HAMMER
Real Name: Boris Ulyanov
Class: Human mutate
Occupation: Criminal, former superhero
Group Affiliation: People's Heroes
Known Relatives: Natasha Ulyanov (Sickle, sister)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Russia
First Appearance: Outsiders I #10 (August, 1986)
Powers: Hammer possessed superhuman strength, durability and agility, and was armed with a large hammer.
History: The People's Heroes were created by Communist scientists using research into the American superhero team Force of July.
(Catwoman III #48, 49) - Strange called a meeting of his East End crew for a progress report. Captain Cold chased two costumed villains out of town who were trying to horn in on their action, Angle Man said he was working angles, and Smart Bomb, Hammer and Sickle forced local car thieves to pay tribute. Cheetah had been defeated by Batman, and arrested by the GCPD. Smart Bomb was visibly surprised when Strange told him Catwoman was also part of their syndicate. Angle Man didn't trust Smart Bomb, and trailed him to a meeting with GCPD officers Carl Worth and James Lenahan, but Smart Bomb claimed that the cops he was talking to were crooked and looking for some business with him. Angle Man didn't trust Catwoman, and had followed her to her meeting with Todd Russel, hearing her say she was taking Strange down. He confronted her, telling her he knew what she was up to. She said Strange would never believe a nobody like him over a professional like her, but he produced a tape recording of her conversation with Smart Bomb. He said he was sick of no one taking him seriously, and could deal with Strange speaking condescendingly to him, but not Catwoman. He produced a gun, and shot her in the stomach. Angle called Strange, who brought along Smart Bomb and Hammer, and Strange gave him permission to finish off Catwoman, so he stabbed her in the head with an angle. Hammer disposed of the body, but "Catwoman" was actually Todd using his Clayface shapeshifting power. Captain Cold said senseless murder wasn't how he did things in Central City, so he was out. Strange told him the days of robbing a bank and having a laugh were over; things had gotten darker, and more serious. He told Hammer to convince him to stay put with force, but Cold froze his legs. He told Hammer how easy it would be to cripple him, but reiterated that wasn't how he rolled. Catwoman got the drop on the gang, defeating Sickle with some help from Smart Bomb, and beating Angle Man with a bat. She finished off the crew by hitting Hammer with a number of tranq darts, and threatened Strange, telling him to get out of town, and never come back, and he complied.
(Catwoman III #63-66) - Alaska, Russian government agent James met with U.S. operative Sidney for an exchange of prisoners. James had several covert metahumans, and Sidney had Hammer and Sickle, who James considered amusing relics of the USSR. Hammer and Sickle were in self-evolving mode, and snapped their bonds before attacking everyone present. Hammer killed the survivors by slamming and blowing up their helicopter. They took the remaining helicopter to escape in, and Hammer wanted to go back to Russia, but Sickle said they'd be killed, and besides which the USSR they grew up in was gone. She suggested they go to Gotham to get revenge on Catwoman for sending them to jail. They found Catwoman Holly Robinson, who'd been given the mantle by Selina Kyle, and Detective Lenahan, who was trying to apprehend her. Sickle cut off Lenahan's head with her weapon, and the duo attacked Holly.
(Catwoman III #67, 68) - Hammer and Sickle easily overpowered Catwoman, and recognized from her lack of experience that she was not the Catwoman they were after. The original Catwoman arrived, preventing Hammer and Sickle from killing Holly using firearms to slow them down. GCPD SWAT swarmed the building, and when they saw Lenahan's head they blamed Catwoman and Holly, but before things could get out of hand GCPD had to deal with Hammer and Sickle. Catwoman told Holly to run away and not look back. Catwoman stole Blitzkrieg's power gloves, shocking Hammer, and causing him to fall out the window. Before she could catch her breath Sickle had her cornered. Her superhuman senses smelled Catwoman's baby, and Hammer, who'd recovered and fought off the GCPD, was off to Catwoman's loft to go after her daughter. Sickle taunted Catwoman about what might happen to her daughter, and vanished. Catwoman stole a police car, and raced home. Hammer had already abducted Helena, and placed Helena in the middle of the road, hoping Catwoman would run her over. Catwoman swerved, flipping the car, but escaped the wreckage, and escaped with Helena to a safehouse. Hammer and Sickle found her, and after knocking her out, dragged her back to her loft. They told her Helena would die first, and then they'd feel better about being humiliated by their past defeat at her hands. Catwoman grabbed a stashed taser and shocked Hammer, causing him to fall from her window with Helena. Catwoman rescued Helena, and Holly arrived, hitting Sickle with a firearm she'd stolen from the GCPD.
Comments: Created by Mike W. Barr & Jim Aparo.
Hammer received a profile in Who's Who Update '87 #4 under the People's Heroes entry.
Hammer had a cameo in Catwoman III #58.
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