| Hector Hammond | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 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 |
|
Hector Hammond is asupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics who is primarily an enemy ofGreen Lantern.[1]
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, rapidly evolvingGorilla Grodd and the other gorillas ofGorilla City.[3] Observing the meteor's mutagenic effects, Hammond kidnaps four scientists and exposes them to the meteor on a remote island. The radiation causes their intellects to evolve, but also has the side effect of sapping their wills. Hammond forces the scientists to use their heightened intellect to create inventions, which he sells for profit.[1]
Green LanternHal Jordan asks his friend and mechanic,Thomas Kalmaku, to take on the role of the Green Lantern while Jordan investigates Hammond. Jordan creates a duplicatepower ring and costume for Kalmaku to fool Hammond and tells him to fly aboveCoast City so it would be thought Green Lantern was there. Unaware of the impersonation, Hammond steals Kalmaku's ring and transforms him 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. He removes the scientists' memory of their knowledge and gets rid of the inventions as well.[1]
Hammond returns inJustice League of America #14 (September 1962). He manages to escape from prison and deliberately exposes himself to the meteorite. The radiation causes his brain to grow to enormous size, granting him psionic powers as well as immortality. He captures Green Lantern using a "de-memorizer" invented byAmos Fortune, but he is later captured. His body later becomes immobilized, and he loses the power to speak. Trapped in a motionless state, Hammond is still able to use his psionic powers to control the minds of others.[4][1]
In a 1982 story arc ofJustice League of America, Hammond forms the second incarnation of the secondRoyal Flush Gang. The group attacks and hospitalizes the members of the Justice League beforeMartin Stein, who exists in an intangible state as part ofFirestorm, subdues Hammond on the astral plane.[5]
Following the 2004-2005 miniseriesGreen Lantern: Rebirth, in which Hal Jordan is resurrected, vindicated for his past crimes asParallax, 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 his capability of speech.[6]
Hammond appears inInfinite Crisis as a member ofAlexander Luthor Jr.'sSecret Society of Super Villains.[1]
Hammond appears in the 2008 storylineGreen Lantern: Secret Origin, a re-telling of Hal Jordan's first days as a Green Lantern. Hammond aspires to beCarol Ferris' boyfriend,[7] feelings that are not reciprocated by Ferris, who merely went out to one dinner with him for business purposes as he is a private consultant for Ferris Aircraft.[8] While inspectingAbin Sur's crashed spacecraft, Hammond is affected by the meteorite fragment used as a power source in its reactor, which gives him psychic powers.[9]
In theBrightest Day event, Hammond escapes fromBelle Reve with help fromKrona and pursues the entity trapped insideLarfleeze's lantern. Hammond attacks Larfleeze and Hal Jordan and swallows Larfleeze's battery, which enables the orange entity Ophidian to possess him.[10] Ophidian attempts to kill Larfleeze, who is saved by Hal Jordan. Hammond regains control of his body, subdues Ophidian, and leaves to search for Carol Ferris.[11]
In September 2011,The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, Hector Hammond first appears inSuperman #18, seen comatose as a prisoner inS.T.A.R. Labs, where he suddenly recovers the ability to dream.[12]
Hammond later appears in the "Psi War" story arc, where his body is stolen fromS.T.A.R. Labs by H.I.V.E. agents. The H.I.V.E. Queen intends to use Hammond's mental powers to mentally enslave the world in preparation forBrainiac's return. However, Hammond is electrocuted by his life support system, awakening him from his medically induced coma.
Hammond connects with the minds of every citizen inMetropolis, causing them to act strange and attractSuperman's attention. He breaks into H.I.V.E.'s headquarters located beneath Metropolis and confronts the H.I.V.E. Queen. Once she makes it clear that it is not an alliance she is seeking and that she merely sees him as a means to an end, he overpowers her and takes over H.I.V.E.
InForever Evil, Hector Hammond is among the villains recruited by theCrime Syndicate of America to join the Secret Society of Super Villains.[13]
Following the restoration of themultiverse inDark Nights: Death Metal, Hammond is restored to his human form and joins theDepartment of Extranormal Operations.[14]
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 energy. 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 version of Hector Hammond appears inFlashpoint. This version is a civilian, consultant to Ferris Aircraft, and superior of Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris.[15]
Hector Hamhock, afunny animal version of Hector Hammond from Earth-C-Minus, appears inCaptain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!.[16]
HECTOR (Highly Evolved Creature Totally Oriented for Revenge), a fusion of Hector Hammond andMODOK from Earth-9602, appears in theAmalgam Comics one-shotIron Lantern.[17]
An alternate universe version of Hector Hammond appears in series set in theAbsolute Universe. Primarily appearing inAbsolute Green Lantern, this version is a wealthy and flamboyant human entrepreneur. In the one-shotAbsolute Evil, he joins the Justice League.
