Amazo
Encyclopedia
Amazo is a fictional character
that appears in comic book
s published by DC Comics
. The character first appears in The Brave and the Bold
#30 (June 1960) and was created by Gardner Fox
and Murphy Anderson
. An android, Amazo's special ability is to replicate the special abilities of various superheroes and supervillains he comes into contact with. Throughout publication, Amazo has most frequently been a villain for the Justice League
, an assembly of DC's most well-known superheroes; Amazo also permanently replicated the powers and abilities of the first Justice League he encountered, making him a very powerful adversary in all subsequent appearances.
Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books
, the character has appeared in comic books and other DC Comics-related products, including animated television series, trading card
s and video games.
in Action Comics
#480-483 (February – May 1978), and after he had been reactivated by red sun radiations in Justice League of America #191 (June 1981) and #241-243 (August – October 1985).
A different Amazo model featured in Justice League Quarterly
#12 (Fall 1993) and battled the hero Aztek
in Aztek: The Ultimate Man #10 (May 1997) before being destroyed in Resurrection Man
#2 (June 1997). An advanced version debuted in a one-off story in JLA
#27 (March 1999), and another appeared in the limited series
Hourman
, specifically issues #1, #5-7, #17, and #19-21 (April 1999 – December 2000).
Amazo's origin is revealed in Secret Origins of Super-Villains 80-Page Giant #1 (December 1999). Another version is discovered to be part of a weapons shipment in Batman
#636-637 (March – April 2005) and during the Villains United
storyline in Firestorm
(vol. 2) #14-16 (August – October 2005), Villains United #5-6 (November – December 2005), and the Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special (June 2006).
Amazo's consciousness returned in Justice League of America #1-5 (October 2006 – March 2007), planted in the body of fellow android the Red Tornado
. Ivo also created Amazo's "offspring" in JLA Classified #37-41 (June – October 2007).
A story continuing the first Red Tornado storyline featured in Justice League of America (vol. 2) #21-23 (July – September 2008).
Writer Mike Conroy noted, "Amazo was a persistent thorn in the JLA's side... although his programming and own sentience have displayed no ambition towards world conquest... His very existence is a hazard to all of humanity."
, who became obsessed with immortality
. The original Justice League of America (Green Lantern
, Flash, Aquaman
, Wonder Woman
, and the Martian Manhunter
) encounter Amazo after experiencing a sudden loss of their abilities. Discovering that certain long-lived creatures are being collected and realizing their powers have been stolen after hearing of the ways the robberies happened (for example a catfish being stolen using a green beam to cut through the wall and superspeed, and a Cicada
beetle being stolen with a golden lasso), the heroes split up to guard long-lived beings and battle Amazo, who defeats the entire team (though he does not meet Superman and Batman) who are imprisoned in gas-filled cylinders, and steals their abilities, placing them within the body of Amazo, before erasing their memories. Ivo is revealed to be the mastermind behind the scheme and, using data collected from the captured specimens, creates a potion that will bestow immortality, hoping to escape his fear of death. Its effect will last for about 500 years, but Ivo hopes to make more. He plans to take over the World, knowing Batman has no superpowers, and has a piece of kryptonite
to defeat Superman. The plan, however, is foiled by Green Lantern, who uses some of the yellowish gas to protect himself from the memory erasing before recharging his ring and using it to draw Amazo's powers away, before restoring them and the memories to the JLA, and Ivo and Amazo are defeated, with Ivo being jailed, ironically sentenced to 500 years, and Amazo being stored in the trophy room.
At the suggestion of team mascot
Snapper Carr
, the Justice League reactivate Amazo to deal with an alien
threat that has drained their success factor as another victory from them will cause him to become inert. Although the alien drains Amazo's abilities, the android's combined powers overload the creature as intended, causing it to become inert and giving the team back their success factor. The Justice League then defeats Amazo once again and returns the android to storage. When the Justice League lose their powers due to the machinations of the villain Libra
, the heroes reactivate Amazo once again. The android draws in their lost powers, which are eventually returned via technology devised by Batman
and the Atom.
Radiation
from an exploding red sun
in deep space reaches Earth and weakens Superman significantly. The radiation also revives Amazo, who defeats the remainder of the Justice League, and imprisons them, though making sure they can watch him. Amazo then seeks out Ivo, wishing to be deactivated. Discovering Ivo cannot assist, the android decides to kill both Ivo and Superman; however, they escape with a teleportation device Superman had hidden in his mouth to the Fortress of Solitude
. Superman is forced to create and use a machine called the "Supermobile" to compensate for his weakened state, which shields him from the radiation and is able to imitate his powers, along with other attachments, with which he battles against Amazo and saves both Ivo and Lois Lane
. Superman then uses the device to travel five days into the future, when the effects of the red solar radiation have passed Earth. Newly empowered, Superman defeats Amazo and rescues the Justice League. Amazo is reactivated by former Justice League foe the Key
, who seeks a cure for his current shrunken state by using the abilities of the superhero team. Hawkman
, however, helps the Justice League defeat Amazo, and fellow member Zatanna
restores the Key to his former state.
Ivo reactivates Amazo for use against a weaker version of the League, with the android defeating all the new members until finally stopped by the Martian Manhunter and Aquaman. A different Amazo model is activated and battles the superhero team the Conglomerate, and while searching for Ivo encounters the hero Aztek, who reasons with the android. This version briefly battles the Resurrection Man
before finally being destroyed.
One version of Amazo is pulled from the timestream by a curious Hourman
, who wishes to meet his "ancestor". Amazo responds by attacking Hourman and copying the "Worlogog", an artifact embedded in the android. Amazo then becomes "Timazo" and wreaks havoc with his new-found ability to manipulate time, until hurled back into the timestream as his former self by Hourman. A current version of Amazo has several more encounters with Hourman.
Another version, with the ability to absorb the abilities of the League on a conceptual level, overpowers over two dozen heroes, until Atom tells Superman to announce the team is disbanded. The premise that the League no longer exists deprives the android of purpose and it shuts down. Batman and Nightwing
discover a partial Amazo (lacking several abilities) in a weapons shipment, and manage to destroy the android by deactivating its individual abilities, such as using explosive batarang
s to damage its leg (preventing it from using the Flash's speed) and covering its eyes with plastic explosive (causing its eyes to be destroyed when it uses Superman's heat vision), before finally destroying it with a missile from the Batmobile
.
Another Amazo participates in a massive attack by a group of villains on the city of Metropolis
, but is deactivated when sometime hero Black Adam
decapitates the android.
Ivo then uses parts of the current Amazo along with human ova
and DNA
to create the android's "son". Awakened prematurely by an earthquake
, the junior version of Amazo believes itself to be a philosophy student called Frank Halloran, who dates a girl called Sara. Amazo reveals the truth to his progeny, who attempts to resist his programming by becoming a hero called "Kid Amazo". Slowly becoming insane, Kid Amazo confronts Ivo and discovers Sara is Ivo's daughter and was placed to monitor the android. Batman deduces Kid Amazo has both the powers and the personalities of the JLA, and during a battle with the League creates dissension in the team that the android mimics, causing an internal logic error that destroys it.
Ivo secretly downloads Amazo's programming into the body of the Red Tornado, the creation of sometime ally Professor T.O. Morrow. Several members of the JLA battle an army of Red Tornado androids, until discovering that Red Tornado's body is intended for the mind of Solomon Grundy
. Although the process is prevented, the Amazo programming asserts itself and attacks the superhero team, despite their attempts to dismantle the android. Member Vixen
eventually destroys the Red Tornado body by shearing it in half.
A new body is created for the Red Tornado, although the Amazo programming from the first body downloads into the shell. The android battles the JLA until teleported into the gravity well
of the red star Antares
.
, Wonder Woman's magic lasso, and the Nth metal mace of Hawkgirl
. All versions apparently retain the base abilities of the original five members of the Justice League first encountered.
features a battle between the JLA and Amazo, with the android finally stopped by an electromagnetic pulse
.
reveals, in flashback, that Amazo attacked and crippled Green Arrow during a battle with the JLA (He is also recorded as having killed Hawkman
, but this is never explicitly shown). The android is eventually deactivated by the Flash
when he is dispatched by the story's mastermind to kill the League of Assassins
. Taking advantage of the fact that Amazo can only copy his powers, rather than use them inventively, Flash turns intangible while Amazo is attacking him, and removes Amazo's brain before Amazo can process Flash's new tactic and use it himself. In the sequel, JLA: Another Nail, the brain of the crippled Green Arrow is transferred into Amazo, who sacrifices himself to save the universe.
, Wonder Woman is talking to Cap about previous encounters they have had, the first of which was battling against a team-ip of Ultron
-5 and Amazo. Later Amazo is seen as one of the last villains guarding Krona's base, and helps to overwhelm Thor (comics)
.
event, Amazo was a corrections officer of the military Doom prison. Amazo is controlled by the Atom via a mental interface.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
that appears in comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. The character first appears in The Brave and the Bold
The Brave and the Bold
The Brave and the Bold is the title shared by many comic book series published by DC Comics. The first of these was published as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983...
#30 (June 1960) and was created by Gardner Fox
Gardner Fox
Gardner Francis Cooper Fox was an American writer best known for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. Comic-book historians estimate that he wrote over 4,000 comics stories....
and Murphy Anderson
Murphy Anderson
Murphy Anderson is an American comic book artist, known as one of the premier inkers of his era, who has worked for companies such as DC Comics for over fifty years, starting in the 1930s-'40s Golden Age of Comic Books...
. An android, Amazo's special ability is to replicate the special abilities of various superheroes and supervillains he comes into contact with. Throughout publication, Amazo has most frequently been a villain for the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
, an assembly of DC's most well-known superheroes; Amazo also permanently replicated the powers and abilities of the first Justice League he encountered, making him a very powerful adversary in all subsequent appearances.
Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
, the character has appeared in comic books and other DC Comics-related products, including animated television series, trading card
Trading card
A trading card is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing and a short description of the picture, along with other text...
s and video games.
Publication history
Amazo first appeared in a one-off story in The Brave and the Bold #30 (June 1960) and returned as a regular opponent of the Justice League of America in Justice League of America #27 (May 1964) and #112 (August 1974). Other significant issues included an encounter with a depowered SupermanSuperman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
in Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
#480-483 (February – May 1978), and after he had been reactivated by red sun radiations in Justice League of America #191 (June 1981) and #241-243 (August – October 1985).
A different Amazo model featured in Justice League Quarterly
Justice League Quarterly
Justice League Quarterly was a quarterly American comic book series published by DC Comics from Winter 1990 to Winter 1994; it lasted 17 issues. It had a variable cast, pulling from the Justice League membership...
#12 (Fall 1993) and battled the hero Aztek
Aztek (comics)
Aztek is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Universe. Based out of the fictional Vanity City, Aztek is the champion of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl. The character first appeared in Aztek, The Ultimate Man #1 in August 1996, created by Grant Morrison and Mark Millar...
in Aztek: The Ultimate Man #10 (May 1997) before being destroyed in Resurrection Man
Resurrection Man
The Resurrection Man is a fictional character, a superhero whose adventures were published by DC Comics from 1997 to 1999 in a serialized comic book of the same name, created by Andy Lanning, Dan Abnett and Jackson Guice...
#2 (June 1997). An advanced version debuted in a one-off story in JLA
JLA (comic book)
JLA was a monthly comic book published by DC Comics from January 1997 to April 2006 featuring the Justice League.-Publication history:The low sales of the various Justice League spinoff books by the mid-1990s prompted DC to revamp the League as a single team on a single title...
#27 (March 1999), and another appeared in the limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
Hourman
Hourman (android)
Hourman is a fictional character and superhero who was created by Grant Morrison and Howard Porter. Based upon the Golden Age character Rex Tyler, he first appeared in JLA #12 .-Creation in the 853rd century:...
, specifically issues #1, #5-7, #17, and #19-21 (April 1999 – December 2000).
Amazo's origin is revealed in Secret Origins of Super-Villains 80-Page Giant #1 (December 1999). Another version is discovered to be part of a weapons shipment in Batman
Batman (comic book)
Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
#636-637 (March – April 2005) and during the Villains United
Villains United
Villains United is a six-issue comic book limited series, written by Gail Simone with art by Dale Eaglesham and Wade Von Grawbadger, published by DC Comics in 2005...
storyline in Firestorm
Firestorm (comics)
Firestorm is the name of several comic book superheroes published by DC Comics. Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein, the first Firestorm, debuted in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #1 , and was created by Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom. Martin Stein, by himself as Firestorm, debuted in Firestorm the Nuclear...
(vol. 2) #14-16 (August – October 2005), Villains United #5-6 (November – December 2005), and the Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special (June 2006).
Amazo's consciousness returned in Justice League of America #1-5 (October 2006 – March 2007), planted in the body of fellow android the Red Tornado
Red Tornado
Red Tornado is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Justice League of America #64 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Dick Dillin.-Publication history:...
. Ivo also created Amazo's "offspring" in JLA Classified #37-41 (June – October 2007).
A story continuing the first Red Tornado storyline featured in Justice League of America (vol. 2) #21-23 (July – September 2008).
Writer Mike Conroy noted, "Amazo was a persistent thorn in the JLA's side... although his programming and own sentience have displayed no ambition towards world conquest... His very existence is a hazard to all of humanity."
Fictional character biography
The android Amazo was built by insane scientist Professor IvoProfessor Ivo
Professor Anthony Ivo is a fictional character, a mad scientist in the DC universe and is the creator of the androids Amazo, Kid Amazo, Tomorrow Woman and Composite Superman in his retconned origin.-Fictional character biography:...
, who became obsessed with immortality
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
. The original Justice League of America (Green Lantern
Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...
, Flash, Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
, Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
, and the Martian Manhunter
Martian Manhunter
The Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
) encounter Amazo after experiencing a sudden loss of their abilities. Discovering that certain long-lived creatures are being collected and realizing their powers have been stolen after hearing of the ways the robberies happened (for example a catfish being stolen using a green beam to cut through the wall and superspeed, and a Cicada
Cicada
A cicada is an insect of the order Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha , in the superfamily Cicadoidea, with large eyes wide apart on the head and usually transparent, well-veined wings. There are about 2,500 species of cicada around the world, and many of them remain unclassified...
beetle being stolen with a golden lasso), the heroes split up to guard long-lived beings and battle Amazo, who defeats the entire team (though he does not meet Superman and Batman) who are imprisoned in gas-filled cylinders, and steals their abilities, placing them within the body of Amazo, before erasing their memories. Ivo is revealed to be the mastermind behind the scheme and, using data collected from the captured specimens, creates a potion that will bestow immortality, hoping to escape his fear of death. Its effect will last for about 500 years, but Ivo hopes to make more. He plans to take over the World, knowing Batman has no superpowers, and has a piece of kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
to defeat Superman. The plan, however, is foiled by Green Lantern, who uses some of the yellowish gas to protect himself from the memory erasing before recharging his ring and using it to draw Amazo's powers away, before restoring them and the memories to the JLA, and Ivo and Amazo are defeated, with Ivo being jailed, ironically sentenced to 500 years, and Amazo being stored in the trophy room.
At the suggestion of team mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
Snapper Carr
Snapper Carr
Lucas "Snapper" Carr is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, most famous as a supporting character to the superhero team the Justice League of America . He has often been referred to as the team's mascot...
, the Justice League reactivate Amazo to deal with an alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
threat that has drained their success factor as another victory from them will cause him to become inert. Although the alien drains Amazo's abilities, the android's combined powers overload the creature as intended, causing it to become inert and giving the team back their success factor. The Justice League then defeats Amazo once again and returns the android to storage. When the Justice League lose their powers due to the machinations of the villain Libra
Libra (DC Comics)
Libra is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Justice League of America #111, published in June 1974, where he formed the first incarnation of the Injustice Gang...
, the heroes reactivate Amazo once again. The android draws in their lost powers, which are eventually returned via technology devised by Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
and the Atom.
Radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
from an exploding red sun
Red Sun
Red Sun is a Western film, one of few with an international cast. It stars U.S.-born actor Charles Bronson, Japanese actor Toshirō Mifune, French actor Alain Delon and Swiss actress Ursula Andress. It was filmed in Spain by the British director Terence Young. It was released in Europe in 1971 and...
in deep space reaches Earth and weakens Superman significantly. The radiation also revives Amazo, who defeats the remainder of the Justice League, and imprisons them, though making sure they can watch him. Amazo then seeks out Ivo, wishing to be deactivated. Discovering Ivo cannot assist, the android decides to kill both Ivo and Superman; however, they escape with a teleportation device Superman had hidden in his mouth to the Fortress of Solitude
Fortress of Solitude
The Fortress of Solitude is the occasional headquarters of Superman in DC Comics. Its predecessor, Superman's "Secret Citadel", first appeared in Superman #17, where it was said to be built into a mountain on the outskirts of Metropolis...
. Superman is forced to create and use a machine called the "Supermobile" to compensate for his weakened state, which shields him from the radiation and is able to imitate his powers, along with other attachments, with which he battles against Amazo and saves both Ivo and Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
. Superman then uses the device to travel five days into the future, when the effects of the red solar radiation have passed Earth. Newly empowered, Superman defeats Amazo and rescues the Justice League. Amazo is reactivated by former Justice League foe the Key
Key (comics)
The Key is the name of two fictional supervillains in the DC Comics universe.-Golden Age Key:The Golden Age Key's sole appearance is in 1951's All Star Comics #57, which features the last Golden Age appearance of the Justice Society of America. In this story, the Key is the head of a major crime...
, who seeks a cure for his current shrunken state by using the abilities of the superhero team. Hawkman
Katar Hol
Katar Hol is a DC Comics superhero, the Silver Age Hawkman. Created by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert, he first appeared in The Brave and the Bold # 34 .-Silver Age version:...
, however, helps the Justice League defeat Amazo, and fellow member Zatanna
Zatanna
Zatanna Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson, Zatanna first appeared in Hawkman vol. 1 #4...
restores the Key to his former state.
Ivo reactivates Amazo for use against a weaker version of the League, with the android defeating all the new members until finally stopped by the Martian Manhunter and Aquaman. A different Amazo model is activated and battles the superhero team the Conglomerate, and while searching for Ivo encounters the hero Aztek, who reasons with the android. This version briefly battles the Resurrection Man
Resurrection Man
The Resurrection Man is a fictional character, a superhero whose adventures were published by DC Comics from 1997 to 1999 in a serialized comic book of the same name, created by Andy Lanning, Dan Abnett and Jackson Guice...
before finally being destroyed.
One version of Amazo is pulled from the timestream by a curious Hourman
Hourman (android)
Hourman is a fictional character and superhero who was created by Grant Morrison and Howard Porter. Based upon the Golden Age character Rex Tyler, he first appeared in JLA #12 .-Creation in the 853rd century:...
, who wishes to meet his "ancestor". Amazo responds by attacking Hourman and copying the "Worlogog", an artifact embedded in the android. Amazo then becomes "Timazo" and wreaks havoc with his new-found ability to manipulate time, until hurled back into the timestream as his former self by Hourman. A current version of Amazo has several more encounters with Hourman.
Another version, with the ability to absorb the abilities of the League on a conceptual level, overpowers over two dozen heroes, until Atom tells Superman to announce the team is disbanded. The premise that the League no longer exists deprives the android of purpose and it shuts down. Batman and Nightwing
Nightwing
Nightwing is a name that has been used by several fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe. It was conceived as a Kryptonian analogue to the character of Batman, with Nightwing's frequent partner Flamebird based on Robin...
discover a partial Amazo (lacking several abilities) in a weapons shipment, and manage to destroy the android by deactivating its individual abilities, such as using explosive batarang
Batarang
A batarang is a roughly bat-shaped throwing weapon used by the DC Comics superhero Batman. The name is a portmanteau of bat and boomerang, and was originally spelled baterang. Although they are named after boomerangs, batarangs have become more like shuriken in recent interpretations...
s to damage its leg (preventing it from using the Flash's speed) and covering its eyes with plastic explosive (causing its eyes to be destroyed when it uses Superman's heat vision), before finally destroying it with a missile from the Batmobile
Batmobile
The Batmobile is the automobile of DC Comics superhero Batman. The car has evolved along with the character from comic books to television and films. Kept in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is a gadget-laden vehicle used by Batman in his crime-fighting...
.
Another Amazo participates in a massive attack by a group of villains on the city of Metropolis
Metropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
, but is deactivated when sometime hero Black Adam
Black Adam
Black Adam is a fictional comic book character, created in 1945 by Otto Binder & C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. Originally created as a one-shot villain for Fawcett Comics' Marvel Family team of superheroes, Black Adam was revived as a recurring supervillain after DC Comics began publishing Captain...
decapitates the android.
Ivo then uses parts of the current Amazo along with human ova
Ovum
An ovum is a haploid female reproductive cell or gamete. Both animals and embryophytes have ova. The term ovule is used for the young ovum of an animal, as well as the plant structure that carries the female gametophyte and egg cell and develops into a seed after fertilization...
and DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
to create the android's "son". Awakened prematurely by an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
, the junior version of Amazo believes itself to be a philosophy student called Frank Halloran, who dates a girl called Sara. Amazo reveals the truth to his progeny, who attempts to resist his programming by becoming a hero called "Kid Amazo". Slowly becoming insane, Kid Amazo confronts Ivo and discovers Sara is Ivo's daughter and was placed to monitor the android. Batman deduces Kid Amazo has both the powers and the personalities of the JLA, and during a battle with the League creates dissension in the team that the android mimics, causing an internal logic error that destroys it.
Ivo secretly downloads Amazo's programming into the body of the Red Tornado, the creation of sometime ally Professor T.O. Morrow. Several members of the JLA battle an army of Red Tornado androids, until discovering that Red Tornado's body is intended for the mind of Solomon Grundy
Solomon Grundy (comics)
Solomon Grundy is a fictional character, a zombie supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Named after the 19th century children's nursery rhyme, Grundy was introduced as an enemy of the Golden Age Green Lantern , but has since become a prominent enemy for a number of superheroes, such as Batman and...
. Although the process is prevented, the Amazo programming asserts itself and attacks the superhero team, despite their attempts to dismantle the android. Member Vixen
Vixen (comics)
Vixen is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics universe. She debuted in Action Comics #521 , and was created by Gerry Conway and Bob Oksner.-Publication history:...
eventually destroys the Red Tornado body by shearing it in half.
A new body is created for the Red Tornado, although the Amazo programming from the first body downloads into the shell. The android battles the JLA until teleported into the gravity well
Gravity well
A gravity well or gravitational well is a conceptual model of the gravitational field surrounding a body in space. The more massive the body the deeper and more extensive the gravity well associated with it. The Sun has a far-reaching and deep gravity well. Asteroids and small moons have much...
of the red star Antares
Antares
Antares is a red supergiant star in the Milky Way galaxy and the sixteenth brightest star in the nighttime sky . Along with Aldebaran, Spica, and Regulus it is one of the four brightest stars near the ecliptic...
.
Powers and abilities
Professor Ivo's Amazo androids use "absorption cells" to duplicate the powers of metahumans, such as Superman's strength, Flash's speed, Batman's skills and intellect, and the abilities of Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter. He has also demonstrated using the abilities of Atom and Elongated Man and Black Canary. Later versions are also capable of copying objects, such as the power ring of Green LanternGreen Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
, Wonder Woman's magic lasso, and the Nth metal mace of Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl is the name of several female fictional superhero characters, all owned by DC Comics and existing in that company's universe. The character is one of the first costumed female superheroes...
. All versions apparently retain the base abilities of the original five members of the Justice League first encountered.
Adventures in the DC Universe
The series Adventures in the DC UniverseAdventures in the DC Universe
While Batman and Superman had their own animated series and comic book follow-ups, the rest of the characters in the would appear in the following comics often.-Adventures in the DC Universe:...
features a battle between the JLA and Amazo, with the android finally stopped by an electromagnetic pulse
Electromagnetic pulse
An electromagnetic pulse is a burst of electromagnetic radiation. The abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation usually results from certain types of high energy explosions, especially a nuclear explosion, or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field...
.
JLA: The Nail
The limited series JLA: The NailJLA: The Nail
JLA: The Nail is a three-issue comic book mini-series published in the United States by DC Comics. It is a self-contained story by Alan Davis which stands outside of the mainstream continuity of the DC Universe....
reveals, in flashback, that Amazo attacked and crippled Green Arrow during a battle with the JLA (He is also recorded as having killed Hawkman
Hawkman
Hawkman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940....
, but this is never explicitly shown). The android is eventually deactivated by the Flash
Barry Allen
The Flash is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Comics universe. He is the second character known as the Flash. The character first appeared in Showcase #4 , created by writers Robert Kanigher and John Broome and penciler Carmine Infantino. His name combines talk show hosts Barry Gray...
when he is dispatched by the story's mastermind to kill the League of Assassins
League of Assassins
The League of Assassins is a group of fictional comic book villains, an organization of killers formerly led by Ra's al Ghul, an enemy of Batman in the DC Comics Universe.-Doctor Ebeneezer Darrk:...
. Taking advantage of the fact that Amazo can only copy his powers, rather than use them inventively, Flash turns intangible while Amazo is attacking him, and removes Amazo's brain before Amazo can process Flash's new tactic and use it himself. In the sequel, JLA: Another Nail, the brain of the crippled Green Arrow is transferred into Amazo, who sacrifices himself to save the universe.
JLA/Avengers
When reality has been warped by KronaKrona (comics)
Krona is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Green Lantern #40 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane.-Fictional character biography:...
, Wonder Woman is talking to Cap about previous encounters they have had, the first of which was battling against a team-ip of Ultron
Ultron
Ultron is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #54 , and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema...
-5 and Amazo. Later Amazo is seen as one of the last villains guarding Krona's base, and helps to overwhelm Thor (comics)
Thor (comics)
Thor has appeared as a character in various comics over the years, appearing in series from a range of publishers.-Marvel Comics:Thor is a Marvel Comics superhero, based on the thunder god of Norse mythology...
.
Flashpoint
In the alternate timeline of the FlashpointFlashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
event, Amazo was a corrections officer of the military Doom prison. Amazo is controlled by the Atom via a mental interface.
Television
- Amazo has appeared in the animated television series Justice LeagueJustice League (TV series)Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
voiced by Robert PicardoRobert PicardoRobert Picardo is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayals of Dr. Dick Richards on ABC's China Beach, the Emergency Medical Hologram , also known as The Doctor, on UPN's Star Trek: Voyager, The Cowboy in Innerspace, Coach Cutlip on The Wonder Years , Ben Wheeler in Wagons East, and as...
. Even though he is called "A.M.A.Z.O." on Ivo's blueprints, he is usually referred to as "Ivo's android" or just "The Android" (Doctor FateDoctor FateDoctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
referred to him as "Amazo" on separate occasions, however). He first appeared in "Tabula Rasa, Part 1 and 2" when Lex Luthor stumbled upon the house of Dr. Ivo (already found dead), hoping for him to help rebuild his damaged suit to contain his cancer, and found Amazo. Discovering Amazo's powers when Amazo copied his face, Luthor used the Android to help him in his quest against the League. Amazo proved to be more than a match for the League when he copied their combined powers; however, Luthor's downfall came when Amazo copied the Martian ManhunterMartian ManhunterThe Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
's powers and read Luthor's mind, discovering that he was just using him all along. After trouncing Luthor, he flew off into space using HawkgirlHawkgirlHawkgirl is the name of several female fictional superhero characters, all owned by DC Comics and existing in that company's universe. The character is one of the first costumed female superheroes...
's and SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
's powers. It was commented that he may evolve into a god with his copying powers. This version of Amazo appeared as a smooth, gray, statuesque figure with a face that was featureless save for a pair of orange eyes that glow whenever he analyzes and copies a new ability. He also temporarily incorporated elements of the other characters' physique, such as Hawkgirl's wings and the Flash's lightning-shaped antennae.
- Amazo later appeared in the Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
episode "The Return" voiced again by Robert PicardoRobert PicardoRobert Picardo is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayals of Dr. Dick Richards on ABC's China Beach, the Emergency Medical Hologram , also known as The Doctor, on UPN's Star Trek: Voyager, The Cowboy in Innerspace, Coach Cutlip on The Wonder Years , Ben Wheeler in Wagons East, and as...
. His formerly gray "skin" now gleaming golden, his powers have evolved to the point where the combined League, including nearly all of its reserve members, where unable to hold him off while the AtomRay Palmer (comics)The Atom is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero introduced during the Silver Age of comic books in Showcase # 34 . He was named after Raymond A...
and Lex Luthor attempted to devise a weapon capable of defeating him using the original plans for the Android designed to neutralize Amazo's nanotechnologyNanotechnologyNanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
. Firing the weapon, it was revealed that Amazo has even evolved beyond the nanotechnology from which it was once made. Amazo had also defeated the entire force of the Green Lantern Corp on their home planet of Oa, before transporting the planet itself to another dimension, for no other reason than it was in his way, during his journey to Earth. However, it is revealed that Amazo was not seeking revenge on Luthor as initially thought, but in fact was looking for his philosophical advice on the meaning of existence. Convinced by Luthor find his purpose in his existance by observing how life itself plays out over the seemingly endless eternity, Amazo decides to leave Luthor. He then finds a home with Doctor Fate to futher ponder this new course for his life. It is later revealed that Luthor originally activated Amazo as part of a complex scheme to gain momentary access to his blueprints, which Luthor promptly memorizes using his photographic memory. He attempted to transfer his mind into the body of a second Amazo, but Amanda WallerAmanda WallerDr. Amanda Blake Waller is a character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne...
destroyed the body during her attempt to arrest Luthor. He also appeared once more in the Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
episode "Wake the Dead," to help stop Solomon Grundy. It was realized that Grundy was absorbing energy, and so Amazo left the fight in order to prevent his vast powers to help the rampaging monster and to consider how to approach the problem.
- Amazo appears in the Young JusticeYoung Justice (TV series)Young Justice is an American animated television series created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti for Cartoon Network. Despite its title, it is not an adaptation of Todd Dezago and Todd Nauck's Young Justice comic series, but rather an adaptation of the entire DC Universe with a focus on young...
episode "Schooled" voiced by Peter MacNicolPeter MacNicolPeter MacNicol is an American actor. He may be best known in films for his roles of Janosz Poha in Ghostbusters II, Stingo in Sophie's Choice, Thomas Renfield in Dracula: Dead and Loving It and David Langley in Bean...
. This version is much more mechanical in appearance. Amazo had been in battle with the Justice League. In the process, Amazo copied the powers of Superman, Red Tornado, Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, Flash, Captain Atom and two other League members. When his parts were being shipped to different S.T.A.R. Labs in Boston and New York, the convoy is intercepted by other Professor Ivo robots. Superboy found Professor Ivo, who unleashed Amazo on him. Amazo was getting the upper hand on Superboy until Robin and Kid Flash arrived. Amazo managed to prevent Young Justice from apprehending Professor Ivo. Superboy defeats Amazo by sending his fist through Amazo's head just when it returned from being intangible thus destroying it. The rest of Amazo's parts were shipped to S.T.A.R. Labs.
- Amazo appears in Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
in the episode "Triumvirate of Terror" voiced by Jeff BennettJeff BennettJeffrey Glenn "Jeff" Bennett is an American voice actor and musician, listed "among the top names in the voice-over field", best known as the voice of Johnny Bravo in the series of the same name...
. He appears as a member of the Legion of Doom attempting to beat the Justice League InternationalJustice League InternationalJustice League International is a DC Comics superhero team written by Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis, with art by Kevin Maguire, created in 1987.-Publication history:...
in a baseball game.
Film
- Amazo appears in the 2010 Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
direct-to-DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
animation Batman: Under the Red HoodBatman: Under the Red Hood# "A Death in the Family" # "Main Titles" # "Mob Boss Meeting" # "Amazo" # "Batwing" # "Batmobile to Arkham" # "Interrogation" # "Rooftop Chase" # "Flashback" # "Black Mask Strikes Back"...
voiced by Fred TatascioreFred TatascioreFrederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
who was uncredited for the role. He was being delivered to Black MaskBlack Mask (comics)Black Mask is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. An enemy of Batman, he first appeared in Batman #386 . Black Mask was created by Doug Moench and Tom Mandrake.-Dark beginning:...
's gang when some of Red HoodRed HoodRed Hood is the alias used by several fictional characters, usually antagonists for Batman in the DC Universe.-Joker:The Red Hood first appeared in Detective Comics #168 "The Man Behind the Red Hood" . In the original continuity, the man later known as the Joker was a master criminal going by the...
's henchmen took him away on a truck. Batman interfered and in the struggle Amazo was activated, apparently with the powers of Superman, Supergirl, Power Girl, or Martian Manhunter (i.e., invulnerability, super-strength, flight, and heat-beam eye blasts). He proved to be quite formidable, but was subdued after Nightwing showed up to aid his former mentor. Amazo's head was blown off with plastiquePlastic explosivePlastic explosive is a specialised form of explosive material. It is a soft and hand moldable solid material. Plastic explosives are properly known as putty explosives within the field of explosives engineering....
and his remains were confiscated by Batman.