Bolt (DC Comics)

Last updated
Bolt
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Larry Boltiansky
Blue Devil #6 (November 1984)
Terry Boltiansky
Teen Titans #55 (March 2008)
Alinta
DC Connect #6 (October 2020)
Malik White
Black Adam #1 (August 2022)
In-story information
Alter egoLarry Boltiansky
Terry Boltiansky
Alita
Malik White
SpeciesHuman (Larry, Terry)
Metahuman (Alinta, Malik White)
AbilitiesLarry/Terry:
High-tech suit grants powers such as energy blasts, flight, and teleportation
Alinta:
Connection to Speed Force grants several powers including superspeed and enhanced physical attributes
Malik White:
Derived powers from Black Adam includes: superhuman strength, speed, stamina, enhanced intelligence and wisdom, flight. invulnerability, magic and spell-casting potential.

Bolt is the name of several unrelated fictional characters appearing in American comic books published DC Comics. Although the characters vary in being both superheroes and supervillains, some versions of the characters are related to one another.

Contents

Publication history

Bolt first appeared in Blue Devil #6 (November 1984) and was created by Gary Cohn, Dan Mishkin, Paris Cullins, and Ernie Colón. [1]

Fictional characters biographies

Lawrence Boltiansky

Bolt (right) fighting Blue Devil, from Blue Devil #9, art by Paris Cullins BlueDevil9.jpg
Bolt (right) fighting Blue Devil, from Blue Devil #9, art by Paris Cullins

Larry Boltiansky is a special effects artist and assassin. [2] He designed a special suit that gives him the power to teleport and project energy blasts. Now calling himself Bolt, he has faced the superheroes Blue Devil, Captain Atom, [3] and Starman (Will Payton). [4] Bolt appears in Suicide Squad #63–66 (March through June 1992) as part of a more villainous version of the Squad propping up the dictatorship in the island of Diabloverde. Amanda Waller and her Squad take out him and his colleagues while attempting to remove the dictator.

He joins a sub-group of assassins that call themselves the Killer Elite. One of their many battles puts them up against the merc team called the Body Doubles. Bolt is hospitalized in an off-panel battle. [5] He joins the third incarnation of the Suicide Squad and apparently dies on his first mission alongside Killer Frost, Putty, Eliza and Larvanaut. He falls through a shaft, breaks his leg and is attacked by killer ants. He is seen dead in the hands of Killer Frost. [6] He later turns up alive again in the pages of Identity Crisis #1 and is badly injured by two street kids, suffering a punctured lung and two punctured kidneys. [1] He has since joined The Society. [7] His seemingly miraculous resurrections have been noted by other characters, most notably during his recovery from his gunfire-related injuries. [8]

Bolt is member of Luthor, Joker and Cheetah's Injustice League Unlimited and is one of the villains featured in Salvation Run . He is one of the villains sent to retrieve the Get Out of Hell free card from the Secret Six. Bolt is later killed by his son Dreadbolt who uses his own suit's teleporting ability to send him into a brick wall. [9] He has been identified as one of the deceased entombed below the Hall of Justice. He was subsequently revived as a member of the Black Lantern Corps. [10]

Following DC's "Infinite Frontier" relaunch, Larry appears as a member of the Suicide Squad under Peacemaker. He is immediately killed by an unstable Talon of the Court of Owls the team was meant to rescue. [11]

Terry Boltiansky

Bolt's son Terry Boltiansky appears in Teen Titans #55. [12] He initially attempts to befriend Blue Devil's former sidekick, Kid Devil, before revealing he is following in his father's footsteps as Dreadbolt. [13] He tries to persuade Kid Devil to join his team, the Terror Titans, but when Kid Devil refuses, he joins the rest of the Terror Titans in defeating him. Later, at the request of the new Clock King, he is sent to help defeat Ravager, who already took out Persuader and Copperhead. He threatens to kill Wendy and Marvin, but Ravager calls his bluff and defeats him alone. He regroups with his teammates and attempts to take her down again, but is apparently killed in the ensuing explosion caused by Ravager breaking a gas pipe. He is later revealed to have used the teleportation system in his suit to get himself and his teammates to safety.

In the Terror Titans miniseries, Dreadbolt is tasked by Clock King to kill his father, thereby proving himself worthy to lead his fellow Terror Titans. [14] Clock King then renames him Bolt when he finally does. [9] Disruptor, having lost favor from Clock King to Ravager, tried to manipulate Terry into killing her, but Terry was not fooled. [15] When Clock King sets in motion his plan to destroy Los Angeles with an army of brainwashed metahumans, Ravager sets out to stop him. Bolt and the Terror Titans battled her, only to be outmaneuvered. Miss Martian, who had posed as one of the metahumans, freed the others from their brainwashing, and they came after the Terror Titans. Retreating to Clock King's lair for help, Bolt and the others are aghast to see Clock King kill Disruptor for her failure, and leave them at the mercy of the oncoming metahumans. Bolt offers to hold them off while his teammates get away, but they insist on fighting together and are eventually subdued, with Dreadbolt being defeated by electromagnetic-powered superhero Static. Two weeks later, Bolt and the remaining Terror Titans escape from custody, planning revenge on Clock King. [16]

Alinta

This version is a metahuman speedster similar to the Flash whom lost their legs to pay off her parent's debts. With specialized prosthetic running blades and a connection to the Speed Force, the character is a becomes a notable student within Teen Titans Academy.

Malik White

Malik Adam as Bolt Malik White Bolt.png
Malik Adam as Bolt

Malik Adam White (sometimes referred to as Malik-Adam) is a fictional superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics, created by writer Christopher Priest and artist Rafa Sandoval. He first appeared in the comic books and is depicted as an African-American man of Egyptian/Kahndaqi heritage. Malik is a descendant of the antihero Black Adam. Throughout his comic book appearances, Malik adopts two different codenames, initially known as White Adam and later settling on Bolt.

In the eponymous Black Adam series, Malik is introduced as a medical student and aspiring surgeon who sometimes works as a doctor illegally and is on his way to flunking medical school. When Black Adam contracts a dangerous disease, he seeks out his descendant to grant him his powers and pass on a legacy in an attempt for atonement for his crimes, making him officially his heir and successor. As the plague rages with Teth, Malik resolves to understand the mysterious plague that infects Teth in his human form but ends up catching it himself, later learning both of them are alergic to Nth metal and affects their human form through metal toxicity. Malik also navigates his normal life possessing superhuman powers and works alongside Black Adam in combatting the Akkad pantheon resurrected through alien bacteria assuming their forms, Ibac, and the Oni Grace, who has connections with the old Circle of Crow and seeks to usurp Teth's rulership. The character later assists Mary Marvel in the Lazarus Planet event, with the pair learning of Billy's dilemma with the Rock of Eternity becoming one with him and resolving the problem.

Powers and abilities

Larry and Terry Boltiansky

Larry Boltiansky is a skilled electrical engineer and thief. Thanks to a special suit that he designed, Bolt can teleport or fly short distances instantaneously. The suit contains an energy blaster, which can also be used as a weapon. [17] Terry's suit has all of the same abilities.

Malik White

Knowledgeable in medicine to act as an unlicensed physician prior to his empowerment, Malik possess the same powers as Black Adam in which he derives his power from, which includes: [18]

SStamina of Shu The equivalent to the "Stamina of Atlas", The stamina attribute from Shu enables Malik to maintain his empowered state for an extended period without any time limitations. Additionally, the empowerment provides Amon with substance, eliminating the need for eating, sleeping, and even breathing. As a result, Adam can operate at peak efficiency, unaffected by the physiological requirements that typically apply to ordinary individuals. [19]
HSpeed of Horus The equivalent to the "Speed of Mercury", the Speed of Horus grants Malik super speed, enhanced reflexes, motor skills, and flight, enabling them to move at incredible speeds, react swiftly, perform precise maneuvers, and soar through the air. [20]
AStrength of Amon The equivalent of the "Strength of Hercules", this bestows Malik an exceptional level of superhuman strength. He gains the ability to exert immense physical power, surpassing the capabilities of ordinary individuals. With this heightened strength, they can effortlessly lift and manipulate objects of tremendous weight, overpower adversaries with ease, and deliver devastating blows in combat. [19]
ZWisdom of Zeuheti Similar to the "Wisdom of Solomon", the Wisdom of Zehuti grants slightly different powers; The wisdom enhanced Malik's mind, granting him near eidetic memory, a greater understanding of mathematics, combat strategy, languages, sciences, and can also sense mystical forces. [21] Similar to the Wisdom of Solomon, the power is considered an active one a champion must channel to activate. [19]
APower of Aten The equivalent to the "Power of Zeus", this attributes fasciliates the transformation that grants Malik access to the full range of his powers, including the ability to shoot bursts of electricity and lightning. He also possesses a limited gift of teleportation, allowing him to effortlessly travel to and from the Rock of Eternity with a single thought. Notably, the Power of Aten empowers him with the potential to use magic and cast spells. This power is considered the most difficult, requiring the most study, focus and discipline. [19]
MCourage of Mehen The equivalent to the "Courage of Achilles", the Courage of Mehen grants Malik peak physical defenses, rendering her nearly invulnerable. This heightened level of invulnerability provides significant protection against physical harm. Additionally, the empowerment grants Adam resistance to various elements, including heat, force, disease, and the effects of aging. This attribute allow Malik to withstand extreme conditions and maintain her health and vitality against formidable challenges. [19]
Living Lightning The character would a possession portion of the Living Lightning derived from his empowerment by Black Adam. Malik would potentially possess the same powers as Black Adam, with magical abilities including lightning control and amplification of spells. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Adam</span> Comic book antihero

Black Adam, real name Teth-Adam, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck, and first appeared in the debut issue of Fawcett Comics' The Marvel Family comic book in December 1945. Since DC Comics licensed and acquired Fawcett's characters in the 1970s, Black Adam has endured as one of the most popular archenemies of the superhero Captain Marvel / Shazam and the Marvel Family alongside Doctor Sivana and Mister Mind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor Light (Arthur Light)</span> Comic book character

Doctor Light is the name of two characters appearing in media published by DC Comics: supervillain Arthur Light and superhero Jacob Finlay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terra (character)</span> DC Comics character

Terra is the name used by three fictional superheroines published by DC Comics. The first Terra, Tara Markov, is an antiheroine eventually revealed to actually be a supervillainess working as a double agent. She was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, and debuted in New Teen Titans #26.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clock King</span> Two fictional characters, supervillains published by DC Comics

The Clock King is the name of three supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first Clock King debuted in World's Finest Comics #111, and was created by France Herron and Lee Elias.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plasmus</span> Comics character

Plasmus is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is depicted as an enemy of the Teen Titans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Manta</span> Comics character

Black Manta is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy, the character first appeared in Aquaman #35. He has since endured as the archenemy of the superhero Aquaman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose Wilson</span> DC Comics character

Rose Wilson is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Art Nichols, first appearing in a 1992 issue of Deathstroke the Terminator #15. She is usually portrayed as a Teen Titans enemy and later a reluctant member, struggling to win the approval of her father, Deathstroke, being his illegitimate daughter. She is also typically depicted as an apprentice to her father and later Nightwing for a time.

Copperhead is the name of several supervillains appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, mostly as enemies of the superhero Batman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calculator (character)</span> Fictional supervillain

Calculator is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Originally introduced as an enemy of the Atom, the character was later redeveloped in the 2000s as a master information broker, hacker, and tactical supervisor to other supervillains, and foil to Batman's partner Oracle.

Persuader is the name for three unrelated supervillains appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes)</span> Comic book superhero

Jaime Reyes is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Keith Giffen, John Rogers, and Cully Hamner, the character made his first appearance in Infinite Crisis #3. Jaime Reyes is the third character to assume the mantle of Blue Beetle, but is substantially different from his predecessors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Osiris (DC Comics)</span> Comics character

Amon Tomaz, known as Osiris, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Making his full debut in 52 #23, the character serves as analogue to Captain Marvel Jr. / Shazam Jr, sharing a significant connections to the character Black Adam, who is depicted as both a villain and anti-hero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zachary Zatara</span> Fictional character in the DC Universe

Zachary Zatara, also known as Zatara, is a superhero featured in American comic books published by DC Comics. He made his first appearance in Teen Titans #34 and was created by Geoff Johns and Tony Daniel. The character is the cousin of Zatanna and the nephew of the original Zatara. In the aftermath of the events of Day of Vengeance, Zachary gained magical powers and chose to follow in his family's footsteps, becoming a superhero and stage magician with real magical powers.

The Dark Side Club is a fictional underground club in DC Comics, coming to prominence in the Final Crisis limited series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terror Titans</span> Supervillain team from DC Comics

The Terror Titans are a supervillain group in the DC Comics. They are a mirror group to the Teen Titans. They first appeared as a team in Teen Titans #56, though Clock King and Dreadbolt appeared in shadow form at the end of #55.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beast Boy</span> Fictional character

Beast Boy is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He has also gone under the alias Changeling. Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Bob Brown, he is a shapeshifter who possesses the ability to transform into any animal he chooses. The character first appeared in Doom Patrol #99 and is usually depicted as a member of the Doom Patrol and the Teen Titans.

"Endless Winter" is a 2020 crossover event in DC Comics publications. Written by Andy Lanning and Ron Marz, the story follows the Frost King's efforts to cause an eternal global winter and the Justice League's efforts to stop him. Taking place in the New Justice relaunch, the story appeared in nine issues spread across five comic titles published over five weeks in December 2020.

"War for Earth-3" is a 2022 crossover event in DC Comics publications. Written by Robbie Thompson, Denis Hopeless and Jeremy Adams, the story follows a conflict between the Suicide Squad, Crime Syndicate of America, Teen Titans, and Flash as Amanda Waller creates a plan to have an everlasting Suicide Squad. The story appeared in five issues spread across three comic titles published over five weeks in March 2022. The event received mixed reviews from critics, with critics praising the story and action but criticizing the art and characters, particularly the Crime Syndicate.

References

  1. 1 2 Jimenez, Phil (2008), "Bolt", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.), The DC Comics Encyclopedia, London: Dorling Kindersley, p. 58, ISBN   978-0-7566-4119-1
  2. Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 53. ISBN   978-1-4654-5357-0.
  3. Captain Atom #9 (November 1987)
  4. Starman #2-3 (November–December 1988)
  5. New Year's Evil: Body Doubles one-shot
  6. Suicide Squad (vol. 2) #3 (January 2002)
  7. Villains United #5 (November 2005)
  8. Teen Titans (vol. 2) #20, noted by Electrocutioner.
  9. 1 2 Terror Titans #3
  10. Blackest Night #6
  11. Suicide Squad (vol. 7) #1
  12. Teen Titans (vol. 3) #55 (March 2008)
  13. Teen Titans (vol. 3) #56 (April 2008)
  14. Terror Titans #1
  15. Terror Titans #5
  16. Terror Titans #6
  17. Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Vol 1 #3 (May 1985)
  18. Priest, Christopher (2023-05-16). Black Adam Vol. 1. National Geographic Books. ISBN   978-1-77952-009-8.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 Jaffe, Alex (October 5, 2021). "Shazam!: What's in a Name?". DC Comics. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  20. Bulmer, Darren; Ciechanowski, Walt; Huff, Chris; Johnson, Sean; Kenson, Steve; McFarland, Matthew (2011-10-25). DC Adventures Heroes & Villains, Volume 1: Allies and Enemies from the DC Universe. Diamond Comic Distributors. ISBN   978-1-934547-38-0.
  21. 1 2 "DC Universe Infinite Encyclopedia: Black Adam". 2021-05-08. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved 2024-02-09.