''Get back from the door! The Man of Steel is coming through!'' - Steel bursts on to the scene in Superman: The Man of Steel #22.
Real name: John Henry Irons Other known aliases: Superman, The Man of Steel, Henry Johnson. Occupation: Hero, former athlete, weapons designer and constriction worker. Current group affiliation: Ally to Superman, Superboy, Eradicator and Supergirl. Past group affiliations: Major enemies: Cyborg II, White Rabbit, formerly the Eradicator. First appearance: Origin: Superman: The Man of Steel #22 Description: John is a muscular 6'3'' tall black man with no hair weighing 235 lbs. He wears a steel suit with a red cape.
Characteristics
15/45 STR 5
14 DEX 12
18 CON 16
15 BODY 10
18 INT 8
13 EGO 6
18 PRE 8
12 COM 1
6/12 PD 3
7/ 8 ED 3
4 SPD 16
7/12 REC 0
36 END 0
32/44 STUN 0
Characteristics Cost: 88
Powers and Skills
8 1 LVLS Density Increase (stats already included),Only In
Hero ID(-1/4),0 END Persistent(+1) 0
14 EC (17),Only In Hero ID(-1/4)
14a) 10/8 Armor,x1 Hardened(+1/4)
16b) 10" Flight,x8 Non-Combat,1/2 END(+1/4) 1
2 +1 Enhanced PER,with all senses,Only In Hero ID(-1/4)
5 Instant Change
15 Life Support,doesn't breathe,safe in vacuum/pressure,safe in
radiation,safe in heat/cold,Only In Hero ID(-1/4)
24 MP (30),"Weapons",Only In Hero ID(-1/4)
2u 2D6 HKA,"Hammer strike.",vs physical defense 3
1u 1D6 RKA (Heat),"Gauntlet blaster.",No Knockback(-1/4),0 END
(+1/2) 0
2u 2D6 RKA,"Hammer throw.",vs physical defense 3
25 +25 STR,Only In Hero ID(-1/4),1/2 END(+1/4) 1
3 Demolitions 11-
3 Electronics 11-
3 Inventor 13-
6 2 Levels: With hammer, blaster and punch.,tight group
3 Mechanics 11-
3 PS: Armorer 13-,(INT based)
3 SC: Metallurgy 13-,(INT based)
3 SC: Robotics 13-,(INT based)
3 Systems Operation 13-
1 WF,Two-Handed
3 Weaponsmith 11-
Powers Cost: 162
Disadvantages
Base Points: 100
20 Accidental Chg,"Changes to armored form when hurt.",common,
occur 14-
15 DNPC,"Various supporting cast.",normal,appear 11-
10 Distinctive,"6'3'' tall man muscular bald guy.",concealable,
minor
20 Hunted,"by various super-villains.",as powerful,non-combat
influence,harsh,appear 11-
15 Psych Lim,"Code vs. killing.",common,strong
15 Psych Lim,"Believes in truth, justice and the American
way.",common,strong
5 Psych Lim,"Stoic",uncommon,moderate
15 Rep,"Hard hitting Superman-wannabe.",occur 14-
15 Secret ID,"John Henry Irons"
10 Unluck,2D6
10 Watched,"by the media.",as powerful,non-combat influence,
mild,appear 14-
Disadvantages Total: 150
Experience Spent: 0
Total Points: 250
Explanation of the conversion: The two sets of characteristics represent Steel in normal and armored form. I didn't buy Steel's armor or hammer as a Focus since he can summon them at will.
History: John Henry Irons is the hero known as Steel. His story begins as a child
when his grandparents were supposedly killed when they interfered with a
robbery at there home, but John Henry believed was a murder over racial
tension in the area. A few years later Iron's parents were killed in a car
accident, which eventually led John Henry, and his brother Clay into the
custody of his other set of Grandparents. After loosing so much of his
family he remembered something one of the policemen told him right after
his grandparents deaths ''The best way a man can keep his family safe is to
get so rich and powerful nobody can touch 'em.'' taking this to heart after
John Henry realized how much professional sports players where beginning
to make he saw his road to wealth and power was through his sports
ability.
After a football game one of his teacher's remarked on John Henry's ability
to control a footballs trajectory at the field goal. When his teacher told
the John Henry what trajectory was, and that it could enhance his ability
on the football field he began to study physics the very next day, and
started his illustrious career in science.
Delving into the sciences, and sports as a way to become a success and
protect his life, it became almost his obsession in life. A short time
later while on a field trip to the Washington Monument he became
separated, from his class, and was pulled into the Zero Hour crisis and
time and was sent years into the future. Without even realizing what was
going on he encountered his grandmother, years older, and his nieces, and
nephews who hadn't even been born yet. While there he looked up, and saw
his future self in his identity as Steel, in a fight with Hazard's
minions. When he asked his future family what was going on they told him,
''Haven't you ever heard of the Man called Steel'', seeing someone attacked
by three assailants at once he decided to help out and threw a rock out
one of the attackers and saved his future self. Right after that he asked
who his nephew was, and then John Henry told Jemahl his, and Jemahl said
that his uncle had the same name, and he was the only other person he had
ever seen throw like that. Seconds later a young John Henry was back in
his own time, thinking he had some weird day dream, and everyone else from
his group simply thought he had wandered off. A short time later his
brother told him that he was getting married to his girlfriend Blondell,
who he had gotten pregnant, about the same time he found out he had
received a full scholarship, and grant money to Michigan University. But
before he left Blondell had her first child Jemahl, and John Henry began
to question if it was a dream at the Washington monument at all. Leaving
for Michigan University. he ran into Guy Gardner who was on the same football team
as he was, but while Gardner was majoring in Physical Education, John Henry was
majoring in ballistics. He and Guy became good friends throughout there
school years.
Unfortunately for the Iron's family tragedy struck when his younger brother
Clay was killed in a drive by while working at the neighborhood grocery
store. After that John Henry gave up his dream of going to grad school and
took a job offer from Ameretek, in order to support and provide for his
family. While working for Ameretek he first met Angoria, aka the White
Rabbit, and created his military weapon the BG-60. With the money he
received he bought his family a new house, in a better neighborhood. After
his family was taken care of he proceeded to rent a workshop where he was
possessed with the idea of the flying man he had seen and created his
first prototype Steel armor in secret. On his first test flight he
encountered a young Hazard trying to kill a man he blamed for the death of
his gang. Unfortunately a novice Steel was unable to stop Hazard and his
telekinetic power, and the man Hazard was after was killed. Unfortunately
for John when he returned to his workshop Angora was waiting for him, and
convinced him to turn the blue prints and design over to Ameretek to
finish paying off his family's house and save American soldiers. A while
later John discovered his guns had been used to kill Kudish civilian women
and children, while gun's weren't supposed to be used by anyone but
Americans. After John realized that the only way the gun's could have
gotten there was if someone in Ameretek sent them there he tried to quit,
but was threatened by his boss Colonel Thoms Weston. Seeing he was in
danger he erased the designs for the new BG-80, and his new armor
modifications from Amereteks' computer system. Yet when he went to erase
the files in his private workshop he was attacked by goons, wearing his
armor design out to kill him, and steal his newest designs. At that point
John Henry realized that only he an Angora knew where the place was, and
knew that he had been sold out to Ameretek. When the goons destroyed the
building with John Henry inside he escaped when he heard police sirens and
the Ameretek goons flew off.
Faking his death he moved to Metropolis, he met one of his best friends a
psychic named Rosie, and took the name Henry Johnson. Still working to
perfect his armor at night, he took a job in construction work. On this
very important day, John Henry's losses began to get to him and he began
to question his life, at that very moment his friend, Peter Skywalker fell
and John Henry grabbed a cable and swung out to catch him but at the same
time his cable slipt and he began to fall to certain death when Superman
showed up, and saved his life. When John Henry told Superman he owed him
his life, Superman told him to make it count for something, and John Henry
quit working on his armor and took a more active role in the community.
Unfortunately a few days later Superman had his amazing battle with
Doomsday, that led to his apparent death, during the same battle Doomsday
knocked a building down and buried John alive, when he finally received
the news that Superman was dead along with Doomsday.
The very next day
John set out to treat the entire world as his family, and that same
morning children were killed in a drive by shooting using his BG-80. Seeing
mystery needing to be solved, and a world without a Superman he put the
finishing touches on his armor and became the new Man of Steel moments
before his building was destroyed, and he was engulfed in flames (Superman: The Man of Steel #22).
Steel battled the Eradicator and in the end worked together with Supergirl, Superboy, the Eradicator and Hal Jordan in order to stop Cyborg II and prevent an alien invasion.
Afterwards, Steel decided to continue his work as a crime fighter and from that day acted as a defender of Metropolis, working with Supergirl quite a bit.
Steel joined up with Alpha Centurion, Superboy, Supergirl and the Eradicator to free Superman when he was captured by the Tribunal (Steel #22).
John Henry has become a major player in the super-hero community, joining the Justice League of America until recently, and operating alongside Superman in the B13-revamped Steelworks complex in Metropolis.
Powers: Steel uses a armored battle suit of his own design. the suit gives him superhuman strength somewhere around the 10 ton line, near invulnerability, a heat blaster mounted on the left forearm, and a sledge hammer with extendible handle magnetically secured to the back of his suit. Steel can summon and send away his armor at his mental command, along with that any cuts, dents, or lacerations, are healed in moments through some connection to his powers.
Links to other Steel pages:
Character created by DC Comics.
Champions rules conversion by Mathew R. Ignash - mathewignash@comcast.net.
Last Updated - December, 2003