| COMMANDER STEEL (Hank Heywood) | BIOGRAPHY |
| Created by Gerry Conway and Don Heck |
PERSONAL DATA
Real Name: Hank Heywood
Full Name: Henry Heywood
Aliases: Steel I
Occupation: Research assistant, later adventurer, later government agent, then owner of Heywood Industries
Status: Deceased
Citizenship: American
Marital Status: Widower
Known Relatives: unnamed siblings (probably all deceased), unnamed wife and daughter-in-law (both deceased), Hank Heywood Jr. (son, deceased), Hank Heywood III (grandson, deceased); Nathan Heywood (grandson); Kirk Heywood (grandson, deceased); Nicole (great-granddaughter)
Base of Operation: Mobile, but based mostly in Europe after 1942, later Detroit, MI
Group Affiliation(s): All-Star Squadron
Gender: Male
Height: 6'
Weight: 378 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black, later grey
First Appearance: Steel, the Indestructible Man #1 (March 1978)
Creators: Gerry Conway and Don Heck
OVERVIEW
One of the first mystery men of the 1940s, Hank Heywood was a marine gravely injured in battle who was given replacement body parts which enabled him to become a super-hero. The grandfather of Steel II, Commander Steel perished in battle against Eclipso.
HISTORY
A brilliant college student majoring in Biology, young Hank Heywood assisted the eccentric Dr. Gilbert Giles, when Hank became concerned with the political situation in Europe in late 1939. Giles, an isolationist and a pacifist, argued with Heywood that America had no place with dealing with the threats that the Axis powers posed overseas. Feeling that he had to do something, Heywood joined the US Marines, alienating both Prof. Giles and his daughter Gloria, with whom he was in love.
Gravely injured while uncovering a sabotage plot at the military base where he was stationed, Hank was secretly operated on by Dr. Giles, not only saving his life, but creating robotic replacement parts which made Heywood a virtual superman. Using a steel mesh costume to conceal his identity, Heywood began to adventure and fight crime as one of the first mysterymen, calling himself Steel.
While undergoing a secret mission for both the British and US governments in early 1940, Steel was captured by the Nazis, only to be released in early 1942 as part of a failed attempt to kill the leaders of both countries. Meeting with members of the All-Star Squadron, Steel joined the group, changing his name to Commander Steel. He worked with the group until at least mid-1942, when he began to work behind enemy lines in occupied Europe. It is not known how much of the remainder of the war he spent there, but he did survive, mostly retiring after the war.
He did marry after the war, and founded Heywood Industries, a major munitions and weapons manufacturer throughout the 1960s and 1970s. His wife, son and daughter in law died, leaving Hank to raise his grandson, Hank III in a Detroit, MI 'bunker/headquarters'. Subjecting his grandson to similar operations as he had endured, he created another hero, also called Steel, who joined an incarnation of the Justice League. After Hank III was killed, the senior Heywood volunteered his services to Amanda Waller against the armies of Eclipso, only to finally die in battle.
POWERS AND WEAPONS
Commander Steel was considered the first modern 'cyborg' (or cybernetic organism). He had various body parts replaced with mechanical replacements, far in advance of the medicine of that time period. Treated with a 'bio-retardant' to stave off rejection of the foreign parts by his body, Steel used mechanical legs, an arm and a lung which gave him strength and speed beyond normal human capabilities. His costume was a metal mesh, giving him limited invulnerability.
Commander Steel also used a 'laser' rifle, grappling hooks and other weaponry.
CHRONOLOGY
For a definitive list of appearances of Commander Steel in chronological order click here
PROFILE REFERENCES
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #5 (July 1985)