Case 102: Dial H for Hero #2
Dial Holders: Barnaby, Miguel Montez
Dial Type: Red Dial
Dialing: Unlike past Dials, this one's heroes all come with a quick origin story which the dialer is made aware of (apparently, this is distracting, as Miguel makes himself ignore it). Consequently, the identities are more "in character" and the dialer has less control and seems to observe his words and actions as if standing apart. When someone with a villainous disposition dials for Hero, they may be delusional and justify destructive actions as if innocent bystanders are villains to be defeated, for example. More than one person can use the power of the Dial at the same time, though at least in this one case, all identities appear to be drawn from the same comics tradition (manga). The Operator claims he forged the (this?) H-Dial himself in the Sphere of the Gods. Wherever he's calling from, the skies are Crisis-red and generic superheroes fly overhead. When a former Dial user get close, the number 4 (GHI) appears in red on his forehead for a brief moment, implying the characters who got similar symptoms in issue 1 (like Damian, Alfred, Snapper, etc.) also at least once dialed H for Hero, as did, allegedly, thousands of others. Dialing appears to be addictive for some.
Look: Think of Goku in Dragonball, but his face is that of a brown cartoon, uh, zonkey, though the rest of his short body, aside from the long thin tail, is that of a Caucasian human (give or take the stumpy feet that might be hooves under those sensible black but pale-soled shoes, and the stripes on his arms). He wears tan baggy pants with two reddish stars along each thigh; a gray vest apparently taken from a marching band leader; black bracers with pale trim; a black belt with gold buckle and white kierchief sticking out; and a red cape with gold trim, tied in a knot around the neck.
Powers: Jobu is a powerful fighter who manipulated zonkey chi for a variety of uses in addition to his massive strength and toughness (bullets still sting and being hit by a food truck knocks the wind out of him). He can fly. He can fire Zebradonk blasts and his punchs deliver explosive blows. His only weakness is eldritch metal which saps his power.
Sighted: In Grand Junction CO, attacking a riverboat and fighting Iron Deadhead.
Possibilities: According to the included origin, 20,000 years ago an old zonkey wizard found a zonkey baby in a falling star and trained him martial arts and powerful zonkey magic. DC Earth can't really sustain that. If we had dedicated Earth-C comics, maybe. The Zoo Crew can't be everywhere. But even so, the strong manga elements don't really make it part of the funny animal genre either. It just happens to be the closest fit.
Integration Quotient: 15% (the DCU really can't sustain a funny animal Dragonball parody)
Look: A big blue and white manga robot with four glowing eyes, a combined "i" and "D" logo in the center of its chest held there by a chain, and all the manga accoutrements.
Powers: Iron Deadhead is a big fighting robot built from eldritch metal (which has some mystical properties, presumably including the ability to hold a human soul, see below), strong and tough, and equipped with various weapons powered by manna crystals, including a supernova scream cannon in its face.
Sighted: In Grand Junction CO, fighting Jobu the Zonkey King.
Possibilities: According to the included origin, a Neo Canyonopolis policeman surprised a heretical engineer who activated his robot by merging it with a human soul, presumably the cop's. With some tweaking, we might enjoy his adventures in the contemporary DCU, as there's potential in a mystic/robot combination. Is he a new type of Metal Man? I kind of want Canyonopolis to be in 21st-Century DC America. I want to know more about the type of "heretic" who would make him. And he's already got a comic cover from "DC Manga!" right here in the comic (putting my in mind of early 90s Dark Horse imports).
Integration Quotient: 70% (in other words, it's easier to integrate a futuristic concept than a fantasy one)
Next: Dial V for Villain?
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