Damage (comics)
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| Damage | |
.jpg/250px-Damage_(comics).jpg) Justice Society of America #6 (2007). Art by Alex Ross. |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Damage #1 (April 1994) |
| Created by | Tom Joyner Bill Marimon |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Grant Albert Emerson |
| Team affiliations | Freedom Fighters Justice Society of America Teen Titans |
| Abilities | Enhanced strength, durability, speed, reflexes, power discharge, and explosions. |
Damage is a DC Comics superhero who first appeared in a comic book of the same name during the Zero Hour crisis. He is the son of the original Atom Al Pratt. He has been a member of the Titans, and the Freedom Fighters, and is currently a member of the Justice Society of America.
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[edit] Fictional character history
High school student Grant Emerson suddenly discovers he is a superhuman with incredible explosive powers.[1] During the Zero Hour crisis, Grant's powers became the spark that restarted the universe after it was destroyed by Parallax; thanks to Damage's powers, the new universe evolved along natural lines, guided by nature rather than the will of Parallax.[2]
A superhero/supervillain battle, involving Baron Blitzkrieg, Iron Munro, and others, results in extensive damage to downtown Atlanta. Damage is arrested for his part in the extensive damage. Sarge Steel is able to cut a deal for him: he would be banned from Georgia and remanded into custody of the then federally-sponsored Titans team, led by Arsenal. Around this time Damage deals with, emotionally, the murder of a fellow schoolmate he cares for at the hands of a supervillain. After a while, Damage leaves the Titans to find his origins.
[edit] Parentage
He learns that Vandal Savage was involved in an experiment at Symbolix called Project: Telemachus, where he took DNA samples he had collected from various superheroes and injected them into a fitting vessel: Grant. The heroes Grant shares DNA with are: Atom I (Al Pratt), Flash I (Jay Garrick), Green Lantern I (Alan Scott), Wildcat I (Ted Grant), Hawkman I (Carter Hall), Hawkgirl I (Shayera Hol), Hourman I (Rex Tyler), Black Canary I (Dinah Lance), Doctor Mid-Nite I (Charles McNider), Starman I (Ted Knight), Miss America (Joan Dale), Johnny Quick (Johnny Chambers), Liberty Belle (Libby Lawrence), Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz - John Jones), Flash II ((Barry Allen), Aquaman, Black Canary II (Dinah Laurel Lance), Green Lantern II (Hal Jordan), and Atom II (Ray Palmer). Symbolix was allied with Shadowspire through Shadowspire's leader the Baron Blitzkrieg. The Baron became a recurring foe in Damage's series, starting with #3. Grant eventually learns that he was the son of the original Atom, Al Pratt and his wife Mary. Grant was forced to go underground after leaving the Titans, since he violated his parole by doing so.
When the original five Titans reformed the group[3], Arsenal nominates Damage for membership. Arsenal managed to erase Grant's criminal records, so he was no longer a fugitive, and Grant joins the team. Grant participates in multiple adventures, including a confrontation with demons from hell in "Day of Judgment" #1. Later, Damage confronts something he had buried for a long time: he had been victim of abuse at the hands of his foster father. After opening up to Roy Harper, Grant takes a leave of absence and sought peace and healing on the Navajo reservation where Roy was raised.
He helps the current Justice Society of America against Imperiex and the villainous team of Obsidian, Eclipso, and Mordru, both times as part of a modern All-Star Squadron. He has since been seen with a new team of government-sponsored Freedom Fighters, whose activities are yet unknown. He also has something of a brotherly relationship with Atom Smasher, the godson of his father, the original Atom. It was thought that Grant had a brother, Walter, who was recently killed by Walter's superhero daughter, Manhunter, aka Kate Spencer. However, it turned out that Walter was actually the son of Iron Munro and Phantom Lady - an odd parallel to Damage's paternity search, as at one stage it appeared that Grant might be the couple's child.
[edit] Freedom Fighters and Justice Society of America vol. 3
Several members of the modern Freedom Fighters team were killed by the Society in Infinite Crisis #1. Damage was one of the survivors, though his face is severely scarred by Zoom[4], although this isn't revealed until later [5].
Damage appears in the relaunched Justice Society of America released in December 2006. He wears a full mask and a costume similar to that of his father and Atom Smasher, featuring a biohazard symbol. He also has a significantly gruffer and more cynical attitude, partly because, as the villain Rebel insinuates, Damage was left badly scarred, but alive, by Zoom. Zoom later encounters the Justice Society, claiming to have maimed, but not killed, the boy intentionally, to give him a defining tragedy, and the fight leads to Georgia. Damage leaps into the state, although he is banned from entering, and catches up with Zoom, and holds him hostage. Liberty Belle calms Damage down, but Zoom escapes and hurls debris at his face with the intent to kill him. Liberty Belle speeds in, saves Damage, and knocks out Zoom[6] Damage remains on the team, essentially in Atom Smasher's place (the Thunderbolt has even called him "Atom Smasher Two" jokingly).
In Justice Society of America #16, Damage's face was completely healed by the reborn Gog.
[edit] Powers and abilities
Damage can generate a power charge that enhances his strength, durability, speed, and reflexes to superhuman levels. If he doesn't use the energy in the aforementioned manner he is forced to expend it in a discharge, most notably the time he created the Big Bang during Zero Hour. The aged Damage in Young Justice: Sins of Youth had the ability to fly. While the current Damage cannot harness this ability yet, he can "leap" by firing his energy at the ground, as shown most recently in Justice Society of America #8.
