There's this theory... says the things that some of us, and our ancestors, have been forced to endure--the brutality and humiliation--the oppression, and the constant attacks on our humanity. Something gets--calloused inside of us, so we can even function without tearing it all down. 
- — Steel src
John Henry Irons, also known as the superhero Steel is a protector of the innocent in a world literally plagued by fear.
History
At some point, Professor Crane's fear toxin covered the entire planet, causing anyone not wearing a mask to hallucinate nightmares. John intended to keep track of how long the toxin covered the Earth to pass on to the generation who would solve the problem, but the loss of his niece Natasha made him lose track, only that it had been two years.
One night, he stopped some punks who had ripped off Jean-Paul Valley's mask on a night when the fear index was at eight. John injected Jean-Paul with an antitoxin and took him to the Ironworks. When Jean-Paul came to, John explained that he was more tolerant of the toxin's effects due to the fear he already had to endure as an African-American man. He then agreed to help Jean-Paul learn to resist the fear and set off to save more people.[1]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Genius Level Intellect
- Mechanical Engineering
- Weaponry
- Toxicology: John was able to make an antitoxin to Crane's toxin.
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Weapons
Related
- 1 Appearances of John Henry Irons (Last 52: The Fear Index)
- 1 Images featuring John Henry Irons (Last 52: The Fear Index)
- 1 Quotations by or about John Henry Irons (Last 52: The Fear Index)
- Character Gallery: John Henry Irons (Last 52: The Fear Index)
Footnotes