With the help of the Powerstone, Peter Silverstone became the Superman villain Blackrock. He hypnotized several others to be his proxies and wear the costume as well.
History
Dr. Peter Silverstone was the chief research scientist of the United Broadcasting Company. He was responsible for having helped invent color television, the long-playing record, and America's first communications satellite. He was ordered by UBC President Samuel Tanner to create a new super-hero for UBC to exploit in order to boost his network's ratings against Galaxy Broadcasting, which had so many exclusive stories concerning with Superman. Intrigued by the challenge, Silverstone designed a costume that would give its wearer a wide array of super-powers. He called this superhero Blackrock, after the popular nickname of the UBC Building itself.[1]
Looking for someone to fill the supersuit, Silverstone chose Samuel Tanner himself, hypnotizing the UBC President without his knowledge into becoming his own superhero. Blackrock began to fiercely compete against Superman while remaining ignorant that his "heroic" acts only put people in danger. Eventually, Superman learned of Tanner's identity and defeated him. Tanner resumed his normal life with no memory of what he had done.[2]
Months later, when UBC's ratings slipped once more, Silverstone revived Blackrock, hypnotizing Tanner's nephew, comedian Lester Vegas, into filling the role. Again, Superman defeated Blackrock, and Vegas returned to normal and unaware of his Blackrock stint.[3] Eventually, Silverstone himself donned the Blackrock costume in an attempt at industrial espionage when his own ideas had run dry. This time Blackrock found himself in conflict with Supergirl, who thwarted Silverstone's plans, then turned him over to the police.[4][5]
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Powerstone: A baseball sized rock strapped to the palm of his right hand, the powerstone serves as a receiver for radio- and TV-waves, converting them into energy which can be used to cast illusions, short out communication devices, transform Blackrock into ionic particles he can transmit around the world at the speed of light. Blackrock can also focus these charged particles into an impenetrable force-field or a light beam of sheer destructive power. Only in areas where broadcast signals cannot reach, such as a lead-lined room or a tunnel under a river, is Blackrock vulnerable.
Notes
- This version of Blackrock, 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.
Related
- 11 Appearances of Peter Silverstone (Earth-One)
- 1 Images featuring Peter Silverstone (Earth-One)
- Quotations by or about Peter Silverstone (Earth-One)
- Character Gallery: Peter Silverstone (Earth-One)
External Links
Footnotes
Superman Villain(s) This character has been primarily an enemy of Superman in any of his various incarnations, or members of the Superman Family. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Superman Villains category." |