Ambush Bug

AMBUSH BUG

Real Name: Irwin Schwab

Class: Human technology-user

Occupation: Superhero, madman, formerly supervillain

Group Affiliation: formerly Uh-Oh Squad, Justice League of Anarchy, Justice League of America

Known Relatives: Cheeks, The Toy Wonder (adoptive son), unnamed parents

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile

First Appearance: DC Comics Presents #52 (December, 1982)

Powers: Ambush Bug's suit gave him the ability to teleport. He was aware that he was a comic book character and his life was a series of comic book stories.

History: (Action Comics I #563 (fb)) - Irwin Schwab was abandoned by his parents and raised by an Admiral solid-state television set. His upbringing resulted in an awkward, insane, and possibly brain-damaged man. On the planet Schwab, Brum-El received a chain letter that threatened planetary destruction if he broke the chain. he threw away the letter, not heeding the past example of Jor-El, who doomed his planet Krypton in the same way. Schwab was destroyed, but Brum-El sent out a rocket ship into space to save his wardrobe. The ship was bitten by a radioactive space spider, imbuing the clothes with extraordinary powers. the ship crashed into Irwin Schwab's apartment, and he discovered the last undamaged suit, which gave him teleportation powers. He became the Ambush Bug, and was determined to make his mark.

(DC Comics Presents #52) - Ambush Bug decided to be a bad guy, and knew he better start doing bad things. He utilized mechanical insects to teleport to Metropolis during a parade, pushing DA Syms off a building, killing him. Ambush Bug mugged for the camera before Doom Patrol member Negative Woman, whose powers were out of control, started destroying the parade. Superman responded, as did the Doom Patrol, and Ambush Bug tried to incite them to fight before teleporting away. Superman was suspicious of a Doom Patrol he never met, but Robotman vouched for his new teammates, and they asked him for help containing Negative Woman. Ambush Bug kept interfering, attacking them before teleporting away. He admired Negative Woman's path of destruction, and said he was in love. Superman realized he was using mechanical insects to teleport, and destroyed all of them. Ambush Bug dared Robotman to hit him, and failing to teleport away, he was knocked out. Ambush Bug waited in his jail cell until one of his remaining insects flew outside his window to free him.

(DC Comics Presents #59) - Ambush Bug broke out of jail and decided to annoy Superman, teleporting on his back and wrapping his cape around his head as he was traveling through time. Superman had an errand to run in the 40th Century, but couldn't bring the Bug, so he stopped by the 30th century and dropped him by the Legion of Substitute Heroes, who were subbing for the MIA Legion. Polar Boy put him in a holding cell, and assured Superman everything would be okay. Superman ran his errand only to find Ambush Bug had escaped the heroes' custody. Chlorophyll Kid admitted that their holding cell was broken, so they had Bug in an aquarium tank. Ambush Bug stole Superman's cape and put it on an alien before tossing him off a building, telling him he was the new Superman. The Subs intervened, and he attacked Antennae Lad, trying to pull off his ears, but soon got bored. The Science Police alerted Superman to the chaos Bug was causing, and he was currently running through the Superman Museum. Ambush Bug had no idea what time period he was in, but decided to stay where he could be comfortably insane. Superman dreaded Ambush Bug discovering his secret identity, and flew to the museum with the Substitute Heroes. He tried frying all the bugs he used to teleport, but Ambush Bug had more stored in his antennae. Superman reasoned that Ambush Bug could be tricked by putting up signs telling him not to enter a room, and not to push a button, and as soon as the signs were up Ambush Bug activated a Phantom Zone projector, trapping him. Superman gave the Subs a pep talk, telling them they'd make their own legends one day.

(Supergirl II #16) - Ambush Bug escaped form incarceration again, and decided to be a superhero, because he thought that then he couldn't be arrested for his insane stunts. He started his career in Chicago, beating up a litterbug and a man smoking in a non-smoking building, but the police didn't take him at his word as being a do-gooder. Supergirl was investigating a bandit who'd been stealing famous music instruments, and ran into Ambush Bug. Ambush Bug thought she was Superman, somehow transformed into a woman. She tried to make sense of Ambush Bug, but he also feared she had amnesia. She tried to apprehend him, but he kept teleporting away. Eventually he teleported into Chicago Symphony Hall, where the bandit was holding Phil Decker hostage. He'd went on his crime spree to collect enough famous instruments to perform a symphony, and was forcing Phil to conduct it at gunpoint. Supergirl easily dealt with him, and put boxing gloves on Ambush Bug's hands so he couldn't activate his teleportation circuitry. Ambush Bug finally realized Sueprgirl wasn't Superman, and as he was being taken away by the police he saw her in her Linda Danvers identity, and told her she looked better as a blonde.

(Action Comics I #565) - Ambush Bug visited the Fortress of Solitude and told Superman he wanted to reflect on the "good times" in Supes life, like when Supergirl fell in love with her horse and Superman built a kryptonite-proof suit but forgot to put eye-holes in it. He was trying to butter up Supes so he'd appear in Bug's upcoming comic book mini-series, but Superman tossed Bug out the door. Bug had no luck with Batman either, so he posed as a mugging victim to get Wonder Woman's attention. He told her he was starting a feminist magazine, but when he called her sweetcakes she gave him a beating. Bug formed the short-lived superteam the Uh-Oh Squad. Bug's guardian angel, who appeared to be a drunk homeless man, told him team books sold, so Bug went to see the Teen Titans, who also rejected his offer to appear in his comic.

(DC Comics Presents #81) - Ambush Bug went golfing, annoying the pro shop by stealing equipment, and recklessly injuring other players with errant golf balls. He found a piece of red kryptonite, and had the stone set, presenting it to Superman as a gift, and hoping he'd stop being angry at him. The red-K switched their minds, and Superman, now in Ambush Bug's body, was furious, telling him he had to start taking responsibility for his actions. Ambush Bug took this to mean he should start saving the world as Supes, and flew off. Superman Robots caught Supes / Ambush bug and locked him up. Ambush Bug called up DC Comics, and demanded a piece of the action on Superman merchandise. Kobra had been tailing Ambush Bug to learn the secret of his teleportation technology, but fled when he saw the Bug in Supes body. Because Kobra was bald Ambush Bug thought he was Lex Luthor, and pursued him, but he had no control over his superspeed, and ran around the world a few times before catching up with him. Superman finally figured out how to use Ambush Bug's suit to teleport when the red-K wore off, and Superman was in the middle of a blaze on Coney Island, caused by Ambush Bug's inexperience with Superman's powers. Ambush Bug had been battling Kobra, but Superman had to let him get away to put out the fire using a tidal wave. The wave soaked ambush Bug, and he yelled at Superman for being perfect all the time. Superman couldn't help but laugh at him, and a miffed Ambush Bug teleported away.

(Swamp Thing II #46) - Ambush Bug was among the number of heroes teleported to the Monitor’s satellite by Alexander Luthor, Jr., who explained his plan to make sure reality survived the Crisis. Ambush Bug ignored Luthor and bounced around the room.

(Justice Leagues: Justice League of Amazons #1, Justice Leagues: JLA #1 (BTS)) - When the Advance Man made the world forgot that the JLA ever existed the individual members still had a vague memory of the team and formed their own Justice Leagues. Ambush Bug was recruited to be in Plastic Man’s Justice League of Anarchy. The League of Anarchy went on a mission to track down a radioactive wetsuit and a bucket of soapy frogs. The Justice League of Anarchy disbanded following the reformation of the Justice League of America.

(Lobo: Unbound #4-6) - Ambush Bug arrived on the planet Y'Abbah Dhabba Dhu and went through customs. When asked if he had anything to declare he said that he still found Christina Aguilera attractive. The aliens, taking him for a madman, beat him unmercifully and threw him in jail. Ambush Bug bemoaned having to live off gruel when what he really craved was swill. He made friends with a Moyle Man prisoner, and when his friends rescued him, they led Bug to freedom too. Bug had seen an advertisement for becoming a bounty hunter and thought it would put him on the fast track of fame and fortune, and went looking for Lobo on Dhabba Dhu. The Moyle Men were also interested in finding Lobo when they learned he was the last of his kind, and they wanted to perform their moyle work on him. Ambush Bug tried to warn Lobo, who was in the middle of a fight with Bling Bling, but he only managed to get maimed when he got in between the two of them. Lobo made Ambush Bug and Bling Bling's former sidekick Willie D his advisors. Lobo had become Nabob of Dhabba Dhu, and was sitting on a fortune of Coproma 37, but he couldn't go off-planet as Nabob, so he asked Bug and Willie to come up with a plan. Bug was useless, because he was in a full-body cast and spent all his time whining. Willie D had Lobo use his religious influence as Nabob to have all the Dhabba Dhuans commit suicide by blowing themselves up.

(Doom Patrol V #9) - Danny The Bungalow, a sentient piece of real estate that gave shelter to the weird and unwanted, knew that his construction on Oolong Island would attract someone very important. Ambush Bug and Cheeks arrived on Oolong to live in him.

(Doom Patrol V #11, 12) - Elasti-Girl was kidnapped by the Front Men, so the DP roused Ambush Bug from Danny the Bungalow to use his teleportation powers to get her back. Ambush Bug disliked their “housewarming,” scolding them for not bringing cassarole. He agreed to help, and started teleporting them all over the world. The DP pointed out that Elasti-Girl was being held at Jost Enterprises in Sacramento. Ambush Bug knew that, but he said that was the last place he’d look, since the last place you look is always where you find what you want. The DP’s patience grew thin, and he brought them to Jost Enterprises, but the Front Men fought them to a standstill, and demanded surrender or they’d kill Elasti-Girl. The Dp exchanged Elasti-Girl’s freedom for Porcelain Doll’s. She was one of the Front Men previously captured by the DP, and Ambush Bug teleported her to Jost Enterprises. The DP were less than thrilled, but Ambush Bug took the opportunity to try to flirt with Doll, as he was attracted to giant hummels.

(Doom Patrol V #14) - Ambush Bug swung from one of Danny’s swings and pulled out a guitar, singing a song about the Doom Patrol’s recent adventures.

(Doom Patrol V #15) - The DP called on Ambush Bug when their leader Chief gained Kryptonian powers and ran amok. He teleported them to Bialya, where the DP confronted him while Ambush Bug watched from the sidelines cheering him on. The DP defeated him, and Ambush Bug brought them back to Oolong island, but warned that he was going to start charging them.

(Doom Patrol V #16) - The Doom Patrol responded when alternate timeline versions of themselves attacked the city, having Ambush Bug teleport them into the middle of the action. Ambush Bug watched from the sidelines and cheered them on.

(Secret Six III #30, Doom Patrol V #19) - The Doom Patrol got concerned when Cliff Steele went away by himself to go fishing, so they followed him. Ambush Bug dressed up as a pirate for the occasion, and wiggled his booty at Cliff. He explained that he was actually trying to catch one of Chief’s bio-experiments, a man made into a carnivorous fish that’d eaten a tourist. The fish surfaced and swallowed Bumblebee, but the Doom Patrol saved her. They were beset by the Secret Six, who’d been hired by the newly formed criminal organization C.R.U.S.H. to seize Oolong so they could have a secret hq. Robotman looked forward to tangling with the Six again, and they fought, but C.R.U.S.H. decided to double-cross the Six, and sent suicide bombers to ignite Oolong’s dormant volcano, and sent suicide bombers to ignite Oolong’s dormant volcano. The DP wanted to call off the fight, but Six member Bane insisted that the disaster meant nothing. Ambush Bug fell in love with Six member Jeanette, and teleported her to Danny the Bungalow in hopes of a romantic interlude. The stately Jeanette was highly offended by the lack of class both Ambush Bug and Danny displayed. Elasti-Woman diverted the lava, and President Cale uncloaked C.R.U.S.H.’s helicopter, which was observing the proceedings. C.R.U.S.H. fled, and the Six realized they wouldn’t be paid for the job, so the conflict ended, and the Six peacefully left Oolong, but Catman admitted he was itching to tussle with the DP again. Cale was sick of the property damage the DP was racking up, so she made a deal with Mr. Somebody to make the Front Men Oolong’s new protectors. The Front men arrived on Oolong to tell the DP they were being deported, and begged for them to resist.

(Doom Patrol V #22) - The DP were kicked out of Oolong, and Mr. Somebody and the M.S.E. set upo shop on the island with Somebody possessing President Cale. Ambush Bug, Crazy Jane and Dusty Marlow banded together, still having loyalty for the DP, and holing up in Danny the Bungalow. Ambush Bug showed his displeasure with Somebody by continually teleporting his super team the Front Men to Antarctica. The DP stormed Ooolong, destroyed the M.S.E.’s security devices, and defeated the Front Men. Mr. Somebody and the M.S.E. confronted the Doom Patrol, but Ambush Bug let Somebody know, using his cosmic awareness, that DC was canceling the Doom Patrol comic, and the DC Universe was being remade after the company wide crossover Flashpoint. Somebody accepted that there was no point in fighting, and abandoned Cale’s body, and left the dimensional plane with the M.S.E. President Cale repatriated the DP.

Comments: Created by Keith Giffen.

Ambush Bug received profiles in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #1 & Who's Who In The DC Universe #16.

Ambush Bug had a cameo in Doom Patrol V #8.