Matter-Eater Lad
Matter-Eater Lad | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
First appearance | Adventure Comics #303 (December 1962) |
Created by | Jerry Siegel John Forte |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Tenzil Kem |
Species | Bismollian |
Place of origin | Bismoll |
Team affiliations | Legion of Super-Heroes |
Notable aliases | M-E Lad |
Abilities | Powers:
Abilities:
Equipment:
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Matter-Eater Lad (Tenzil Kem) is a superhero appearing in media published by DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #303 (December 1962), and possesses the power to eat matter in all forms, as do all natives of his home planet, Bismoll.
Publication history
Matter-Eater Lad first appeared in Adventure Comics #303 and was created by Jerry Siegel and John Forte.[1]
Fictional character biography
Pre–Zero Hour
Matter-Eater Lad is the fifteenth member inducted into the Legion of Super-Heroes, joining soon after Bouncing Boy. In his first appearance, Matter-Eater Lad explains his origins, saying that the natives of Bismoll found that microbes had made all their food inedible, and that the populace evolved their ability to eat all matter as a survival mechanism.
This gives his teeth and jaws, apparently, the strength and durability to bite and chew through stone, metal, and other hard substances.[2] Tenzil's mother is named Mitz Kem, and his father Rall (who, curiously, use Tenzil's LSH stipend to buy groceries as told in "The Hapless Hero" in Action Comics #381, despite ostensibly being Bismollians). His brother, Renkil, tries to take Tenzil's place in the Legion during one story (Superboy #184). Their family life is shown to be rough. He has an unrequited crush on Shrinking Violet, which features for the bulk of the Legion's run in Adventure Comics.
He appears rarely in Legion stories, as the writers struggled with the problem of how to make his power useful in a fight and was routinely written out via a plot device where Tenzil was constantly being drafted into his planet's political system due to his fame as a Legion member.
During one of his first draftings to be in politics, he put in a good word for fellow Bismollian, Calorie Queen, who had somewhat similar powers as him, but also had the ability to turn caloric energy into super strength. Matter-Eater Lad has one major heroic moment, though, when he saves the universe by eating the previously thought to be indestructible Miracle Machine, though the energies of the device leave him insane for several years.[3]
He is ultimately cured by Brainiac 5. He would later avert the conquest of Bismoll by an army of Computo replicas, with the assistance of the Legion Subs (this mission would cause Polar Boy to disband his group, and join the Legion proper).[4]
In volume 4 of Legion of the Super-Heroes Matter-Eater Lad plays a significant role. Keith Giffen, who had much success with humor in his 1987
While Tenzil's exploits generate disdain from his world's rulers, his adventures make him even more popular with the masses of his homeworld, resulting in Tenzil being kept on as senator. "Trust me, I'm a senator" is an oft-uttered catchphrase during this period. Tenzil eventually comes into conflict with former Legion villain
During the "Five Year Gap" following the Magic Wars, Earth fell under the covert control of the
Soon thereafter, the members of the Dominators' highly classified "Batch SW6" escaped captivity. Originally, Batch SW6 appeared to be a group of teenage Legionnaire clones, created from samples apparently taken just prior to Ferro Lad's death at the hands of the Sun-Eater. Later, they were revealed to be time-paradox duplicates every bit as legitimate as their older counterparts. After Earth was destroyed in a disaster reminiscent of the destruction of Krypton over a millennium earlier,[5] a few dozen surviving cities and their inhabitants reconstituted their world as New Earth. The SW6 Legionnaires—including their version of Matter-Eater Lad—remained.
Post–Zero Hour
After the events of the
"Threeboot"
In the "Threeboot", Matter-Eater Lad was reintroduced as a government agent, investigating Cosmic Boy's disappearance and the legality of his final act as Legion leader. He also bit off Mekt Ranzz's pointer finger.
Post-Infinite Crisis
The events of the
In Superman #694, Matter-Eater Lad is revealed to have been masquerading as Mon-El's friend Mitch, owner of a local cafe. He reveals his identity by stepping in to save a woman trapped in a burning car, allowing Mon-El to continue fighting the larger threats.
As revealed in Adventure Comics (vol. 2) #8, Matter-Eater Lad is part of a secret team sent by the late R. J. Brande to the 21st century to save the future in the Last Stand of New Krypton storyline. He also married Wonder Woman.
In other media
- Tenzil Kem / Matter-Eater Lad appears in Legion of Super Heroes, voiced by Alexander Polinsky. Introduced as a civilian in the episode "Champions", he later joins the Legion in the episode "The Substitutes". In the two-part second season premiere "The Man from the Edge of Tomorrow", Kem destroys the Emerald Eye of Ekron, successfully de-powering the Emerald Empress, but is hospitalized after the Eye's magic drives him insane. Over the rest of the season, he recovers and eventually returns to active duty.
- Matter-Eater Lad appears in Adventures in the DC Universe #10.[6]
- Matter-Eater Lad appears in the one-shot comic Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes.[7]
- Matter-Eater Lad received an action figure in Mattel's DC Universe Classics line as part of the Legion of Super-Heroes 12-pack.
- Matter-Eater Lad is referenced in a self-titled song in Guided by Voices' EP Clown Prince of the Menthol Trailer.
References
- ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
- ^ Adventure Comics #303
- ^ Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #250–251 (April–May 1979)
- ^ Legion of Substitute Heroes Special (1985)
- ^ Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 4) #38, late December 1992
- ^ "Adventures in the DC Universe #10 - The Blobs (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ "Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes #1 - Atomic Batteries To Power, Flight Rings To Speed (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved August 18, 2023.