Human Bomb

HUMAN BOMB

Real Name: Roy Lincoln

Class: Altered human

Occupation: Chemist, superhero

Group Affiliation: All-Star Squadron, Freedom Fighters I, Freedom Fighters II

Known Relatives: B. Lincoln (father, deceased), Mary Lincoln (wife, deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Washington, D.C.

First Appearance: Police Comics #1 (August 1941)

Powers: By touching an object with his bare hands the Human Bomb released tremendous explosive force, enough to shatter virtually any substance. Human Bomb was immune to these explosions and possessed a small degree of invulnerability. He wore a flexo-wax costume to keep from blowing up whatever he touched.

History: (Police Comics #1)-Roy Lincoln and his father were chemists working on a new explosive chemical named 27-QRX during the 1940s'. Nazi agents attempted to steal the chemical, fatally shooting Roy's father. Roy swallowed the chemical to keep the Nazis from getting it, but it gave him superhuman powers. After defeating the agents he took on the costumed identity of the Human Bomb.

(Police Comics #21) - The Human Bomb tried to enlist, but was turned down because he was too valuable to his country. He hooked up with two other rejected applicants, Coily an Swordo, and they planned to go to Japan. Red Rogers took them up in a plane, and told them she was going to Tokyo to rescue her brother Tommy Rogers from the Japanese. Human Bomb gave each of them 27QRX pills, and they stormed a Japanese stronghold. They rescued Tommy and destroyed the stronghold, but Tommy passed away from the torture he received, and they planned a hero’s funeral.

(Police Comics #27) - Human Bomb got angry when he saw Swami Kazombo open up a spiritualist shop he used for a racket. Bomb convinced his customer Mrs. Corley he was bilking her using a movie projector to make her think she was talking to her deceased husband. Swami tried to save his business by sending a bomb to Bomb’s lab, but Bomb easily took care of it. The Swami lure Mrs. Corley to Hoodoo Hall with the promise of buried treasure, and when the Human Bomb and Hustache went to save her from being duped they were attacked by the Swami and his henchman, but defeated them. Corley actually dug up a treasure, and Bomb told her she should give it to charity.

During WWII Human Bomb joined the All-Star Squadron. After the war ended he became a member of Uncle Sam's Freedom Fighters.

(JSA #42) - <April, 1944> Time traveling Black Barax attacked Washington to draw out Human Bomb and the Freedom Fighters, and tried to abduct the Human Bomb to use his explosive power to fuel his damaged time-cube. The Freedom Fighters drove Barax back to his own time with the help of Mr. Terrific and time traveling heroes Hawkgirl II and Mr. Terrific II. The grateful Freedom Fighters had Human Bomb power Barax’ abandoned time-cube so the future heroes could return to their own time.

Human Bomb retired from active heroics, getting a part-time government position as an expert in the field of superhumans. He moved to the Florida Keys, where he became close friends with Iron Monroe. He was called out of retirement decades later to combat the invading Imperiax aliens, and was severely injured during the battle.

(JSA #49-51) - The Human Bomb joined the new incarnation of the Freedom Fighters. Human Bomb and the Freedom Fighters aided the JSA in a battle against Eclipso, who’d possessed hundreds of New Yorkers and was tearing the city apart. The Freedom Fighters wrested away Eclipso’s black diamond and gave it to Alex Montez, who used it to make Eclipso manifest in him, and kept Eclipso bound to his will using magic glyphs. The Freedom Fighters then aided the JSA in battling and defeating Eclipso’s ally Mordru.

(Enginehead #5, 6) - The Human Bomb was drawn to the West Coast, responding to visions he'd had of Enginehead, a gestalt robot created by the Mechanic to fix the flaw in humanity. Enginehead met him in a diner, telling him he was part of the flaw and asking for his help. Bomb said he was done with being a superhero, disillusioned after his wife Mary started showing signs of Alzheimer's. Enginehead talked to Mary, who said she'd begged her husband to end her life. She told Enginehead her love would live on after she died, and he granted her a quick death. Human Bomb saw medics carrying away Mary's body, and went to kill Enginehead. Enginehead was battling the JLA, and when Human Bomb exploded on him he ended up sacrificing part of himself to build Irontown, a new kind of engine and home for the disaffected of the world, a new system to replace the flaw of the old.

(JSA #73) - The Human Bomb and the Freedom Fighters, now under the direction of Washington, prepped for a mission.

Comments: Created by Paul Gustavson

In pre-Crisis continuity Human Bomb lived on Earth 2. In this continuity, after joining the Freedom Fighters he traveled to Earth-X, a world without superheroes where the Third Reich was in power and WWII raged for over 30 years. The war finally came to an end through the combined efforts of the Freedom Fighters, Justice League and Justice Society.

Human Bomb was originally published by Quality Comics, which DC obtained the rights to in 1956.

Human Bomb received a profile in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #10.

Human Bomb’s cowl was seen on display in the JSA Museum in JLA / JSA: Virtue and Vice.