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George "Digger" Harkness and his son Owen Mercer, both known as Captain Boomerang, are fictional supervillains in the DC Universe.
Digger Harkness
Early Life
Secretly the illegitimate son of an American soldier and an Australian woman, Harkness was raised in poverty, during which time he developed great skill in making boomerangs, and in using them as weapons. As a young adult, he was hired as a performer and boomerang promoter by a toy company which was, unbeknownst to him, owned by his biological father. Audiences ridiculed him, and a resentful Harkness turned to using his boomerangs for crime.The Flash
Although he lacked any actual superhuman abilities, he became a recurring enemy of the Flash, typically by devising altered boomerangs which could produce astonishing effects, and using them ruthlessly. He was also a less-than-effective member of the Suicide Squad. While in the Squad, he briefly took up the mantle of Mirror Master to commit robberies.Identity Crisis
Captain Boomerang was killed in the Identity Crisis miniseries by Jack Drake, father of Tim Drake. Digger had been sent by the real killer to attack Jack Drake, only the killer double crossed Digger and sent Drake a warning and a pistol to defend himself. Digger managed to kill Drake but not before he was shot himself.
Owen Mercer
During the beginning of Identity Crisis, Harkness found himself an obsolete villain in the modern world of supervillains. Regularly going up to the supervillain satellite looking for jobs, asking favors from the Calculator, he was at the end of his rope looking for a job to put him on the map again.
During this time Harkness finally reached out to the son he abandoned, Owen Mercer. The two began to bond when Harkness was killed by Jack Drake. The sudden loss of Harkness caused Mercer to take up his father's mantle, and become the second Captain Boomerang. Captain Cold took Mercer in as one of the Flash's enemies, the Rogues Gallery because Cold believed his sister, Golden Glider, was Mercer's mother. It was revealed in the Flash Mercer's mother is actually Meloni Thawne which makes Bart Allen, Kid Flash, his half brother. He's since then reformed and joined the Outsiders.
Other media
Harkness has made an appearance in the animated series Justice League Unlimited as a member of Task Force X led by Rick Flag. He also appeared later in the episode Flash and Substance. In that episode, he appears in a streamlined, trench-coated version of his traditional costume. Harkness also made an appearance in the episode "Eclipsed", though that character is played by an actor in a commercial the Flash was starring in. He is voiced by Donal Gibson.
External links
- Alan Kistler's Profile On: THE FLASH - A detailed analysis of the history of the Flash by comic book historian Alan Kistler. Covers infromation all the way from Jay Garrick to Barry Allen to today, as well as discussions on the various villains and Rogues who fought the Flash. Various art scans.
- Hyperborea entry for Captain Boomerang
- Crimson Lightning, an online index to the comic book adventures of the Modern Age Flash.
Fictional Australians | Fictional captains
Flash villains | Secret Society of Super Villains | Suicide Squad members
"Captain Boomerang"