TANTRUM

Real Name: Delbert (full name unrevealed)

Identity/Class: Human mutate

Occupation: Criminal

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Mrs. McCann, Trevor Madsen, Night Thrasher (Dwayne Taylor)

Enemies: Billy-Boy (William), Stinky Pete

Known Relatives: Unidentified parents (deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: San Francisco, California

First Appearance: Night Thrasher: Four Control#2 (November, 1992)

Powers/Abilities: Using a combination of psycho-stimulants and strength-enhancing drugs, which were delivered to the nervous system using an injector harness, including a tube directly into the nose, Tantrum was able to increase his strength three-fold though it made him thoroughly mad. A natural athlete with face tattoos and long hair, Tantrum uses his madness to keep his opponents off balance while using his enhanced strength to beat or kill his victims. Tantrum often wields a knife in combat.

Height: 6'2" (by approximation)
Weight: 180 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Brown (red when high)
Hair: Brown

History:
(Night Thrasher I#9 (fb) - BTS) - Delbert grew up in San Francisco, knowing some of his neighbors, including Mrs. McCann, all his life, and they knew him as a sweet good-natured boy. As an adult, he lost both of his parents to death. Eventually he turned to drugs and started calling himself Tantrum.

(Night Thrasher I#19 (fb) - BTS) - Tantrum used a combination of psycho-stimulants and strength-enhancing drugs to make himself both strong and angry, and he injected them into his own system through use of an injector harness, including a tube that fed into his nose. He created a stash of these drugs and harnesses and hid it.

(Night Thrasher I#3 (fb) - BTS) - Tantrum discovered ways to increase his own strength and powers through a variety of drugs and chemicals, and he began working as a thug-for-hire.

(Night Thrasher: Four Control#2 (fb) - BTS) - Tantrum was hired by criminal Trevor Madsen.

(Night Thrasher: Four Control#2) - Sent by Madsen, Tantrum tracked Night Thrasher through the city, knocking him off a grappling line and to the street below, where Thrasher crashed into a car. They sparred in the streets, with Tantrum spouting off nonsense words as they did. When Tantrum escaped on a trolley car, Thrasher tried following on his skateboard, but Tantrum cut him loose and rode away, not realizing he had dropped his wallet.

(Night Thrasher: Four Control#2 - BTS) - Thrasher went to Tantrum's home and offered him more money to abandon the fight. Madsen took Tantrum to Hong Kong.

(Night Thrasher: Four Control#2) - When Thrasher confronted Madsen in Hong Kong, Tantrum was ordered to fight the hero, but Thrasher handed Tantrum a check and ended the fight.

(Night Thrasher I#3) - In San Francisco, Bandit attacked Tantrum, who had no drugs in his system, and Tantrum was easily defeated.

(Night Thrasher I#9 (fb) - BTS) - After finding out he had terminal cancer, Tantrum went on a killing spree, savagely killing others and breaking their bones before writing the words "temper tantrum" on the wall in blood, sometimes spelling the words wrong.

(Night Thrasher I#9) - Tantrum recounted his crimes, realizing someone would have to kill him to get him to stop. He returned home and found Night Thrasher there, and Tantrum attacked, begging the hero to kill him and end his misery, but Thrasher was determined to see Tantrum go to jail instead. Tantrum pulled a knife and fought Thrasher until the neighbors came out, and Mrs. McCann asked Delbert to stop his fight, but instead he took her hostage, demanding that Thrasher kill him or he would kill McCann. Thrasher shot Tantrum, who fell backward. The police arrived to arrest him, realizing he was still alive. Mrs. McCann assured Thrasher that Delbert was a good man.

(Night Thrasher I#19 (fb) ) - Delbert was taken to the hospital and treated for the gunshot wound. The doctors, though unable to treat the cancer, reduced the resulting pressure on his brain then put him through detox to clear the drugs out of his system. Delbert was deemed 'not guilty by reason of insanity' by the courts and, given that he had less than a year to live, released to the custody of Mrs. McCann. Delbert spent the next months volunteering at a hospice and the soup kitchen, and he turned down offers he was given for drugs.

(Night Thrasher I#19 (fb) - BTS) - Delbert went to destroy his stash of drugs, stimulants, and harnesses, but drug dealers followed him and stole the equipment.

(Night Thrasher I#19) - Mrs. McCann called Night Thrasher for help, and the hero kicked in the door at her home, thinking her in danger, but instead he found Delbert getting an oxygen treatment inside. They told Thrasher about the stolen Tantrum equipment, then Thrasher attacked the Tantrum-powered addicts, including Stinky Pete and Billy-Boy (William). Delbert watched from the sidelines until he realized Thrasher was losing the fight. Delbert grabbed an injector harness and, knowing it would likely kill him, considered using it to help the hero. Just then, Mrs. McCann and other civilians (including Stinky Pete's grandfather and William's mother) closed in to confront the remaining addicts. When Stinky Pete tried attacking them, the addicts turned on each other, but Thrasher disabled their injector harnesses and the men surrendered.

Comments: Created by Fabian Nicieza and Dave Hoover.

This profile was completed 11/10/2020, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary's celebratory event.

Profile by Chadman.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Tantrum has no known connections to:

Mrs. McCann

(Night Thrasher I#9 (fb) - BTS) - Mrs. McCann saw young Delbert grow up, and she was sad to hear that his parents had died and that he'd become a drug addict. She later heard he was the super-villain Tantrum.

(Night Thrasher I#9) - McCann saw Tantrum fighting Night Thrasher and she tried convincing Tantrum to stop, but he held a knife to her throat instead. Thrasher shot Tantrum to save McCann's life.

(Night Thrasher I#19 (fb) - BTS) - Delbert was taken to the hospital and treated for the gunshot wound. The doctors, though unable to treat the cancer, reduced the resulting pressure on his brain then put him through detox to clear the drugs out of his system. Delbert was deemed 'not guilty by reason of insanity' by the courts and, given that he had less than a year to live, released to the custody of Mrs. McCann. As she watched over him, Delbert spent the next months volunteering at a hospice and the soup kitchen, and he turned down offers he was given for drugs. When others stole his equipment, McCann called Night Thrasher for help.

(Night Thrasher I#19) - Night Thrasher kicked in the door at her home, thinking her in danger, but instead he found Delbert getting an oxygen treatment inside. They told Thrasher about the stolen Tantrum equipment, and the hero agreed to help. Night Thrasher battled the criminals, including Stinky Pete and Billy-Boy, and Mrs. McCann and other civilians (including Stinky Pete's grandfather and William's mother) closed in to confront the remaining addicts. When Stinky Pete tried attacking them, the addicts turned on each other, but Thrasher disabled their injector harnesses and the men surrendered.

--Night Thrasher I#9 ([Night Thraserh I#9 (fb)], 9, [Night Thraserh I#19 (fb)], 19

Stinky Pete and Billy-Boy

(Night Thrasher I#19 (fb) - BTS) - Stinky Pete and Billy-Boy (William), with other drug addicts, followed Delbert, the former Tantrum, to a stash of his equipment. Though Delbert planned to destroy it, the addicts stole it, and then used stimulants and drugs to become versions of Tantrum themselves. They began committing crimes.

(Night Thrasher I#19) - Night Thrasher attacked Stinky Pete and Billy-Boy and the other addicts, capturing most of them beneath a net. As the hero nearly lost the fight, Delbert and a group full of civilians closed in, including Mrs. McCann, Stinky Pete's grandfather, and William's mother, determined to stop the addicts. Stinky-Pete launched himself at the civilians, but Billy-Boy stopped him. Soon, the addicts were defeated, as Delbert disabled their injector harnesses, interrupting the drug flow.

--Night Thrasher I#19 ([Night Thraserh I#19 (fb)], 19

images: (without ads)
Night Thrasher: Four Control#2, p12, pan4 (main)
Night Thrasher I#9, p2, pan5 (face)
Night Thrasher I#19, p18, pan5 (bald)
Night Thrasher I#9, p19, pan2 (Mrs. McCann)
Night Thrasher I#19, p19, pan5 (William and Stinky Pete)

Appearances:
Night Thrasher: Four Control#2 (November, 1992) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Dave Hoover (artist), Rob Tokar (editor)
Night Thrasher I#3 (October, 1993) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Ken Lashley, Fred Haynes (artists), Rob Tokar (editor)
Night Thrasher I#9 (April, 1994) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), David Boller (penciler), Frank Turner (inker), Rob Tokar (editor)
Night Thrasher I#19 (February, 1995) - Steve Mattsson (writer), Tom Derenick (penciler), Tom Palmer, Mike Manley (inkers), Tom Brevoort (editor)

First Posted: 09/25/2021
Last updated: 09/24/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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