Superman Analogue: Hourman (Rex Tyler)
65Rex Tyler was the "Man of the Hour", especially when writers needed a stand in for Superman!
Original Thread: https://twitter.com/CaseAiken/status/1090979653618225152
Original Text: Let's stay on Golden Age characters for a bit. Many of these characters were heavily influenced by Superman and didn't deviate as dramatically as later heroes. Let's go with one who had a really interesting schtick: Hourman
Now, there have been 3 characters by that name that I can think of, though I'm sure there's room for more over the years. I'm going to focus on the first, right now. I'll come back to the second at some point. I'll do the third when I inevitably discuss "DC One Million"
The first Hourman was a man named Rex Tyler who developed a drug called "Miraclo" which gave him super powers on par with the Golden Age Superman for ONE HOUR per day.
Hourman is an iconic member of the DC Golden Age roster, lacking an immediate Silver Age counter part, an easy to explain gimmick, and a distinct look with his dramatic hooded outfit and mustard color scheme.
Because his powers are drug related, the character usually is set aside when comics have tried to down play substance use. The 60s saw him getting less coverage and his successor stepped out of the limelight during the 80s war on drugs.
However, because he's so iconic, he makes for a great inclusion in period pieces, such as the excellent Sandman Mystery Theatre where he was labelled the "Man of the Hour"
He was also prominently featured in James Robinson's amazing "The Golden Age"
Modern stories often deal with the drug he uses becoming addictive or having side effects. Narratively, the use of a drug that gives him short term powers is great because you can have big action scenes but keep the threat and narrative stakes high.
Hourman Mark 1 is a great, funky example of Golden Age heroes. He'd make for an awesome low budget super hero movie (cough...cough). While he definitely fits the role of a #SupermanAnalogue, he's not alone from his era. Tomorrow, I'll continue with the era.
Master Thread: https://twitter.com/CaseAiken/status/1346189702580342785
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