Gangbuster (DC Comics)

Last updated
Gangbuster
Gangbuster (Jose Delgado).png
Gangbuster by Arthur Adams.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance As Jose Delgado:
The Adventures of Superman #428
(May 1987)
As Gangbuster:
The Adventures of Superman #434
(November 1987)
Created by Marv Wolfman (writer)
Jerry Ordway (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoJose Delgado
Team affiliations S.T.A.R. Labs
Justice League
Supporting character of Superman
AbilitiesSkilled martial artist and gymnast
Cybernetic enhancement implants in his legs

Gangbuster is a comic book fictional character, a DC Comics superhero. He first appeared as Jose Delgado in The Adventures of Superman #428 (May 1987), and as Gangbuster in The Adventures of Superman #434 (November 1987). He was created by Marv Wolfman and Jerry Ordway. [1]

Contents

Creation

Ordway spoke on the genesis of the character stating,

"We originally wanted to use Kirby's Guardian but couldn't so we came up with Gangbuster instead"

[2]

Fictional character biography

Gangbuster I

Jose Delgado grew up in the Metropolis area known as Suicide Slum. As he grew older he became a skilled boxer. He went into teaching and ended up as a high school teacher in Metropolis. He became a mentor to Jerry White (the son of Perry White). When Lex Luthor enlisted youth gangs into organized crime under his control, Jose adopted the identity of Gangbuster to deal with the threat posed to the teenagers in his community. [1]

The Combattor fighting Gangbuster as drawn by Jerry Ordway in The Adventures of Superman #437. Combattor (comics).jpg
The Combattor fighting Gangbuster as drawn by Jerry Ordway in The Adventures of Superman #437.

Jose Delgado suffered a spinal injury while saving Lois Lane's life during a fight with a creature called Combattor (ironically, Luthor had secretly created Combattor with the intention of framing Superman for the damage caused in Combattor's rampage, but Gangbuster's efforts not only contained Combattor but also caused him to collapse when the implants that gave him his strength had negative consequences on his health). [3] Delgado was hospitalized and talked into retiring by Cat Grant. He recovered the ability to walk with the assistance of a LexCorp cybernetic implant, similar to the implant later used on Maximum from the Supermen of America.

Delgado later discovered someone else was masquerading as Gangbuster, and using much more violent methods. This turned out to be an amnesiac Superman, who was suffering from a nervous breakdown after a fight with Brainiac.

After recovering, Delgado discovered that the implant which enabled him to walk was a LexCorp invention, and that Lex Luthor could use it to take control of his body. [4] Luthor forced Gangbuster to attack an ally of Superman's named Professor Emil Hamilton. Hamilton was later able to successfully alter the implant, allowing Jose to take control of his life again. Delgado's life later fell apart and he had trouble keeping jobs.

Delgado had limited personal relationships with Cat Grant. They became very close while he served as her bodyguard, but he did not get along with her young son Adam. Delgado resumed his career as Gangbuster following Superman's apparent death at the hands of Doomsday. He got into trouble when he broke up a drug deal only to discover that it was part of an undercover police operation. Pursued by the police, he went on the run.

An ultraviolent Gangbuster later showed up in Black Lightning's hometown of Brick City. Black Lightning discovered that this wasn't the real Gangbuster, but a shapeshifter named Ishmael, an operative of Tobias Whale. [5] The real Jose Delgado Gangbuster soon showed up [6] and later helped him defeat Ishmael and his shapeshifter brother Queequeg. [7]

Gangbuster returned in issue #1 of the weekly mini-series known as Trinity . In issue #5 he debuted an updated version of his body armor with a portable arsenal of non-lethal weaponry. He was forced out of retirement by witnessing the kidnapping of mystic Tarot (to whom he appointed himself guardian). [8] Jose soon tracked Tarot to the castle headquarters of Despero, Morgana Le Fey and the villain known as Enigma. He and Hawkman infiltrated the castle and spend days fighting through its denizens, as time and space were much different inside from outside. They rescued Tarot from a trio of stone monsters. [9] At the end of the series, with reality returned to normal, Gangbuster and Tarot began a relationship.

In the Supergirl series, Gangbuster and Dr. Light (Kimiyo Hoshi)—both employees of S.T.A.R. Labs—help Supergirl rescue her friend Lana Lang after her body is possessed by the Insect Queen. [10]

Gangbuster and Dr. Light investigate an object that crashes into a Metropolis park and leaves a massive crystallized crater in its center. While searching the crater, the two heroes discover a Bizarro Supergirl. [11] The Bizarro Supergirl takes Gangbuster and Dr. Light hostage, but is ultimately defeated in battle by the real Supergirl. [12]

Gangbuster II

During DC Rebirth , Jose's niece is introduced named Rebekah and assumes the role of Gangbuster II. [13]

Powers and abilities

Jose Delgado has no superpowers but is a skilled martial artist and gymnast. When Jose was crippled on duty as the Gangbuster, he was forced to accept Lex Luthor's agreement and treatment to return the function of his legs to him using cybernetic enhancement. However, Luthor's cybernetic components also allowed him to control Jose's movement if necessary.

Other versions

In the alternate "Trinity" universe, Gangbuster is one of the few entities to recognize and understand reality is not as it should be. He allies himself with that universe's version of Alfred Pennyworth. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lex Luthor</span> Fictional supervillain appearing in DC comics publications and related media

Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in Action Comics #23. He has since endured as the archenemy of the superhero Superman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bizarro</span> Comic book supervillain

Bizarro is a supervillain or anti-hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman, and first appeared in Superboy #68 (1958). Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books, the character has often been portrayed as an antagonist to Superman, though on occasion he also takes on an antihero role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brainiac (character)</span> Supervillain in the DC Universe

Brainiac is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, and debuted in Action Comics #242. He has since endured as one of Superman's greatest enemies. The character's name is a portmanteau of the words brain and maniac.

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

Doomsday is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Dan Jurgens, the character first made a cameo appearance in Superman: The Man of Steel #17 before being fully introduced in Superman: The Man of Steel #18. He has become one of Superman's most enduring enemies belonging to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blaze and Satanus</span> Comics character

Blaze and Satanus are twin fictional demonic siblings appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Blaze debuted in Action Comics #655, created by Roger Stern and Brett Breeding and first pencilled by Bob McLeod. Later, Satanus was created by Brett Breeding and debuted in The Adventures of Superman #493 by Jerry Ordway and Tom Grummett. The twin duo originally starred as Superman villains associated with the supernatural but were later revealed to be the children of the Wizard Shazam, Blaze respectively depicted as a powerful enemy of the Marvel Family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan Edge</span> Fictional DC comics character

Morgan Edge is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Originally a supporting character, he is a media mogul who acquires The Daily Planet and employs Clark Kent as a television journalist for his WGBS TV network. After the Crisis on Infinite Earth series which led to a revision of the DC Universe, the character was a leader of Intergang.

Supergirl is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character is best known as one of the characters to have assumed the mantle of Supergirl. Created by writer Steven Seagle and artist Scott McDaniel, she first appeared in Superman: The 10¢ Adventure #1 (2003) as the alleged daughter of Superman. She is later found to be a human girl who was genetically altered by the villain Brainiac to appear Kryptonian. The character dies thwarting a plot involving Brainiac 13. Superman #200 implies that when the timeline realigned itself, Cir-El was erased from existence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank Henshaw</span> Fictional character

Henry "Hank" Henshaw is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, and normally goes by the name Cyborg Superman. Created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens, the character originally appeared primarily as an enemy of Superman, however in recent years he has also been an enemy of the Green Lantern Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bizarro World</span> Planet in the DC Comics universe

The Bizarro World is a fictional planet appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Introduced in the early 1960s, Htrae is a cube-shaped planet, home to Bizarro and companions, all of whom were initially Bizarro versions of Superman, Lois Lane and their children. Later, other Bizarros were added. Among them was Batzarro, the World's Worst Detective.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercy Graves</span> DC Comics character

Mercy Graves is a supervillain appearing in multimedia and American comic books published by DC Entertainment and DC Comics. Created for the DC Animated Universe (DCAU), she first appeared in 1996 on Superman: The Animated Series as the personal assistant and bodyguard of Superman's archenemy Lex Luthor, returning in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, voiced by Lisa Edelstein. She has since been introduced into comic books published by DC Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lena Luthor</span> Fictional character in DC Comics

Lena Luthor is the name of two fictional comic book characters in DC Comics. The first one, introduced in 1961, is the sister of Superman's nemesis Lex Luthor, while the second one, introduced in 2000, is Lex Luthor's daughter who is named after her aunt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cat Grant</span> Fictional character from Superman franchise

Catherine Jane "Cat" Grant is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was played by Tracy Scoggins in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Calista Flockhart in the Arrowverse television series Supergirl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supermen of America</span>

The Supermen of America is the name of two fictional superhero teams published by DC Comics. The original group first appeared in a special written by Stuart Immonen published in 1999, and a later mini-series written by Fabian Nicieza, which was published in 2000. The second group debuted in Superman #714 in 2011.

Paul Westfield is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Superman #58 and was created by Dan Jurgens.

<i>Superman: War of the Supermen</i>

Superman: War of the Supermen is an American comic book limited series from DC Comics that serves as the culmination to the Superman line-wide event New Krypton. The series began on Free Comic Book Day 2010, with a zero-issue released free of charge before the main limited series began the following week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professor Hamilton</span> Fictional DC comics character, created 1987

Professor Emil Hamilton is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually as a supporting character in stories featuring Superman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reign of Doomsday</span> 2011 comic book storyline by DC Comics

"Reign of Doomsday" is a 2011 comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics that ran through the Superman family of books, The Outsiders and The Justice League of America. The crossover involves Doomsday hunting down Steel, Superboy, Eradicator, and Cyborg Superman, the four main characters introduced in the wake of the controversial The Death of Superman storyline in 1992. Though the current iteration of the character was not present in the original The Death of Superman storyline, Supergirl appears in the crossover as well due to being part of the Justice League. The storyline draws its title from Reign of the Supermen, the immediate follow-up to The Death of Superman.

"H'El on Earth" is a Superman crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Written primarily by Scott Lobdell, it details the appearance of H'El, a mysterious Kryptonian. The plot of "H'El on Earth" follows H'El's plan to restore Krypton and the Superman family's attempts to stop him.

Lex Luthor is a supervillain in The CW's Arrowverse, based on the character of the same name created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Adapted for television in 2017 by Glen Winter and Greg Berlanti, he made his first appearance in the Supergirl episode "Luthors". Both Aidan Fink and Jon Cryer portrayed versions of the supervillain, with Aidan Fink portraying a young Lex Luthor and Jon Cryer portraying Lex as an adult.

References

  1. 1 2 Beatty, Scott (2008). "Gangbuster". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.). The DC Comics Encyclopedia. New York: Dorling Kindersley. p. 135. ISBN   978-0-7566-4119-1. OCLC   213309017.
  2. ↑ Nolen Weathington, Eric (2007). Jerry Ordway. Raleigh, N.C: TwoMorrows Pub. p. 38. ISBN   978-1-893905-79-5.
  3. ↑ Byrne, John , Jerry Ordway  ( w ), Byrne, John , Jerry Ordway  ( p ), Beatty, John  ( i )."Point of View"The Adventures of Superman,no. 437(February, 1988).DC Comics.
  4. ↑ Greenberger, Robert; Pasko, Martin (2010). The Essential Superman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. pp. 105–106. ISBN   978-0-345-50108-0.
  5. ↑ Black Lightning (vol. 2) #6 (July 1995)
  6. ↑ Black Lightning (vol. 2) #7 (August 1995)
  7. ↑ Black Lightning (vol. 2) #8 (September 1995)
  8. ↑ Trinity #1-5 (June–July 2008) by Kurt Busiek, Fabian Nicieza and Mark Bagley
  9. 1 2 Trinity #16 (September 2008)
  10. ↑ Supergirl (vol. 5) #53 (June 2010)
  11. ↑ Supergirl (vol. 5) #54 (July 2010)
  12. ↑ Supergirl (vol. 5) #55-56 (August–September 2010)
  13. ↑ Superman (vol. 5) #30
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.