Gra-Mo (Earth-One)

Rao curse you, Jor-El! Your Phantom Ray is responsible for this! It destabilized my android's molecular composition! But you'll pay for this humiliation -- you and all of Krypton!!

— Gra-Mo ^src

Gra-Mo was a ruthless and brilliant gangleader from Krypton who tried to use his technical mastery to win a seat on the Science Council. Unable to accept his loss to Jor-El, Gra-Mo swore revenge on Krypton and the House of El; and later returned from both the orbiting prison capsule and the Phantom Zone to menace Superboy.

History

Having used intimidation to keep his name from becoming tarnished, criminal gang-leader Gra-Mo was able to run for a seat on the Science Council. He created a helmet which would control the Kryptonian Robot Police, as well as his own "superior" androids and intended to use them to win. When nominations opened in the Kryptonian Year 9999, Gra-Mo was one of two finalists that had to present an invention.

His Green Androids were faulty, but Gra blamed the Phantom Zone Projector, which Jor-El had just demonstrated successfully. After receiving a dismal 3 votes, Gra-Mo swore vengeance and used his Telepathic Command Helmet to order Krypton's Robot Policeman to attack Krypton's infrastructure, and continue until power was handed over to him. Jor-El again ruined Gra-Mo's scheme, placed him in suspended animation and launched Gra in an orbiting prison capsule.^[1]

One year later, the cataclysm was upon Krypton and Gra-Mo was blasted out of orbit and towards Earth, where he and his henchmen gained superpowers and ingratiated themselves with Superboy. They build a simple telepathic helmet and contacted Jax-Ur in the Phantom Zone, where they learned how to immunize themselves against Kryptonite.

Gra-Mo returned to his old tricks and built a super-android called Reggie, whose "death" momentarily fooled Superboy into quitting. Once Superboy realized the ruse, Gra-Mo and his men were themselves tricked into a solar 'faraday cage' of sorts and fired into the Phantom Zone; finally joining their fellow ranks of Kryptonian criminals.^[1]

Years of immaterial servitude for Gra-Mo went by in the Phantom Zone, until an anomaly in space caused Superboy to look into the Phantom Zone viewer. He saw... himself in the Phantom Zone; as Gra-Mo planned, using a shape-shifting criminal called Cha-Mel who aped Superboy. After some technical problems, Gra-Mo has Cha-Mel and Superboy switch places and attempted to free the rest of the Phantom Zoners; but only managed to destroy the Phantom Zone Projector while exchanging Superboy back for Cha-Mel.^[2]

Gra-Mo, last of the Prison-Capsule, remained trapped in the Phantom Zone.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Gra-Mo possesses the same potential powers as an average Kryptonian. These include:
- Solar Energy Absorption: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of Gra-Mo's super powers as they are contingent upon exposure to solar radiation from a yellow sun star system. His biological make up includes a number of organs which lack analogues in humans and whose functions are unknown. It is believed that between one or more of these and his bio-cellular matrix, "yellow" solar energy is stored for later use. This allows for the use of these powers to fade when yellow solar radiation is not available instead of immediate failure.
- Heat Vision: Gra-Mo can, as a conscious act, fire beams of intense heat at a target by looking at it. He can vary the heat and area affected.
- Super-Hearing: Gra-Mo's hearing is sensitive enough to hear any sound at any volume or pitch. With skill and concentration, he can block out ambient sounds to focus on a specific source or frequency.
- Enhanced Vision: Gra-Mo's vision processes the entire electromagnetic spectrum as well as allowing vast control over selective perception and focus.
  This umbrella ability includes the following:
  - Electromagnetic Spectrum Vision: Gra-Mo can see well into most of the electromagnetic spectrum. He can see and identify radio and television signals as well as all other broadcast or transmitted frequencies. Using this ability, he can avoid detection by radar or satellite monitoring methods. This also allows him to see the aura generated by living thing.
  - Telescopic Vision: This is the ability to see something at a great distance, without violating the laws of physics. Though limited, the exact extent of the ability is undetermined. In function, it is similar to the zoom lens on a camera.
  - X-Ray Vision: This is the ability to see through any volume of matter except lead. Gra-Mos can see things behind a solid, opaque object as if it were not there. He can focus this ability to "peel back" layers of an object, allowing hidden image or inner workings to be observed. The exact type of energy perceived—such as x-rays, cosmic rays, or some other energy invisible to normal humans—is unclear. This ability perceives an ambient energy source though, it does not involve the eye projecting a concentrated, possibly toxic, beam to be reflected back from objects.
  - Microscopic Vision: This is the ability to see extremely small objects and images down to the atomic level.
  - Infrared Vision: Gra-Mo can see with better acuity in darkness, and to a degree in total darkness.
- Flight: Gra-Mo is able to manipulate graviton particles to defy the forces of gravity and achieve flight. This ranges from hovering to moving in any posture, in any direction.
- Invulnerability: Due to the interaction of his dense molecular structure and supercharged bio-electric aura, Gra-Mo is nigh-invulnerable to extreme energy forces. In addition, his extends this protection against toxins and diseases.
  - Enhanced Immunity
- Superhuman Stamina: Gra-Mo is able to maintain continuous strenuous physical action for an indefinite period of time. This based on his body converting yellow solar radiation directly to energy but is limited by physiological and psychological needs to eat, drink, and sleep.
- Superhuman Strength: Gra-Mo's strength is augmented by yellow solar radiation interacting with the greater than human density, resilience and biological efficiency of his musculature. His strength is more an act of conscious will on energy fields than actual physical strength. It is this act of conscious will that enables him to perform physical feats that are beyond the mere application force, such as moving a mountain top without said rock crumbling under its own mass.
- Superhuman Speed: Gra-Mo is able to move at incredible speed by sheer force of will. This extends to his perceptions and allows for feats such as catching bullets in mid-flight as well as covering vast distances in little or no time.
  This also confers:
  - Superhuman Agility
  - Superhuman Reflexes
- Super-Breath: Gra-Mo is able to create hurricane force winds by exhaling air from his lungs. He can chill the air as it leaves his lungs to freeze targets. He can also reverse the process to pull large volumes of air or vapor into his lungs.
- Longevity: Gra-Mo can live longer than regular humans, remaining at his prime as long as he was under the exposure of the "yellow" sun.

Abilities

Weaknesses

Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Gra-Mo possesses the same potential weaknesses as an average Kryptonian. These include:
- Vulnerability to Kryptonite
- Vulnerability to Magic

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Green Androids
Telepathic Command Helmet
Reggie the Super-Android

Transportation

Prison Capsule

Notes

This version of Gra-Mo, including all history and corresponding appearances, was erased from existence following the collapse of the original Multiverse in the 1985–86 Crisis on Infinite Earths event and later restored following the rebirth of the infinite Multiverse during the Dark Crisis of 2022-2023. Even though other versions of the character may have appeared, this information does not apply to those versions.
In Superboy #104 Gra-Mo only received 3 votes for the seat on the Science Council; and since he had two henchmen it can be assumed that no one voted for him but his gang.
Jax-Ur notes in Superboy #104 that Gra-Mo is becoming "befuddled" due to his time in the Phantom Zone; though why Jax-Ur has been unaffected is unknown.