The CW trilogy of DC Comics television series is going strong, with Arrow, The Flash and now DC’s Legends of Tomorrow bringing in decent ratings after just two weeks on the air. Arrow and The Flash tend to try to stay somewhat within the boundaries of their comic book counterparts, while Legends is quickly shaping up to be the playground within which fans will get all kinds of cameos and easter eggs from lesser known and obscure characters.
The latest teases of upcoming characters come directly from DC Comics on their official Instagram account. Images reavealing Hourman and Red Tornado were posted recently, but not the Red Tornado that modern fans are used to or have seen recently on Supergirl. The legendary Ma Hunkel has already made an appearance of sorts on Legends, as noted in our breakdown of the premiere’s DC Easter Eggs.
If you don’t instantly recognize the name Red Tornado, then you may not be alone. The character has been given air time on various DC Comics themed cartoons in recent years, including Young Justice and Batman: Brave and the Bold, but that version is a self-aware robot. Ma Hunkel was first introduced to comic books way back in 1944, during the Golden Age. All-American Comics #3 was her first appearance, although she wouldn’t assume her goofy mantle as the stew pot helmet wearing hero Red Tornado until issue #20. She was created by Sheldon Mayer for All-American Comics. That same year DC Comics swooped in and absorbed All-American, making Ma their domain.
Ma Hunkel was a bit of a goofy character, a hard-working mom who donned her hero costume to battle the ever inflating crime in her neighborhood. She gathered the idea from her son, who admired and revered Green Lantern. The character ended up gaining a lot of fan support and managed to make appearances in the Justice Society of America comics and later in the Alex Ross opus Kingdom Come. She has been hearalded as the first cross-dressing superhero, with her baggy costume, consisting of a pair of long-johns, shorts, a cape and a stew pot helmet with cut-out eyes, gave her the appearance of a male.
Another one of the All-American heroes that was absorbed by DC Comics was Hour-Man. The hero known as Hourman was created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily, first being featured in Adventure Comics #48 in 1940. The idea behind the Golden Age Hourman was that scientist Rex Tyler discovered a special compound, dubbed Miraclo, that gave him super-human strength and speed for an hour, after which the effects would wear off. The hero would eventually become a part of the DC Comics Justice Society of America. In later years, DC Comics would pass the mantle to Rick Ryler, Rex’s son, and Matthew Tyler, an android from the future that was created based on a DNA sample from Rex. It is unclear which version of the character Legends will feature, but if the use of Ma is any indication, we’ll probably see the original Rex.
Legends of Tomorrow will return with ‘Blood Ties’ on February 4th, 2016 at 8pm on The CW. The Flash airs on Tuesdays and Arrow airs on Wednesdays in the same timeslot.
Source: DC Comics
