Robotman I

[raul grau]

Real Name: Dr. Robert Crane
Former Aliases: Paul Dennis, later Chuck Grayson
First Appearance: Star-Spangled Comics (1st series) #7
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: formerly All-Star Squadron
Known Allies: formerly Johnny Quick, Atom I, Steel I
Major Enemies: formerly Ultra-Humanite
Eyes: Red (as Robotman), Brown (as Crane, Dennis, Grayson)
Hair: Bald (as Robotman), Black (as Crane), Brown (as Dennis, Grayson)

On the night of October 31, 1941, researcher Robert Crane was fatally shot by hoodlums intending to steal the latest invention from his Queens, New York laboratory. When the armed men found that his newest development was a robotic body, intended for use by quadriplegics, they exited disappointed. Dr. Charles 'Chuck' Grayson, Crane's assistant, had been knocked unconscious during the attack, but awoke in time to witness his friend, Bob, near death. Chuck choose to save the life of his colleague by removing Robert's brain and placing it within the steel human form he had built. Seconds after completing the procedure, following an anonymous tip, the police rushed in, and arrested Chuck for the murder of Robert Crane.

Days later, Dr. Crane finally awoke, only to find himself trapped within the metal body. The shock drove him temporarily insane, and he rampaged through the lab, destroying his equipment, inadvertently making it impossible for him to replicate the process that had transformed him. When he calmed, Bob pieced together what had transpired, and set out to liberate the falsely imprisoned Chuck. Within twenty-four hours, he managed to locate the true criminals, outracing their speeding car to capture them. Though Chuck was freed, Bob decided to let the rest of the world continue to believe that Robert Crane was dead, including keeping the secret from his fiance, Joan Carter. Bob created 'Paul Dennis' as a new human identity for himself, wearing a rubberized mask and gloves over his metallic visage.

A few weeks later, Bob was wandering around Washington, DC, wondering if there was a place in society for a man of metal, when he encountered several members of the Justice Society of America. He joined with them, and an assortment of other heroes, on a mission to rescue missing members of the team. After saving the others, Robotman became a core member of the All-Star Squadron, which the gathered heroes dubbed themselves. The battle had shown Bob that he did indeed still have a purpose, and despite his desire to one day regain his humanity, he could be a hero in the meantime.

In January of 1942, Sam Slattery, a lawyer claiming to represent the heirs of Robert Crane, had Robotman arrested as a public menace, hoping to have Bob legally declared as property, and giving Slattery the opportunity to steal his secrets. At his trial, Robotman publicly admitted to being Robert Crane, which finally reunited him with his grieving former intended, Joan. Fellow All-Star, Johnny Quick, sensed that the trial was not going in Robotman's favor, and stealthily collapsed the ceiling, allowing Bob to save the crowd. Sam Slattery suffered a heart attack during the commotion, and Bob then raced the lawyer to the hospital. Witnessing these selfless acts, the judge dismissed the case, freeing Bob.

Robotman remained with the Squadron until its dissolution in 1945, and then continued his heroism well after the majority of other crimefighters had retired. In 1953, Bob became trapped in a collapsed mine, and remained in suspended animation for several decades. When he emerged, Robert Crane finally had the opportunity to become human again, having his brain placed within the cryogenically preserved body of his now long-deceased former assistant, Chuck Grayson. Though Crane is now visibly inhabiting Chuck Grayson, he still prefers to be called 'Bob'.

While inside of the 500-pound Robotman body, Robert Crane was bulletproof and exceptionally strong. He could run at speeds of forty miles an hour, and an air tank in his chest would feed oxygen to his brain, allowing him to travel unaided in space. His senses were greatly enhanced, due to photo-electric cell eyes and other augmented artificial senses, though he possessed no tactile sensation.

APPEARANCES:

All-Star Squadron #1-22, 24-25, 31-32, 38-44, 46-50, 53-54, 57-60, 63
All-Star Squadron Annual #2
DC Comics Presents #31
Detective Comics #138-154, 156-202
Justice League of America #144, 193, 207-209
Star-Spangled Comics (1st series) #7-82
Starman (2nd series) #77
Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. #8
Young All-Stars #12

[Jon Hancock]

I love comics justice. The Judge throws out a civil suit over ownership because the defendant is a real nice guy.

[raul grau]

I think it made perfect sense in a 1940s sort of way. If Bob's a real nice guy, then he's not property, and if he's not property, then he can't be owned. Too bad those guidelines weren't applied a hundred years earlier.

- Raul