Real Name:
Chris BarretMETALLURGE
Real Name:
Chris Barret
Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Earth-New Universe) human mutate/paranormal
Occupation: Currently unknown; former student and soldier
Group Membership: Paranormal Platoon
Affiliations: Quasar and other paranormals (All American, Charlotte Beck, Captain Manhattan,
Chrome, Stephanie Harrington, Justice, Dave Landers, Nightmask, Randy O'Brien, Pit Bull,
Overshadow, Psi-Hawk, Jeff Walters);
Kayla Ballantine
(girlfriend);
Harold (pet dog)
Enemies: Colonel Oort and the South African army, Skeletron, Starblasters
Known Relatives: Tracey (sister), unnamed mother and father
Aliases: Metallurgist
Base of Operations: formerly Fort Benning, Georgia;
formerly Giddings, Texas;
Earth-New Universe
First Appearance:
(Metallurgist): The Draft (1988)
(Metallurge): Quasar#56 (March, 1994)
Powers/Abilities: Metallurge possesses the ability to levitate metal, though he primarily uses only a hubcap form a 1949 Chevrolet. He rides on top of the hubcap to fly through the air, can use it to allow others to do the same (though his control weakens with distance), and can use it as a shield or blunt weapon.
In spite of his ability to "fly" atop his hubcap, Chris is afraid to fly in airplanes, which make him nauseous.
History:
(The Draft (fb) - BTS) <March 2, 1970> - Chris was born.
BTS - <July 22, 1986> - The White Event occurred, exposing Chris and countless others to the energy of the Starbrand.
(The Draft) <March 3, 1988> - Chris discovered what he thought was a magic, flying hubcap. Shortly thereafter, he learned that the draft had been reinstated, due to the presumed terrorist attack which caused the Pitt (which was actually just caused by an accidental power backlash of Ken Connell, the holder of the Star Brand).
(The Draft) <March 31, 1988> - Chris signed up for the army, before his lottery number for the draft came up. He told his parents that he was joining the army, and showed the hubcap and its abilities to his mother.
(The Draft) <April 4, 1988> - Chris left for the army. Though he had never been to close to his father, his dad broke down, hugged him, and told him to be careful.
(The Draft) <April 11, 1988> - Chris arrived in Ft. Benning for basic training, where Major Zentner confirmed Chris to be a paranormal. Later, he tried to get Pit Bull to lay off Harlan Mook, and was nearly strangled under Sgt. Haldeman broke it up.
(The Draft) <April 12, 1988> - Chris participated in their first fitness training exercise.
(The Draft) <April 14, 1988> - Chris pitied Harlan Mook, who was fitting in less and less.
(Psi-Force#29/2) <October 23, 1988> - Chris participated in a training exercise, under Haldeman, against Dwight Frye (Bazooka), Tyrone Jessup (Voyager), Garth Mengeling (Gridlock), Gaylord Picaro (Pit Bull), and Jeff Walters (Blur). Jessup snagged Chris' hubcap out from underneath him, incapacitating him in the struggle.
(The War#1) < > - Chris was on hand when Captain Jack
Magniconte presented Major Kathi Blizzard, the new commanding officer of the
Paranormal Platoon. He enjoyed a night of Rest & Relaxation with the rest of the
Platoon before heading off to their first mission, in South Africa.
(The War#2) < > - En route to South Africa,
the Paranormal Platoon was briefed on the existence of Casey, a powerful
paranormal believed to be responsible for the Pitt. On arrival, they were
introduced to Colonel Oort, who was to be their liaison with the South African
army. Chris was enjoying the mission, until Pit Bull pointed out that Oort and
his allies were a bunch of racists.
Shortly thereafter, they learned that Casey was not the real
culprit, and that he was a prisoner and pawn of Oort and his men. As worldwide
tensions escalated, America, Africa, Russia, and other countries launched their
missiles, initiating World War III. Chris used his hubcap to lift Vincent Sahno,
aka Shooter, into the air to shoot the targeting equipment on the missile.
However, Chris lost his concentration, and the movement caused Sahno to miss his
target.
(The War#3) < > - Most of the Platoon tried
to make their way back to the base through the jungle and hostile fire.
Magniconte saved Chris and Mapper from an alligator attack, and Chris used his
hubcap to pull Magniconte out when the mass of gators threatened to overwhelm
him. The Platoon returned to the base, ready to take out Oort and his army.
Meanwhile, the Starchild deactivated all of the missiles that
had been launched, so that they only caused damage from their direct
impacts--saving the world from nuclear destruction.
(The War#4) - Chris lifted Norad up into the air, so that he
could focus his powers to slaughter Oort's troops by focusing the background
radiation of radiofrequency materials being used in the camp. The Platoon made
it aboard a ship to escape the area, and the freed Casey killed Oort when he
tried to stop them.
Chris and the rest of the Platoon received a heroes welcome
back in the US, directly from President Voigt himself.
(Quasar#31 (fb) BTS) - At some point, Chris journeyed to New York City and began living amongst his former comrade Jeff Walters' friends, including Dave Landers, Randy O'Brien, Stephanie Harrington, Charlotte Beck, Captain Manhattan and Chrome.
(Quasar#31) - When the super hero Quasar journeyed into the New Universe and found himself bewildered by the reality he'd plunged into, Captain Manhattan invited Quasar to visit he and his friends. Chris attended the gathering and when Quasar began explaining how he'd been sent on a mission into other realities by Uatu the Watcher, Chris remarked he'd heard about the Watcher from his comic books. Chris scoffingly observed in Quasar's world comic book characters were "real." The assembled paranormals told Quasar how they gained their powers from the White Event and how their World War came to an end thanks to the Star Brand; Quasar then departed to try and find the Star Brand, hoping it would return him home.
(Quasar#56) - Chris answered a summons from Nightmask, and he met with a number of other paranormals gathered to confront the threat of the Stablasters. He was most impressed when Kayla Ballantine suddenly popped out of thin air, naked as a jaybird. While some of the heavy-hitter paranormals headed off to investigate the aliens, Chris introduced himself to Kayla and assured her that they would protect her from them.
(Starblast#4) - Chris was jealous when Quasar returned to
Kayla, but he joined Quasar and the paranormals in storming the Dark Seed,
Skeletron's ship. He was nearly overcome by some of Skeltrons's skullhuggers,
but was saved by Quasar. He then tangled with some of the Stranger's pawns,
specifically Solar Wind, but was unable to make any headway against his powerful
wind.
All involved, except Skeletron, were then shifted to the
Stranger's Lab World, while the Stranger brought the Earth of the New Universe
into the Earth-616 dimension, and simultaneously trapped Skeletron in the New
Universe--now devoid of life...except, of course, for
Randy Kellog!.
(Quasar#57) - Chris, the rest of the Paranormals, and Kayla were all sent back to the Earth-New Universe by the Living Tribunal, who then sealed that world off with an impenetrable barrier to prevent the Starbrand energies from entering the rest of the dimension of Earth-616 again. Chris wasted no time in returning to Kayla, telling her the threat was over, and offered to show her the rest of his world.
Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald, Fabian Nicieza, and Herb Trimpe.
In Quasar#57, he was called Chris Barnett, but everywhere else, it's Barret. He also had brown hair in the Starblast issues, as opposed to blond previously.
CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:
Appearances:
The Draft (1988) - Mark Gruenwald & Fabian Nicieza (writers), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Kyle Baker, Mike Gustovich, Klaus Janson, Lee Weeks & Keith Williams (inks), Howard Mackie (editor)
Psi-Force#29 (March, 1989) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Hector Collazo (pencils), Chris Ivy (inks), Howard Mackie (editor)
The War#1-4 (1989-1990) - Doug Murray (writer), Tom Morgan (pencils/inks), Howard Mackie (editor)
Quasar#31 (February, 1992) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Greg Capullo (pencils), Harry Candelario (inks), Janice Chiang (letters), Paul Becton (colors), Kelly Corvese (editor)
Quasar#56 (March, 1994) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), John Heebink (breakdowns), Aaron McClellan (finishes), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Starblast#4 (April, 1994) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Brian Kong, Nate Palant & Rich Buckler (pencils), Don Hudson & Ernie Chan (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Quasar#57 (April, 1994) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Peter Sanderson (co-plot), John Heebink (pencils), Aaron McClellan (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Last updated: 02/01/12
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