Steel I

STEEL I

Real Name: Henry Heywood III

Class: Human cyborg

Occupation: Troubleshooter

Group Affiliation: formerly Justice League of America, Justice League of the Damned

Known Relatives: Henry Heywood (Commander Steel, grandfather, deceased), Henry Haywood II (father, deceased), Unnamed mother (deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile

First Appearance: Justice League of America Annual #2 (November, 1984)

Powers: Steel possessed superhuman strength and invulnerability. He had enhanced hearing and his vision could reach into the infra-red.

History: Hank Heywood III’s father was shot down in Vietnam when he was only two months old, and his mother died of breast cancer one year after that. Hank was raised by his father’s best friend Dale Gunn, and his grandfather, Henry Heywood I, the 1940s hero known as Commander Steel. When Hank reached his mid-teens his grandfather sent Dale to Detroit in order to design and build a base known as “The Bunker.” While Dale was away, Commander Steel subjected his grandson to a series of painful operations. Hank’s bones were replaced with a titanium and steel alloy skeleton, and motors were added to his joints. These operations were similar to the ones that had given Commander Steel his powers. Commander Steel wanted his grandson to follow in his footsteps, by any means necessary. It took years for Hank to adjust to his new body. His recover coincided with a change in the Justice League of America’s charter. When Commander Steel discovered this he offered the new team use of the Bunker as headquarters in exchange for accepting his grandson (now named Steel) as a member, and the League accepted.

Steel and his grandfather had a falling out when Commander Steel demanded he quit the Justice League. Steel refused, so his grandfather resorted to legal means to evict the League from the Bunker.

(Justice League of America #258-260)-Professor Ivo sends androids to hunt down and kill the JLA. Steel is hellbent on revenge after Vibe is murdered. While pursuing Professor Ivo, Steel is mortally wounded in a battle with one of the androids and placed on life support by his grandfather.

(Justice League America #38)-Despero sought to gain revenge on all of the Detroit-era Justice League. He discovered Steel on life support and shredded him limb from limb.

(Martian Manhunter II #12) - Infernal forces released by the Day of Judgment resurrected Steel and several other deceased JLAers without souls. Proclaiming themselves the Justice League of the Damned they planned to kill the living JLA members and induct them into their team. They confronted Gypsy, but let her escape to contact the Martian Manhunter. They fought Manhunter and Gypsy, and murdered Gypsy. Manhunter resurrected Gypsy with the help of Martian god Hronmeer and restored the memories of the League so they could remember the heroes they once were. They rejected their infernal possession and burst into flames.

Comments: Created by Chuck Patton & Gerry Conway

Steel received a profile in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #22. Steel received a profile in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #12 under the Justice League of America entry. He received a profile in JLA-Z #2 under the JLA (Detroit) entry.

Steel had cameos in Justice League of America II #5, 7.