Striker Z
Encyclopedia
Striker Z is a fictional superhero
published by DC Comics
. He first appeared in JLA
#61, (February 2002), but his origin is told in Power Company: Striker Z
#1, (March 2002). Striker Z was created by Kurt Busiek
and Tom Grummett
.
for Fragrant Harbor Films in Hong Kong
. During the filming of Unclean Policeman IV director
Dickson Kurata sneaks a crew into the basement laboratory
of the Hong Kong branch of S.T.A.R. Labs
. Danny is distracted while performing a dangerous stunt over a vat of experimental fuel cell
plasma
. The mutagenic compound permeates his cells and alters his body chemistry transforming him into a superstrong human battery
. His best friend is former S.T.A.R. Labs scientist Charlie Lau; Charlie creates his uniform and invents his Striker Plates and Flight Jacket.
On his first adventure he helps Superboy
defeat the Golden Sorcerer, actually a transformed Dickson Kurata who had also bathed in the fuel cell plasma. The Golden Sorcerer's energy supply is much greater than Striker Z's and so is able to manifest solid energy constructs. Superboy is finally able to defeat the Golden Sorcerer by attaching Striker Z's Omega Cannon to his body and using it to siphon off all his energy.
Danny re-appears in Power Company #1 and remains with the team until the series finale in issue #18.
He later appears unconscious and lying on the floor of a S.T.A.R. Labs facility after it is attacked by Doctor Impossible
and his partners. The Guardian
later mentions to his fellow Justice League
members that Danny's pelvis was broken during the battle.
Danny wears a special fiber mesh costume which helps conduct the energy. His visor contains digital audio/video recording hardware, as well as high and low spectrum visual capabilities. Danny carries a variety of devices powered by his bio-energy, including:
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 —...
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...
. He first appeared 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...
#61, (February 2002), but his origin is told in Power Company: Striker Z
Power Company
The Power Company was a team of professional superheroes-for-hire in the DC Comics universe. The team, created by Kurt Busiek and Tom Grummett, first appeared in JLA 61,...
#1, (March 2002). Striker Z was created by Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.-Early life:...
and Tom Grummett
Tom Grummett
Thomas "Tom" Grummett is a Canadian comic book artist and penciller. He is best known for his work as penciller on titles such as The New Titans, The Adventures of Superman, Superboy, Power Company, Robin, New Thunderbolts and Heroes.During his run on The Adventures of Superman, Grummett and...
.
Fictional character biography
Daniel "Danny" Tsang is a stuntmanStunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
for Fragrant Harbor Films in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. During the filming of Unclean Policeman IV director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Dickson Kurata sneaks a crew into the basement laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
of the Hong Kong branch of S.T.A.R. Labs
S.T.A.R. Labs
S.T.A.R. Labs, is a fictional research facility, and comic book organization appearing in titles published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Superman vol. 1 #246 , and was created by Cary Bates and Rich Buckler.-Publication history:...
. Danny is distracted while performing a dangerous stunt over a vat of experimental fuel cell
Fuel cell
A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but hydrocarbons such as natural gas and alcohols like methanol are sometimes used...
plasma
Plasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
. The mutagenic compound permeates his cells and alters his body chemistry transforming him into a superstrong human battery
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
. His best friend is former S.T.A.R. Labs scientist Charlie Lau; Charlie creates his uniform and invents his Striker Plates and Flight Jacket.
On his first adventure he helps Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
defeat the Golden Sorcerer, actually a transformed Dickson Kurata who had also bathed in the fuel cell plasma. The Golden Sorcerer's energy supply is much greater than Striker Z's and so is able to manifest solid energy constructs. Superboy is finally able to defeat the Golden Sorcerer by attaching Striker Z's Omega Cannon to his body and using it to siphon off all his energy.
Danny re-appears in Power Company #1 and remains with the team until the series finale in issue #18.
He later appears unconscious and lying on the floor of a S.T.A.R. Labs facility after it is attacked by Doctor Impossible
Doctor Impossible
For the Doctor Impossible created by Austin Grossman, see Soon I Will Be Invincible.Doctor Impossible is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain that first appeared in Justice League of America, vol. 2 #1...
and his partners. The Guardian
Guardian (DC Comics)
Guardian is a comic book fictional character, a DC Comics superhero, created by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. He first appeared in Star Spangled Comics #7...
later mentions to his fellow 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....
members that Danny's pelvis was broken during the battle.
Powers and abilities
Danny is a human "bio-energy" battery due to his exposure to an unnamed compound. Danny has limited superstrength and enhanced stamina, but these abilities appear to be tied to his available store of energy. He is also a trained stunt man and expert practitioner of an unspecified martial art.Danny wears a special fiber mesh costume which helps conduct the energy. His visor contains digital audio/video recording hardware, as well as high and low spectrum visual capabilities. Danny carries a variety of devices powered by his bio-energy, including:
- Dazzle Strobe: disorients enemies blinding bursts of stroboscopicStrobe lightA strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope...
light. - Flight Jacket: decked out with hundreds of tiny impeller jetsImpellerAn impeller is a rotor inside a tube or conduit used to increase the pressure and flow of a fluid.- Impellers in pumps :...
, the jacket allows him to fly short distances. - Omega Cannon: concentrates all his bio-energy in one directed blast, but its use leaves him helpless.
- Photonic Shiv: a short blade made from coherent lightCoherence (physics)In physics, coherence is a property of waves that enables stationary interference. More generally, coherence describes all properties of the correlation between physical quantities of a wave....
. - Sonic Beamer: broadcasts disorienting soundwaveSoundwaveSound waves are audible acoustic waves that carry sound.Soundwave may also refer to:*Soundwave , an annual music festival held in Australia...
s, or concussive blasts of focused sound. - Striker Plates: can concentrates energy for concussive blows capable of punching through concreteConcreteConcrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
or shattering steelSteelSteel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, or disabling jolts like an electroshock weapon.