TANTALUM

Real Name: Tantalum

Class: Robot

Occupation: Minion, robot

Group Affiliation: Test-Tube Terrors

First Appearance: Metamorpho I #12 (May-June, 1967)

Powers: Tantalum was a robot powered by his elemental namesake and his body served as a super-conducter.

History: (Metamorpho I #12, 13) - Professor Franz Zorb applied for Stagg Prize, a prize offered by Simon Stagg with a million dollars and full access to his labs for the scientist with the best idea for curing Metamorpho. Zorb correctly surmised that Stagg was playing Metamorpho, planning on awarding the prize to a crackpot so that he appeared to be doing everything he could to cure Metamorpho while keeping him as a useful lackey. Zorb gave Simon the crazy theories he wanted to hear, and used his labs to build chemo-robots, his element based Test-Tube Terrors, and promised them a destiny that would shake the stars. The Terrors defeated Metamorpho, nearly killing him, before burning down Stagg’s mansion. Zorb and the Terrors left for State Tech, Simon’s old alma mater, where Prof. Kronski had created a  nucleonic moleculizer projector and hidden it in a trophy football currently being used in the annual State Tech vs. State U. game. The Test-Tube Terrors posed as State U. while Metamorpho played for Tech in a battle to get control of the moleculizer. The Terrors defeated Metamorpho and made away with the moleculizer, and when Zorb revisited Stagg mansion he accidentally revived Element Girl with the moleculizer. He tried to take over Stagg Building, the home of Stagg Enterprises, and Element Girl gained his trust, pretending to turn against Metamorpho for having spurned her. Once he was lulled into a false sense of security Metamorpho and Element Girl destroyed the Terrors and defeated Zorb.