Metallo (John Corben)
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And so, after obtaining a Kryptonite capsule from Professor Vale and inserting it in his fuse box in place of the uranium, Corben returns to [[Metropolis]], determined to destroy Superman by exposing him to the Kryptonite so that the Man of Steel will not be able to apprehend him for his previous thefts ... Superman escapes the painful Kryptonite deathtrap, however, and pursues the villain to the home of [[Lois Lane]] --whom Corben has been wooing during his brief career at the [[Daily Planet]]-- but before the Man of Steel can leap to the attack, Corben collapses, dead of a heart attack, because, ironically, the Kryptonite he stole from the exhibition hall and placed in his fuse box was not real Kryptonite at all, but only "fake, prop Kryptonite" --ordinary rock, colored green-- intended for use as a display item in place of real Kryptonite to avoid the emission of radiations harmful to Superman (Act No. 252: "The Menace of Metallo!"). | And so, after obtaining a Kryptonite capsule from Professor Vale and inserting it in his fuse box in place of the uranium, Corben returns to [[Metropolis]], determined to destroy Superman by exposing him to the Kryptonite so that the Man of Steel will not be able to apprehend him for his previous thefts ... Superman escapes the painful Kryptonite deathtrap, however, and pursues the villain to the home of [[Lois Lane]] --whom Corben has been wooing during his brief career at the [[Daily Planet]]-- but before the Man of Steel can leap to the attack, Corben collapses, dead of a heart attack, because, ironically, the Kryptonite he stole from the exhibition hall and placed in his fuse box was not real Kryptonite at all, but only "fake, prop Kryptonite" --ordinary rock, colored green-- intended for use as a display item in place of real Kryptonite to avoid the emission of radiations harmful to Superman (Act No. 252: "The Menace of Metallo!"). | ||
| − | Corben, however, was not the only criminal called Metallo. Some years later, the criminal organization known as [[Skull]], under the orders of former [[S.T.A.R. Labs]] scientist [[Dr. Albert Michaels]] (who was also known as the [[Atomic Skull]]), transformed Corben's younger brother Roger into a new Metallo to battle Superman (S No. 310, Apr 1977: "The Man with the Kryptonite Heart" | + | Corben, however, was not the only criminal called Metallo. Some years later, the criminal organization known as [[Skull]], under the orders of former [[S.T.A.R. Labs]] scientist [[Dr. Albert Michaels]] (who was also known as the [[Atomic Skull]]), transformed Corben's younger brother Roger into a new [[Metallo (Roger Corben|Metallo]] to battle Superman (S No. 310, Apr 1977: "The Man with the Kryptonite Heart"). |
[[Category:Entries]] | [[Category:Entries]] | ||
Revision as of 15:08, 10 August 2005
The Man with the Kryptonite Heart!
A ruthless villain --"a kind of human robot" with a human brain, a mechanical heart, and an indestructible "all-metal body" --who clashes with Superman in May 1959. He is actually unscrupulous journalist John Corben --an undetected thief, embezzler, and murderer --whose real body, mangled in an automobile accident beyond any hope of repair, is "rebuilt with a special metallic armor plate" and then "covered with a fleshlike, rubber-plastic skin" in an extraordinary emergency surgical operation performed by elderly scientist Professor Vale. Without his moustache, John Corben --alias Metallo-- is a perfect look-alike for Superman.
Momentarily deprived of the life-giving capsule of uranium that powers his mechanical heart, John Corben becomes weak and dizzy, only to recover his strength instantly the moment Professor Vale replaces the capsule inside his fuse box. "See --I return the capsule," continues the professor, "and your fatal weakness vanishes! Now remember! --Each capsule lasts only a day! It must be replaced by fresh uranium daily, or you will die!"
A short while later, however, Corben learns that the second element capable of energizing his synthetic heart is Kryptonite. Moreover, whereas each uranium capsule lasts only a day, one capsule of Kryptonite contains sufficient energy to power Corben's heart indefinitely.
And so, after obtaining a Kryptonite capsule from Professor Vale and inserting it in his fuse box in place of the uranium, Corben returns to Metropolis, determined to destroy Superman by exposing him to the Kryptonite so that the Man of Steel will not be able to apprehend him for his previous thefts ... Superman escapes the painful Kryptonite deathtrap, however, and pursues the villain to the home of Lois Lane --whom Corben has been wooing during his brief career at the Daily Planet-- but before the Man of Steel can leap to the attack, Corben collapses, dead of a heart attack, because, ironically, the Kryptonite he stole from the exhibition hall and placed in his fuse box was not real Kryptonite at all, but only "fake, prop Kryptonite" --ordinary rock, colored green-- intended for use as a display item in place of real Kryptonite to avoid the emission of radiations harmful to Superman (Act No. 252: "The Menace of Metallo!").
Corben, however, was not the only criminal called Metallo. Some years later, the criminal organization known as Skull, under the orders of former S.T.A.R. Labs scientist Dr. Albert Michaels (who was also known as the Atomic Skull), transformed Corben's younger brother Roger into a new Metallo to battle Superman (S No. 310, Apr 1977: "The Man with the Kryptonite Heart").
