Mal Duncan was introduced in Teen Titans #26, where he saved the Titans from a street gang called the Hell Hawks by beating their leader in a boxing match. He was recruited by the Titans but felt unworthy due to his lack of abilities. He stowed away on a rocket flight, nearly costing him his life.

Later, he discovered a strength-enhancing exoskeleton and the costume of the Guardian, a Golden Age hero. He adopted the identity of Guardian and fought crime alongside the Titans. He also encountered Azrael, the Angel of Death, who challenged him to a duel. Mal defeated Azrael and was granted Gabriel’s Horn, a mystical instrument that gave him various powers.

Using Gabriel’s Horn, Mal could create inter-dimensional rifts, portals, vortexes, and wormholes between space and time and project hypersonic blasts. He changed his name to Hornblower and continued to fight evil with the Titans.

However, he soon returned to his Guardian identity, claiming that too many people knew who he was. He also lost Gabriel’s Horn during a battle with Psimon, a member of the Fearsome Five.

Years later, Mal regained Gabriel’s Horn and became Herald, a name his wife, Bumblebee, suggested. He rejoined the Titans and helped them against threats like Brother Blood and Trigon.

After the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Mal’s history was altered. He never became Guardian, and Gabriel’s Horn was given a different origin. It was revealed that the horn was an alien device that belonged to a race called the H’San Natall, who had experimented on several human children, including Mal.

Mal also developed artificial lungs and a voice box that granted him sonic powers. He could manipulate sound waves, create sonic blasts and bursts, and communicate with machines. He took the name Vox and joined a new team of Titans led by Arsenal.

Mal Duncan has appeared in various media outside of comics. He had a cameo appearance in the animated series Young Justice, where he was shown as Bumblebee’s boyfriend and a student at Happy Harbor High School.

He also appeared in the live-action series Titans, where Dewshane Williams portrayed him. He was a former member of the Titans who had retired from superhero life and became a police officer in Detroit. He helped Dick Grayson track down Jason Todd when Deathstroke kidnaped him.

## Little Known Facts

– Mal Duncan is DC’s first African-American superhero, but not the first black superhero in comics. That honor goes to Black Panther, who debuted in 1966.
– Mal Duncan is also one of the few superheroes with no superpowers, relying on his skills, gadgets, or mystical items.
– Mal Duncan has been friends with Victor Stone (Cyborg) since childhood. They both grew up in Detroit and shared a love for music.
– Mal Duncan is an accomplished musician. He plays several instruments, such as trumpet, saxophone, and guitar. He also sings and writes songs.
– Mal Duncan is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and kickboxer. He has trained with Batman and Nightwing