Hourman (android)
Encyclopedia
Hourman is a fictional character
and superhero
who was created by Grant Morrison
and Howard Porter
. Based upon the Golden Age
character Rex Tyler, he first appeared in JLA
#12 (November 1997).
of the 853rd century is an android (though he describes himself as an "intelligent machine colony") constructed by Tyler Chemorobotics (formerly TylerCo). Although he is an android, he possesses the full range of emotions and human flaws that an ordinary human does. Nonetheless, the technology with which he was constructed is far advanced beyond anything conceivable in the 20th century.
Why the android was built is unknown, although it seems likely that he was in fact commissioned by the New God Metron
, who sought to make it his replacement and apprentice. Rex Tyler (the original Hourman
), who served as the biological template for the android, spent some time in the future and was involved in its construction.
The Worlogog, in form of a stone, had been lost for centuries on Earth until it was unearthed by a LexCorp requisition team, and was dubbed the Philosopher's Stone
. Lex Luthor
, not fully understanding the stone, used it to manipulate the alien Jemm
with his Injustice Gang
against the Justice League of America. The Justice League (notably Batman
, Martian Manhunter
and Superman
) defeated Luthor and as Superman stood ready to destroy the Worlogog, a temporal split was created.
Were Superman to seemingly destroy the stone, the villain
Darkseid
would be able to conquer and subjugate the Earth. The corrupted Metron of that future travelled back along the timeline to gather a group of Justice Leaguers that would search for the stone, so that it would (unknown to them) fall in the hands of Darkseid.
A timeline in which Superman did not destroy the stone, however, did remain, and to counter the corrupted Metron, Hourman himself also travelled back in time, searching out the Leaguers that were searching for the stone. He was able to convince Green Lantern
Kyle Rayner
of the terrible future that would follow if they found the stone, and he convinced his teammates Aquaman
and The Flash (Wally West
) to try to stop Darkseid. The three heroes ended up in the alternate timeline in which Darkseid had won, and with the use of their surviving teammates, were able to travel back along the timeline themselves, and get a telepathic message to the Martian Manhunter, who stopped Superman from destroying the stone.
The Worlogog was handed to the real Metron, who passed it onto Hourman, who thereby outgrew his role as apprentice and became the master of time and Hypertime
, while retaining his membership in the Justice Legion A.
to the 853rd century. Hourman would use the Worlogog to transport the Justice Legion A
into the past to meet the original Justice League, and would then send the League into the future to participate in a form of "super-Olympics." It went according to plan, except the inclusion of the old villain Solaris
, who placed a virus (dubbed the Hourman Virus) in the android's body that disabled his time-travelling abilities the moment he reached the past. Thereby the Legion was stranded in the past and the League in the future.
The Hourman Virus spread to the Justice Legion and then to the rest of the world, which affected both humans and machines. The metahuman population became hostile to the Legion as a result, and they also had to deal with Vandal Savage
. It turned out that the virus was the core programming of Solaris, and the Legion would have to create a body in the 20th century for Solaris, so the virus could be downloaded into the new body. Hourman was paralyzed by self pity.
Nonetheless, the Hourman Virus was overcome and Hourman could travel back to the future, and as such, he and the Legion could witness the defeat of Solaris by the hands of Superman Prime, Superman M* and Green Lantern.
During the celebrations, Hourman reached into the past, seconds before Krypton exploded and created a duplicate of the planet in the 853rd century. He then reached back and plucked the population of Krypton from their world in the seconds after the launch of Kal-El's rocket and before Krypton's final destruction. All this created the world of New Krypton where Superman Prime could live amongst other superpowered Kryptonians, including his parents, as a gift from his comrades in the Justice League and Legions.
, where he would serve as a replacement for the Martian Manhunter (who was on a temporary leave of absence). Immediately on his entrance, he made somewhat of a temporal snafu, by asking if he had arrived before or after the invasion of the 5th dimension.
He arrived at the Justice League Watchtower, having signalled ahead that he was coming. He did not truly fit in with the League however, and used his time-vision on multiple occasions to skip over conversations he deemed unnecessary. Eventually, a few members of the League decided to call him on it, and decided that Batman would be best to talk some sense into Hourman.
Although annoyed by their interference, he explained to Hourman the worth of thinking before acting. Hourman took the advice rather literally and used his time-vision to learn the history of the Justice League through Batman's experiences. From those experiences, Hourman decided that the best person to guide him through his personal growth was the former mascot of the League, and normal human, Snapper Carr
.
After Hourman met the android Amazo
, Hourman was convinced that he was even more of a liability than before. Snapper helped Hourman understand that he was having problems fitting into the normal world because of the power he wielded. He was practically omnipotent, and could manipulate time to his wishes, never learning from his mistakes, and that was what was hindering him, not his lack of experience.
Just as impulsively as he had acted before, Hourman concentrated on breaking down the Worlogog, the source of his almost omnipotent power, scattering its components. He still retained the ability to use his time visions and time travel abilities for an hour out of every 24, so that he was truly an Hourman now. He also kept the permanent abilities of Miraclo strength and speed.
That was not the only effect his confrontation with Amazo had on Hourman. He asked himself if Amazo was the first android, and thus the Adam of the androids, were they inherently meant to be evil? To find the answer to his dilemma, Hourman sought out Professor Ivo
, the creator of the Amazo android. In his Hour of Power, he learned how Ivo and Professor T.O. Morrow had created the android Tomorrow Woman
, who had broken her programming goal of killing the League and instead died as a hero.
He revived her, and for the last fifty minutes of his Hour of Power she continued that existence, cementing her status as a hero as she saved lives and lived her life to the fullest. She taught Hourman what consequences his actions can have. In that short time, the two formed a connection that ultimately, when Tomorrow Woman disappeared at the end of the hour, left Hourman with a hole in his non-existent heart.
, and thanks to the feelings and memories of the original Hourman that he possessed, he felt a kinship to them. When asked by Jay Garrick
, he attended the funeral of Wesley Dodds, the original Sandman. Together with the others present, he was dragged into the battle for the future Doctor Fate
. At the end of that adventure, he joined the Justice Society.
When Hourman met Rick Tyler
, son and heir of the original Hourman, they fought. They would eventually make amends when Amazo, disguised as a future version of Hourman, cures Rick of the disease he had contracted thanks to his Miraclo addiction. After spending some more time with the Society, Hourman left to explore the timestream more, but not before giving Rick two gifts: an hour with his father in the Timepoint before Rex would give his life to fight Extant
, as well as an hourglass filled with tachyons.
He recently returned at the behest of the Society when Rick was stranded in the Timepoint, mortally wounded. Rick was saved, although his hour in the Timepoint was up and now either Rick or Rex was going to die facing Extant. Instead, Matthew gave his life and took their place, impersonating Rex with a hologram, leaving them with the hourglass in his chest to allow them to return home. When Rex told Hourman that he was as alive as any of them, despite being an android, Hourman replied that he appreciated that more than Rex could ever know, and asked Rex to give his wife his love before he returned to the battle with Extant. His broken pieces were retrieved by Rex, who is currently trying to rebuild him.
A short time later, Rip Hunter said during a team-up with the JSA that the android Hourman would be gone "for a relative year", indicating he may return.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
who was created by Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
and Howard Porter
Howard Porter
Howard Porter is an American comic book artist from southern Connecticut.-Biography:Porter graduated from Paier College of Art in Connecticut where he majored in illustration. One of his teachers there was Frank McLaughlin...
. Based upon the Golden Age
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
character Rex Tyler, he first appeared in JLA
JLA (comic book)
JLA was a monthly comic book published by DC Comics from January 1997 to April 2006 featuring the Justice League.-Publication history:The low sales of the various Justice League spinoff books by the mid-1990s prompted DC to revamp the League as a single team on a single title...
#12 (November 1997).
Creation in the 853rd century
The HourmanHourman
Hourman is the name of three different fictional DC Comics superheroes, the first of whom was created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily in Adventure Comics #48 , during the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Rex Tyler:Scientist Rex Tyler, raised in upstate...
of the 853rd century is an android (though he describes himself as an "intelligent machine colony") constructed by Tyler Chemorobotics (formerly TylerCo). Although he is an android, he possesses the full range of emotions and human flaws that an ordinary human does. Nonetheless, the technology with which he was constructed is far advanced beyond anything conceivable in the 20th century.
Why the android was built is unknown, although it seems likely that he was in fact commissioned by the New God Metron
Metron (comics)
Metron is a character created by Jack Kirby for his Fourth World series in DC Comics. He was "based on Leonard Nimoy as Spock", and designed as a character who "would frequently change sides [between New Genesis and Apokolips]"...
, who sought to make it his replacement and apprentice. Rex Tyler (the original Hourman
Hourman
Hourman is the name of three different fictional DC Comics superheroes, the first of whom was created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily in Adventure Comics #48 , during the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Rex Tyler:Scientist Rex Tyler, raised in upstate...
), who served as the biological template for the android, spent some time in the future and was involved in its construction.
JLA: Rock of Ages
Shortly after its construction, Metron appointed Hourman as his heir and entrusted him with the Worlogog. The Worlogog was an ancient artifact containing a map of space/time from Big Bang to End Point in miniature.The Worlogog, in form of a stone, had been lost for centuries on Earth until it was unearthed by a LexCorp requisition team, and was dubbed the Philosopher's Stone
Philosopher's stone
The philosopher's stone is a legendary alchemical substance said to be capable of turning base metals into gold or silver. It was also sometimes believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality. For many centuries, it was the most sought-after goal...
. Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
, not fully understanding the stone, used it to manipulate the alien Jemm
Jemm
Jemm is a fictional alien that has appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. The character exists in DC's main shared universe, known as the DC Universe...
with his Injustice Gang
Injustice Gang
The Injustice Gang is a group of fictional supervillains in the DC Comics universe. They are antagonists of the Justice League.-First Formation:The original Injustice Gang's membership consisted of:...
against the Justice League of America. The Justice League (notably Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, Martian Manhunter
Martian Manhunter
The Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
and Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
) defeated Luthor and as Superman stood ready to destroy the Worlogog, a temporal split was created.
Were Superman to seemingly destroy the stone, the villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
would be able to conquer and subjugate the Earth. The corrupted Metron of that future travelled back along the timeline to gather a group of Justice Leaguers that would search for the stone, so that it would (unknown to them) fall in the hands of Darkseid.
A timeline in which Superman did not destroy the stone, however, did remain, and to counter the corrupted Metron, Hourman himself also travelled back in time, searching out the Leaguers that were searching for the stone. He was able to convince Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually in those starring the Green Lantern Corps, an extraterrestrial police force of which Rayner is a member. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks, Rayner first appeared in Green Lantern vol...
of the terrible future that would follow if they found the stone, and he convinced his teammates Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
and The Flash (Wally West
Wally West
The Flash is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash....
) to try to stop Darkseid. The three heroes ended up in the alternate timeline in which Darkseid had won, and with the use of their surviving teammates, were able to travel back along the timeline themselves, and get a telepathic message to the Martian Manhunter, who stopped Superman from destroying the stone.
The Worlogog was handed to the real Metron, who passed it onto Hourman, who thereby outgrew his role as apprentice and became the master of time and Hypertime
Hypertime
Hypertime is a fictional concept presented in the 1999 DC comic book series The Kingdom, both a catch-all explanation for any continuity discrepancies in DC Universe stories and a variation or superset of the Multiverse that existed before Crisis on Infinite Earths.- The Kingdom :The basic premise...
, while retaining his membership in the Justice Legion A.
DC One Million
Hourman would later be instrumental in the organization of the celebrations for the return of Superman PrimeSuperman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
to the 853rd century. Hourman would use the Worlogog to transport the Justice Legion A
Justice Legion Alpha
The Justice Legion Alpha is a DC Comics superhero team, who exist in the far future of the DC Universe. Created by Grant Morrison, they first appeared in DC One Million .In the 853rd century the institutions of the Justice League of America and the Legion of...
into the past to meet the original Justice League, and would then send the League into the future to participate in a form of "super-Olympics." It went according to plan, except the inclusion of the old villain Solaris
Solaris (comics)
Solaris is a DC Comics supervillain, who exists in the distant future of the DC Universe. Solaris was created by Grant Morrison, and first appeared in the DC One Million crossover, although it also subsequently appeared in Grant Morrison's All-Star Superman series, set outside DC continuity.-DC...
, who placed a virus (dubbed the Hourman Virus) in the android's body that disabled his time-travelling abilities the moment he reached the past. Thereby the Legion was stranded in the past and the League in the future.
The Hourman Virus spread to the Justice Legion and then to the rest of the world, which affected both humans and machines. The metahuman population became hostile to the Legion as a result, and they also had to deal with Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage is a fictional character, a supervillain published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 1 #10 , and was created by Alfred Bester and Martin Nodell....
. It turned out that the virus was the core programming of Solaris, and the Legion would have to create a body in the 20th century for Solaris, so the virus could be downloaded into the new body. Hourman was paralyzed by self pity.
Nonetheless, the Hourman Virus was overcome and Hourman could travel back to the future, and as such, he and the Legion could witness the defeat of Solaris by the hands of Superman Prime, Superman M* and Green Lantern.
During the celebrations, Hourman reached into the past, seconds before Krypton exploded and created a duplicate of the planet in the 853rd century. He then reached back and plucked the population of Krypton from their world in the seconds after the launch of Kal-El's rocket and before Krypton's final destruction. All this created the world of New Krypton where Superman Prime could live amongst other superpowered Kryptonians, including his parents, as a gift from his comrades in the Justice League and Legions.
Joining the League
After the celebrations had finished, Hourman felt inadequate, since he had been used so easily by Solaris as carrier of the Hourman Virus. Deciding that he needed some more personal growth, he travelled back to the 20th century, since there he could truly grow, unlike in the wondrous 853rd century. Thus he arrived at the Justice League WatchtowerJustice League Watchtower
The Watchtower is the name of various bases used by the Justice League of America in DC Comics and various other media. It has been portrayed in DC comics as a building on Earth's moon, and as a space-station in orbit in the Justice League Unlimited cartoon.The Watchtower debuted in JLA #4 during...
, where he would serve as a replacement for the Martian Manhunter (who was on a temporary leave of absence). Immediately on his entrance, he made somewhat of a temporal snafu, by asking if he had arrived before or after the invasion of the 5th dimension.
He arrived at the Justice League Watchtower, having signalled ahead that he was coming. He did not truly fit in with the League however, and used his time-vision on multiple occasions to skip over conversations he deemed unnecessary. Eventually, a few members of the League decided to call him on it, and decided that Batman would be best to talk some sense into Hourman.
Although annoyed by their interference, he explained to Hourman the worth of thinking before acting. Hourman took the advice rather literally and used his time-vision to learn the history of the Justice League through Batman's experiences. From those experiences, Hourman decided that the best person to guide him through his personal growth was the former mascot of the League, and normal human, Snapper Carr
Snapper Carr
Lucas "Snapper" Carr is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, most famous as a supporting character to the superhero team the Justice League of America . He has often been referred to as the team's mascot...
.
His own series
Hourman and the League found Snapper waiting for them in a Happy Harbor cafe. Thanks to Hourman's unconscious manipulations of time, Snapper had received a premonition and knew that he would need to help him out. Snapper nicknamed the android Matthew Tyler and took him under his wing, and the two hit it off perfectly.After Hourman met the android Amazo
Amazo
Amazo is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in The Brave and the Bold #30 and was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson. An android, Amazo's special ability is to replicate the special abilities of various superheroes and...
, Hourman was convinced that he was even more of a liability than before. Snapper helped Hourman understand that he was having problems fitting into the normal world because of the power he wielded. He was practically omnipotent, and could manipulate time to his wishes, never learning from his mistakes, and that was what was hindering him, not his lack of experience.
Just as impulsively as he had acted before, Hourman concentrated on breaking down the Worlogog, the source of his almost omnipotent power, scattering its components. He still retained the ability to use his time visions and time travel abilities for an hour out of every 24, so that he was truly an Hourman now. He also kept the permanent abilities of Miraclo strength and speed.
That was not the only effect his confrontation with Amazo had on Hourman. He asked himself if Amazo was the first android, and thus the Adam of the androids, were they inherently meant to be evil? To find the answer to his dilemma, Hourman sought out Professor Ivo
Professor Ivo
Professor Anthony Ivo is a fictional character, a mad scientist in the DC universe and is the creator of the androids Amazo, Kid Amazo, Tomorrow Woman and Composite Superman in his retconned origin.-Fictional character biography:...
, the creator of the Amazo android. In his Hour of Power, he learned how Ivo and Professor T.O. Morrow had created the android Tomorrow Woman
Tomorrow Woman
Tomorrow Woman is a fictional character, an artificial lifeform and superhero from DC Comics. She debuted in JLA #5 , and was created by Grant Morrison and Howard Porter.-The Justice League:...
, who had broken her programming goal of killing the League and instead died as a hero.
He revived her, and for the last fifty minutes of his Hour of Power she continued that existence, cementing her status as a hero as she saved lives and lived her life to the fullest. She taught Hourman what consequences his actions can have. In that short time, the two formed a connection that ultimately, when Tomorrow Woman disappeared at the end of the hour, left Hourman with a hole in his non-existent heart.
Joining the Society
While fighting alongside the Justice League in the war with the 5th Dimension, Hourman met the Justice Society of AmericaJustice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
, and thanks to the feelings and memories of the original Hourman that he possessed, he felt a kinship to them. When asked by Jay Garrick
Jay Garrick
Jay Garrick is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe and the first to use the name Flash.-The Flash:...
, he attended the funeral of Wesley Dodds, the original Sandman. Together with the others present, he was dragged into the battle for the future Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
. At the end of that adventure, he joined the Justice Society.
When Hourman met Rick Tyler
Rick Tyler
Hourman is a fictional character, a superhero who was created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas and Todd McFarlane and first appeared in Infinity Inc. #20 as Rick Tyler, son of the original Hourman, who quickly joined Infinity Inc. as the second Hourman in #21 of that book.-Childhood:Rick Tyler was born...
, son and heir of the original Hourman, they fought. They would eventually make amends when Amazo, disguised as a future version of Hourman, cures Rick of the disease he had contracted thanks to his Miraclo addiction. After spending some more time with the Society, Hourman left to explore the timestream more, but not before giving Rick two gifts: an hour with his father in the Timepoint before Rex would give his life to fight Extant
Monarch (comics)
Monarch is the name of three fictional DC Comics supervillains. The first Monarch is Hank Hall, formerly Hawk, who later renames himself Extant for the Zero Hour crossover. The second Monarch is Nathaniel Adam, a U.S. Army Captain. The third Monarch is Captain Atom, a former superhero...
, as well as an hourglass filled with tachyons.
He recently returned at the behest of the Society when Rick was stranded in the Timepoint, mortally wounded. Rick was saved, although his hour in the Timepoint was up and now either Rick or Rex was going to die facing Extant. Instead, Matthew gave his life and took their place, impersonating Rex with a hologram, leaving them with the hourglass in his chest to allow them to return home. When Rex told Hourman that he was as alive as any of them, despite being an android, Hourman replied that he appreciated that more than Rex could ever know, and asked Rex to give his wife his love before he returned to the battle with Extant. His broken pieces were retrieved by Rex, who is currently trying to rebuild him.
A short time later, Rip Hunter said during a team-up with the JSA that the android Hourman would be gone "for a relative year", indicating he may return.