Fictional character biography
Lawrence "Crusher" Crock
Sportsmaster is a foe of the original Green Lantern as well as Wildcat. He was first known as Crusher Crock, a frustrated athlete who turns to a life of crime. [3] He was a member of different incarnations of the Injustice Society. [4] He teams up with (and later marries) the Golden Age villainess Huntress. They have a child named Artemis Crock, who became the third Tigress. In his later years he spent time behind bars but at least on one occasion was broken out of prison by his daughter - then a member of Injustice Unlimited. [5]
In Final Crisis , Sportsmaster appears as one of General Immortus' followers. Immortus' latest recruit, the Human Flame, betrays him and kills Sportsmaster. [6] Following his death, his body is cloned by a secret organization called the Council to act as enforcers.
In The New 52 continuity reboot, Sportsmaster appears as a member of Leviathan. [7] [8]
Victor Gover
The second Sportsmaster is Victor Gover, an African-American former football player who possessed "photographic reflexes". Blacklisted from the world of professional sports after his metahuman abilities are exposed, Gover becomes a criminal and enemy of Manhunter. He later joins the Suicide Squad for one mission during War of the Gods . [9]
Following Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! , Gover is reimagined as a powerless white athlete and gambling addict. Wildcat later beats and injures Gover, forcing him to retire and attend Gamblers Anonymous.
Sportsmen
Sportsman is the name of two characters modeled after the original Sportsmaster.
The Earth-2 version gained his powers from absorbing an anti-proton globe, which enhanced his physical attributes and allowed him to telekinetically manipulate various sports related implements. However, he turns to crime as a result of the globe's effect on the rational functions of his brain. Sportsman battles several heroes, including the Golden Age Robin and Wildcat.
The Earth-1 version is Martin Mantle, an athlete whose father forced him to undergo unsafe enhancement treatments. As an adult, Mantle becomes a champion athlete, only to learn his father's procedure altered his body in a way that would eventually kill him. As the Sportsman, he briefly becomes a criminal with Olympian-level physical attributes and specialized equipment of his own design. Sportsman battles Batman, who allows him to "win" once he becomes aware that Mantle's life was nearing its end. [10]
Powers and abilities
Crock uses sporting-themed weapons such as exploding baseballs, flying bases, rocket baseball bats, knockout basketballs, lacrosse snare nets, exploding hockey pucks. Their outfits generally included a baseball cap, catcher's mask, padded jersey, catcher's chestguard, football-style pants, and cleats. [3]
Each of the Sportsmasters and Sportsmen had superb physical attributes on par with Olympic athletes in their prime. As noted above, Victor Gover also had "photographic reflexes".
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