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Snapper Carr
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Lucas "Snapper" Carr is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, most famous as a supporting character to the Justice League. He has often been referred to as the JLA's mascot. Snapper Carr, along with the Justice League, first appears in The Brave and the Bold #28, written by Gardner Fox and drawn by Mike Sekowsky.
he JLA could not have the sidekicks of all its members occasionally wandering through its secret headquarters, but needed a character to whom the reader could relate, the group needed a distinct character not associated with the home town of any of its members.
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Encyclopedia
Lucas "Snapper" Carr is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, most famous as a supporting character to the Justice League. He has often been referred to as the JLA's mascot. Snapper Carr, along with the Justice League, first appears in The Brave and the Bold #28, written by Gardner Fox and drawn by Mike Sekowsky.
Origin
As the JLA could not have the sidekicks of all its members occasionally wandering through its secret headquarters, but needed a character to whom the reader could relate, the group needed a distinct character not associated with the home town of any of its members. In order to rationalize that an ordinary person could become an honorary member of the JLA, he had to be important to them at the moment of that group's formation. The solution, devised by Gardner Fox: young Lucas — called "Snapper" for his penchant for snapping his fingers — is immune to Starro's attacks, by the good fortune of his just having put lime on the lawn. It is Green Lantern who recalls that various sea invertebrates are susceptible to lime, and by these means, Starro is defeated.
Fictional character history
As luck would have it, Snapper's uncle, Simon Carr, approaches the new JLA on behalf of Oliver Queen and provides them with the resources to set up a headquarters in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island. This becomes the site of the JLA's Secret Sanctuary. Snapper quickly becomes a fixture around JLA headquarters. During this time, Simon Carr becomes the host for an Apellaxian alien; he then founds the organization called Locus. Eventually, it is Snapper who uncovers his uncle's betrayal, just in time to warn the JLA. Locus is defeated, and Simon returns to normal. Snapper's first year of association with the JLA coincides with his graduation from high school.
Carr is present for most of the League's early adventures. Three Leaguers even dedicate humanitarian hours to help Snapper write a paper about "brotherhood." His time with the JLA ends in tragedy, however. Snapper is manipulated by the Joker into betraying the location of the Secret Sanctuary. After this, Carr resigns his honorary membership. The shame of this failure still haunts him today.
The JLA rescues Snapper Carr and his family when they are kidnapped by Anakronus, but he suffers further humiliation when the Key seemingly bestows him with the powers of the Star-Tsar and sets him against the JLA again. Eventually, it is revealed that Mark Shaw (the future Manhunter) was the real Star-Tsar. He aids the League once more when Thorak turns the JLA into giants; he and Superman return them to normal size.
Invasion!
During the Invasion storyline, Carr is among a number of prisoners of the alien Dominators. The Dominators sought human test subjects to discover how prevalent the "metagene" was in the human genome. To this end, they line up 50 humans and initiate their "blaster field." Six humans, including Snapper, survive the carnage by developing latent metahuman powers. Another is thought to be critically injured but would later recover and ally herself with Snapper. Snapper now has the ability to teleport by snapping his fingers.
Soon afterward, the Dominators and their allies are driven from Earth and the captives freed. Snapper and the other five survivors dub themselves the Blasters and join the struggle to reverse the effects of the Dominators' gene bomb. Snapper becomes the group's leader and they travel with the Omega Men for an unspecified period of time. Snapper becomes separated from the others and a foul-up with his powers temporarily drives him insane. He had kept his eyes open during transport and had perceived an eternity of time passing while teleporting. He ends up meeting Churljenkins, a green-furred cat-woman, who helps stabilize his reality. He manages to reunite the team and develops a romance with Churl. The Blasters stop an alien-controlled weapons smuggling operation and decide to travel through space together.
They later encounter Valor and fight Kanjar Ru and the Unimaginable. At the end of these adventures, the Blasters are trapped inside a crumbling prison, but Snapper is again separated from his teammates. While searching for them, he is captured by some Khunds, who cut off his hands, which also blocks or destroys his teleporting ability. He is subsequently rescued by the L.E.G.I.O.N., but knows nothing about the fate of the Blasters. Vril Dox gives Snapper new hands and returns him to earth.
Back on Earth
Since then he has served as an adviser to aspiring heroes, starting with the android Hourman. The "Day of Judgment" crossover event occurs during the course of this series. Snapper saves an innocent man from one of the many demons that have crawled out of Hell. Soon after, he and his friends, stuck in a heatwave, begin arguing with each other. Recognizing something is wrong, Snapper performs a mystic spell. It reveals the group was being plagued by demons who helped exacerbate their antagonistic feelings. In the ensuing encounter, he manages to sweet-talk one of the demons into crossing over to the side of good. Most recently, Snapper became an adviser to the teen superhero team Young Justice. During his appearances in both series, Snapper wears a succession of different superhero logo t-shirts.
Snapper maintains his contacts with the current incarnation of the League. He is called upon to take their official group photo when the team's roster is finalized. He is also invited to Green Arrow and Black Canary's wedding; though his invitation was stolen by several villains, he is seen in the double-page spread of attendees.
Checkmate
Coinciding with the Green Arrow/Black Canary wedding special event, an issue of the miniseries The Four Horsemen has Snapper eavesdropping on Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman using a communications and tracking system. This indicates the involvement of the metahuman policing agency known as Checkmate. Snapper later reveals that he has been deep-cover for Checkmate ever since the incident involving the OMACs. Batman decides to allow Snapper to continue in this fashion, since Snapper tends to look favorably on the League's activities.
Final Crisis: Resist
In the Final Crisis tie-in Resist, Snapper is still a Checkmate agent, albeit only a low-rank Pawn. Somehow again in possession of his original teleportation powers, Carr, now known as Pawn 922, is sent on several errands around the world, sabotaging Darkseid installations and searching, with no success, to find someone free from the Anti-Life Equation to join him and Mister Terrific and the last few members of the resistance in their last stand. Several of these missions, including the destruction of a germ-warfare lab, involve killing brainwashed human slaves.
During his last errand he saves Cheetah, who, in a fit of gratitude and lust, tears away his hazmat suit to share one last moment of intimacy with one of the last free humans. While relaxing afterwards, they are found by Gorilla Grodd. Snapper risks death by (eventually) transporting himself and Cheetah back to the resistance hideout. Unfortunately, because of Darkseid's long term plans, his teleportation powers are now gone.
Even with Cheetah's willing help, they are left with little choice. Michael activates every last OMAC unit left, which are designed to attack super-beings. Snapper and the remnants of his cell, Cheetah included, head the counter-attack.
Other media
Snapper Carr appears frequently in the animated television series Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, voiced by actor Jason Marsden. In these appearances, Carr is a television news reporter providing commentary on the events of the episode. The Justice League episode "Legends" parodies Carr's role as sidekick for the Justice League by featuring a similar character acting as sidekick for the Justice Guild, an alternate universe version of the Justice League.
He also appeared, with his given name of Lucas, in the Elseworlds title The Island of Doctor Moreau. Snapper once portrayed a JLA talk show host in the Elseworlds comic Son of Superman.
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