New Legends of Tomorrow character Nate Heywood has a much longer legacy in comics than you might think.
Its a good time to be a comic book fan.
But the book didnt just present characters from DCs publishing history.
Oh no, he also presented characters from defunct companies that DC had bought up.
I wanted to know about them all!
Take That, Ratzi!
Actually, there werethreedifferent DC heroes that used the designation of Steel.
We love John Henry Irons as long as he isnt being played by Shaquille ONeal.
Conway was joined by artist Don Heck, who drew so many great Silver Age Marvel comics.
Steel was kind of an anomalous hero at DC.
But thats exactly what Conway and Heck did, settingSteel, The Indestructible Manin the pre-war year of 1939.
Steel was once Henry Heywood, a US marine and biology student who was injured by Nazi saboteurs.
All-Star Squadron
Like I said,All-Star Squadronwas full of obscure Golden Age heroes.
Well there was a sixth issue written by Conway and penciled by Heck but never published.
In these issues, Steel saves the life of Winston Churchill.
Fortunately, the All Stars manage to defeat Steel and free him from Nazi control.
We love these characters now, but back in 1984, fans didnt exactly embrace them.
But Steel was front and center, so I was happy.
Oh, but in the pages of this book; Steel was put through the ringer.
He was resurrected in theBlackest Nightcrossover event of 2008-2009.
Actually, worry away because poor Heywood III was resurrected as a zombie and destroyed.
Seriously, DC…what the hell?
Until he was quickly and brutally murdered by Eclipso.
My life is a joke.
But afterthat, it should be Geoff Johns!
First appearing inJustice Society of America(vol.
- #1 (2007), Nathan Heywood was created by Johns and Alex Ross.
NowthisSteel didnt die stupidly or disappear suddenly, and was a true hero in every sense of the word.
Nathan Heywood was a football hopeful who had his career cut short by a brutal knee injury.
The villain known as Reichsmark turned Heywoods mom and brother into statues.
Heywood went into a coma but when he awoke, he grew a new metallic leg.
Thats not all; his entire body was now covered in a protective layer of dense steel.
