Neptune Perkins
Personal information
Real Name: Unknown, presumably Neptune Perkins
Residence: Houseboat off the coast of California
Occupation: Student of Sea Life, Author, Adventurer
First Appearance (Golden Age): Flash Comics #66
First Appearance (Post-Golden Age): All-Star Squadron #33
Character History
The man known as Neptune Perkins was born in the early part of the 20th century as one of the first mutants known on Earth-Two. Shortly after birth, the babe who would become Perkins began to show signs of salt deficiency and was rushed by the doctor to be bathed in salt solution. Realizing, the contact would salt water would define their sons life, the Perkins family moved to a small town on the seashore so that their son could be in constant contact with water. The fate of his parents, who are known to be deceased, and whether he was only child on Earth is unknown.
In 1941, Perkins had his first documentation with the outside world when two members of the All-Star Squadron - Firebrand and Johnny Quick - found the house boat the Perkins was living on while searching for a missing Coast Guard ship. Suspecting him its disappearance, the interrogate Perkins until the appearance of a Japanese sub, As they dive down to meet it, Johnny Quick is captured in a net which, as Perkins tries to free him, turns out to be electrified subduing them both. The Japanese pull the two heroes on board before Firebrand can bring them back to the surface.
As they are about to be executed some hours later, Firebrand returns with Liberty Belle and Starman, who free the heroes but in the ensuing melee, the sub is destroyed and the heroes flung into the sea. As they struggle to the surface, the arrival of the Japanese agent Tsunami draws them into battle. Perkins, however is lurking below the surface and drags Tsunami with him, where they engage in combat while the All-Star Squadron members recover. Eventually Tsunami outlasts Perkins and rather than continue a fruitless battle, departs. Perkins vanishes beneath waves (All-Star Squadron #33-35). Whether Perkins had other encounters with All-Star Squadron on Earth-Two is unknown.
In August of 1945, Perkins was a successful author living off the coast of California in his houseboat when he was approached by the Rice gang, headed by Boss "Rice" Ryan named for his infatuation with the starchy grain. The contacted him to use his boat to store material on the condition that he not get to curious. To emphasize their intention, they injured one of his resident sea gulls who fled inland and was found by Big Red, a member of the hyper intelligent hawk species friendly with Hawkman. The gull communicated to the large hawk his predicament and then two sought out Hawkman for action.
Choosing to approach as Carter Hall to minimize suspicion, Hall introduces himself to Perkins who shows him around the boat, including its voluminous stores of rice. Lurking in the shadows, one of Boss Rice's men approaches and warns of Hall, who switches to identity as Hawkman and trails him back to Ryan. Later that evening he ambushes the gang but as they engage in fisticuffs, the Hawkman slips on some rice grains and the gang escapes.
The gang quickly gets to Perkins boat, lashes him to a post below decks and take off. Hawkman pursues them from the air but the seas have gotten rough and when he swoops in for a fight, in thrown off balance by a crashing wave and captured. Tied up below decks with Perkins, he hits on the idea of causing the boat to leak and keeping the air hot with lanterns, begins to cook the rice from the leaking ship. The side of the ship expands under the weight of rice, buckling and send all parties into the sea. Perkins and Hawkman recover first and make short work of the Rice gang, carting them off to shore and the authorities (Flash Comics #66).
Two years later, in 1947, a glass ship settles in the forest and emits a siren call across the Earth. Hawkman and Neptune Perkins both hear it and are compelled to come to its source. Boarding the vessel together they are transported to Venus, where a scientist greets them. The three-armed alien explains of his long fascination with earth life and its legends and using Venusian biotechnology, had recreated versions of the legendary roc and kraken monsters. They had gotten loose from his laboratory and were wreaking havoc on Venusian air and seaways. He had, he explained, recruited the two of them as masters of air and sea to defeat the beasts.
The two heroes agree and take off after the respective monsters. The roc is enormous however and Hawkman is unable to defeat it, using his smaller size and great speed to escape. Perkins is likewise no match for the Kraken who seizes him in a tentacle and drags him ashore. As he is crushing the life out of him, the timely arrival of Hawkman breaks the monster's grip and the two heroes escape. Defeated, they can think of no way they can overcome the beasts until the hit on the idea of tricking them into fighting each other. The roc and kraken are lured in a bay and seeing each other are enraged and battle for two days, leaving both dead and washed up on the shore. The grateful Venusians gift the heroes with chemo-therapy grade radium and send them back to Earth (Flash Comics #81).
The activities of Neptune Perkins after this date on Earth-Two have not been revealed.
Powers and Abilities
Neptune Perkins is a mutant with a salt deficiency, causing him to be adapted better to sea life than life on land. He is powerfully built and has webbed hands and feet, making him a powerful swimmer. He can withstand long period under water and crushing pressures with little effort tho weather this is a function of his mutations or his adaptation and training in the sea is unclear. He also possess reasonable means to be self-sufficient, either through inheritance or his book sales and he is a recognizes authority on marine life in the Pacific Basin.
Weaknesses and Limitations
Neptune Perkins primary limitation is that he needs salt
infusions through his skin to avoid overhydration and death. As a result,
he needs to be near to water tho overtime, he has adapted to spend longer and
longer on land. The exact amount of salt that he needs and the duration
of exposure to it have not been defined. While he is an outstanding
physical speciman, he can be overwhelmed with superior force/
Multiversity
In the post-Crisis Timeline, Neptune Perkins is the grandson
of Arthur Pym, an explorer who discovers an alien race called the Dyzan in Antarctica
and mastering their energy source, the Vril and their technology, creates a
life of piracy as Captain Nemo, including sinking the Titanic. His son,
Ross Pym, rebels against his father and changes his name to Perkins, eventually
marrying a survivor of the Titanic and conceiving a child in the presence of
Vril energy. That child is born as Neptune Perkins (Young All-Stars #16).
Years later, the Nazis murders Neptune's parents trying to find their way to
Pym, leaving Perkins to fend for himself, He encounters the All-Star
Squadron just as he had on Earth-Two and later joins the Young All-Stars when
his grandfather lures him to Antarctica when the Nazis finally catch up with
him. Perkins learns his origins but his grandfather dies unleashing the
energy of the Dyzan to destroy the German. The alien leave Earth and
Neptune remains involved with All-Stars, developing a relationship with
Tsunami. He also devises a suit that allows him to remain out of the water for longer periods of time. They eventually marry or at least have a Common Law marriage,
and raise a daughter Deep Blue, tho the paternity of the girl is in question
(Aquaman Vol, 5 #23-25, 39). The extent to which any of this is true on Earth-Two is unknown.
In the latter part of the 20th Century, Perkins is a U.S. Senator from the State of Hawaii. He and former team-mate Dan Dunbar became concerns that the new team of young heroes known as Young Justice and the two set-up a federal oversight committee for them. Over time, Perkins becomes convinced that such scrutiny is unwarranted and disbands the effort (Young Justice #16-20).
During the Infinite Crisis, Perkins joins an army of sea-going heroes to oppose a marine team of the Secret Society of Super-Villains. He quickly falls to the combined efforts of King Shark and the Shark and is bitten half, dying beneath the sea (Infinite Crisis #3)
Appearances
|
Issue |
Comment |
Reprinted in |
|
Flash Comics #66 |
1st Appearance and Origin, with Hawkman |
|
|
Flash Comics #81 |
With Hawkman, travels to Venus |
|
|
All-Star Squadron #33-35 |
With the All-Star Squadron, vs. Tsunami |
|