Rick Tyler
Encyclopedia
Hourman
(Rick Tyler) is a fictional character
, a superhero
who was created by Roy Thomas
, Dann Thomas
and Todd McFarlane
and first appeared in Infinity Inc.
#20 as Rick Tyler, son of the original Hourman, who quickly joined Infinity Inc. as the second Hourman in #21 of that book.
, who was a successful hero and a business man. However, Rex wasn't a very good father. When Rex wasn't spending time with business, he was out doing his superhero work, as addicted to it as the substance that powered him, Miraclo. This meant that Rick rarely saw his dad, even on his birthdays, and eventually Rex wasn't even sure of the age of his son.
It was no surprise that although Rick would develop into a well-balanced teen, he was consistently looking for his father's guidance and approval. Yet, Rex could not see the role model Rick really needed, and he tried to push Rick's education to its limits, an endeavor that Rick didn't wish to pursue, and he constantly felt inferior to his father.
threatened all of reality, and he used one of his dad's Miraclo pills to save the life of Beth Chapel, who he grew quite fond of. His father strongly disapproved of Rick's actions, knowing the addictive effects of Miraclo and tried to prevent Rick from taking up the Hourman mantle. Nonetheless, Rick ended up trying to join a team of other 2nd generation heroes known as Infinity, Inc. Rex was able to temporarily convince his son not to, although Rick continued to try to persuade him.
Matters became worse however when Rex, along with his teammates in the Justice Society of America
sacrificed themselves to fight eternal Ragnarok in Limbo. When Northwind
and Beth Chapel came to tell him of the news, Rick ran away in grief. He was later kidnapped by the new group Justice Unlimited, themselves former members of the Injustice Society
and used as a hostage against Infinity Inc. Rick was able to escape, but in the process, seemingly killed the Wizard.
Rick had a hard time forgiving himself, although it would later be revealed that the Wizard was in fact still alive. Rick gave up the Hourman identity almost as soon as he assumed it, as he angrily unmasked himself before a press photographer. Luckily, Lyta
was able to prevent the photo from being taken and took Rick away, trying to console him.
Nonetheless, Rick wore his Hourman outfit another time to attend the court hearing for the villain Mister Bones
, although Rick feared he was just as bad as Bones as well, fearing that the Miraclo pills had simply worked on an already violent urge when he killed the Wizard. Eventually though, Rick returned to becoming Hourman, wearing an outfit similar to his father's in honor of him. Shortly afterwards, Infinity Inc. disbanded.
), both Rex and Rick learned to tap into their superhuman powers without the use of Miraclo and instead using his mind-focusing technique.
Father and son would only spent a short time together, when the villain Extant
killed Rex and some of his allies from the Justice Society during the event known as Zero Hour
. Tragedy kept on striking, when shortly afterwards his sweetheart, Beth Chapel (as Dr. Midnight II) was slain by Eclipso
.
Rick remained retired from the superhero business for a long time, and in that time he met the new android Hourman. This android had been engineered by his time travelling father from Rex's own DNA. Although Rick intensily disliked the new Hourman, he was saved by the android when he transported Rick into the Timepoint (a place where time stands still), so that he would be spared from an unidentifiable alien illness.
The two would grow closer when the android then cured Rick of his cancer and bestowed him two gifts. Due to a tachyon-enhanced hourglass, Rick was now able to occasionally see one hour into the future, as well as being given an hour with his dad in the Timepoint. The Hourman android had plucked Rex out of the timestream before he was killed fighting Extant, placing him in the Timepoint- an area outside of time- for an hour; when Rick was not in the Timepoint, time stood still, but when he entered it he could interact with his father for advice or simple conversation. When the hour in the Timepoint would be up however, Rex would be sent back in time, where he would fight and die. The transportation to the Timepoint would be activated by a button in Rick's Hourman gloves.
, who was the JSA's business manager and also the superheroine Jesse Quick. Rick is still close to his mother and has a strained relationship with his cousin Rebecca who runs his father's company TylerCo.
When the JSA travelled with Hawkman
to the Middle Eastern country of Kahndaq
to stop Black Adam
, Rick was severely injured by one of Nemesis' swords (a member of Adam's gathered group). Realizing that he would die from the massive blood loss unless he was quickly operated on, Rick saw no choice but to transport himself to the Timepoint where his father was. Rick quickly swapped places with his father, and the Timepoint held Rick and his wounds in stasis. Rex was returned to the regular world and was left with no means of returning to the Timepoint or how he could save his son.
The answer once again came in the form of the android Hourman, who transported Rex and several other JSA members to the Timepoint, amongst them the latest Dr. Mid-Nite (Pieter Cross), who was able to save Rick's life. The time used to save Rick also meant that Rex's time was up, and that he would have to return to fighting Extant. Rick, however, tried to take his place, so that his father could live again. Instead, the android Hourman sacrificed himself so that both Hourmen may live. Rex retrieved the damaged Hourman parts and is trying to rebuild him, while Rick continues to operate with the JSA.
While returning once more to Kahndaq to face the Spectre
, Rick's friend Jakeem Thunder
tried to trap the Spectre inside his magical pen, but was instead himself thrown into the 5th Dimension. Rick, Mr. Terrific
and Stargirl
ventured into the 5th Dimension and rescued Jakeem from the thralls of Qwsp.
and is married to Jesse Chambers
, now going by the name Liberty Belle
. They were responsible for bringing Damage
into the Justice Society of America, and the trio defeated Captain Nazi
.
Without Miraclo, Hourman is no more powerful than a regular human. He can only use one dose of Miraclo a day, as its long term abuse may prove detrimental for his health. Hourman's Miraclo is dispensed directly into his bloodstream by the hourglass amulets embedded in his costume's gauntlets.
The hourglass on his chest was once able to take him to a limbo chamber at Timepoint, but this ability has been used up.
TV show Justice League Unlimited
. This version is said to be Rick Tyler. In the episode "Panic in the Sky", he can be seen injecting Miraclo via a button on the wrist of his gauntlet, the same way Rick does in the comics.
Blinky Productions did a fan film
of Hourman, where he is injected with the drug cocktail from the movie Crank
.
Hourman
Hourman is the name of three different fictional DC Comics superheroes, the first of whom was created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily in Adventure Comics #48 , during the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Rex Tyler:Scientist Rex Tyler, raised in upstate...
(Rick Tyler) is a fictional character
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 superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
who was created by Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
, Dann Thomas
Dann Thomas
Danette "Dann" Thomas is a comic book writer, the wife of comic book writer and editor Roy Thomas. She has at times collaborated with Thomas on All-Star Squadron, Arak, Son of Thunder, the Crimson Avenger miniseries and Avengers West Coast.She married Roy Thomas in May 1981 and legally changed her...
and Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
and first appeared in Infinity Inc.
Infinity Inc.
Infinity, Inc. is a team of superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The team is mostly composed of the children and heirs of the Justice Society of America, making them the Society's analogue to the Teen Titans, which is composed of sidekicks of Justice League members...
#20 as Rick Tyler, son of the original Hourman, who quickly joined Infinity Inc. as the second Hourman in #21 of that book.
Childhood
Rick Tyler was born the child of Rex TylerHourman
Hourman is the name of three different fictional DC Comics superheroes, the first of whom was created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily in Adventure Comics #48 , during the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Rex Tyler:Scientist Rex Tyler, raised in upstate...
, who was a successful hero and a business man. However, Rex wasn't a very good father. When Rex wasn't spending time with business, he was out doing his superhero work, as addicted to it as the substance that powered him, Miraclo. This meant that Rick rarely saw his dad, even on his birthdays, and eventually Rex wasn't even sure of the age of his son.
It was no surprise that although Rick would develop into a well-balanced teen, he was consistently looking for his father's guidance and approval. Yet, Rex could not see the role model Rick really needed, and he tried to push Rick's education to its limits, an endeavor that Rick didn't wish to pursue, and he constantly felt inferior to his father.
Infinity Inc.
Rick became the second Hourman when the Crisis on Infinite EarthsCrisis 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...
threatened all of reality, and he used one of his dad's Miraclo pills to save the life of Beth Chapel, who he grew quite fond of. His father strongly disapproved of Rick's actions, knowing the addictive effects of Miraclo and tried to prevent Rick from taking up the Hourman mantle. Nonetheless, Rick ended up trying to join a team of other 2nd generation heroes known as Infinity, Inc. Rex was able to temporarily convince his son not to, although Rick continued to try to persuade him.
Matters became worse however when Rex, along with his teammates in the Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
sacrificed themselves to fight eternal Ragnarok in Limbo. When Northwind
Northwind (comics)
Northwind is a fictional avian human hybrid published by DC Comics.Created by Roy Thomas, Jerry Ordway and Mike Machlan, Northwind first appeared in All-Star Squadron #25...
and Beth Chapel came to tell him of the news, Rick ran away in grief. He was later kidnapped by the new group Justice Unlimited, themselves former members of the Injustice Society
Injustice Society
The Injustice Society is a group of fictional supervillains in the . They are the main antagonists of the Justice Society of America.-Original team:...
and used as a hostage against Infinity Inc. Rick was able to escape, but in the process, seemingly killed the Wizard.
Rick had a hard time forgiving himself, although it would later be revealed that the Wizard was in fact still alive. Rick gave up the Hourman identity almost as soon as he assumed it, as he angrily unmasked himself before a press photographer. Luckily, Lyta
Fury (DC Comics)
Fury is the codename shared by three DC Comics superheroes, two of whom are mother and daughter, both of whom directly connected with the Furies of mythology, and the third who is an altogether different character.-Pre-Crisis:...
was able to prevent the photo from being taken and took Rick away, trying to console him.
Nonetheless, Rick wore his Hourman outfit another time to attend the court hearing for the villain Mister Bones
Mister Bones
Mister Bones is a fictional character in the , created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, and Todd McFarlane, in Infinity, Inc. #16 . A former low-level supervillain, he reformed and joined the Infinity Inc...
, although Rick feared he was just as bad as Bones as well, fearing that the Miraclo pills had simply worked on an already violent urge when he killed the Wizard. Eventually though, Rick returned to becoming Hourman, wearing an outfit similar to his father's in honor of him. Shortly afterwards, Infinity Inc. disbanded.
Retired hero and reunion
Eventually, Rex and the rest of the JSA returned from Limbo and he and Rick were reunited. In the meantime however, Rick had contracted leukaemia due to the prolonged exposure to Miraclo. With the help of Rex's old teammate, Johnny Chambers (aka Johnny QuickJohnny Quick
Johnny Quick is the name of two DC Comics characters, each with the power of superhuman speed. The first was a superhero who appeared mostly in More Fun Comics during the Golden Age...
), both Rex and Rick learned to tap into their superhuman powers without the use of Miraclo and instead using his mind-focusing technique.
Father and son would only spent a short time together, when the villain Extant
Monarch (comics)
Monarch is the name of three fictional DC Comics supervillains. The first Monarch is Hank Hall, formerly Hawk, who later renames himself Extant for the Zero Hour crossover. The second Monarch is Nathaniel Adam, a U.S. Army Captain. The third Monarch is Captain Atom, a former superhero...
killed Rex and some of his allies from the Justice Society during the event known as Zero Hour
Zero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
. Tragedy kept on striking, when shortly afterwards his sweetheart, Beth Chapel (as Dr. Midnight II) was slain by Eclipso
Eclipso
Eclipso is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. The character is the incarnation of the Wrath of God and the Angel of Vengeance that turned evil and was replaced by the Spectre...
.
Rick remained retired from the superhero business for a long time, and in that time he met the new android Hourman. This android had been engineered by his time travelling father from Rex's own DNA. Although Rick intensily disliked the new Hourman, he was saved by the android when he transported Rick into the Timepoint (a place where time stands still), so that he would be spared from an unidentifiable alien illness.
The two would grow closer when the android then cured Rick of his cancer and bestowed him two gifts. Due to a tachyon-enhanced hourglass, Rick was now able to occasionally see one hour into the future, as well as being given an hour with his dad in the Timepoint. The Hourman android had plucked Rex out of the timestream before he was killed fighting Extant, placing him in the Timepoint- an area outside of time- for an hour; when Rick was not in the Timepoint, time stood still, but when he entered it he could interact with his father for advice or simple conversation. When the hour in the Timepoint would be up however, Rex would be sent back in time, where he would fight and die. The transportation to the Timepoint would be activated by a button in Rick's Hourman gloves.
The Justice Society
Now being cured of all his illnesses, Rick resumed the mantle of Hourman (adopting a new costume in the process), using the non-addictive form of Miraclo, and joined a makeshift JSA in defeating the Ultra-Humanite. Rick remained with the JSA after this battle and began growing close to Jesse ChambersJesse Chambers
Jesse Chambers is a fictional comic book character in the . Chambers, who first used the superhero name Jesse Quick and later Liberty Belle, is the daughter of Golden Age heroes Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle...
, who was the JSA's business manager and also the superheroine Jesse Quick. Rick is still close to his mother and has a strained relationship with his cousin Rebecca who runs his father's company TylerCo.
When the JSA travelled with 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....
to the Middle Eastern country of Kahndaq
Kahndaq
Kahndaq is a fictional Middle Eastern country in the DC Comics Universe. Its real world location is on the continent of Africa, between Egypt and Israel...
to stop 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...
, Rick was severely injured by one of Nemesis' swords (a member of Adam's gathered group). Realizing that he would die from the massive blood loss unless he was quickly operated on, Rick saw no choice but to transport himself to the Timepoint where his father was. Rick quickly swapped places with his father, and the Timepoint held Rick and his wounds in stasis. Rex was returned to the regular world and was left with no means of returning to the Timepoint or how he could save his son.
The answer once again came in the form of the android Hourman, who transported Rex and several other JSA members to the Timepoint, amongst them the latest Dr. Mid-Nite (Pieter Cross), who was able to save Rick's life. The time used to save Rick also meant that Rex's time was up, and that he would have to return to fighting Extant. Rick, however, tried to take his place, so that his father could live again. Instead, the android Hourman sacrificed himself so that both Hourmen may live. Rex retrieved the damaged Hourman parts and is trying to rebuild him, while Rick continues to operate with the JSA.
While returning once more to Kahndaq to face the Spectre
Spectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...
, Rick's friend Jakeem Thunder
Jakeem Thunder
Jakeem Thunder , initially called J.J. Thunder, is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe, a member of the superhero team the Justice Society of America. Jakeem first appeared in Flash Jakeem Thunder (Jakeem Johnny Williams), initially called J.J. Thunder, is a fictional character in the...
tried to trap the Spectre inside his magical pen, but was instead himself thrown into the 5th Dimension. Rick, Mr. Terrific
Mister Terrific (Michael Holt)
Michael Holt is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics. First appearing in Spectre #54 , he is the second character to take up the Mister Terrific mantle....
and Stargirl
Stargirl
Courtney Whitmore is a superheroine known as Stargirl in the DC Comics Universe. Originally known as the second Star-Spangled Kid, she began using the name "Stargirl" after she was presented with the Cosmic Staff by Jack Knight...
ventured into the 5th Dimension and rescued Jakeem from the thralls of Qwsp.
One Year Later
Rick is part of the newly reformed Justice Society of AmericaJustice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
and is married to Jesse Chambers
Jesse Chambers
Jesse Chambers is a fictional comic book character in the . Chambers, who first used the superhero name Jesse Quick and later Liberty Belle, is the daughter of Golden Age heroes Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle...
, now going by the name Liberty Belle
Liberty Belle (comics)
Liberty Belle is the name of three fictional superheroes. Two are from DC Comics: Libby Lawrence and Jesse Chambers, the other is from Charlton Comics: Caroline Dean.-Libby Lawrence:...
. They were responsible for bringing Damage
Damage (comics)
Damage is a DC Comics superhero who first appeared in a comic book of the same name during the Zero Hour crisis. He is the son of the original Atom Al Pratt. He has been a member of the Titans, the Freedom Fighters, and Justice Society of America....
into the Justice Society of America, and the trio defeated Captain Nazi
Captain Nazi
Captain Nazi is a Fawcett Comics and DC Comics supervillain, a rival of Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. He was created by William Woolfolk and Mac Raboy.-Fawcett Comics:...
.
Powers and abilities
Hourman was given a special hourglass that caused him to experience random visions of one hour in the future. He also uses the drug Miraclo, which grants him super strength, speed, agility, reflexes and durability for a full hour.Without Miraclo, Hourman is no more powerful than a regular human. He can only use one dose of Miraclo a day, as its long term abuse may prove detrimental for his health. Hourman's Miraclo is dispensed directly into his bloodstream by the hourglass amulets embedded in his costume's gauntlets.
The hourglass on his chest was once able to take him to a limbo chamber at Timepoint, but this ability has been used up.
In other media
Hourman has made background appearances as a member of the expanded Justice League in the animatedAnimated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
TV show Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited
Justice 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...
. This version is said to be Rick Tyler. In the episode "Panic in the Sky", he can be seen injecting Miraclo via a button on the wrist of his gauntlet, the same way Rick does in the comics.
Blinky Productions did a fan film
Fan film
A fan film is a film or video inspired by a film, television program, comic book or a similar source, created by fans rather than by the source's copyright holders or creators. Fan filmmakers have traditionally been amateurs, but some of the more notable films have actually been produced by...
of Hourman, where he is injected with the drug cocktail from the movie Crank
Crank (film)
Crank is a 2006 American comedy movie, written and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, and starring Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Efren Ramirez, and Dwight Yoakam...
.