Hector Hammond is asupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics who is primarily an enemy ofGreen Lantern.^[1]

Hector Hammond
Hector Hammond Interior artwork fromWho's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe 10 (December 1985 DC Comics) Art byGil Kane
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Green Lantern (vol. 2) #5 (March–April 1961)
Created by	John Broome Gil Kane
In-story information
Alter ego	Hector Hammond
Species	Metahuman
Team affiliations	The Society Royal Flush Gang Orange Lantern Corps
Notable aliases	Wildcard, Ophidian
Abilities	Genius-level intellect Telepathy Mind control Telekinesis

Peter Sarsgaard portrays Hammond in the 2011 filmGreen Lantern.

Hector Hammond originally appeared inGreen Lantern (vol. 2) #5 (March–April 1961) and was created byJohn Broome andGil Kane.^[2]

Hector Hammond is a petty criminal on the run from the law when he discovers the fragments of a meteor that previously landed in Africa, super-evolvingGorilla Grodd and other gorillas.^[3] Observing that radiation from the meteor caused the nearby plants to evolve rapidly, Hammond kidnaps four scientists and exposes them to the meteor, increasing their intellect and lessening their free will. Hammond forces the scientists to create inventions which he sells for profit.^[1]

Green LanternHal Jordan creates a duplicate power ring for his friend Thomas Kalmaku to wield while he is away fighting Hammond. However, Hammond steals his ring and transforms Kalmaku into achimpanzee. Jordan confronts Hammond personally in a battle of power rings that ends only when the charge of Hammond's ring runs out, allowing Jordan to capture him and restore Kalmaku and the scientists.^[1]

Hammond returns inJustice League of America #14 (September 1962). He escapes from prison and exposes himself to the meteorite, gaining a massive brain,psionic powers, andimmortality. He captures Green Lantern usingAmos Fortune's de-memorizer, but is captured. Hammond's powers eventually rob him of his movement and ability to speak, after which he uses his powers to control others.^[1][4]

InJustice League of America #203 - #205 (June - August 1982), Hammond forms the second incarnation of the secondRoyal Flush Gang beforeMartin Stein subdues him on the astral plane. Hammond later erases the world's memories of the JLA inJustice Leagues.^[5] In addition to battling Hal Jordan, Hammond has also fought Green LanternsAlan Scott^[6] andKyle Rayner.^[7]

Following the 2004-2005 miniseriesGreen Lantern: Rebirth, in which Hal Jordan is resurrected, vindicated for his past crimes, and returns as the star of theGreen Lantern core series, Hammond reappears as one of his adversaries.^[1] TheKroloteans, aliens who sent the meteor that gave him his powers, capture and experiment on Hammond, causing him to regain physical speech.^[8][9][10]

Hammond appears inInfinite Crisis as a member ofAlexander Luthor Jr.'sSecret Society of Super Villains.^[1]

Hammond appears inGreen Lantern: Secret Origin, a re-telling of Hal Jordan's first days as a Green Lantern. In the storyline, Hammond is a consultant for Ferris Aircraft who has unreciprocated feelings towardsCarol Ferris and gains his powers from a fragment ofAbin Sur's spaceship.^{[11][12][13][14]}

Hammond is later freed from prison byKrona and obtains the Orange Lantern power battery, allowing the Orange Lantern entity Ophidian to possess him.^{[15][16][17][18]} Ophidian ultimately separates from Hammond and works with Krona and the other emotional entities to attackOa.^[19]

In September 2011,The New 52 reboots DC's continuity. Hector Hammond appears as a prisoner ofS.T.A.R. Labs beforeH.I.V.E. agents free him. The two work withSuperman andLois Lane to battle thePsycho-Pirate.^[20][21][22]

InForever Evil, Hector Hammond is among the villains recruited by theCrime Syndicate of America to join the Secret Society of Super Villains.^[23]

InDoomsday Clock, Hector Hammond is among the villains who meet with theRiddler to discuss the Superman Theory.^[24]

While imprisoned atRyker's Island, Hammond is captured by Kroloteans who intend to weaponize his powers. Hal Jordan and Superman rescue Hammond, who has grown tired of others wanting to control him. He attempts to commit suicide by making Superman shoot him with his heat vision, but Hal intervenes, rendering Hammond comatose instead.

During theDarkstars Rising storyline, Hal recruits Hammond to battle theDarkstars. During the battle between the Green Lantern Corps and the Darkstars, Hammond disrupts theControllers' psionic powers, disabling their army.

Following the restoration of themultiverse inDark Nights: Death Metal, Hammond is restored to his human form and joins theDepartment of Extranormal Operations.^[25]

Hammond in his mutated state exhibits genius level intellect, as well as potent telepathic and telekinetic abilities^[1] including mind reading, mind control, astral projection, levitation, projection of harmful psionic blasts, moving physical objects with his mind, and on occasion displays the ability to absorb and mentally redirect Green Lantern's emerald plasma. In some incarnations, his body has atrophied to the point where he cannot walk and he has to strap his head to a chair to support its weight.

As the host of Ophidian, Hammond possesses the powers of an Orange Lantern without needing a power ring to access them.

An alternate universe variant of Hector Hammond appears inFlashpoint. This version is a civilian, consultant to Ferris Aircraft, and superior of Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris.^[26]

Hector Hamhock, afunny animal variant of Hector Hammond from Earth-C-Minus, appears inCaptain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!.^[27]

HECTOR (Highly Evolved Creature Totally Oriented for Revenge), a fusion of Hector Hammond andMODOK from Earth-9602, appears in theAmalgam Comics one-shotIron Lantern.^[28]

• Hector Hammond appears in theTeen Titans Go! episode "Orangins".
• Hector Hammond appears inGreen Lantern, portrayed byPeter Sarsgaard.^[29] This version is axenobiology professor, an old friend of Hal Jordan, and the son of Senator Robert Hammond. AfterAmanda Waller of theDepartment of Extranormal Operations (DEO) enlists him to conduct an autopsy onAbin Sur's body, Hammond is infected withParallax's DNA, which grants him psychic powers and a mental link to Parallax. Despite being driven insane and slowly becoming wheelchair-bound, Hammond takes a liking to his newfound powers, kills his father, and attempts to kill Jordan on Parallax's orders. After takingCarol Ferris hostage and stealing Jordan's power ring, Hammond is defeated by the latter and killed by Parallax for his failure.
• Hector Hammond appears as a character summon inScribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.^[30]

• GLC Web Page
• History of Hector Hammond