Al Harahap
Mar 25, 2004, 12:31 pm
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/headshots/dc/stel3.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Steel">Real Name: Dr. John Henry Irons, Ph.D.
Former Aliases: Henry Johnson, Superman III, Man of Steel
First Appearance: Adventures of Superman #500
Known Relatives: Bessemer Irons (father, deceased), Park Irons (mother, deceased), Clayton Irons (Crash II, brother), Blondell Irons (sister-in-law), Jemahl Irons (nephew), Natasha Irons (Steel IV, niece), Tyke Irons (foster nephew), Darlene Irons (foster niece), Paco Irons (nephew), Bess Irons (grandmother, deceased), Butter Irons (grandfather),
Group Affiliation: Steelworks, formerly Justice League of America III
Known Allies: Warrior, Superman I, Superboy I, Supergirl II, JLA
Major Enemies: Lex Luthor, Darkseid, Imperiex, Cyborg II
Hair: none
Eyes: Brown
Orphaned by a car accident, the brothers John Henry & Clayton Irons began living with their grandparents from a young age. John Henry's rough childhood, including the experience of racism, fueled him with a desire to be successful. He began training for his football team and eventually became its star player alongside the would-be Green Lantern named Guy Gardner (now Warrior). When a teacher noticed John Henry's knack of using basic physics on the field to help him win games, he convinced the young student to start studying the sciences. He eventually leaned towards the sciences and found his passion within it. He then received a full scholarship for his Engineering major, and focused on ballistics.
When his brother, Clay, was gunned down in a neighborhood shooting, it was left upon John Henry to take care of his sister-in-law and her children. But John Henry was not a well-off man. And so he began selling weapon designs and creations to those who were willing to pay. But soon he realised that his technologies were being used by both governments and terrorists around the world to murder innocent people. Considering his compensation as blood money, he was discouraged by all the harm to which he was contributing, and so instead began using his talents in the more low-profile field of construction work. One typical day at the construction site, John Henry accidentally fell. As he was falling to his death, a costumed superhero quickly flew in. John Henry was surprised to find that Superman had saved his life. He was eternally grateful, but just like any other save, Superman humbly asked that John Henry make his second chance at life worth something.
When Doomsday killed Superman, the hero's spirit seemingly struck a cord within John Henry, who then became inspired to take on the "S" by designing himself a special armour and mallet to become the hero known as Steel. He even adopted the same cape as Superman had used. Though not claiming to be Superman himself like the other "Supermen" who showed up around the same time, Steel's efforts at fighting crime was appreciated by the citizens of Metropolis. After Superman was revived, along with Superman, Superboy, Supergirl, and the Eradicator, Steel helped defeat the the plans of the Cyborg and the warlord Mongul to convert Coast City into an "Engine City" and the rest of the world into another of Mongul's Warworlds.
Steel continued to be a great hero and was welcomed by Superman to bear the "S" along with the others. He established a technology work shop called Steelworks that would often prove useful for himself, Superman, and the others. Steel was able to help Superman undertand the Kryptonian Fortress of Solitude that the Eradicator had built in Antarctica. In the latest incarnation of Justice League of America, Superman even invited him to join in their first recruit drive, and Steel became the League's in-house technician and engineer.
When the being called Imperiex made its way to destroy Earth, Steel joined Luthor's new Suicide Squad to counter the creature and his army of Imperiex Probes. One of their first tasks was to set free the imprisoned Doomsday from the Moon and sick him unto Imperiex. Steel became a casualty of the big war, but when the Black Racer, a manifestation of Death itself, came to collect John Henry's soul, Superman was able to convince the immortal being to allow him to live. But John Henry was severely weakened. He made a deal with the devil when Darkseid offered him the very powerful Aegis armour, which he reluctantly accepted so that he could help the heroes against the growing threat of Imperiex.
Unbeknownst to Steel, the Aegis armour was a device for Darkseid to be able to entrap the hero's soul and control him. Steel was then ordered to "return" to Apokolips, where Darkseid resided, to do his bidding. Fortunately, Superman, Superboy, and Supergirl were able to help rescue him and return him to normal. John Henry discovered that the stress of using the Aegis armour on top of the fatal wounds he received during the war with Imperiex rendered him with a severely diminished capacity. He then retired and passed on the mantle of Steel to his niece, Natasha Irons.
Though he first thought himself a regular human, John Henry Irons later found out that he was able to establish a psychic connection with his armour, and could summon and undo it at will. The titanium alloy armour was designed by John Henry himself, and has been upgraded and perfected throughout the years. While in it, Steel is covered from head to toe, and so designed to withhold a barrage of physical attacks. His armour also allows him enhanced strength, while his gauntlets are loaded with a blaster, and small jets in the boots give him the ability of flight. On top of that, the armour was self-reparating. Its bulk did, however, render Steel slower than his Super-friends. The Aegis armour given by Darkseid was even more powerful. It gave him superhuman strength and invulnerability, and even allowed him to teleport. For close-range combat, Steel wielded a huge sledgehammer, which could be remote-controlled, thus allowing it to be an effective long-range weapon as well.
APPEARANCES:
Action Comics #689-691, 716, 744, 775, 782
Adventures of Superman #500, 504, 529, 531, 557, 594
Aztek #10
Final Night #1
Genesis #1-2
Green Lantern (3rd series) #81
Guide to the DC Universe Secret Files and Origins #1 (2000) and 2 (2001-2002)
Guy Gardner: Warrior #24, 29, 39
JLA #5, 16-21, 24-27, 1 000 000
JLA 80-Page Giant #2
JLA Secret Files & Origins #2
JLA Showcase 80-Page Giant #1
JLA/Titans #1-3
JLA: World Without Grown-Ups #1-2
Outsiders (2nd series) #24
Sins of Youth: JLA Jr. #1
Sins of Youth Secret Files and Origins #1
Showcase '96 #1-2
Steel #0-52
Steel Annual #2
Superboy (3rd series) #40, 49, 74
Supergirl #23
Superman (2nd series) #81-82, 107-108, 135
Superman Forever
Superman: The Man of Steel #22-28, 36, 51-52, 79, 108, 110, 112, 116-118, 122-123
Superman: The Man of Steel Annual #2
Superman: Metropolis Secret Files and Origins #1
Team Superman Secret Files and Origins #1
Wonder Woman (2nd series) #126
Young Justice: Sins of Youth #1, 2
Former Aliases: Henry Johnson, Superman III, Man of Steel
First Appearance: Adventures of Superman #500
Known Relatives: Bessemer Irons (father, deceased), Park Irons (mother, deceased), Clayton Irons (Crash II, brother), Blondell Irons (sister-in-law), Jemahl Irons (nephew), Natasha Irons (Steel IV, niece), Tyke Irons (foster nephew), Darlene Irons (foster niece), Paco Irons (nephew), Bess Irons (grandmother, deceased), Butter Irons (grandfather),
Group Affiliation: Steelworks, formerly Justice League of America III
Known Allies: Warrior, Superman I, Superboy I, Supergirl II, JLA
Major Enemies: Lex Luthor, Darkseid, Imperiex, Cyborg II
Hair: none
Eyes: Brown
Orphaned by a car accident, the brothers John Henry & Clayton Irons began living with their grandparents from a young age. John Henry's rough childhood, including the experience of racism, fueled him with a desire to be successful. He began training for his football team and eventually became its star player alongside the would-be Green Lantern named Guy Gardner (now Warrior). When a teacher noticed John Henry's knack of using basic physics on the field to help him win games, he convinced the young student to start studying the sciences. He eventually leaned towards the sciences and found his passion within it. He then received a full scholarship for his Engineering major, and focused on ballistics.
When his brother, Clay, was gunned down in a neighborhood shooting, it was left upon John Henry to take care of his sister-in-law and her children. But John Henry was not a well-off man. And so he began selling weapon designs and creations to those who were willing to pay. But soon he realised that his technologies were being used by both governments and terrorists around the world to murder innocent people. Considering his compensation as blood money, he was discouraged by all the harm to which he was contributing, and so instead began using his talents in the more low-profile field of construction work. One typical day at the construction site, John Henry accidentally fell. As he was falling to his death, a costumed superhero quickly flew in. John Henry was surprised to find that Superman had saved his life. He was eternally grateful, but just like any other save, Superman humbly asked that John Henry make his second chance at life worth something.
When Doomsday killed Superman, the hero's spirit seemingly struck a cord within John Henry, who then became inspired to take on the "S" by designing himself a special armour and mallet to become the hero known as Steel. He even adopted the same cape as Superman had used. Though not claiming to be Superman himself like the other "Supermen" who showed up around the same time, Steel's efforts at fighting crime was appreciated by the citizens of Metropolis. After Superman was revived, along with Superman, Superboy, Supergirl, and the Eradicator, Steel helped defeat the the plans of the Cyborg and the warlord Mongul to convert Coast City into an "Engine City" and the rest of the world into another of Mongul's Warworlds.
Steel continued to be a great hero and was welcomed by Superman to bear the "S" along with the others. He established a technology work shop called Steelworks that would often prove useful for himself, Superman, and the others. Steel was able to help Superman undertand the Kryptonian Fortress of Solitude that the Eradicator had built in Antarctica. In the latest incarnation of Justice League of America, Superman even invited him to join in their first recruit drive, and Steel became the League's in-house technician and engineer.
When the being called Imperiex made its way to destroy Earth, Steel joined Luthor's new Suicide Squad to counter the creature and his army of Imperiex Probes. One of their first tasks was to set free the imprisoned Doomsday from the Moon and sick him unto Imperiex. Steel became a casualty of the big war, but when the Black Racer, a manifestation of Death itself, came to collect John Henry's soul, Superman was able to convince the immortal being to allow him to live. But John Henry was severely weakened. He made a deal with the devil when Darkseid offered him the very powerful Aegis armour, which he reluctantly accepted so that he could help the heroes against the growing threat of Imperiex.
Unbeknownst to Steel, the Aegis armour was a device for Darkseid to be able to entrap the hero's soul and control him. Steel was then ordered to "return" to Apokolips, where Darkseid resided, to do his bidding. Fortunately, Superman, Superboy, and Supergirl were able to help rescue him and return him to normal. John Henry discovered that the stress of using the Aegis armour on top of the fatal wounds he received during the war with Imperiex rendered him with a severely diminished capacity. He then retired and passed on the mantle of Steel to his niece, Natasha Irons.
Though he first thought himself a regular human, John Henry Irons later found out that he was able to establish a psychic connection with his armour, and could summon and undo it at will. The titanium alloy armour was designed by John Henry himself, and has been upgraded and perfected throughout the years. While in it, Steel is covered from head to toe, and so designed to withhold a barrage of physical attacks. His armour also allows him enhanced strength, while his gauntlets are loaded with a blaster, and small jets in the boots give him the ability of flight. On top of that, the armour was self-reparating. Its bulk did, however, render Steel slower than his Super-friends. The Aegis armour given by Darkseid was even more powerful. It gave him superhuman strength and invulnerability, and even allowed him to teleport. For close-range combat, Steel wielded a huge sledgehammer, which could be remote-controlled, thus allowing it to be an effective long-range weapon as well.
APPEARANCES:
Action Comics #689-691, 716, 744, 775, 782
Adventures of Superman #500, 504, 529, 531, 557, 594
Aztek #10
Final Night #1
Genesis #1-2
Green Lantern (3rd series) #81
Guide to the DC Universe Secret Files and Origins #1 (2000) and 2 (2001-2002)
Guy Gardner: Warrior #24, 29, 39
JLA #5, 16-21, 24-27, 1 000 000
JLA 80-Page Giant #2
JLA Secret Files & Origins #2
JLA Showcase 80-Page Giant #1
JLA/Titans #1-3
JLA: World Without Grown-Ups #1-2
Outsiders (2nd series) #24
Sins of Youth: JLA Jr. #1
Sins of Youth Secret Files and Origins #1
Showcase '96 #1-2
Steel #0-52
Steel Annual #2
Superboy (3rd series) #40, 49, 74
Supergirl #23
Superman (2nd series) #81-82, 107-108, 135
Superman Forever
Superman: The Man of Steel #22-28, 36, 51-52, 79, 108, 110, 112, 116-118, 122-123
Superman: The Man of Steel Annual #2
Superman: Metropolis Secret Files and Origins #1
Team Superman Secret Files and Origins #1
Wonder Woman (2nd series) #126
Young Justice: Sins of Youth #1, 2