Shock Gibson

Golden Age Origin and Background
Robert Gibson, a wealthy scientist, is trying to find a way to integrate electricity into the human body. He finds it, and uses it to empower himself. With his new power he goes out to fight crime as Shock Gibson, the Human Dynamo. In spite of using his surname in his codename, nobody figured out who he was under the mask. He can generate enough electricity to shock an entire river, weld metal, and even blast through metal walls; he also can fly, has super-strength, and can generate electro-magnetism. Early on, he needed to recharge periodically, but that became less and less necessary in later stories.

For the first half of his crime-fighting career, Shock Gibson embraced the useless weakling playboy cliche in civilian life to allay suspicion. When World War II escalated, he enlisted in the Army, donning his costume when necessary. At first, he tried to maintain the pretense of being weak and useless, but the realities of army life forced him to abandon it (though he was still seen as a bit spacey do to what his civilian compatriots saw as tendency to occasionally disappear without explanation).

In Speed Comics #23, Shock Gibson teamed up with Captain Freedom, Black Cat, War Nurse and Ted Parrish to repel the Japanese attempt to invade Los Angeles. He also teamed up with Captain Freedom and/or Black Cat in several "Stories Behind the Cover" text stories.

Golden Age Appearances

 * Speed Comics #1-44
 * Green Hornet Fights Crime #47-48
 * Super-Duper Comics #7 (Reprint)