Hellgrammite (comics)
| Hellgrammite | |
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Hellgrammite as seen on the cover of Action Comics #673 (January 1992)
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | The Brave and the Bold vol. 1 #80 (November 1968) |
| Created by | Bob Haney, Neal Adams |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Roderick Rose |
| Team affiliations | Intergang |
| Notable aliases | Robert Dobson |
| Abilities | Superhuman strength Ability to leap long distances Secretion of adhesives Durable exoskeleton Can turn others into "larvae" of himself |
Hellgrammite (Roderick Rose) is a supervillain appearing in DC Comics, commonly as an enemy of Superman.
Contents
Publication history
Hellgrammite made his debut in The Brave and the Bold vol. 1 #80 (November 1968) created by Bob Haney and Neal Adams.
Fictional character biography
Pre-Crisis
An entomologist named Roderick Rose, the Hellgrammite subjects himself to a mutagenic process that transforms him into a grasshopper-like insectoid. He possesses superhuman 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 #248-249.
Post-Crisis
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)[1] 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.
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.[2]
Powers and abilities
Hellgrammite is capable of super-strength, improved jumping and producing cocoons to imprison his foes or transform them into larvae versions of himself.
In other media
Television
- Hellgrammite appears in the Justice League Unlimited episode "The Cat and the Canary". Hellgrammite was a member of Roulette's Meta-Brawl. Hellgrammite later appeared as a member of the Secret Society and participated in the ensuing mutiny siding with Grodd and defeating Cheetah. He and several other villains were later frozen by Killer Frost in the series finale.
- Hellgrammite appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Time Out for Vengeance" voiced by John DiMaggio. Hellgrammite resurfaced at a construction site in Gotham City and fought Batman once again. Hellgrammite decided to turn Batman into his slave and bound the hero in his adhesive secretion. Creeper saved Batman and the two defeated Hellgrammite.
- Hellgrammite appears in Supergirl, portrayed by Justice Leak.[3] This version is a member of an alien race known as Hellgrammites where he is able to camouflage himself and disguise himself as a humanoid. He also possesses superhuman strength and the ability to shoot spikes with sufficient strength to penetrate metal. Due to his alien chemistry, he hunts DDT sources to survive, that being the closest analogue to his race's food. He is one of the aliens that escaped from the Kryptonian prison Fort Rozz when it crashed on Earth after accidentally being pulled out of the Phantom Zone. In the episode "Stronger Together", Hellgrammite is forced by Astra Zor-El to capture her niece Supergirl and he is later killed during a fight with Alex Danvers.
Miscellaneous
- The animated Hellgrammite was also featured in an issue of Adventures in the DC Universe, which loosely adapted Brave and the Bold #80.[4]
