TNT (character)
 | This article consists almost entirely of a plot summary. (April 2023) |
| TNT | |
|---|---|
Dan the Dyna-Mite | |
| Abilities | After coming in contact with Dan the Dyna-Mite: Enhanced strength, speed and resistance to injury Heat generation |
TNT is a fictional character appearing in
The "human hand grenades" had a short lived career during the Golden Age of Comic Books, reappearing occasionally in reprint form during the 1970s, returning in Super Friends #12, and appearing from time to time in All-Star Squadron and its Post-Crisis sequel, Young All-Stars.
Fictional character biography
Pre-Crisis
TNT and Dan the Dyna-Mite are the secret identities of chemistry teacher and track coach Thomas N. "Tex" Thomas and his student Daniel Dunbar.[2] While working together with some "radioactive salts", they discover they are charged with atomic energy.[3] Thomas is charged with positive energy, while Dunbar is charged with negative energy. Thomas makes a pair of rings which keeps the energy dormant until they are touched together, at which point the pair gains enhanced strength, speed, and resistance to injury, and the ability to generate different forms of energy. Thomas generates heat, while Dan can generate short bursts of electricity.[4] The series ran through Star-Spangled Comics #23 (August 1943).
Post-Crisis
TNT was revived as part of Roy Thomas's All-Star Squadron, and its spin-off, The Young All-Stars. After TNT and Dyna-Mite had been active for a few months, they are summoned by the All-Star Squadron to participate in their first general meeting. Their participation seems to have been limited to attending meetings and little else until April 1942, when Liberty Belle, as chairperson of the All-Stars, asks TNT and Dyna-Mite to look into Axis espionage activity in Colorado. Here, they meet future All-Star member Iron Munro, but TNT is killed by Gudra the Valkyrie, a supernatural agent of Adolf Hitler.[5] TNT is posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, leaving Dyna-Mite to work with Munro and other members of the Young All-Stars. Keeping Thomas' ring, Dan finds he can activate his powers by slamming both rings together.
In 2010's DCU: Legacies #2, TNT and Dyna-Mite are revealed to have been founding members of the Seven Soldiers of Victory.[6][7][8] How this retcon affects their histories, such as the previously established death of TNT and Dyna-Mite's Young All-Stars stint, has not yet been revealed.
Current version
The latest version of the character is featured in
DC Universe
During the Dark Nights: Death Metal storyline, TNT is among the superheroes that were revived by Batman using a Black Lantern ring.[9]
Powers and abilities
When his powers are unleashed, TNT possesses super-strength, enhanced speed, and resistance to injuries. He can also do energy blasts.
Equipment
TNT possesses a special ring that helps contain his powers when in his civilian form. When his ring touches Dan the Dyna-Mite's ring, their powers are unleashed.
Enemies
TNT had his own rogues gallery:[10]
- "Brainy" Beggs - a criminal leader.[11]
- Aces Keenan - a gambler and criminal.[12]
- Blast - a saboteur.[13]
- Bruiser Blane - a criminal who was looking for gold in Placer Gulch.[14]
- Clumsy Charlie - the leader of a gang who are bad at committing crimes.[15]
- Crime Clown - a clown that led a criminal gang.[16]
- Dwarf - a tiny crime lord.[4]
- Ebenezer Oglum - a miserly old man who fell in with some gangsters.[17]
- Herr Streicher - a Nazi.[18]
- Judson Cross - a criminal who stole money for a charity dedicated to helping blind children.[19]
- Mother Goose - George Ready is the leader of the Mother Goose Mob.[20]
- Mr. Heyler - a Nazi who manipulated Clumsy Charlie and his gang.[15]
- Parrot - Harry Hicks is a masked criminal who uses a parrot that has poison on its claws.[21]
- Phineas Smythe - an art dealer.[22]
- Posey - a bandit leader who was nicknamed the "Blooming Bandit".[23]
- Sparkler Rattigan - a criminal who used a special static electricity machine to keep Thomas and Daniel from transforming into TNT and Dan the Dyna-Mite.[24]
- Test Tube Gang - a criminal gang that uses new types of acids and explosives for their crimes.[25]
Reception
American Comic Book Chronicles says that the TNT and Dan the Dyna-Mite series "had potential, but consistently fell flat, limited space and unimaginative writing its chief problems".[3]
Other versions
TNT is mentioned in the 1993 four issue mini-series
References
- ISBN 0-87833-808-X. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ Markstein, Don. "TNT and Dan the Dyna-Mite". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ ISBN 978-1605490892.
- ^ a b Star-Spangled Comics #7. DC Comics.
- ^ The Young All-Stars #1
- ^ "Continue to explore the history of the DCU with LEGACIES #2". 15 June 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- ^ "Dueling Review: DC Universe: Legacies #2 | Major Spoilers - Comic Book Reviews and News". Archived from the original on 2010-06-25. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
- ^ "Newest Seven Soldiers in DC Legacies #2 (Spoilers) - The Comic Bloc Forums". Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- ^ Dark Nights: Death Metal #5. DC Comics.
- ISBN 978-1-61318-023-5.
- ^ Star-Spangled Comics #15. DC Comics.
- ^ Star-Spangler Comics #22. DC Comics.
- ^ Star-Spangled Comics #13. DC Comics.
- ^ Star-Spangled Comics #20. DC Comics.
- ^ a b Star-Spangled Comics #23. DC Comics.
- ^ World's Finest #5. DC Comics.
- ^ Star-Spangled Comics #10. DC Comics.
- ^ Star-Spangled Comics #19. DC Comics.
- ^ Star-Spangled Comics #11. DC Comics.
- ^ Star-Spangled Comics #9. DC Comics.
- ^ Star-Spangled Comics #8. DC Comics.
- ^ Star-Spangled Comics #18. DC Comics.
- ^ Star-Spangled Comics #14. DC Comics.
- ^ Star-Spangled Comics #21. DC Comics.
- ^ Star-Spangled Comics #17. DC Comics.