Pre-Crisis
As revealed in Superman #249, Tobias Manning was born during the Old West era. [2] An alien known as the Currency-Criminal accidentally killed Tobias's father Jess and took young Tobias as his ward, raising him from childhood and teaching him the use of alien weapons, which were created to resemble the 19th-century weapons with which Tobias was familiar. As an adult, Tobias kills the Currency-Criminal and becomes an interstellar outlaw called "Terra-Man", a name chosen to refer to his Earthly origins. For transportation, he tames Nova, an Arguvian alien resembling a winged horse. [3] [4]
Post-Crisis
The post- Crisis version of Terra-Man is a businessman who begins attacking enterprises that endanger the environment after realizing that his own practices are not environmentally healthy.
Manning develops a variety of weapons themed around nature, including guns that can cause shockwaves and earthquakes. He engineers numerous forms of plant life to meet his needs, including plants that can drain solar energy and liquefy organic material. Manning also developed a process to quickly and cleanly remove poison from toxic sites and renew nutrients in soil. He is served by a robotic army dressed in western garb, called the "Terra-Men".
In Infinite Crisis , Terra-Man joins the Secret Society of Super Villains. In the follow-up series 52 , Terra-Man hijacks Ferris Air Flight 456 over the Mediterranean Sea and escapes due to Black Adam forbidding Power Girl from entering Kahndaq airspace. Adam later kills Terra-Man by ripping him in half. [5]
In Blackest Night , Terra-Man is revealed to have been buried under the Hall of Justice. His body is resurrected as a Black Lantern along with many other deceased heroes and villains. [6]
