| Gangbuster | |
|---|---|
.png) Gangbuster byArthur Adams. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | As Jose Delgado: The Adventures of Superman #428 (May 1987) As Gangbuster: The Adventures of Superman #434 (November 1987) |
| Created by | Marv Wolfman (writer) Jerry Ordway (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Jose Delgado |
| Team affiliations | S.T.A.R. Labs Justice League |
| Supporting character of | Superman |
| Abilities | Skilled martial artist and gymnast Cybernetic enhancement implants in his legs |
Gangbuster is acomic book fictional character, aDC Comicssuperhero. He first appeared asJose Delgado inThe Adventures of Superman #428 (May 1987), and as Gangbuster inThe Adventures of Superman #434 (November 1987). He was created byMarv Wolfman andJerry Ordway.[1]Rebekah is the niece of the original Gangbuster.
In 2007, Jerry Ordway spoke on the genesis of the character, stating that Gangbuster was created in place ofGuardian, who was not available for use.[2]
Jose Delgado grew up in theMetropolis area known as Suicide Slum. As he grew older he became a skilled boxer. He went into teaching and ended up as a high school teacher inMetropolis. He became a mentor to Jerry White (the son ofPerry White). WhenLex Luthor enlisted youth gangs into organized crime under his control, Jose adopted the identity of Gangbuster to deal with the threat posed to the teenagers in his community.[1]
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Jose Delgado suffered a spinal injury while savingLois Lane's life during a fight with a creature called Combattor.[3] Delgado was hospitalized and talked into retiring byCat Grant. He recovered the ability to walk with the assistance of aLexCorp cybernetic implant.
Delgado later discovered someone else was masquerading as Gangbuster, and using much more violent methods. This turned out to be an amnesiacSuperman, who was suffering from a nervous breakdown after a fight withBrainiac.
After recovering, Delgado discovered that the implant which enabled him to walk was a LexCorp invention, and that Lex Luthor could use it to take control of his body.[4] Luthor forced Gangbuster to attackProfessor Emil Hamilton, an ally of Superman. Hamilton was later able to successfully alter the implant, allowing Delgado to take control of his life again. Delgado's life later fell apart and he had trouble keeping jobs.
Delgado had limited personal relationships with Cat Grant. They became very close while he served as her bodyguard, but he did not get along with her young son Adam. Delgado resumed his career as Gangbuster following Superman's apparent death at the hands ofDoomsday. He got into trouble when he broke up a drug deal only to discover that it was part of an undercover police operation. Pursued by the police, he went on the run.
An ultraviolent Gangbuster later showed up inBlack Lightning's hometown of Brick City. Black Lightning discovered that this wasn't the real Gangbuster, but a shapeshifter named Ishmael, an operative ofTobias Whale. Jose Delgado soon showed up and later helped him defeat Ishmael and his brother Queequeg.[5]
Gangbuster returns in the miniseriesTrinity, where he is forced out of retirement after witnessing the kidnapping of mystic Tarot (to whom he appointed himself guardian).[6] He andHawkman infiltrate the castle headquarters ofDespero,Morgaine le Fey, andEnigma and spend days fighting through its denizens before rescuing Tarot from stone monsters.[7] At the end of the series, with reality returned to normal, Gangbuster and Tarot begin a relationship.
In theSupergirl series, Gangbuster and Doctor Light (Kimiyo Hoshi)—both employees ofS.T.A.R. Labs—help Supergirl rescue her friendLana Lang after she is possessed by theInsect Queen. Gangbuster and Light investigate an object that crashes into a Metropolis park and leaves a massive crystallized crater in its center. While searching the crater, the two heroes discover aBizarro Supergirl. The Bizarro Supergirl takes Gangbuster and Light hostage, but is defeated by the real Supergirl.[8]
DuringDC Rebirth, Jose's niece is introduced namedRebekah and assumes the role ofGangbuster II.[9]
Jose Delgado has no superpowers but is a skilled martial artist and gymnast. When Jose was crippled on duty as the Gangbuster, he was forced to accept Lex Luthor's agreement and treatment to return the function of his legs to him using cybernetic enhancement. However, Luthor's cybernetic components also allowed him to control Jose's movement if necessary.
In the alternate "Trinity" universe, Gangbuster is one of the few entities to recognize and understand reality is not as it should be. He allies himself with that universe's version ofAlfred Pennyworth.[7]
