Blackrock (DC)

Blackrock is the name used by several characters in the DC Universe.

Blackrock (Peter Silverstone)

Main Article: Peter Silverstone

Pre-Crisis

Peter Silverstone

Dr. Peter Silverstone was the chief research scientist of the United Broadcasting Company. He was responsible for having helped invent color television, the long-playing record, and America's first communications satellite. He was ordered by UBC President Samuel Tanner to create a new super-hero for UBC to exploit in order to boost his network's ratings against Galaxy Broadcasting, which had so many exclusive stories concerning with Superman. Intrigued by the challenge, Silverstone designed a costume that would give its wearer a wide array of super-powers. He called this superhero Blackrock, after the popular nickname of the UBC Building itself. (Action Comics v1 #458) Looking for someone to fill the supersuit, Silverstone chose Samuel Tanner himself, hypnotizing the UBC President without his knowledge into becoming his own superhero. Blackrock began to fiercely compete against Superman while remaining ignorant that his "heroic" acts only put people in danger. Eventually, Superman learned of Tanner's identity and defeated him. Tanner resumed his normal life with no memory of what he had done. (Action Comics v1 #459)

Post-Crisis

Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Peter Silverstone

At some point, he came to adopt the name Blackrock after the stone that empowered him and as a supervillain came to fight Superman only to be defeated by the Man of Steel. (Superman v2 #218)

Living in an apartment, he remained in a half-mad state where all he did was watch television from his couch. In this time, he often babbled to himself and would not move from his position. This remained the case for sometime to the point that he was near starvation and had gone totally blind. One day, the noise of his television drew the attention of his new neighbour Sam Benjamin who was annoyed at the noise. However, after seeing Dr. Silverstone he decided to help feed the elderly man. From his computer, he came to learn of Silverstone's prior career as the costumed supervillain known as Blackrock and learnt of the stone that empowered him. (Superman v2 #218)

Blackrock (Sam Tanner)

Main Article: Sam Tanner

Blackrock (Lester Vegas)

Main Article: Lester Vegas

Blackrock (Blackrock III)

Main Article: Blackrock III

Blackrock (Sam Benjamin)

Main Article: Sam Benjamin

Sam Benjamin

At some point, he attempted to commit murder but was caught and sent to prison for 8 years. (Superman v2 #218)

Blackrock (Lucia)

Main Article: Lucia

Lucia

She remained at Callao Prison in Lima, Peru until Lex Luthor found her location where he had Talia al Ghul arrange for a meeting with her. Meeting with Lucia, Talia offered the woman an opportunity at revenge against Superman and gave her the Blackrock stone. Agreeing, she was then forcibly bonded to it where it gave her superpowers leading to Lucia running amok in the prison. Her rampage drew the attention of her quarry Superman leading to a battle against him and Supergirl. (Superman v2 #223)

Blackrock (Bradley Glenn)

Main Article: Bradley Glenn

Bradly was a common criminal who upon being released from prison was contacted by a program called Bad Ass Nation who wanted to show the world from the eyes of a supervillain by giving him a mechanized armor and having him destroy a bridge while they recorded the whole thing. (Superman: Lois and Clark v1 #5)

Years later, priest at her side, Glenn's mother was dying of heart failure in the hospital. Bradley left the hospital room claiming that he knew who was responsible for his mother condition and was going to make him pay. He was surprised outside of the hospital by an attack of the Teen Titans who had decided to take him in, Kid Flash stole his backpack thinking that it contained his armor while it was in reality a bomb that immediately exploded. Emerging from the explosion undamaged and revealing a new armor he quickly engaged his attackers. During the battle while the Titans where busy saving civilians he took Roundhouse and tied him to an antenna on the top of a building, he then returned to the battle and angrily started yelling at the Titans to get out of his way as he wanted to save the civilians who had been caught in the fight, surprising the teenage heroes. He then told them that he blamed himself for his mother's situation and was contemplating suicide unti the priest convinced him to just turn himself in and was leaving to to so until the Teen Titans attacked him and put all those civilians in danger. Unknowingly to him he had caused a gas main to rapture and it exploded under his feet but was promptly saved by Kid Flash. (Deathstroke v4 #42)

Overview

The source of power for the user was the Blackrock which was a stone-like artifact. It functioned as a kind of battery where it collected and amplified a killer spectrum of telecommunication signals. Upon bonding to a host, they controlled the output of the stone allowing them to achieve various feats. Thus, the stone and its host formed a symbiotic relationship so long as it determined if its bearer was worthy of its power. The Blackrock stone was capable of feeling fear where it could take back its power if it felt scared, threatened and it believed its host could not protect it. (Superman v2 #218) It was shown that the stone could collect energy all around it. The bearer could also detect unique energy signatures in order to track people. (Superman v2 #224) In a populated city, the stone could draw from millions of sources to protect and embrace its host. It gave them the ability to generate blasts of black light capable of injuring superhuman foes. (Superman v2 #218)

However, if the stone was deprived of energy then it took it back its power from the host returning it back into its form. This had the effect of leaving the host powerless as the stone became inert. (Superman v2 #224)

Notes

• The concept of Blackrock was created by Elliot S. Maggin and Curt Swan where it made its first appearance in Action Comics v1 #458 (April, 1976).

Appearances

• Action Comics v1: (1976)
• Superman v2:

External Links

• DC Database Entry

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