Daniel Dunbar (Prime Earth)

Daniel Dunbar is Dyna-Mite, the former sidekick of TNT in the Golden Age. Dyna-Mite is over eighty years old, but was physically reverted to his early teens during a visit to Orphan Island.

History

Dan was the first sidekick to lose his mentor when TNT was killed in action. He had a short stint with the Young All-Stars as a solo hero and then retired. He was briefly a member of Old Justice decades later, and then once again returned to obscurity.

Daniel Dunbar Prime Earth 001 — Dan Dunbar as an old man

As the decades went on, most of the original generation of sidekicks disappeared and were forgotten. In the present day, the now elderly Dan tracked his missing contemporaries to an uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean and sailed out to find them. His ship sank and he washed up on shore, his youth mysteriously restored. He was captured by the Childminder's egg drones and taken to her castle.^[1] Red Arrow and Stargirl discovered Dan's notes and followed him to Orphan Island.^[2]

Red Arrow and Judy Garrick broke Dyna-Mite and the other imprisoned sidekicks out of their cells. Dan was overwhelmed that Red Arrow knew who he was. They attempted to fight their way out while Stargirl, Corky Baxter and a band of sidekicks who had escaped the Childminder broke into the Fortress to free them. The two sides joined up and squared off against the Childminder and her employer Hourman, but Hourman was able to put all the lost children, including Dan, into temporal stasis.^[3]

Corky broke Hourman's focus by throwing his raccoon Crockett at him, freeing the sidekicks. They fought Hourman and Childminder while Corky went to shut down the time portal Hourman had used to reach the island before it destabilised and created a time storm. However, to everyone's shock an adult version of Corky came through the portal, revealing that he was behind Childminder and had reprogrammed Hourman to serve him. The adult Corky revealed that his younger self's mission was actually to only save one of them: Wing, and return him to his original point in time where he would sacrifice himself to stop Nebula Man and prevent the world being destroyed. The older Corky attacked them, but Judy and Quiz Kid were able to undo Hourman's reprogramming and he blasted the adult Corky back through the portal. This destabilised the portal further and the time storm began to erupt from it. The younger Corky attempted to throw Wing through the portal and Judy and all the other children grabbed Wing to stop him going through the portal, but Wing asked them to let him go, so he could fulfill his destiny and save the world.

Wing returned to the past and the time storm began to consume the island. As the others could not be safely returned to their proper places in time, Hourman took them all back to the present. To Dan's surprise, he remained a child and did not return to his original age. Dan and the other returned sidekicks formed a new team called the Young Justice Society.^[4]

After returning from Orphan Island, Dyna-Mite teamed up with Damage. Although he appeared to be the young hero's sidekick, his greater experience meant he often gave Damage advice on being a hero.^[5]

Powers and Abilities

Abilities

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Dyna-Rings: Dyna-Mite possesses both of the rings which he and TNT had used during the Golden Age. He is able to activate his powers by striking the rings together.^[3]
- Enhanced Durability
- Enhanced Strength
- Thermokinesis
  - Thermal-Blast

Notes

Dan the Dyna-Mite was created by Paul Norris, first appearing in Star-Spangled Comics #7. However, Dan the Dyna-Mite first appeared as part of Prime Earth continuity in Dark Nights: Death Metal #5 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo.