Daniel Dunbar (New Earth)

Dyna-Mite
Mainstream Universe‎‎, 1930s-2011
Gallery
Real Name	Daniel Dunbar
Main Alias	Dyna-Mite
Other Aliases	Dan the Dyna-Mite · Dan Dunbar
Relatives	Charles Dunbar (father, deceased) Judith Dunbar (mother, deceased)
Affiliation	Formerly Seven Soldiers of Victory · Young All-Stars · All-Star Squadron · Old Justice
Base Of Operations	Perisphere, Flushing Meadows, Queens
Status
Alignment	Good
Identity	Secret Identity
Citizenship	American
Marital Status	Widowed
Characteristics
Gender	Male
Height	5' 5"
Weight	127 lbs (58 kg)
Eyes	Blue
Hair	Red
Origin
Universe	Earth-Two · New Earth
Creators	Paul Norris
First Appearance	Star-Spangled Comics #7 (April, 1942)

Daniel "Danny" Dunbar was Dyna-Mite, the teenage sidekick of the Golden Age hero TNT.

History

Danny Dunbar was the star pupil of Thomas N. Thomas, a high school chemistry and physical education teacher.

One evening while Thomas and Dunbar are working on an experiment, Thomas' hand accidentally touches Dunbar's and both teacher and student find themselves feeling more energized. Thomas realizes that each of them has somehow absorbed the chemicals with which they have been working. By touching each other, Thomas and Dunbar now become charged with an unknown form of energy and briefly possess superhuman powers.

They decide not to reveal their discovery publicly for fear that it would be misused. Instead, they use their new super-powers to fight crime as costumed heroes. Thomas becomes known as TNT and Dunbar as Dan the Dyna-Mite, and both join the wartime All-Star Squadron. Thomas and Dunbar each wears a "dyna-ring". By pressing the rings together, Thomas and Dunbar trigger a chemical reaction that temporarily charges the two heroes with energy. They eventually became All-Star Squadron members.

Destiny (Pre-Crisis)

TNT and Dan the Dyna-Mite began to lose control of their powers and emit radiation uncontrollably. TNT went to Kandor for help, while Dyna-Mite went to live in a special chamber in Atlantis.

Destiny (Post-Crisis)

TNT and Dan were members of the Seven Soldiers of Victory, and participated in the "Black Star" case, of 1941-Dec.

In April 1942, TNT and Dyna-Mite battle Nazi saboteurs who are attempting to blow up a dam in Colorado. When the saboteurs flee in a car, the pair gives chase in their own auto. One of the bullets hits the tire of the heroes' car and it crashes and bursts into flames. The young hero Iron Munro pulls TNT and Dyna-Mite from the wreckage. TNT is already dead, and his spirit is carried off by the Valkyrie called Gudra (a member of Axis Amerika). Munro takes Dyna-Mite to a hospital, where he soon recovers.

Danny is grief-stricken but bucks up when President Roosevelt requests that he and other young members of the All-Star Squadron take a cross-country tour to encourage the buying of War Bonds. His depression is worsened by the assumption that without TNT, he can no longer use his own super-powers. Soon, Danny learns he can activate them by wearing both dyna-rings and pressing them together.

In his "golden years", Dan joins his childhood friends Doiby Dickles, Merry Pemberton, Second Sweep and the Cyclone Kids to form Old Justice. They were all once sidekicks to older superheroes. They advocate abolishing teen super-teams and butted heads with Young Justice many times. Over the course of the Sins of Youth event, a rally in D.C. over this issue occurs. It is attacked and dozens of adult superheroes turn young and the Young Justice members turn adult. Old Justice, unaffected, find themselves having to supervise the chaotic crowd of younger heroes, with the aid of the now adult Young Justice. Temporarily working out the JLA HQ in Happy Harbor, everyone must deal with Klarion the Witch Boy, other younger supervillains and dozens of magically created monsters. It comes down to every available hand in a vicious battle in the snowfields outside an Alaskan scientific complex. At the end of the adventure, once Klarion is blackmailed into restoring the altered heroes, Old Justice realizes Young Justice really are worthy heroes.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

• Energy Projection: Dyna-Mite could project blasts of concussive force from his body. Originally, this power required contact between his specially designed ring and that worn by his partner TNT. Following TNT's untimely death, Dan developed the ability to project waves of concussive force on his own.
  • Electro-Blast: In addition, Dan could project charges of electricity from his hands.
  • Energy Transference: Dyna-Mite could charge inanimate objects with energy, causing them to explode.
• Enhanced Strength
• Superhuman Durability
• Superhuman Reflexes

Abilities

• Chemistry: Dyna-Mite was a student of chemistry, but he would not be considered an expert in the field.
  

Paraphernalia

Equipment

• Dyna-Mite Costume: Dyna-Mite wore a costume composed of asbestos, which insulated from the effects of his own concussive blast powers and was shock-proof.
• Dyna-Rings: During his early adventures with TNT, Dyna-Mite could only access his power through the use of a specially charged ring. TNT wore a similar device, and when the rings made contact with one another, each of them were able to tap into their powers. Following TNT's murder in 1942, Dan developed the ability to use his powers without the use of the ring.

Notes

• Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-Two era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and no longer apply.
  • In their original Golden Age appearances, TNT and Dan met no other costumed heroes and joined no teams.
  • In Earth-Two continuity, TNT and Dan were members of the All-Star Squadron only.
  • In New Earth continuity, TNT and Dan were members of the Seven Soldiers of Victory, in place of Green Arrow and Speedy, and were also included in the All-Star Squadron.
    

Trivia

• TNT & Dan's costumes underwent some changes during their brief Golden Age careers.
  • At first, in Star-Spangled Comics #7, their headgear covered their scalps, but had no masks.
  • Starting in Star-Spangled Comics #10, Dan's hood went away, and they still had no masks.
  • By Star-Spangled Comics #23, Dan had regained the hood, plus a domino mask. TNT still had a hood but no mask. This was their final Golden Age appearance.
• In his appearances as an adult, Dan's height was 5'11", and his weight was 165 lbs.

Related

• 74 Appearances of Daniel Dunbar (New Earth)
• 17 Images featuring Daniel Dunbar (New Earth)
• Quotations by or about Daniel Dunbar (New Earth)
• Character Gallery: Daniel Dunbar (New Earth)

Footnotes

Seven Soldiers of Victory member This character is or was a member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory, or the Seven Soldiers in any of its various incarnations, created during World War II and later, it returned to battle time-traveling, dimension-spanning mysteries and monsters. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Seven Soldiers of Victory members" category.

All-Star Squadron member This character is or was a member of the All-Star Squadron in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "All-Star Squadron members" category.