T.N.T
Personal information
Real Name: Thomas N. "Tex" Thomas
Residence: New York City, New York
Occupation: Coach, Chemistry Teacher
First Appearance (Golden Age):Star-Spangled Comics #7 (April 1942)
Character History
Little is known of the early life of Thomas N. Thomas, sometimes known as Tex, before he was a high school coach and chemistry teacher in the early 1940's. In 1942, he took to mentoring Daniel Dunbar, a student athlete who also a talented student in chemistry. Thomas introduced Dunbar to some research he was conducting attempting to extract energy from radioactive salt. One night the two inadvertantly bumped hands and both felt a surge of energy. Thomas realized that he been absorbing positive energy while Dunbar had absorbed negative energy through their studies and the brief contact and embued them both with brief periods of enormous strength, speed and stamina. The found that using rings - which they called Dyna-Rings - acted as restraints that permitted control of their powers. At Dunbar's suggestion, they resolve to use their powers to battle crime (Star-Spangled Comics #8).
Adopting costumed identities as TNT and Dan the Dynamite, the two began targeting local crime in south-side neighborhoods of New York City, The encountered bizarre criminals like the Dwarf (Star-Spangled Comics #7), the Parrot (Star-Spangled Comics #8). Mother Goose (Star-Spangled Comics #9) and the Crime Clown (World's Finest #5). While much of their case work was routine, they also began to encounter Axis agents as the World War began to unfold (Star-Spangled Comics #16, 19 and 23). Early in their careers, they are also contacted by the All-Star Squadron, attending it's first large scale meeting (All-Star Squadron #31) and being present as the Crisis on Infinite Earths began to unfold (All-Star Squadron #59-60).
The last recorded case for TNT was in the summer of 1943. His activities on Earth-Two beyond this point are unrecorded.
Powers and Abilities
T.N.T., after making contact with his partner Dyna-Mite, was energized with a high level of phsyical strength, speed and resilience. Thompson could also project concussive energy that was sometimes referred to as "atomic" energy due to its origins in radioactive salts, tho the exact nature of the energy has not been defined. Thompson as an exception athlete and above average hand to hand combatant. He possessed a known of chemistry at a level well above the average human but probably not Ph.D. level.
Weaknesses and Limitations
The limitations on T.N.T.'s powers are incompletely defined. It is known that after activation they waned over some period of time and had to be reactivated by contact with Dan Dunbar's negative energy. The exact nature and limits of this exchange are not clear.
Multiversity
Earth-One
In the 1970's, a version of T.N.T. and Dan the Dyna-Mite lived on
Earth-One. They are stated as having been active during World War II,
tho no costumed heroes were thought to be active then. It is possible
that the Earth-One version was in fact the Thompson and Dunbar from
Earth-Two across the dimensional gulf. If this is the case, this has
never been verified.
In this case, both T.N.T. and Dyna-Mite had
lost control of the powers becomes so dangerous that near contact might
cause widespread destruction. Their plight eventually rose to the
attention of the Justice League who, after near disastrous loss of
containemtn, resolved the situation be placing Dan in a special
environment in Atlantis and Thompson in the bottled city of Kandor.
(Super Friends #12). Thompson was interviewed by Lois Lane there some
months later (Superman Family #190) but his final fate is unknown.
Earth-0
In this timeline, the origins of T.N.T. are thought to be largely similar to other versions but he is killed by Nazi agents. Dan eventually learned he can tap into Thompson's residual energy and activate his powers by pressing both Dyna=Rings together and has a solo career as Dyna-Mite (Young All-Star #1).
Earth-22
In this timeline, the history of T.N.T. are thought to be similar to Earth-0 with his demise early in his career. In this timeline Dan is eventually killed by the Ultra-Humanite and used as a host for Adolph Hitler.