"Joe Public" was a Gotham City gym teacher inspired to fight organized crime after one of his students was killed by bad Ecstasy at a party.
History
While attempting to raid the offices of local drug kingpin "Happy Jack", he inadvertently distracted Batman from the same case and allowed the criminal to escape. Later that night, Joe was attacked by the alien parasite "Gemir", who activated his metagene while feeding on his spinal fluids (an act that killed many others). Joe found himself able to absorb the strength and energy of those around him into himself, and teamed up with Batman and Pagan to fight the monster off.[1]
Briefly after this, Joe started his career as a hero and during his first caper he helped the new Batman defeat the Corrosive Man.[2] Then he assisted the Martian Manhunter, and joined the Justice League Task Force in a fight against the Wildman.[3]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Energy Absorption and Power Absorption: Joe Public has the ability to absorb the strength and energy of others around him. This grants him considerable strength and durability but it unfortunately causes great fatigue to the people he gathered the strength from.
Weaknesses
- Joe's powers are also proximity based, which causes him to lose his additional strength the farther he gets from the people he gained it from.
Notes
- Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle are listed as the creators of Joe Public in the credits of Batman: Shadow of the Bat Annual #1.
- During the events of Legacy, Batman was forced to leave Gotham and put Huntress in charge. She mentioned Joe Public and Pagan as friendlier replacement vigilantes he could choose. This implies that Public continued his career in some way.[4]
Related
- 8 Appearances of Joe Public (New Earth)
- 4 Images featuring Joe Public (New Earth)
- Quotations by or about Joe Public (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Joe Public (New Earth)
Footnotes
New Blood This character was one of the many superpowered individuals introduced during the "Bloodlines" crossover event, where a number of Alien Parasites invaded the Earth and inadvertently activated the Metagene in a number of people. While not necessarily all members of the "Blood Pack", this group of people has come to be known as the "New Bloods". This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the "New Bloods" category. |
Justice League member This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats. |