DYNAMIC MAN

Real Name: Inapplicable

Identity/Class: Terrestrial android (World War II to modern era)

Occupation: Adventurer

Group Membership: None; formerly the Twelve (Black Widow/Claire Voyant, Blue Blade/Roy Chambers, Captain Wonder/Jeff Jordan, Electro, Fiery Mask/Jack Castle, Laughing Mask/Dennis Burton, Master Mind Excello/Earl Everett, Mister E/Victor Jay, Phantom Reporter/Richard "Dick" Jones, Rockman, Witness)

Affiliations: Blue Diamond (Elton Morrow), Colonel Frank Dexter, Professor Simon Goettler, J. Edgar Hoover, Chief Hopkins, Invaders (Captain America/Steve Rogers, Human Torch/Jim Hammond, Miss America/Madelyne Joyce Frank, Whizzer/Robert Frank), Lamont Lewis, Vision (Aarkus)

Enemies: Daniel "King" Bascom, the Hood (Willard Thomas), Mech Tomorrow, Professor Monte, Nazis, Prentiss, Twelve (Black Widow/Claire Voyant, Blue Blade/Roy Chambers, Captain Wonder/Jeff Jordan, Electro, Fiery Mask/Jack Castle, Laughing Mask/Dennis Burton, Master Mind Excello/Earl Everett, Mister E/Victor Jay, Phantom Reporter/Richard "Dick" Jones, Rockman, Witness), Dr. Vee, many saboteurs and terrorists

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Curt Cowan (civilian alias), "Man of the future", "Perfect man of today" (titles used to describe himself), "scarecrow" (nickname used by the Phantom Reporter)

Base of Operations: His creator's lab in the state of New York;
                                 formerly the Twelve's mansion, New York;
                                  formerly a bunker in Berlin, Germany;
                                  formerly New York City, New York

First Appearance: Mystic Comics I#1 (March, 1940)

Powers/Abilities: An electric-powered android, Dynamic Man could mimic virtually all of a human being's functions though he was built without genitalia because his creator Simon Goettler considered them improper. He had phenomenal superhuman strength (lifting 50 tons) and mental and physical reflexes augmented by his advanced programming. Dynamic Man had "X-ray Vision" that allowed him to see through solid objects for miles using electromagnetic waves. He could manipulate the Earth's magnetic field for a variety of effects, including flight and the repulsion and attraction of metallic objects. He could also expel electrical bolts from his body. His extremely durable and malleable epidermis was able withstand bullets, bombs and most bladed weaponry. It also allowed him limited shapeshifting. His brain was patterned after the neural imprint of his genius inventor Simon Goettler, granting him an exceptionally high IQ. However, Goettler also imparted his own pathological loathing for perversion and immorality, giving his creation an intolerant and even dismissive demeanor towards everything and everyone he did not consider pure or proper. Believing himself to be the standard of perfection, Dynamic Man was openly homophobic and racist, thoroughly convinced of his own superiority and not above killing the truly immoral ones. During his 60 year stay in suspended animation, his android mind formed a bond with the robot Electro. He could control the automaton even when he was miles away.

Height: 6'3"
Weight: 250 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde

History:

(The Twelve I#10 (fb) ) - Obsessed with a general loathing for everything he deemed immoral and improper, genius inventor Professor Simon Goettler designed an android that he considered the perfect man. As a symbol for this perceived perfection, Goettler had built him without genitals, the part of human anatomy he considered the source of man's biggest vice: sex. Using complex electricity-based machines of his own design, Goettler succeeded in giving his android life, a duplicate of his own neural patterns and incredible superhuman powers. However, the excitement of seeing his dream come to life proved too much for him and he had a fatal heart attack. The Dynamic Man held his dying "father" in his arms and took the man's last words to heart: he was to be his perfect man, free of the liabilities, fragilities and corruptions of the flesh. After coming up with the civilian identity of Curt Cowan, Dynamic Man joined the FBI as he went out into the world to embody Goettler's vision.

(Mystic Comics I#1/1 (fb) - BTS) - Unable and unwilling to reveal he was a genderless android, Dynamic Man left out that part and claimed Simon Goettler was his adoptive father when he told his origin story that was eventually printed up in Mystic Comics, thereby further cementing its authenticity.

(The Twelve I#5 (fb) - BTS) - FBI director J. Edgar Hoover personally taught Cowan all he knew about working for the agency.

(Mystic Comics I#1/1) - Dynamic Man battled 8 criminals.

(Mystic Comics I#1/1) - In one of his first documented cases working as FBI agent Curt Cowan, the Dynamic Man faced millionaire banker King Bascom who had come up with a way to cause massive drought in a scheme to devalue agricultural land so he could buy it for next to nothing. Dynamic Man discovered the secret mountain facility where Bascom's drought generator was kept and destroyed it. Bascom tried to flee in a plane, but Dynamic Man used his electrical powers to shoot it down. Bascom thought he could escape using a parachute but found Dynamic Man waiting for him on the ground.

(Mystic Comics I#2/3) - When the mysterious Dr. Vee, leader of a sabotage ring, caused chaos and panic throughout the United States by blowing up dams and railroads, the FBI put Dynamic Man on the case. Using his intense powers of concentration, he saw saboteurs planting a bomb on the train tracks in an attempt to derail the approaching West Bound train. He quickly flew past the train, grabbed the explosive and tossed it in the nearby river before it went off. He then defeated the saboteurs and forced one of them to take him by car to their boss Dr. Vee. He was unaware Vee knew he was coming because of a hidden microphone in the car. Vee managed to outwit the vastly powerful Dynamic Man and escaped with his men to a nearby boat. When Dynamic Man caught up with them, it wasn't hard to defeat the criminals. He even tossed Vee out into the ocean, by the time the crimeboss was rescued by the police, he was ready to confess.

(Mystic Comics I#3/8) - When three members of the Banker's Trust Fund were murdered by mobsters led by a man known only as the Hood, FBI chief Hopkins assigned Dynamic Man to the case. Shortly afterwards, the Hood's men attacked him with a drive by shooting when he was out on the street as Curt Cowan. Thanks to his lightning-fast reflexes, he avoided the bullets and fired his gun at the car, hitting a tire. The vehicle began to swerve uncontrollably and crashed, killing the mobsters before they could reveal who their boss was. Dynamic Man next went to visit Willard Thomas, the head of the Banker's Trust Fund and likely the Hood's next target (in reality, he was the Hood himself). Thomas told him that the Hood had indeed threatened him, and that the criminal would be robbing the East Bank that night. D.M. went on a stakeout and waited for the Hood's men to show up. When they did, he engaged them but was seemingly ill-prepared for the Hood himself who knocked him unconscious with the back of a gun. Dynamic Man was taken to the mobsters'  headquarters while the Hood went out to kill banker Lamont Lewis. Using his superior strength, Dynamic Man broke free from his chains, beat the whereabouts of the Hood out of his flunkies and rushed to save Lewis. He easily defeated the Hood and his men by crushing the support pillars of the porch they were standing under, causing the roof to hit them. He was stunned to find the hooded villain was actually Willard Thomas himself, who had planned to kill his fellow bankers to gain total control over the Banker's Trust Fund. Convinced that crime doesn't pay and that only a fool would value money over life, D.M. flew off.

(Mystic Comics I#4/8) - The FBI sent Curt Cowan out to investigate a series of strange gold robberies, though he did it as Dynamic Man. He soon learned the culprits were Professor Monte and his associate Prentiss. They had constructed a giant zeppelin containing a special magnet attuned to only attract gold. Their next target was Fort Knox, where the United States' gold reserves were kept. D.M. was unable to stop them from robbing Knox and even failed to capture the criminals when he followed them back to their hideout because they outwitted him and covered his body in non-conductive sheet rendered the electrically charged hero temporarily powerless. He watched them leave for London aboard their zeppelin to rob the Bank of England. After they left, he managed to free himself and gave chase. Over London, the villains had a hard time getting past the British military's air defenses. The Dynamic Man then attacked, using his powers to ignite the zeppelin's gases, causing a massive explosion that killed everyone on board. In the aftermath, Dynamic Man made sure all the stolen gold went back to Fort Knox, earning him a commendation for a job well done.

(The Twelve: Spearhead#1 (fb) - BTS) - When the United States declared war on Germany and Japan, Dynamic Man eventually went to fight the Nazis in Europe.

(The Twelve: Spearhead#1) - In the early Spring of 1945, Dynamic Man had joined an allied army unit in the field. He surprised the soldiers with his feats of massive strength, single-handedly defeating numerous German soldiers and taking down their fortified bunkers. After one such mission, he met the Phantom Reporter who was assigned to the unit to write stories on the superhero contributions to the war effort. Dynamic Man casually dismissed the Phantom Reporter when he realized the man didn't have any powers. Later, Dynamic Man and the Phantom Reporter would accompany Captain America, Blue Diamond, the Human Torch, Master Mind Excello, Miss America, Vision and the Whizzer on a mission to cripple the German rocket program as well as retrieve the mystical Lance of St. Maurice. Dynamic Man and Ms. America took out the sentries, allowing the others to move into the base without being detected. After the base was taken, Dynamic Man captured a handful of high ranking Waffen SS members. He took them to Dennis Burton, a district attorney assigned to the war crime investigation department. The Germans expected a trial, but Burton turned out to be the murderous vigilante the Laughing Mask. Satisfied "these fairies" would be dealt with, Dynamic Man flew off to fight "some real men". Moments later, Burton brutally executed the officers by shooting them through the head one by one.

(Marvels Project#8 (fb) - BTS) - In the final days of World War II, the States-bound hero Angel (Thomas Halloway) became aware that thanks to heroes like the Dynamic Man the world was entering the age of marvels and heroes prophesied by the dying, time-travelling gunslinger Matt Hawke in 1939.

(The Twelve I#1) - On Wednesday April 25th, 1945, the Allies began their final assault on Berlin. During the fight, Dynamic Man easily defeated all the German soldiers he could find, mockingly referring to the retreating troops as "pansies who would probably run faster from him if they didn't wear stiletto heels".

(The Twelve I#1 (fb) - BTS) - Dynamic Man's continued homophobic comments, as well as his repeated and exaggerated ideas on masculinity made the Phantom Reporter and others wonder if Curt Cowan perhaps might be homosexual himself.

(The Twelve I#1) - Dynamic Man and eleven other vigilantes eventually found themselves teaming up to investigate the largely abandoned headquarters of the SS for possible snipers or other opposition. The search led them to an underground lab facility which actually turned out to be a trap. Once they were all inside, the doors closed and a special knockout gas was pumped in. SS officers hurried in to put the heroes in freezing tubes, planning to study and dissect these "supermen" after the war so they could turn the next generation of Nazis into a true master race.

(The Twelve I#1 - BTS) - The SS officers hadn't counted on the Russian army reaching strategic parts of Berlin before the allied forces. The Russians captured and executed the SS officers responsible for keeping Dynamic Man and the other heroes on ice.

(The Twelve I#12 (fb) - BTS) - All the heroes were bombarded by the continuous cybernetic thought waves of the robot Electro who was desperate and alone after the impenetrable bunker cut off his connection to its inventor Philo Zog. Eventually, he'd form a bond with the Dynamic Man's android mind who assured the lost and lonely robot they were now together and that they were perfect. The two electronical minds merged, with Dynamic Man's more advanced brain able to control Electro's actions even from miles away.

(The Twelve I#1 - BTS) - In recent years a German construction crew accidentally unearthed the underground facility where the heroes were being kept. The American authorities were informed and quickly took charge of the situation, bringing everyone back to the United States where they were revived and led to believe it was still the 1940s in an attempt to gently accommodate them to having been asleep for the past 60 years.

(The Twelve I#1) - Phantom Reporter and Captain Wonder eventually saw through the ruse, forcing the military to inform the others of their current predicament as well. Dynamic Man and his compatriots all agreed with the army's offer to help them get adjusted so they could be what they were before: heroes serving their country in its hour of need.

(The Twelve I#2) - Dynamic Man and the others moved to a luxurious mansion outside of New York supplied and funded by the army. They were welcomed by their liaison colonel Dexter who told them they were invited to stay there rent- and expense free for 12 months while they got their bearings in this new world. However, the Dynamic Man immediately offered his services, claiming he was born for the future and wouldn't need time to adjust because he was born adjusted. Dexter told D.M. that he was free to do so, but asked to keep in touch with his people so they could keep the local authorities in the loop. A little while later, he helped movers get the inert robot Electro from the truck to a storage area of the house. That night, he went out to patrol New York City, stopping a woman from getting gunned down in a drive-by shooting, saving a boy trapped in a burning building, preventing a robbery and delivering the criminal to the cops. However, his outdated 1940s ideas on morality caught up with him when he chased and grabbed a purse snatcher, only to find the African American man was actually the husband of the Caucasian wife who'd been robbed. Disgusted, he flew off, claiming to have better things to do with his time.

(The Twelve I#3) - Dynamic Man continued to make a name for himself as New York's latest, greatest superhero. He saved the crew of a small private plane that developed engine trouble over the city, safely setting it down in a nearby park.

(The Twelve I#4) - Acting strangely belligerent, Dynamic Man attended Master Mind Excello's going-away party and picked a fight with Phantom Reporter and the others who he considered whining moaners who were doing nothing while he was out doing what they were meant to do: save lives and serve their country. Phantom Reporter effectively compared the unemotional "perfect man' to the Nazi's perfect master race, which infuriated Dynamic Man to no end. He was stopped from hitting Phantom Reporter by Captain Wonder. Switching gears, Dynamic Man sarcastically carried in Electro, to remind the others they were just like the robot: a forgotten relic nobody knew what to do with anymore.

(The Twelve I#5) - After aiding the FBI in taking down a heavily armored New Jersey based terrorist cell, Dynamic Man went to New York City Hall to register himself as a government licensed superhero. The event was televised, with the mayor even officially accepting his registration. Afterwards, Dynamic Man gave an interview in which he explained his motivations for registering, hoping it would set an example and would inspire Americans to become perfect people in a perfect world. When asked about his work with the FBI in the 1940s, Dynamic Man sang former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover's praises, calling him not only a good man but also a man's man (an unintentionally ironic claim, since after his death in 1972 Hoover was revealed to have been a crossdressing, closeted homosexual). Back at the mansion, the sarcastic Dynamic Man mocked Captain Wonder who was still mourning the loss of his family, accusing him of "throwing a pity party". In response, the super strong Wonder struck him. Eager for a good fight, D.M. was ready to strike back, but their fight was broken up by the Fiery Mask who reminded them this was no way to behave if they were to set an example for this generation. Annoyed, Dynamic Man flew off to attend to more important matters, but not before telling the others to "enjoy their pity party". Later, he caught up with Captain Wonder who had just given a talk to a group of innercity school children. While he had hoped to inspire them, their cynical attitude had actually demotivated the idealistic hero. Dynamic Man somewhat opened up to his ally, explaining that he was meant to be the man of the future according to both his father and the media, but he had since concluded that this wasn't the perfect future he was meant for. That future was to be clean, pure and perfect with flying cars, jet packs and lunar colonies, not the cesspool he'd found himself in now. That's why he kept so busy, preferring to stay in the air because he couldn't handle the depravity on the ground. He advised Wonder to do the same, but the demoralized hero simply told him to fly away, which he did.

(The Twelve I#6 (fb) - BTS) - In another interview, Dynamic Man claimed he would make taking down "diabolical blends of machine and man" his first priority, adding that he was the way of the future, not them.

(The Twelve I#6) - Dynamic Man fought and defeated Mech Tomorrow, the terrorist group was trying to rob a Manhattan bank using a giant robotic war machine. Afterwards, the patrons of local gay bar The Rail And Balls wanted to thank the hero by buying him a drink. Even though he explained he was immune to alcohol, Dynamic Man felt he couldn't refuse and went in for a coke. The visit took a turn for the worse when one of the guys touched Dynamic Man's behind, playfully inviting him to stay a bit. Grossed out and furious, he almost hit the man but decided to leave and headed home.

(The Twelve I#6 - BTS) - Dynamic Man was so outraged over the immorality going down at The Rail And Balls, he used his control over Electro to force the robot to go down there and kill everyone in the place by tearing them apart.

(The Twelve I#6) - By the time Electro was killing the gay bar's clientele, Dynamic Man was home watching the news with Mister E, the Witness and the Phantom Reporter. They watched a report on Captain Wonder saving a space shuttle, while he quietly guided Electro back home.

(The Twelve I#7 - BTS) - Because he had been at the bar earlier that day, D.M. was among the police's primary suspects. However, hidden camera footage from the mansion provided him with a seemingly airtight alibi. Even the Phantom Reporter, called in to investigate the murders, had to agree with this statement.

(The Twelve I#8 - BTS) - Hoping to include Electro in his television show to boost its sagging ratings, the Blue Blade used Philo Zog's original control unit to merge his mind with that of Electro. When he inadvertently activated Electro's back-up memory files, the Blue Blade witnessed everything Electro had ever done, including the murders influenced by Dynamic Man.

(The Twelve I#8) - Figuring this knowledge would be ideal to blackmail the vastly popular D.M. into doing his show as well, the Blue Blade went out to confront the android hero.

(The Twelve I#9 - BTS) - After hearing the Blue Blade's offer, Dynamic Man figured he had best make sure the Blade would die before he could reveal his secret.

(The Twelve I#9) - Dynamic Man made a personal appearance at Shea Stadium to perform at a televised charity event. He showed off his various superpowers, catching over 950 bullets within seconds, all the while using his mental control over Electro to attack Blue Blade. The non-powered adventurer tried desperately to fight off the powerful robot, but was killed when he was tossed out of his high-rise office and on to the street.

(The Twelve I#9 - BTS) - The Phantom Reporter looked into the Blue Blade's murder and also donned Electro's control apparatus, which led to him reliving the machine's history as well. Now aware of who killed both the gay bar's patrons and their fellow vigilante, he set out to confront the Dynamic Man.

(The Twelve I#10 - BTS) - Before he called all the surviving World War II heroes together, Phantom Reporter had meetings with Master Mind Excello and Fiery Mask, instructing the latter to stand ready to burn away D.M.'s costume.

(The Twelve I#10) - Figuring no one suspected anything, Dynamic Man attended the gathering during which the Phantom Reporter and Master Mind Excello slowly worked up to the reveal that Blue Blade hadn't been killed by Electro after all. Before dropping the proverbial other shoe, Phantom Reporter asked Dynamic Man to reveal his origin story. The android obliged, but claimed he was Simon Goettler's adoptive son, raised by his dad to be the perfect man. Poking holes through this theory, Phantom Reporter revealed he knew that Dynamic Man was the one who killed Blue Blade. Though Captain Wonder had to use his strength to prevent the outraged D.M. from killing him, the Reporter continued to share what he knew about Cowan's android nature. To prove his claims, he had Fiery Mask burn off D.M.'s costume to reveal he really was a sexless "perfect" man, mockingly claiming that being artificial didn't even make him a man at all. Forced to accept the reality of the situation, Dynamic Man threw a tantrum, ranting and raving he was not a machine but a man, the perfect man no less. He punched the lifeless Electro straight through a wall and then, madness burning in his eyes, faced his fellow compatriots, claiming he was going to kill them all.

(The Twelve I#11) - Dynamic Man first punched out Captain Wonder, then turned his attention to the Black Widow. When her death touch didn't affect him because of his android nature, it took Rockman to save her. Before he could hit back, D.M. was punched through the nearest wall. Figuring out an easier way to kill his opponents, D.M. smashed all the load-bearing beams holding up the house. While he made his escape, the mansion collapsed on the others, though Rockman saved them all by holding the debris up long enough for them to escape. D.M. headed "home", to Simon Goettler's estate where he prepared some of his father's equipment to use in his defense. Soon afterwards, he was confronted by Master Mind Excello, Phantom Reporter, Fiery Mask and Captain Wonder. Using Goettler's electricity firing equipment, D.M. took down Captain Wonder but he was ill-prepared for Excello's mental assault that briefly paralyzed him. While Fiery Mask was busy burning the machine keeping Captain Wonder down, Phantom Reporter tried to kill D.M. by shooting a bullet through his head at point blank range. Dynamic Man wasn't hurt at all, but it did snap him out of his paralysis. He quickly knocked out Excello and strangled Fiery Mask to death before Captain Wonder could intervene. While Wonder and D.M. fought, the dying Fiery Mask passed his mystical fire powers on to the Phantom Reporter. Reinvigorated, the Reporter used the full potential of his newfound abilities to melt Dynamic Man's android body to slag (inadvertently also hurting Captain Wonder who was holding D.M. down). Afterwards, the Phantom Reporter completely incinerated Goettler's lab to make sure there was nothing left for anyone to ever duplicate the professor's work.

Comments: Created by Daniel Peters (pencils)

The Twelve were found in Germany on Wednesday August 2nd, 2008. This was during the rise of the Initiative in comics. The date is topical.

On an unrelated sidenote: Dynamic Man's android brain was able to link up with and control Electro, but he couldn't guide the powerful robot to, say, smash the freezing units that kept them all prisoners for 60+ years?

In Dynamic Man's first appearance it says, electrolizing the atoms of his costume to an astounding velocity D.M. makes his costume invisible (more like makes his suit and tie visible), he lands in civilian attire (perhaps he could make his body invisible too?) and D.M. surrounded a house with a living wall of electricity. Plus modern writers might not know the difference between a robot (mechanical) and android (biological) but his Golden Age creator envisioned a character that had "powerful muscles to flex" and gave D.M. "super-herculean strength" --so clearly he was meant to be Timely Comics' answer to Superman. Plus in his first appearance D.M. was humble and not arrogant like The Twelve's version that robbed him of most of his powers.
--Gammatotem

Dynamic Man received profiles in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z HC#14 and The Marvel Mystery Handbook#1.

Profile by Norvo.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Dynamic Man should not be confused with

• Dyna-Disk, Diablo weapon @ Avengers I#41
• Dynaman (Lagaro) @ Daring Mystery Comics I#6
• Dyna-Mite (Roger Aubrey), 12 inch tall powerhouse, later Destroyer @ Invaders I#14
• Dynamite (Michael Crawley) of New Universe @ DP7#16
• Dynamite (Susan Svensson), Midtown High student, mutant @ Generation M#1
• Dynamite Crusader, fictional partner of Masked Marvel @ X-Men II#187/2
• Or any other "Dynamic" or "Man"  characters

Professor Simon Goettler

Born sometime during the late 1880s, Professor Simon Goettler was a brilliant scientist and inventor with a sizeable number of degrees to his name. Despite his genius, he had an almost obsessive, deep-rooted hatred against anything he deemed immoral. In his mind, sex was society's biggest vice. When he designed the android that would become Dynamic Man, he wanted his creation to be perfect. For that reason, he used his own neural patterns to construct his brain, but decided to build him without genitalia, the very part of human anatomy that was the source of the immorality he so despised. Moments after Goettler had given his super powered android life, the excitement of this achievement caused him to have a fatal heart attack. Before he died, he told his creation he was to be a symbol for humanity, free of vice and sin. Taking his "father" in his arms, Dynamic Man mourned a man he never knew. In his will, Goettler left his lab, and grounds to Dynamic Man. Taking Goettler's words to heart, Dynamic Man set out to become the living embodiment of perfection, using his creator's strict and narrow perceptions on morality and obscenity to base his own moral code on.