Neutron first appeared in Action Comics #525 (November 1981), and was created by Marv Wolfman and Joe Staton.[2] Wolfman commented about the character's creation, stating: "...With Neutron it was a matter of coming up with someone potentially more powerful and deadly than Superman had ever faced."[3]
Fictional character biography
Nathaniel Tryon is a petty thug who gains nuclear powers during a meltdown at a nuclear plant he is attacking. He battles Superman before being presumed dead in an attempt to kill his adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent.[4] However, Neutron later appears alive and joins the Secret Society of Super Villains in Infinite Crisis.
Following the Infinite Crisis event, Neutron becomes a villain for hire and a member of the Nuclear Legion.
In The New 52 reboot, Neutron is a mercenary sent to kill Lex Luthor. However, he accidentally releases Luthor's Amazo virus on Metropolis and is infected, disabling his abilities and afflicting him with cancer.[5]
Powers and abilities
Neutron's body is composed of nuclear energy that grants him superhuman physical abilities and the ability to manipulate nuclear energy. However, he is forced to wear a special suit to maintain a physical form and prevent his radiation from harming others.
Neutron appears in Young Justice, voiced by James Arnold Taylor.[7] This version gained his abilities through experimentation from the Reach, who activated his latent metahuman genes. By 2056, he becomes an acquaintance of Bart Allen and helps him travel back in time to save the Flash, de-power the present-day Neutron, and change the timeline. While Bart succeeds in doing so, the future Neutron is horrified to discover that this did not change the future. In the third season, the present-day Neutron becomes a counselor at the Metahuman Youth Center after receiving therapy from Black Canary.
Neutron appears in the audio drama Superman & The Neutron Nightmare.
References
^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. 213. ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
^Greenberger, Robert; Pasko, Martin (2010). The Essential Superman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. pp. 276–277. ISBN978-0-345-50108-0.
^Justice League (vol. 2) #41 (August 2015). DC Comics.
^Al Septien, Turi Meyer (writers) & Tom Welling (director) (2009-05-07). "Injustice". Smallville. Season 8. Episode 21. The CW.
^"Neutron / Nathaniel "Neut" Tryon Voice - Young Justice (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved May 7, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.