Amazing-Man Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway created me as a tribute to Bill Everett’s Amazing-Man, a character he created for Centaur Publications during the Golden Age of Comic Books. Amazing-Man I debuted in All-Star Squadron #23 (July 1983), a series that placed him in the 1940s and made him a contemporary of various Golden Age superheroes.

Will Everett was a promising young African-American Olympian who had competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Still, his post-Olympic career devolved into a janitorial profession at a laboratory owned by Dr. Terry Curtis. During an accident involving the explosion of some equipment to which he was exposed (developed by the criminal mastermind, the Ultra-Humanite), Everett quickly acquired the ability to mimic whatever properties he touched (similar to Marvel Comics’ Absorbing Man). For example, if he felt steel, then his body became composed of steel.

At first, he was employed by the Ultra-Humanite as a henchman along with Curtis (as Cyclotron) and Deathbolt. However, his sympathies soon swayed towards good after repeated exposure to the All-Star Squadron, a team of Golden Age characters and retroactive characters like himself, with whom he joined to defeat his former employer’s machinations.

One of the little-known facts about Amazing-Man I is that he was one of the first African-American superheroes to appear in DC Comics, predating Black Lightning and John Stewart. He was also one of the few superheroes who did not wear a costume, preferring to fight crime in his regular clothes.

Some of the essential storylines that Amazing-Man I was involved in include:

– The Crisis on Infinite Earths, where he helped the heroes of various parallel worlds to stop the Anti-Monitor from destroying all reality.
– The Last Days of the Justice Society, where he participated in a mystical battle against Adolf Hitler’s Spear of Destiny, resulting in him and his teammates being trapped in a limbo-like state for decades.
– The Young All-Stars, where he mentored a group of young heroes who replaced the All-Star Squadron after most were lost in limbo.
– The Justice Society Returns, where he and his teammates were freed from limbo and resumed their heroic activities during World War II.
– JSA: Black Reign, where he was killed by Black Adam while trying to stop him from conquering Kahndaq.

Amazing-Man I has also appeared in some media outside of comics, such as:

– The DC Animated Universe, where he appeared in an episode of Justice League Unlimited titled “Patriot Act.”
– The Arrowverse, where he was mentioned as one of the historical metahumans whose DNA was used to create Deathbolt.
– The Scribblenauts Unmasked video game, where he was one of the playable characters.
– The Young Justice animated series, where he was seen as a Justice Society of America member.

Amazing Man I’s family history is also interesting, as he has two descendants who inherited his powers and name:

– Will Everett III, his grandson, joined the Justice League America and later Extreme Justice. He also developed magnetic powers and energy absorption abilities.
– Markus Clay, his great-nephew, joined the Justice Society of America. He also became a social activist and a preacher.