Matter-Eater Lad
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article describes fictional events in the past tense. The present tense should be used in order to clearly differentiate between fictional events and actual history. To meet Wikipedia's quality standards, this comics-related article or section may require cleanup. See this article's talk page before making any large and/or controversial edits. This article has been tagged since December 2006. |
| Matter-Eater Lad | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Matter-Eater Lad is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Universe. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the thirtieth century. His real name is Tenzil Kem and he has the power to eat matter in all forms, as do all natives of his home planet, Bismoll (a pun on Pepto-Bismol, a remedy for indigestion). He first appeared in Adventure Comics #303, (December 1963).
Contents |
[edit] Fictional character history
[edit] Pre Zero Hour
His mother is called Mitz Kem. His brother, Renkil, tried to take Tenzil's place in the Legion during one story (Superboy #184). He had an unrequited crush on Shrinking Violet for many years.
In one story, he and several Legionnaires battled some other people who had their same powers and defeated them. In this case, he was drafted into political service on Bismoll. His fellow Bismollian, a young lady named Taryn Loy, code-named Calorie Queen, was one of the rejects that battled the Legion. Her power, while similar to Matter-Eater Lad's own, also had the ability to convert the excess energy into super-strength, which on that alone, could have given her Legionnaire status. In fact, Tenzil asked the Legion to give her another chance.
He appeared rarely in Legion stories, as the writers struggled with the problem of how to make his power useful in a fight. He often served as a source of comedy, as he knew his power wasn't terribly useful. However, Matter-Eater Lad saved the universe in LSH #251 by eating the Miracle Machine, the ingestion of which drove him insane. Brainiac 5 cured M-E Lad's insanity in a later issue.
He was finally drafted to become a Senator on his home planet, Bismoll, and so had to leave the Legion.
[edit] Post Zero Hour
In this continuity, Tenzil never became a Legionnaire or took on the codename Matter-Eater Lad, although he retained the sense of humour of the original. He served as the Legion's chef and butler. It was hinted that he was younger than the rebooted teenage Legionnaires.
Unlike the pre-reboot version, Tenzil also has the ability to spit acid.
Tenzil has yet to appear in Threeboot continuity.
[edit] Other media
In an episode of the Legion of Super Heroes animated series, Matter-Eater Lad appeared (in his civilian identity as Tenzil Kem) as a participant in the Intergalactic Games, an Olympics-like event in which Lightning Lad also competes. When the Fatal Five attack the Games, Kem, along with Jo Nah of Rimbor, helps the Legion defeat them, at one point eating through the handle of the Persuader's Atomic Axe. He did not have a speaking part in the episode.
[edit] Trivia
- In The Fairly Oddparents, Chester's superhero alter ego is "Matter Muncher Lad," obviously based on Matter Eater Lad.
- Indie rock legends Guided by Voices wrote a song called "Matter Eater Lad."[1]
 |
This DC Comics-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia and WikiProject Comics by expanding it. |
