Ferro Lad(Andrew Nolan) is a superhero appearing inDC Comics,primarily as a member of theLegion of Super-Heroesin the 30th and 31st centuries. Inpost-Zero Hourcontinuity, he is simply known asFerro.[1]
| Ferro Lad | |
|---|---|
 Ferro Lad as depicted inSecret Origins#47 (December 1989). Art byEric ShanowerandDave Cockrum. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Adventure Comics#346 (July 1966) |
| Created by | Jim Shooter |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Andrew Nolan |
| Species | Metahuman |
| Place of origin | Earth(31st century) |
| Team affiliations | Legion of Super-Heroes |
| Notable aliases | Ferro |
| Abilities |
|
Ferro Lad has made minor appearances in other media, primarily those featuring the Legion. He is voiced byDave Wittenbergin the animated seriesLegion of Super Heroes(2006).
Publication history
editFerro Lad first appeared inAdventure Comics#346 and was created byJim Shooter.[2]When Jim Shooter first created the character, he intended Ferro Lad to beblack,but editorMort Weisingervetoed the idea,[3]saying "we'll lose our distribution in the South".[4]
In a 2003 interview, Shooter said that he killed Ferro Lad out of annoyance towards being unable to make him black.[5]However, in a 2011 blog post, he had a different explanation: that Ferro Lad's powers enabled him to survive entering theSun-Eater's core.[6]
The Life and Death of Ferro Lad(ISBN978-1-4012-2193-5), a hardcovertrade paperbackcollecting Ferro Lad'sSilver Ageappearances, was released in 2009.
Fictional character biography
editSilver Age
editAndrew Nolan is ametahumanwith the power to transform into organic iron.[7]He has a twin brother named Douglas who has the same power. Both twins have deformed faces as a side effect of their powers and wear iron masks to hide them. Ferro Lad later sacrifices himself to destroy the Sun-Eater inThe Death of Ferro Ladstoryline, and makes minor appearances as a ghost and statue afterward. Additionally, a temporal clone of Ferro Lad from "Batch SW6" appears in the"Five Year Gap".[8]
Post-Zero Hour
editFollowingZero Hour: Crisis in Time!,which reboots the Legion's continuity, Ferro Lad is renamedFerroand originates from the 20th century. He meets and joins the Legion of Super-Heroes after they are displaced in time.[1][9][10]
Powers and abilities
editFerro Lad can transform into organic metal, which gives him enhanced strength and durability.[11]As a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, he is provided with a Legion Flight Ring, which allows him to fly and protects him from the vacuum of space and other dangerous environments. He also has a built-in radio mask for communication in airless space.
Other versions
edit- An alternate universe variant of Douglas Nolan who succeeded Andrew as Ferro Lad appears inLegion of Super-Heroes(vol. 2) #300.
- Ferro Lad,a fusion of Ferro Lad andMarvel ComicscharacterColossus,appears in theAmalgam Comicsuniverse.
In other media
editTelevision
edit- A statue of Ferro Lad appears in theJustice League Unlimitedepisode "Far from Home".
- Ferro Lad appears inLegion of Super Heroes(2006), voiced byDave Wittenberg.In his most notable appearance in the two-part season one finale "Sundown", an adaptation of the Sun-Eater story arc, he sacrifices himself to destroy the Sun-Eater, with his body subsequently ending up in an asteroid. Additionally, according to series producerJames Tucker,his long-lost twin brother would have appeared had the show been renewed for a third season.[12]
Film
edit- A statue of Ferro Lad appears inJustice League vs. the Fatal Five.
- Ferro Lad makes a cameo appearance inLegion of Super-Heroes(2023).
Video games
editFerro Lad appears as a character summon inScribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.[13]
Miscellaneous
edit- Ferro Lad appears inAdventures in the DC Universe#10.[14]
- Ferro Lad appears in the one-shot comicBatman '66Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes.[15]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abBeatty, Scott(2008), "Ferro", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.),The DC Comics Encyclopedia,New York:Dorling Kindersley,p. 121,ISBN978-0-7566-4119-1,OCLC213309017
- ^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016).The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe.DK Publishing. p. 107.ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
- ^"Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #30!".Archived fromthe originalon 2012-02-04.Retrieved2009-01-06.
- ^Cadigan, Glen (2003).The Legion Companion.TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 53.ISBN978-1893905221.
- ^Cadigan, p. 54.
- ^Wells, John (2014).American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965-1969.TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 173.ISBN978-1605490557.
- ^Wells, John (2014).American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965-1969.TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 110.ISBN978-1605490557.
- ^Legion of Super-Heroes(vol. 4) #38, late December 1992.
- ^The Adventures of Superman#540 (1996)
- ^IGN: Superman/Green Lantern interviewArchived2012-02-09 at theWayback Machine
- ^Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC UniverseVol 1 #8 (October 1985)
- ^"The World's Finest - Batman: The Brave and the Bold".
- ^Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013)."DC Characters and Objects -Scribblenauts UnmaskedGuide ".IGN.RetrievedAugust 10,2024.
- ^"Adventures in the DC Universe#10 - The Blobs (Issue) ".Comic Vine.RetrievedJune 22,2023.
- ^"Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes#1 - Atomic Batteries To Power, Flight Rings To Speed (Issue) ".Comic Vine.RetrievedAugust 18,2023.