T. O. Morrow
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| T.O. Morrow | |
 T.O. Morrow, from 52 #2 (May 2006). Art by Joe Bennet. |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Flash #143 (1964) |
| Created by | John Broome |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Thomas Oscar Morrow |
| Team affiliations | Injustice League Science Squad |
| Abilities | No special powers, however he is a very talented inventor as well as being well versed in robotics. His utilization of future technology has allowed him to make a wide range of technological achievements. |
Thomas Oscar Morrow is a fictional supervillain in the DC universe. His first appearance was in The Flash #143 (1964). He appeared in several Justice League of America books, often as the antagonist.
Morrow created several androids, including Tomorrow Woman and the Red Tornado.
He is usually referred to as "T.O. Morrow", a play on the word "tomorrow".
Contents |
[edit] Fictional character history
[edit] Pre-Crisis
Using his technological prowess and his immense inventing abilities, T.O. Morrow created a special "television set" that would allow him to see into the future. He would only be able to see 100 years or more into the future when using it, however. He would examine many of the futuristic instruments and then replicate them for use in his present time. Morrow spent a lot of time trying to perfect a time machine that he could use, but he was unsuccessful. The majority of his inventions were used to commit various types of crimes.
T.O. Morrow utilized one of the inventions that he stole from the future that would allow him to create duplicates of other people. He used this invention to successfully create duplicates of the Green Lantern. T.O. Morrow did this because he was bored with how easy it was to commit crime and he wanted to do something that would give both The Flash and Green Lantern a challenge. The three duplicate Green Lanterns each went off to different parts of the world to steal different items at the same time. They were easily stopped by The Flash's super-speed. T.O. Morrow apparently died after he fell into a large machine, but in fact, he did not die and he was sent to Earth-Two.
Shortly after being defeated by The Flash and Green Lantern, T.O. Morrow created the Red Tornado. He created the Red Tornado to infiltrate the Justice Society of America so that Morrow would be able to rob the 20th Century Museum. His television screen of the future showed that he would be defeated by the JSA unless he could infiltrate the group and cause them to be unable to defend the museum. The Red Tornado was inadvertently successful in stopping the JSA. Morrow returned to Earth-One and attacked the JLA. He was able to defeat them by using his inventions and he then placed them all in stasis. The Red Tornado was upset about Morrow's deception that caused him to defeat the JSA and followed him to Earth-One. The Red Tornado freed the members of the JLA and captured Morrow.
Morrow later escaped, and he manipulated the Red Tornado several more times to try and destroy the JLA. However, the JLA was able to easily overcome Morrow and defeat him every time.
After one particular defeat by the JLA, T.O. Morrow was drawn into another reality and split into two different people. One of the T.O. Morrow's conquered an alien world and fought The Flash, The Atom, and Supergirl. The "other" T.O. Morrow was taken into the nexus of time and mutated into a higher being. He was now referring to himself as Tomorrow - The Future Man. In his evolved state, his organs could not keep up with him and were failing. Morrow then transplanted his mind into the body of the Red Tornado and assumed his identity. The Red Tornado was able to fight back and he won his body back. The Future Man's body failed and he died.
[edit] Crisis on Infinite Earths
During DC's 12-issue limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths (April 1985-March 1986), T.O. Morrow was called upon by the heroes to repair the Red Tornado to help with the crisis. Morrow attempted to fix Red Tornado, but his physiology (having been altered by the Anti-Monitor) had changed too greatly for Morrow to repair. Red Tornado's body exploded as a result of the tampering of Morrow, Cyborg, and The Atom. During the explosion, T.O. Morrow escaped and fled to where the other villains were gathering and preparing to attack the heroes.
[edit] Post-Crisis
Post-Crisis, T.O.'s first appearance was in The Flash vol. 2 #19. He was seen at a dinner honoring the Flash's Rogues Gallery. Sometime after this, T.O. Morrow was placed in an institution in Central City. He admitted that with his time traveling and usage of all of his future inventions that he had begun to "crack up". Morrow contacted Max Lord to inform him of the impending end of the world, but Max refused to listen to him. The next time that Morrow was seen, was when he attempted to go to Dr. Hannibal Martin's office to deliver him a book that he had written full of important future dates, including the date that Morrow would die. However, Dr. Martin also blew him off and considered him to simply be delusional.
Morrow would affect Max Lord's league again. In JLA Incarnations #6, he is contacted by the dictator of Bialya and supplies technology that neutralizes Booster Gold's battle-suit.
T.O. Morrow wasn't seen again for some time until the JLA re-formed. Morrow (apparently over his confused and delusional ways) teamed up with Professor Ivo to create the Tomorrow Woman. She was placed with the JLA during their recruitment drive in order to infiltrate and destroy the team, but like Morrow's last creation, Red Tornado, she would not follow her programming and fought with the JLA. T.O Morrow and Professor Ivo were both captured and sent to Belle Reve prison.
While in prison, Morrow grew weary of Professor Ivo's boasting about his creation, Amazo. To spite Ivo, Morrow contacted the JLA and gave them information about Amazo's plan to break the mad scientists out of Belle Reve. Morrow gave them misinformation and Amazo attacked the JLA.
Morrow was able to escape Belle Reve and he greatly tampered with the timeline. He returned to the time of the Justice Society of America and made many technological advancements that would allow his idea of a perfect future to exist. The JLA from the year 2000 went back to the JSA in 1941 to try and stop Morrow, but they were too late. Morrow had already made several changes to the timestream that would set up his idea of a perfect world. When everything didn't go according to plan, he went back to his past and attempted to kill his own mother. He believed that if he were raised as an orphan that he would have been stronger. Jay Garrick was able to intervene and show Morrow what he was about to do. Morrow changed his mind and allowed the JLA to capture him. He was returned to prison and has remained there since.
[edit] 52
During DC's 52 it was revealed that T.O. Morrow was incarcerated in Haven. In fact, he was not allowed to use any computer at all for fear that he would incite "machine war one". Fellow inventor (and after the reboot his best student in college years) Dr. Will Magnus (creator of the Metal Men) would visit with T.O. Morrow monthly to discuss an assortment of things. Morrow in such meetings revealed that he had created a brother for Red Tornado called the Red Inferno, and hinted that someone was kidnapping "mad scientists" such as Dr. Sivana, Ira Quimby (I.Q.), Dr. Tyme, Dr. Death, and Dr. Cyclops, warning Magnus to be cautious. Ultimately, he was able to escape from Haven, not before leaving a last gift to his best student: the machine code necessary to restore the Metal Men.
Magnus was ultimately captured by the consipiracy Morrow had mentioned and brought to Oolong Island. He was greeted by Morrow, surrounded by beautiful girls and working freely with the other kidnapped scientists. Morrow informs Magnus that he has been drafted into their efforts creating weapons for Intergang, and subsequently arranges to have his antidepressants confiscated in order to promote his former student's more manic levels of creativity.
After being targeted by Black Adam for his involvement in the creation of the Four Horsemen of Apokolips, along with his fellow scientists on Oolong Island, he helps them in subduing their angered foe, then buys back the remnants of the demolished Red Tornado from an internet auction site, hoping to extract his knowledge of the still unknown events that happened in space.
In 52 #49, the JSA attack the Oolong facility, and Will Magnus gives Morrow the teleporter to one of Sivana's robots allowing him to escape.
In 52 #50, Morrow manages to see what Red Tornado saw, but is drafted by Booster Gold and Rip Hunter immediately after, to help them in some unknown capacity.
[edit] One Year Later
Morrow has since appeared in #2 of the new Metal Men miniseries, with his own group of robots, called the "Death Metal Men". He's later revealed to be an artificial intelligence living in an android replica of Morrow, while the Death Metal Men were atomic transmutations of the Metal Men themselves.
On the cover of Justice League of America (vol. 2) #13, it shows him as a member of the latest incarnation of the Injustice League.
[edit] Powers and abilities
T.O. Morrow is a criminal mastermind and a scientific genius. He is responsible for the creation of the androids The Red Tornado and the Tomorrow Woman. He has also created technology that allows him to see into the future.
