilated by an alien race, and had his humanity restored. Cyborg always had a problem with his humanity. Since he had lost most of his body in the accident; he had always been challenged to maintain his human-side along living with his robotic body. After a while Cyborg began to upgrade his body with new powers, weapons, and abilities. He became more of a robot; his voice changed and his mannerisms were more technical. Although he maintained he was still human; not much was left. After being severely damaged during the events of Infinite Crisis, Cyborg was rebuilt over time. He awoke one year later to find a wholly different group of Titans led by Robin (Tim Drake), the only member from the team he remembered. Cyborg felt that members such as Kid Devil and Ravager were hardly worthy of being Titans, and thus was attempting to find a way to re-form "the real Titans". After returning to Titans Tower, Cyborg began reviewing the security tapes during the last year, in which it appears that he was looked to by all the Titans of the past year for a shoulder to lean on, despite being in a coma-like state. Although Cyborg did retain the position of statesman amongst the Teen Titans and occasionally played second-in-command to Robin's lead, he no longer operated as a Titan in any official capacity. When the Titans fell apart again, Cyborg joined the JLA alongside Dick Grayson (as Batman) and Donna Troy. Officially on the team, he did not enter the field of battle much. Instead, he devoted his time to helping improve the Red Tornado's android body.

Powers and Abilities - Cyborg possesses cybernetic enhancements that provide superhuman strength, speed, endurance, and durability. Cyborg can also interface with computers. Built into his body-armor is an infrared eye, computer generator, sound amplifier, and special programming adapters that allowed him to interface with other body extensions. Additionally, he possesses an "exceptionally gifted" level of intelligence; his IQ has been measured at 170. The nature of Cyborg's body provides him with natural body armor offering resistance versus physical damage and energy attacks. At optimal capacity, Vic can lift/press in excess of four metric tons. If he pushes himself, he can even exceed five tons, but not without causing severe stress to his cybernetic components. Cyborg's upper strength limits have fluctuated with upgrades to his systems over time. He possessed a degree of super speed and can leap great distances. His bones are reinforced with molybdenum-steel. His arsenal included a finger laser attachment, telescopic eyepiece, sonic disruptor, electric shockers, grappling hooks, and winches.

Weakness and Limitations - Cyborg is prone to rust.

25

The Atom

Origin - Ray Palmer, a physics graduate student, discovers white dwarf star material and proceeds to carry out experiments on it. His experiments reveal that he can use the material and ultra violet light to shrink material down in size. The only drawback is that when he shrinks the matter down in size the atomic particles become unstable and the items explode moments later. A few days later while stuck in a cave that collapses with some friends Ray risks his life and uses the shrinking lens on himself. For some reason, however, Ray didn't explode and returned to his normal height. With the success of the shrinking, he developed a set of control devices that gave him limited control over his weight as well as his size. Ray later hypothesized that some unknown "x-factor" in his genetic makeup prevented his atoms from becoming unstable, though many scientists now believe that Ray's ability to shrink was actually made possible by a meta-gene. First using his abilities to fight crime in his hometown Ivy Town in Connecticut he would eventually be contacted by the CIA to do work for them. Soon after, the Justice League of America took notice of The Atom and he was offered membership which he accepted. Some years would go by with Ray going on missions with the JLA as well as still fighting crime back in his hometown. The CIA would also still used Palmer's abilities on occasion. After several attempts, Ray's college sweetheart Jean Loring agreed to marry him. Jean is exposed to radiation which cause her to go insane. Hawkgirl takes her back to Thanagar to find a cure, which eventually and through circumstances that were never clearly explained Jen is returned to normal. Ray and Jean's marriage would become strained over time as Jean's law practice and Ray's devotion to both science and super-heroics would take time over their romance. While being thought dead (but really just trapped at a size of six inches) Jean continued on with her life and became involved with one of her colleagues. Ray eventually became unstuck and returned to Ivy Town where he discovers Jean's new life and agrees a divorce. During the events of Zero Hour, Al Pratt (the first Atom) is killed and Ray Palmer is hit with a blast of chrono-energy and transformed back into a teenage. He would go on to then join the Teen Titans. During Identity Crisis it is discovered that Jean may not have ever been cure of her insanity. The events unfold and her deadly plot to get Ray back ends up costing the Elongated Man's wife Sue Dibney her life. Upon discovering the truth after Jean confessed to him, Ray had Jean committed to Arkham Asylum. With Jean's incarceration, Ray was overwhelmed with despair, and shrank continuously until he vanished completely into a microscopic world. After Palmer disappears, Ryan Choi takes up the mantle of The Atom. After Palmer is found on another version of our Earth but in a different reality living the life he wanted back on his home world he returns to our Earth where he teams up with Choi and mentors him on what to do as the next Atom. After the events of both Blackest Night and Brightest Day Ray discovers that Ryan is missing. He eventually discovers that the new Atom was killed by Deathstroke who was hired by the super-villain Dwarfstar. Ray is last seen giving the eulogy at his friends funeral.

Powers and Abilities - Ray can shrink his body to varying degrees (including the subatomic level). Ray can assume any size from his normal six-foot stature down to sub-microscopic, although he generally deems a height of six inches as most functional. He is able to instantly alter his molecular density to whatever degree he desires. Ray can also assume any weight at any height -up to his full 180 pounds. By making his density lighter he can fly by gliding on the air currents around him. By manipulating his density he is also able to hit with the size and strength of his full size while in his smaller sizes. A favorite travel method Ray uses is to call some location on the telephone; when the intended phone is answered, he shrinks down enough to literally travel through the phone lines in seconds to emerge out of the answering phone. He has developed a proficiency in the martial arts form known as Judo; he is also a master swordsman. Originally, Ray's size/weight controls were located in his belt buckle. However, he later moved them to his gloves for greater accessibility and swifter transitions.

Weaknesses and Limitations - The Atom is one of the only heroes in the DC Universe that has 100% control over his body on the molecular level (Plastic Man and The Flash being examples of others), thus making him exponentially more powerful than he is often portrayed; he is only limited by his application of his powers. Although Ray can travel through phone lines he can't travel through cell phones. He needs a physical wire to travel through.

26

Green Arrow

Origins - As a young child Oliver Queen idolized his hero Robin Hood and was said to be a natural archer, frequently practising with his bow and arrows. After the tragic death of his parents he was raised by his uncle and eventually inherited the family fortune and business. Queen grew into a rich thrill-seeking drunken playboy with no real sense of responsibility or direction in his life. While on his boat alone out on the ocean, his boat capsized and he was left stranded on Starfish Island where all he had with him was a bow he managed to save from the boat and used to keep him afloat. During this time spent without food or shelter Queen developed his skills as a hunter to survive and gained mastery over his bow. Realizing that he had found his destiny, he chose to use his abilities and resources as a crime-fighter. With a nickname coined by the press, he made it his mission to protect Star City. Green Arrow would go on to become a member of the Justice League of America and would be with them on and off for during several adventures. Green Arrow began developing a personal crisis about which of his identities was more important and doing more good, the crime-fighter or the politician. Part of him has only chosen to be a hero for the thrill and glory, but he realizes that he defines himself by his ability to control those instincts for the greater good. Queen begins to reevaluate his priorities, and learns to focus more on the everyday problems of regular people. In the ensuing year after losing his fortune, Ollie traveled the country with Green Lantern Hal Jordan. Having decided that years of reliance on trick arrows had made him weak, he returned to his basic roots as an archer and began using exclusively regular arrows again. Green Arrow relocated to Seattle with Black Canary where the two ran a business called Sherwood Florist. Oliver asked her to marry him but she turned him down saying the strength of their relationship was found in their being two separate individuals that could leave at any time. During Zero Hour Hal Jordan turns into the vengeful Parallax and attempts to destroy all of existence. Not fully believing that his friend was capable of doing this Ollie refused to join in the fight. After seeing the full brunt of Parallax's efforts, Oliver lands the decisive blow, killing Parallax as well as killing his good friend. Oliver soon meets a young man named Connor Hawke who idolizes him. Hal Jordan reappears again still alive, and wishes to rekindle their friendship although he is still clearly insane. He accidentally lets Oliver know that Connor is actually his son by an old girlfriend. Furious that the young man didn't tell him about their relation, Oliver has an argument with Connor and then leaves to be on his own again. A group of terrorists placed a bomb on a plane and attempted to have the bomb explode over Metropolis. Ollie was able to get his hand in the detonation chamber but his hand was removed the bomb would go off. Superman tried to help and told him the only way out was for him to rip off Green Arrows arm. Oliver refused to be a cripple and after the plane was flown a safe distance away he removed his hand and the bomb went off. Having been completely vaporized in the blast, there was no body. A small funeral gathering of his closest friends was held in Warriors. There was nothing to bury, so his son fired an arrow into the air and marked its landing as his final resting place, as in the legend of Robin Hood. Connor then decided to continue on his legacy filling in as Green Arrow. Hal Jordan used his godlike powers during the Final Night story line to bring his friend back from the dead. Oliver returned but he was an empty vessel with no soul and only some of his memories from when he was alive. It would seem Jordan was only able to give him the memories he himself had known Ollie would have had. Ollie's more experienced soul remained in a Heaven-like place for a time, until later when it was reunited with his body returning Green Arrow to his former self. In 2008, Oliver Queen is the newly elected mayor of Star City, continuing his fight on the streets and through the system. Soon after Oliver Queen renewed his romance with Black Canary Dinah Lance. Once again he asked her to marry him and after she realized he was willing to risk his own happiness to save a life, she accepted his proposal and the two were wed. After a villain named Prometheus destroys Star City, Green Arrow decided that it was time to take matters into his own hands and seeks Prometheus out himself. After finding him Oliver does not bring him to justice but kills him with an arrow to the head murdering him in cold blood. During Blackest Night Oliver is turned into one of the Black Lanterns as he was one of the DC heroes that had been brought back from the dead. Following his murder of Prometheus, Green Arrow begins to regret his crimes and turns himself in. His secret identity is revealed and everyone discovers that Mayor Oliver Queen is the vigilante that he spoke against as Mayor. Black Canary visits him in prison and returns her wedding ring, telling him their marriage is over. On trial, the jury finds him not guilty, but the judge overrules this and sentences him to a complete exile from Star City. During Brightest Day Deadman uses his new white power ring's connection to life energy and creates a massive forest in the ruins of Star City. Green Arrow now lives in this forest, helping his city wherever he can while staying underneath the radar.

Powers and Abilities - Oliver Queen's powers, if any, remain unknown. It has been rumored that Green Arrow may in fact be a meta-human. The Department of Extranormal Operations has a classified dossier on Queen, wherein they indicate such a possibility, but as of yet, this information has not been confirmed nor denied. He used to own and fly his own airplane called the Arrowplane. Oliver Queen is perhaps the finest archer ever known. He claims to be able to shoot 29 arrows per minute (he stated this himself when he corrected Black Canary for saying 26). He has a wide-variety of trick arrows, ranging from bola arrows to time-bomb arrows to his infamous boxing-glove arrow. In recent years he has used these arrows sparingly, preferring the time-tested simple arrow. Green Arrow has shown the ability to shoot an arrow down the barrel of a gun, pierce a drop of water as it leaves a tap, and shoot almost any part of the human body. He once shot two arrows down two different gun barrels while upside down, in mid-flip while somersaulting off a building. He is proficient in several forms of hand-to-hand combat including Judo, Kickboxing and Karate. Proclaimed as a martial arts master, he has shown the ability to take on seven people at once. He spent several months dedicated to making himself a better fighter and trained with many of the world's finest martial arts teachers and even went through training from Natas, the same person who trained Deathstroke. Ollie is also very proficient with a sword, though it is not his preferred weapon of choice. He has displayed on many occasions that he is an expert in acrobatics, and often uses this skill while evading enemy fire. His actual age is unknown it is assumed he is somewhere in his late 40's or early 50's but he could be as old as 90. Due to the fact that he had died and was brought back his body does not seem to have aged at the same rate as a normal human would have. Oliver Queen possesses the strength level of a man many years his junior, who engages in intensive regular exercise. Ollie is in peak physical condition. Ollie can at least lift up to twice his body weight enabling him to press nearly 400 lbs.

Weaknesses and Limitations - Queen has all of the normal weaknesses of most human males (will fail from oxygen deprivation, lack of food and sleep, etc.) though has obviously higher than average tolerances.

27

Saturn Girl

Origin - In the 30Th century, Imra Ardeen comes from a planet of mentalists where she is said to be one of the most powerful. Imra left her home world of Titan to join the Science Police as a teenager. During her flight to Earth, an assassination attempt was made on the life of fellow passenger and billionaire R.J. Brande. Using her powers of telepathy, Imra discovered the plot, and, with the help of two other teenagers on board, Lightening Lad and Cosmic Boy, caught the assassin and saved Brande's life. At Brande's urging, she adopted the persona of Saturn Girl, and joined Lightning Lad and Cosmic Boy in founding the Legion of Super Heroes - an organization of teenage heroes formed to honor the legacy of Superboy. Imra was elected leader of the group in 2975. As leader of the Legion, Saturn Girl was the first female comic book character to head a group of superheroes. Although Imra lost her virginity to Cosmic Boy, Imra was romantically linked to Lightning Lad Garth Ranzz. Garth eventually proposed marriage but Imra turned him down due to a Legion rule that stipulates married members must retire from the group. After realizing she was as in love with him as he was with her she agreed and the two were married and left the League. They had a child they named Graym Ranzz. Unbeknownst to them Graym had a twin brother who was stolen at birth by Darkseid. The child was sent to the past where he was transformed into the monster Validus. Imra would rejoin the legion on several different occasions but always leaving again to go back to her family. Returning to Winnath, Garth's home world, the two took over running a Winathian Lightning Ring plantation, which became quite prosperous. When the Legion re-formed in 2994, the Ranzzes helped them out, but did not rejoin. Instead, they enlarged their family with the birth of two daughters who inherited Imra's telepathic abilities

Powers and Abilities - Saturn Girl can read the minds of others, and broadcast her own thoughts into other people's minds. She can also establish a psionic link, enabling several individuals to communicate simultaneously, with Saturn Girl's mind functioning as a conduit. She can summon distant people, probe human, electronic and animal minds, "push" weakened minds, and even directly control other's thoughts and emotions. Saturn Girl possesses the strength level of a woman her age, size and weight who engages in moderate regular exercise. All Legionnaires were presented with a flight ring that enabled them to defy gravity and sustain movement through the air by aerodynamically generating force. Saturn Girl is a more than capable physical combatant even when unable to use her powers, having formerly been a police officer.

Weaknesses and Limitations - Imra has always been portrayed as cold, but this latest revamp of her character (post Infinite Crisis), further exaggerates this personality trait. She engages in emotional isolation, and has a very serious, introverted demeanor. Her coldness however is shown to hide much deeper insecurities; neglected by Lightning Lad, utterly devoting himself to the Legion cause, she always harbors feelings of inadequacy, putting all the blame in her failing relationship to her perceived lack of attractiveness, her plain personality, and her "handicap". Overpoweringly different minds can have extremely dangerous effects on Imra's psyche. When she was forced to mentally shut down the Composite Man, her interaction with his brain left her in a near catatonic state. There is a range to Saturn Girl's ability to contact people telepathically, and Imra's ability to distinguish between a dead or unconscious person is tenuous. She cannot read the mind of a person with amnesia, someone who is hypnotized from another source, or a stunned or unconscious mind. Unconscious minds also cannot receive any telepathic commands.

28

Hawkman

Origin - Prince Khufu lived during the reign of Ramesses II in the 19th dynasty of ancient Egypt. Khufu believed that his ka, or soul, would not journey on to the land of the afterlife. Rather, his soul and that of his betrothed, Chay-Ara, were fated to remain in the mortal world. After his death, Khufu's soul was reincarnated as Carter Hall, an archaeologist active during the 1940s. After regaining the memories of his first life in Egypt, Hall used the hawk motif of the Egyptian God Horus to inspire his role as the original Hawkman. During the same period, his love Chay-Ara was reborn as archaeologist Shiera Sanders. After the two met and married, she became Hawkgirl. They became founding members of the Justice Society of America and Hawkman took the role of chairman. The two had a son, Hector Hall, who eventually became a founding member of Infinity Inc. as the Silver Scarab, and later adopted the identity of the Sandman before becoming an incarnation of Doctor Fate. Death found Carter once again as he and his wife were killed during the Zero Hour storyline. His soul merged with Katar Hol, a Thanagarian police officer who had succeeded Carter as Hawkman. Following this unorthodox resurrection, Hall retained all the memories of his past lives, as well as those of Katar Hol, the Thanagarian Hawkman. It has since been stated that the soul of Katar Hol has passed on and that Carter no longer retains his memories, though his current form still retains some of Hol's physical characteristics (notably his dark hair). Hall once again became a member of the JSA. JSA member Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders) was transported to a ravaged Thanagar where she was merged with the spirit of Shiera. At first Kendra denied the connection she felt with Carter as she was still in control of her own thoughts and had both memories of her own life as well as the memories of Shiera. Eventually the two would reunite their bond which was to be short lived. During the Blackest Night storyline they both had their hearts ripped out of their bodies by Ralph and Sue Dibney. By the end of the story, though, they were brought back to Earth by the power of the White Lantern.

Powers and Abilities - Carter Hall was a priest in a past life, and still possesses the ability to bless mundane objects. The Nth metal knife which murdered Hawkman in his original incarnation as Khufu had an unusual effect upon his soul and that of his lover Chay-Ara(Hawkgirl). The pair are locked in a seemingly endless cycle of death and rebirth throughout the centuries. While not a superhuman power per se, this propensity for reincarnation has allowed Hawkman to cheat death and return to active duty in his current incarnation. Due to his multiple incarnations and having memories of all of his past lives, Hall has become proficient in many types of weaponry. As a result, he is an expert with a wide array of archaic weapons from his past lives, including battle axes, maces, swords, spears and shields. Hawkman has access to an entire arsenal of medieval weaponry. His favored weapons are the mace and flail. Carter Hall is sometimes depicted handling futuristic technology. He has used a Thanagarian ship called "The Brontadon", and during the Rann-Thanagar War used Rannian hard-light armor. Hall is a brilliant tactician, fierce warrior, and strong leader. At the same time, however, he is extremely intelligent and expresses a deeply romantic side in relation to his beloved soul-mate. Often, Carter finds it difficult to balance between the "barbarian" of his past lives and the "gentleman" of his current incarnation. He is able to speak English, German, and Japanese but it is possible he knows more that those. His wings, which are laced with Nth metal, allow him to control navigation and guidance during flight, though they can be "flapped" through use of shoulder motions. He is able to fly up to speeds of 200 mph. Due to the Nth metal Carter has enhanced strength, durability, vision, and healing.

Weaknesses and Limitations - Every time he is born again he must wander the earth till he meets again with his eternal soul mate. But as soon as they form a deep bond, they are destined to be murdered again.

29

Power Girl

Origins - Kara Zor-L of Earth Two (a version of Earth destroyed during the Crisis on Infinite Earths) was transported to what is now known as New Earth (the Earth closely resembling our planet in the Dc Universe). But how did Kara Zor-L get to Earth Two? Power Girl is the Earth Two counterpart of our Earths Super Girl. She is the first cousin of Kal-L the Superman of Earth Two. After discovering Krypton was about to explode, Kara's father Zor-L launched her as an infant to Earth in a ship at the same time that Kal-L's ship was launched. However, Kara's ship took a much longer journey, resulting in her arriving on Earth decades after her cousin. According to Kara, the trip took 60 years. When she landed on Earth, Kara was the age of an adult woman in her early twenties. Power Girl's existence was not revealed to the general public until years after her arrival. Possessing her cousin's superhuman strength and ability to fly, she took his place in the Justice Society after he entered into semi-retirement to focus on his personal life. Kara has since been recognized as an important member of the JSA. After the Justice Society disbanded, Power Girl joined the Justice League. Later, while a member of Justice league Europe, she was badly injured by a mystical being. Superman assisted in her medical treatment, using his heat-vision to perform surgery on her otherwise-invulnerable tissues. Although she recovered, she was significantly weaker, lost all of her vision powers, and temporarily lost her ability to fly. After she was mysteriously impregnated she gave birth to a son, Equinox, who aged rapidly through artificial means. He later disappeared, never to be heard from again. During the events of Infinite Crisis, Power Girl was shocked to learn that she was not only a survivor of Krypton, she was also a survivor of the entire Earth Two universe. It is still unclear why she survived the Crisis retaining her pre-Crisis origin, when other Earth-Two figures, such as Jay Garrick and Alan Scott, did not. Afterward, Power Girl went on to help re-form the current roster of the JSA, where she was elected Chairperson of the team. At some point she created a secret identity of Karen Starr and created Starrware Labs a research and development firm specializing in nanotechnology. She has recently developed a team that is an offshoot of the JSA called the Justice Society All Stars where she is the current leader. The team consists of the younger members of the JSA and the name is not a boast but rather a nod to the old All Star Squadron which was formed in the 1940's to help with WWII when President Roosevelt could not contact the JSA.

Powers and Abilities - Power Girl's cellular structure is more dense, resilient and biologically more effective than Earth human tissue. She does possess several additional organs, the function of which are not yet disclosed or understood. Power Girl has manifested a wide range of metahuman abilities and is considered to be one of the most powerful metahumans alive. Power Girl's body also actively stores energy within her bio-cellular matrix as an energy pattern that is linked to her body's electromagnetic field. This energy powers most of Power Girl's electromagnetic capabilities, such as flight and heat vision. It seems that Kara's powers do reflect that of the current Superman as her powers also fluctuate under a red sun as recently shown in her time in New Kandor where she was operating without her superpowers. Power Girl's body is more durable and resistant to damage than a human being she can also heal faster than a normal human. Kara's immune system protects her from most toxins and diseases. Kara has the ability to fly her top speed is unknown but is though to be at least escape velocity (7 miles per second). Power Girl's enhanced metabolic rate, muscular speed, and nervous system, grant her incredible speed. Her Kryptonian structure and the solar energy paths that course along her neurophysical structure allow her to react at many times normal human speed. She can move faster than the human eye can perceive if necessary. Her reflexes are quick enough to allow her to dodge most projectile weapons and catch bullets. Power girl is at least fast enough to run/move at supersonic speeds while on Earth. Power Girl's perceptions are similarly rapid, allowing her to see individual bullets fired from high-speed automatic weaponry in flight and outrace them easily. Along with super breath, Kara also possesses several vision enhancements which included telescopic, x-ray, microscopic, and heat vision. She also has super hearing and a genius level intellect. She is a master combatant and has trained with many notable instructors including her JSA teammate Wildcat. Her super strength has been estimated at the level of her being able to lift a megaton or 100,000 tons with minimal effort. Power Girl is a collector of snow globes and loves R-rated horror movies. "Peeje" (PG as she is called by her closest friends) also has one of the most impressive rack in all of the known Boobosphere. There I said it! And what is the deal with the boob "window" on her costume?

Weaknesses and Limitations - Power Girl is vulnerable to magic. Kara's Kryptonian biology is weak to magical energies whose extra-dimensional signatures disrupt her body's stability. Power Girl's vulnerability to magic varies on the effects of the magic. She can be injured and worn down by magic and her magical enemies have often proven to be the most dangerous. Kara is as vulnerable to mental attacks as a normal human being. She has been subject to mental domination attacks against her. Those whose mental powers are superior to her own have been able to render her unconscious or disrupt her natural thought processes. Kara's x-ray vision cannot penetrate lead or lead-lined walls. Since the destruction of Krypton, its remains have been spreading throughout the universe as Kryptonite, a crystalline substance whose specific radiation is lethal to Kryptonians. It has recently been shown that Kara is only vulnerable to Earth Two Kryptonite with only one type of Kryptonite being from Earth Two and that being the green Kryptonite. Kara requires solar energy to function at peak capacity, or her powers fade to greatly reduced levels, some disappearing entirely if her solar reserves are empty.