TNT (character)

Last updated
TNT
TNT DC Comics.jpg
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Star-Spangled Comics #7 (April 1942)
Created by Mort Weisinger
In-story information
Alter egoThomas N. "Tex" Thomas
Team affiliations All-Star Squadron
Seven Soldiers of Victory
Partnerships Dan the Dyna-Mite
AbilitiesAfter coming in contact with Dan the Dyna-Mite:
Enhanced strength, speed and resistance to injury
Heat generation

TNT is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. TNT and his sidekick Dan the Dyna-Mite were created by Mort Weisinger for DC Comics, and made their debut in Star Spangled Comics #7 (April 1942). [1]

Contents

The "human hand grenades" had a short lived career during the Golden Age of Comic Books, reappearing occasionally in reprint form during the 1970s, returning in Super Friends #12, and appearing from time to time in All-Star Squadron and its Post-Crisis sequel, Young All-Stars .

Fictional character biography

Pre-Crisis

TNT and Dan the Dyna-Mite are the secret identities of chemistry teacher and track coach Thomas N. "Tex" Thomas and his student Daniel Dunbar. [2] While working together with some "radioactive salts", they discover they are charged with atomic energy. [3] Thomas is charged with positive energy, while Dunbar is charged with negative energy. Thomas makes a pair of rings which keeps the energy dormant until they are touched together, at which point the pair gains enhanced strength, speed, and resistance to injury, and the ability to generate different forms of energy. Thomas generates heat, while Dan can generate short bursts of electricity. [4] The series ran through Star-Spangled Comics #23 (August 1943).

Post-Crisis

TNT was revived as part of Roy Thomas's All-Star Squadron, and its spin-off, The Young All-Stars. After TNT and Dyna-Mite had been active for a few months, they are summoned by the All-Star Squadron to participate in their first general meeting. Their participation seems to have been limited to attending meetings and little else until April 1942, when Liberty Belle, as chairperson of the All-Stars, asks TNT and Dyna-Mite to look into Axis espionage activity in Colorado. Here, they meet future All-Star member Iron Munro, but TNT is killed by Gudra the Valkyrie, a supernatural agent of Adolf Hitler. [5] TNT is posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, leaving Dyna-Mite to work with Munro and other members of the Young All-Stars. Keeping Thomas' ring, Dan finds he can activate his powers by slamming both rings together.

In 2010's DCU: Legacies #2, TNT and Dyna-Mite are revealed to have been founding members of the Seven Soldiers of Victory. [6] [7] [8] How this retcon affects their histories, such as the previously established death of TNT and Dyna-Mite's Young All-Stars stint, has not yet been revealed.

Current version

The latest version of the character is featured in Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers project. Calling himself Dyno-Mite Dan, Harris D. Ledbetter makes an online purchase of what he believes are TNT and Dan The Dyna-Mite's rings, and joins five other heroes in Seven Soldiers #0. Later, he is killed with the rest of his team. His rings are actually working fakes made by Cassandra Craft.

DC Universe

During the Dark Nights: Death Metal storyline, TNT is among the superheroes that were revived by Batman using a Black Lantern ring. [9]

Powers and abilities

When his powers are unleashed, TNT possesses super-strength, enhanced speed, and resistance to injuries. He can also do energy blasts.

Equipment

TNT possesses a special ring that helps contain his powers when in his civilian form. When his ring touches Dan the Dyna-Mite's ring, their powers are unleashed.

Enemies

TNT had his own rogues gallery: [10]

Reception

American Comic Book Chronicles says that the TNT and Dan the Dyna-Mite series "had potential, but consistently fell flat, limited space and unimaginative writing its chief problems". [3]

Other versions

TNT is mentioned in the 1993 four issue mini-series The Golden Age , written by James Robinson and drawn by Paul Smith. This series is set during the period of McCarthyism and, much as he did in The Young All-Stars, TNT is said to have died during World War II.

Related Research Articles

<i>Infinity, Inc.</i> Fictional team of superheroes

Infinity, Inc. is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Dugan</span> DC Comics character

S.T.R.I.P.E. is a superhero in the DC Comics Universe. S.T.R.I.P.E. is a powered armor suit invented and worn by Patrick "Pat" Dugan, the former adult sidekick to teenage superhero Sylvester Pemberton, the Star-Spangled Kid. "Stripesy", as he was originally called, is a gifted mechanic who built the Star Rocket Racer, a bubble-topped limousine with the functions of a rocket and helicopter. Together, they were members of the Seven Soldiers of Victory and the All-Star Squadron. Stripesy was created by Jerry Siegel and Hal Sherman, and first appeared in Star Spangled Comics #1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young All-Stars</span>

The Young All-Stars are a team of fictional DC Comics superheroes. They were created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, and Michael Bair, and introduced in Young All-Stars #1, dated June 1987. The team members Tsunami, Neptune Perkins, and Dan the Dyna-Mite were all introduced in previously published DC Comics stories. The team members Iron Munro, Flying Fox, and Fury were created for the series and intended to be analogs of the Golden Age versions of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven Soldiers of Victory</span> Team of fictional comic book superheroes

The Seven Soldiers of Victory is a team of fictional comic book superheroes in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Leading Comics #1, and were created by Mort Weisinger and Mort Meskin. The team was a short-lived assembly of some of the less famous superheroes in the DC Universe who have made occasional appearances since their Golden Age debut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberty Belle (comics)</span> Fictional characters in comics

The Liberty Belle is the name of three superheroines. Two are from DC Comics: Libby Lawrence and Jesse Chambers, and the other is from Charlton Comics: Caroline Dean.

Vigilante is the name used by several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Notable individuals to assume the alias include Greg Saunders and Adrian Chase.

"Alias the Spider" is a superhero feature from the Golden Age of Comic Books that appeared in Quality Comics' Crack Comics for nearly three years, starting with issue #1 in 1940. He was created by writer-artist Paul Gustavson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomahawk (character)</span> American comic book character

Tomahawk is an American comic book character whose adventures were published by DC Comics during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s as a backup feature in Star Spangled Comics and World's Finest Comics and in his own eponymous series. He was created by writer Joe Samachson and artist Edmond Good, and first appeared in Star-Spangled Comics #69. Tomahawk's uniqueness stems in part from the time frame of his adventures: the American Revolutionary War.

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

Iron Munro is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Roy Thomas created the character in 1987 for Young All-Stars. He largely served to replace Superman in stories set during World War II after the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline eliminated continuities in which Superman was active in this period.

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

Merry Pemberton, also known as Gimmick Girl and Merry, Girl of 1000 Gimmicks is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe. She is the adoptive sister of Sylvester Pemberton. Merry Pemberton first appeared in Star-Spangled Comics #81 in June 1948, and ran through #90. She was created by writer Otto Binder.

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

Paula Brooks is a fictional comic book character published by DC Comics. She is one of many characters to use the names Tigress and Huntress. Paula Brooks is the wife of Sportsmaster and the mother of Artemis Crock.

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

Sylvester Pemberton, alternately known as The Star-Spangled Kid and Skyman, is a superhero in the DC Comics universe. Sylvester first appeared in Star Spangled Comics #1 and was created by Jerry Siegel and Hal Sherman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robotman (Robert Crane)</span> Fictional character

Robotman (Robert Crane) is a Golden Age DC Comics superhero. He first appeared in Star Spangled Comics #7 (April 1942) and was created by Jerry Siegel and Leo Nowak. As his name suggests, Robotman is a cyborg; part robot and part human.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Saunders</span> American comic book character

Greg Saunders is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first DC character to bear the name Vigilante.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Destroyer (Marvel Comics)</span> Marvel Comics superhero

The Destroyer is the name of three fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original incarnation was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Binder, and first appeared in Mystic Comics #6, being one of Lee's earliest creations during the Golden Age of comic books.

<i>DC Universe: Legacies</i>

DC Universe: Legacies is a 2010–2011 ten-issue comic book limited series written by Len Wein and published by DC Comics. It details the perspective of an admirer of superheroes in the DC Universe from the Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Modern eras of comic books.

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

Dan Garret or Dan Garrett is a fictional superhero, appearing in American comic books published by multiple companies, including Fox Comics, Charlton Comics, and DC Comics. Garret was created by Charles Nicholas Wojtkoski, and made his first appearance in Fox's Mystery Men Comics #1 during the Golden Age of Comic Books. Garret is the first character to become the superhero Blue Beetle, predating Ted Kord and Jaime Reyes.

References

  1. ↑ Benton, Mike (1992). Superhero Comics of the Golden Age: The Illustrated History. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company. p. 184. ISBN   0-87833-808-X . Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  2. ↑ Markstein, Don. "TNT and Dan the Dyna-Mite". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  3. 1 2 Mitchell, Kurt; Thomas, Roy (2019). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1940-1944. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 150. ISBN   978-1605490892.
  4. 1 2 Star-Spangled Comics #7. DC Comics.
  5. ↑ The Young All-Stars #1
  6. ↑ "Continue to explore the history of the DCU with LEGACIES #2". 15 June 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  7. ↑ "Dueling Review: DC Universe: Legacies #2 | Major Spoilers - Comic Book Reviews and News". Archived from the original on 2010-06-25. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
  8. ↑ "Newest Seven Soldiers in DC Legacies #2 (Spoilers) - The Comic Bloc Forums". Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  9. ↑ Dark Nights: Death Metal #5. DC Comics.
  10. ↑ Nevins, Jess (2013). Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes. High Rock Press. p. 273. ISBN   978-1-61318-023-5.
  11. ↑ Star-Spangled Comics #15. DC Comics.
  12. ↑ Star-Spangler Comics #22. DC Comics.
  13. ↑ Star-Spangled Comics #13. DC Comics.
  14. ↑ Star-Spangled Comics #20. DC Comics.
  15. 1 2 Star-Spangled Comics #23. DC Comics.
  16. ↑ World's Finest #5. DC Comics.
  17. ↑ Star-Spangled Comics #10. DC Comics.
  18. ↑ Star-Spangled Comics #19. DC Comics.
  19. ↑ Star-Spangled Comics #11. DC Comics.
  20. ↑ Star-Spangled Comics #9. DC Comics.
  21. ↑ Star-Spangled Comics #8. DC Comics.
  22. ↑ Star-Spangled Comics #18. DC Comics.
  23. ↑ Star-Spangled Comics #14. DC Comics.
  24. ↑ Star-Spangled Comics #21. DC Comics.
  25. ↑ Star-Spangled Comics #17. DC Comics.
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.