| Hank Henshaw | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Hank Henshaw as the original Cyborg Superman on a variant cover ofAction Comics #1055 (May 2023). Art by Sebastian Fiumara. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | As Hank Henshaw: The Adventures of Superman #465 (May 1990) As Cyborg Superman: The Adventures of Superman #500 (June 1993) |
| Created by | Dan Jurgens |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Henry Henshaw |
| Species | Human/Kryptoniancyborg |
| Team affiliations | NASA Sinestro Corps Manhunters Warworld Alpha Lanterns |
| Notable aliases | Superman Man of Tomorrow Grandmaster The Cyborg Martian Manhunter Metallic Mass Murderer Alpha-Prime |
| Abilities |
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Hank Henshaw is asupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics, also known by the nameCyborg Superman. Created by writer-artistDan Jurgens, the character originally appeared primarily as anenemy ofSuperman, and beginning with a 2007 storyline, he was developed into an enemy of theGreen Lantern Corps.[1]
In 2011,IGN ranked him #33 of the "Top 100 Comic Book Villains".
Hank Henshaw first appeared inThe Adventures of Superman #465 (April 1990), and was created byDan Jurgens.[2][3][4] The story was a dark pastiche of theFantastic Four, with astronauts being mutated bycosmic rays, only for in Jurgens' words, "a tragic, rather than heroic, result". This was later referenced in the 1999 crossoverSuperman/Fantastic Four, where Henshaw notes the similarities and serves as a replacement forMister Fantastic during his absence. Originally intended as a one-shot, once the story was finished Jurgens "thought there might be more to play with — that there was an interesting character we shouldn't let go of yet",[5] leading to his reinvention as Cyborg Superman in theReign of the Supermen storyline.[6] In 2015, as DC started a new continuity withThe New 52, Jurgens tried to give a new origin for Henshaw and his subsequent transformation into the Cyborg, considering that the Fantastic Four parallels were better off as "a single event, never referred to again", and that "it's much more fair to the everyone—including all the characters involved—if the stories are distanced."[5]
Hank and the other three members of theExcalibur crew, including his wife Terri, were part of aLexCorp radiation experiment that was affected by asolar flare, causing their shuttle to crash.[1] As a result of their radiation exposure, the human bodies of two crew members were destroyed. However, their minds survive and they construct new bodies out of radiation and the ship's wreckage. Initially, Henshaw and his wife suffer no ill effects from the radiation. Henshaw's body later rapidly decomposes, while his wife begins to phase into another dimension. With Superman's help, Henshaw uses the LexCorp facilities to save Terri. The remaining member of the shuttle crew commits suicide, using anMRI booth to tear apart the metallic components of his body.[7]
Though Henshaw's body dies, he is able to transfer his consciousness into the LexCorp mainframe. Now able to control technology, Henshaw appears to his wife in a robotic body. The shock of this bizarre rebirth was too much for Terri to bear and, in a fit of insanity, she jumps to her death. By this point, Henshaw's electronic consciousness has disrupted Earth's communications networks. Using NASA communications equipment, Henshaw beams his mind into the birthing matrix which had carried Superman fromKrypton to Earth as an infant.[1] He creates a small exploration craft from the matrix and departs into outer space alone.[8] Henshaw spends some time traveling between planets, bonding with local lifeforms to learn about the culture and history of various worlds. He becomes delusional, believing that Superman was responsible for the tragedy ofExcalibur.[9][10]
With Superman apparently dead after his battle withDoomsday, Henshaw poses as him to destroy his reputation. To that end, Henshaw claims to be Superman reborn, the result of his body being pieced together and revived with technology. Henshaw then uses knowledge obtained from Superman's birthing matrix to construct a body that is genetically identical to Superman's.[9] Henshaw's arrival as Superman is simultaneous with that of three others:John Henry Irons (the self-styled Man of Steel), the Eradicator (the self-styled Last Son of Krypton), andSuperboy, a clone created to replace Superman.[11] The endorsement of the president ensures that Henshaw eclipses the rest of the heroes claiming to be Superman's heir. During this time, two cults spring up in anticipation of Superman's return from the dead: one that deifies the Eradicator and another that venerates Henshaw. Supporters of both eventually come to blows over which is the real Superman.
WhenMongul's spaceship appears overCoast City, Henshaw attacks and injures the Eradicator, allowing Mongul to destroy the city.[12] After tricking and defeatingSuperboy, Henshaw prepares to launch a nuclear warhead to convert Metropolis into a second Engine City.[13][14]
Superboy is able to escape and warn Steel,Supergirl and the resurrected (but powerless) original Superman of Henshaw's plans.[9][15] The quartet travels to the site of the former Coast City, and Superman (whose powers are slowly returning), Supergirl and Steel confront Mongul and Henshaw, while Superboy stops the missile from hitting Metropolis.[16] Henshaw lures Superman and the Eradicator to the Engine City main reactor and attempts to kill Superman with thekryptonite that powers the engine. When he tries to kill Superman with kryptonite radiation, the Eradicator intercepts the blast at the expense of his own life. As the kryptonite energy passes through the Eradicator, the radiation is altered and restores Superman's powers. Superman destroys Henshaw by sticking his arm through his chest, shattering his body.[17]
Before exiling Doomsday, Henshaw installed a device on him to detect if Doomsday ever escaped. After the destruction of his body, Henshaw transfers his consciousness into this device. Henshaw and Doomsday are brought on board a spaceship, kill the crew, and land onApokolips. Henshaw successfully takes over most of Apokolips, but is captured byDarkseid during a battle with Superman.[18]
Darkseid did not kill the cyborg; rather, theOmega Effect captures Henshaw in a small orb, with Darkseid planning to use him against Superman at a later date. Darkseid eventually frees Henshaw with the understanding that he will never return to Apokolips.
Henshaw later allies with an intergalactic tribunal which is seeking to bring Superman to trial for the crimes of his ancestors, and assists the tribunal in capturing the Eradicator, Superboy, Supergirl, Steel, andAlpha Centurion, who had intended to rescue Superman. However, Henshaw betrays the tribunal and attempts to conquer their planet for conversion into a newWarworld. Superman and his allies stop Henshaw's plan and, when Henshaw's involvement in the destruction of Coast City is brought to the attention of the tribunal, they find him guilty of genocide and sentence him to death. As an electronic consciousness, Henshaw cannot be killed by normal means and is instead transported beyond the event horizon of ablack hole.
Henshaw returns in a form similar to his original body, having become theManhunters' new Grandmaster.[19] With his influence, the Manhunters have been upgraded with organic material, most notably with blood. On the Manhunters' homeworld of Biot, Henshaw is holding captive several Green Lanterns, most of whom were presumed dead during theEmerald Twilight event.
Henshaw has also usedKryptonian technology to upgrade the Manhunters. During theGreen Lantern story arcNo Fear, Kryptonian robots are seen servicing the Manhunters. Henshaw allows the Green Lantern Corps to rebuild for unspecified reasons as a part of his master plan. Henshaw is defeated when Biot explodes, destroying most of his body aside from his head. Henshaw's head is brought to Oa, where he is interrogated for his knowledge of the Manhunters and themultiverse.[20]
After their invasion of Oa, Henshaw's head is taken by theSinestro Corps toQward. Henshaw reconstructs his cyborg body and joins the Sinestro Corps, hoping that the Anti-Monitor can kill him and allow him to rest in peace.[21][22]
Meanwhile, the Manhunters begin an assault on the JLA satellite.Hawkgirl,Black Lightning, andRed Arrow retaliate; however, all three are neutralized when Henshaw assists in the attack and tampers with the satellite. As the satellite is thrown out of orbit, Superman appears and engages Henshaw in battle. Henshaw puts Superman in a choke hold, thinking that victory is near.[10]
When the Green Lantern Corps detonate New Warworld and the central power battery of the Sinestro Corps to destroy the Anti-Monitor, Henshaw allows himself to be trapped behind a shield and is grievously injured in the explosion. His head is recovered by the Manhunters, who manage to reactivate him.[23]
In theBrightest Day crossover, Henshaw returns and works with the Alpha Lanterns as they attempted to augment every Green Lantern, includingGanthet, into an Alpha.[24][25] Henshaw forces Ganthet to work on reversing the augments that turned the Green Lanterns into Alpha Lanterns, hoping to restore his original human body.[26] Henshaw is seemingly killed when the Lanterns separate his life force from his body, and subsequently attempts to possess Alpha-LanternBoodikka. However, she manages to overpower and kill him after a one-on-one battle.
In theReign of Doomsday crossover, Boodikka is attacked by Doomsday while investigating the remains ofNew Krypton. Henshaw is revealed to still be alive inside Boodikka, forming a new body out of her internal circuitry to fight Doomsday.[27] Doomsday absorbs the nanotechnology from Henshaw's body and heals itself, becoming a new being dubbedCyborg Doomsday. Cyborg Doomsday tears one of Henshaw's arms off before departing.[28]
InThe New 52 continuity reboot, Hank Henshaw is a human doctor working for the Advanced Prosthetic Research Centre and a colleague ofCaitlin Fairchild.[29] His role as Cyborg Superman is taken byZor-El, a cyborgKryptonian and servant ofBrainiac.[30] Following the 2016DC Rebirth relaunch, Henshaw's role as Cyborg Superman is restored.[31]
Hank Henshaw is a "technomorph". Unlike a simpletechnopath which can physically manipulate technology with their mind, Henshaw can extend his consciousness into any machine.[32]Through his technomorphic abilities, Henshaw gained Kryptonian powers similar to Superman while editing out weaknesses, such as his vulnerability tokryptonite. Henshaw can commandeer complex alien technology, includingpower rings and the batteries that fuel them.[33][34]
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