WANTED: Earth-Two's Most Dangerous Super-Villains

The Human Magnet

Personal information

Character History

Real Name: Unknown

 

Residence: Mobile
Occupation: Criminal
First Appearance (Golden Age): Star-Spangled Comics #9 (June 1942)

Nothing is known of the criminal the media named "The Human Magnet" prior to his appearance in New York City in 1942.  In the summer of that year, he and his gang were parked outside the Ramsey Jewelry store in a large furniture van.  With no warning to passers-by, the display glass facing the street exploded outward and when the bystanders recovered, the contents of display case were gone.  In the van, the Human Magnet and his gang were sorting this very jewels that his magnetic device had drawn into the van.  Speeding to their next stop, they used  the device to kidnap a courier and rob him before dropping him back to the street, minus his cargo,  As they speed toward their lair, the make one final diversion, magnetically heisting large boxes of gold bullion into their van before heading home.

As the radio blare reports of the brazen crimes, Robotman - in his secret identity as Paul Dennis - is monitoring the news.  The new hero still seeking to establish himself resolves to investigate what appears to crimes of highly advanced science.  Meanwhile, the Ramsey Jewelry store is expecting another shipment that afternoon and suspecting the police won't imagine they will rob the same store twice, the Human Magnet and  his gang resolve to strike again.  This time, however, their flight of the jewels into a waiting van is witness and the police give chase.  Hearing the police call for back-up, Paul Dennis approaches the scene but his car is magnetically repelled.  Changing to Robotman, he chases the van down but again, magnetic forces fling him back, pinning to the police cruisers.  The police suspect Robotman is also a criminal but he extricates himself and returns to the pursuit of the Magnet,

Finding the criminal's hideaway, Robotman makes several attempts at entry but is repelled each time.   Eventually he pole vaults through a window several stories up and confronts the gang but the device wielded by the Magnet repels him again and entangles him in a wide variety of metal objects.  Trapped, Robotman is dragged by the gang toward a furnace, where the intend to kill him.  In a final desperate effort, Robotman invites the Human Magnet to gloat and explain how his powers are derived.  The Magnet shares that his device is simply magnetism amplified to a very high degree, the product of years of experimentation.  As he spins his tale, he draws close enough to Robotman for the hero to deactivate the device, causing the magnetic forces to dissipate.  Freed, he snatches the device away and the gang, now unarmed, are quicklt subdued and left for the police (Star-Spangled Comics #9).

The further activities of Human Magnet on Earth-Two are not recorded.

Robotman_HumanMagnet_Final colors

Powers and Abilities

The Human Magnet wielded a device for unknown origins that could create intense magnetic forces.  These forces operated on both magnetic poles, both attracting or repelling metals depending on how the device was operated.  The full range of the device is not known but was sufficient powerful to smash automobiles and fend off Robotman.  How the Human Magnet came by this device is unclear and while he implies the experiments that created were his, this has not been confirmed.  Whether this was the limit of the Magnet's arsenal is unknown.

Weaknesses and Limitations

Separated from his equipment, The Human Magnet was an ordinary human and easily captured as such.

Multiversity Villains

Multiversity

No version of this Human Magnet is unknown in any other timeline that Earth-Two.

Appearances

Issue

Comment

Reprinted in

Star-Spangled Comics #9

First Appearance, vs. Robotman