Dynamic Man (Timely Comics)

Dynamic Man is a fictional comic book superhero, first published by Timely Comics, the forerunner of Marvel Comics during the period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books.

He was created by Daniel Peters and first appeared in Mystic Comics #1 (1940). He made his first modern age appearance in The Twelve.^[1][2]

Fictional character biography

Dynamic Man started out as an android created by the brilliant scientist Professor Goettler. However, when the professor threw the switch to bring life to Dynamic Man, the excitement was too much for him, and he died. Dynamic Man resolves to use his amazing powers for the betterment of humanity, and flies away to civilization. He became an F.B.I. agent using the alias Curt Cowan. When not working for the F.B.I., he would don a costume and become the superhero Dynamic Man.^[3]

The Twelve

Dynamic Man is among the heroes that fought the Nazis and while infiltrating a base, he is among the Twelve heroes captured and put in suspended animation.

During a battle with the Nazis on Elbe Day, the Phantom Reporter narrates, "Dynamic Man said you couldn't throw a rock without hitting somebody in a mask and tights. 'And those are just the pansies in the German army,' he said, then added-- 'They'd probably run even faster if they weren't wearing those stiletto heels.' Curt was always saying things like that. He made a point of saying them. Which made some of us wonder if maybe it was D.M. who had something besides his costume hidden deep in his closet." [The Twelve #1] Dynamic Man also displays an anti-homosexual attitude towards the flamboyant Blue Blade and threatens a gay supporter with bodily harm.^[4] In a quick interview, Dynamic Man calls J. Edgar Hoover "a man's man" (perhaps an intentional irony because Hoover's enemies have spread the rumor that he reportedly liked to dress up in women's clothes).^[5] He becomes increasingly colder with time, seeking fame and recognition, and stressing his status as the Man of Tomorrow.

In issue #9 of The Twelve, Dynamic Man is shown entertaining folks at a brightly lit, simply portrayed baseball game and talking about "real" America, while in contrast, in other portions of the story, the artist uses lightning bolt shaped comic panels to show that someone communicated with Electro (the robot) when the Twelve were placed in suspended animation AND someone controlled the robot when it killed Blue Blade. The Phantom Reporter witnesses these flashbacks using a machine and appears to have suspicions as to that individual's identity.

In issue #10, The Phantom Reporter gathers all the heroes and Electro together at their home to explain how Electro killed The Blue Blade and the patrons of a homosexual bar. PR reveals that Dynamic Man formed a mental link with Electro because he was also a mechanical man. DM's true nature was not publicly known in the Marvel Universe. Dynamic Man denies his artificial nature, until Fiery Mask burns away DM's costume revealing a lack of genitalia. PR explains that Dynamic Man's creator wanted to remove the cause of all vice-sexual desire-so he created a sexless man disgusted by all forms of sex. The enraged Dynamic Man lashes out at Electro, then threatens to kill everyone else.

In issue #11, after Dynamic Man destroyed the mansion trying to kill all the others, he flees to the home/laboratory of his creator. After getting everyone out but Rockman, Phantom Reporter, along with Captain Wonder, Mastermind Excello and Fiery Mask, goes to stop him. At the lab, Dynamic Man is destroyed, but not after killing Fiery Mask, who passes along his power to Phantom Reporter, who uses it to destroy DM. Captain Wonder is severely burned in the conflict.

Powers and abilities

Dynamic Man, being an android, was impervious to nearly everything except for a rare substance known as lantholum. He could also fly and possessed superhuman strength and intelligence, x-ray vision and shape-shifting. In addition to this, he could use magnetic fields to repel bullets and yank guns from the hands of criminals.^[6]

His costume was green with a black belt and four yellow lightning bolts on his chest, the top two diagonal on his upper chest and the other two horizontal across the lower part of his chest.

References

• Catalogue of International Superheroes profile

Footnotes