Hellgrammite (comics)
Encyclopedia
Hellgrammite is a fictional character
, a supervillain
appearing in DC Comics
. He first appeared in The Brave and the Bold
#80 (October-November, 1968).
strength and leaping abilities, the power to secrete adhesives and weave transformative or imprisoning cocoons, and a durable exoskeleton
(Curiously, he does not resemble an actual hellgrammite, the larval form
of the dobsonfly
). A number of his schemes revolve around transforming others into weaker, subordinate versions of himself, leading to clashes with Batman
and the Creeper in Brave and the Bold #80, and with Green Arrow
and the Black Canary
in World's Finest Comics
#248-9.
In the Post-Crisis
DC Universe
, the Hellgrammite returns as a recurring foe for Superman
, first encountering the Man of Steel after being hired (by then LexCorp board member George Markham) to kill Lex Luthor
. During the Underworld Unleashed
crossover, he makes a deal with Neron
, trading his soul
in return for increased physical powers and an improved ability to transform others into his larvae. In a crossover special, Underworld Unleashed: Patterns of Fear, it was stated that he had once used the alias Robert Dobson. The special also confirms that his Pre-Crisis
history is largely intact.
Although there were rumors of Hellgrammite's death as a member of the Suicide Squad
during the Imperiex
crisis, it was instead a similar villain named Larvanaut who died. He has been seen alive One Year Later
, still a member of Superman's rogues' gallery, acting as an assassin
for Intergang
.
Following the destruction of Star City at the hands of Prometheus
, the new Batman
leads a newly formed Justice League
in a hunt to track down the various villains who helped Prometheus in his plot. The team finds Hellgrammite and several other villains attempting to flee the country, and a battle ensues. Hellgrammite is ultimately defeated after Donna Troy
ties up a villainess named Harpi with her lasso, and then swings her into the villain, knocking both of them out.
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...
, a supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
appearing in 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...
. He first appeared 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...
#80 (October-November, 1968).
Fictional character biography
An entomologist named Roderick Rose, the Hellgrammite subjects himself to a mutagenic process that transforms him into a grasshopper-like humanoid insect. He possesses superhumanSuperhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
strength and leaping abilities, the power to secrete adhesives and weave transformative or imprisoning cocoons, and a durable exoskeleton
Exoskeleton
An exoskeleton is the external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal skeleton of, for example, a human. In popular usage, some of the larger kinds of exoskeletons are known as "shells". Examples of exoskeleton animals include insects such as grasshoppers...
(Curiously, he does not resemble an actual hellgrammite, the larval form
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
of the dobsonfly
Dobsonfly
A Dobsonfly is any insect of the subfamily Corydalinae, part of the megalopteran family Corydalidae. There are over 220 species of dobsonflies. Dobsonflies are found throughout the Americas and Asia, as well as South Africa...
). A number of his schemes revolve around transforming others into weaker, subordinate versions of himself, leading to clashes with 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 Creeper in Brave and the Bold #80, and with Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
and the Black Canary
Black Canary
Black Canary is the name of two fictional characters, DC Comics superheroines created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino. The first Black Canary debuted appeared in Flash Comics #86 . The first Black Canary was the alter-ego of Dinah Drake, who took part in Golden Age adventures...
in World's Finest Comics
World's Finest Comics
World's Finest Comics was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue; issue #2 switched to the more familiar name...
#248-9.
In the Post-Crisis
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
, the Hellgrammite returns as a recurring foe for Superman
Superman
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...
, first encountering the Man of Steel after being hired (by then LexCorp board member George Markham) to kill Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
. During the Underworld Unleashed
Underworld Unleashed
Underworld Unleashed was a multi-title comic book cross-over event released by DC Comics in 1995. As well as the core story-line of the three-issue Underworld Unleashed mini-series, most of the DC titles published in November and December 1995 and a number of one-off titles were part of the...
crossover, he makes a deal with Neron
Neron
Neron is a fictional demon, a comic book character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in the DC Comics cross-over event Underworld Unleashed #1, , and was created by Mark Waid and Howard Porter.- Publication history :...
, trading his soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
in return for increased physical powers and an improved ability to transform others into his larvae. In a crossover special, Underworld Unleashed: Patterns of Fear, it was stated that he had once used the alias Robert Dobson. The special also confirms that his Pre-Crisis
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
history is largely intact.
Although there were rumors of Hellgrammite's death as a member of the Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
during the Imperiex
Imperiex
Imperiex is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman #153 , and was created by Jeph Loeb and Ian Churchill...
crisis, it was instead a similar villain named Larvanaut who died. He has been seen alive One Year Later
One Year Later
"One Year Later" was a 2006 storyline event running through the DC Universe. As the title suggests, it involves a narrative jump exactly one year into the future of the DC Comics Universe following the events of the Infinite Crisis event, to explore major changes within the continuities of the many...
, still a member of Superman's rogues' gallery, acting as an assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
for Intergang
Intergang
Intergang is a fictional organized crime group in Superman and other DC comics. Armed with technology supplied by the villainous New Gods of the planet Apokolips, it is a potent foe who can seriously challenge the most powerful superheroes...
.
Following the destruction of Star City at the hands of Prometheus
Prometheus (comics)
Prometheus is the name of three fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.The first Prometheus debuted in New Teen Titans vol. 2, #24 and was created by Marv Wolfman and Eduardo Barreto . The second version debuted in New Year's Evil: Prometheus Prometheus is the name...
, the new Batman
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
leads a newly formed 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....
in a hunt to track down the various villains who helped Prometheus in his plot. The team finds Hellgrammite and several other villains attempting to flee the country, and a battle ensues. Hellgrammite is ultimately defeated after Donna Troy
Donna Troy
Donna Troy is a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in The Brave and the Bold vol. 1 #60 , and was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani...
ties up a villainess named Harpi with her lasso, and then swings her into the villain, knocking both of them out.
Television
- In 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...
, Hellgrammite was a member of RouletteRoulette (DC Comics)Roulette is a supervillainess in the DC Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Roulette's grandmother was a Golden Age villain of the same name, who ran a conventional casino and fought Mister Terrific . The current Roulette believes Terry Sloane to be her grandfather, but it is indicated...
's Meta-Brawl, and later appeared as a member of the Secret SocietySecret Society of Super VillainsThe Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
and participated in the insuing mutiny siding with Grodd and defeating Cheetah. He and several other villains were later frozen by Killer FrostKiller FrostKiller Frost is the name of two fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are both supervillains that appear mainly as foes of the superhero Firestorm.-Crystal Frost:...
in the series finaleSeries finaleA series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
. - Hellgrammite appears in the 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...
episode "Time Out for Vengeance" voiced by John DiMaggioJohn DiMaggioJohn William DiMaggio is an American voice actor. A native of North Plainfield, New Jersey, he is known for his gruff, deep voice and New Jersey accent, which he uses to voice mainly villains and anti-heroes.-Filmography:...
. He fights Batman until CreeperCreeper (comics)The Creeper is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. Created by Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Showcase #73 .-Publication history:...
arrives to help him.
Miscellaneous
- The animated Hellgrammite was also featured in an issue of Adventures in the DC Universe, which loosely adapted Brave and the Bold #80.