Damage was a comic book series from DC Comics. Damage is also the name of the main character, a DC Comics superhero still active.

Origin

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First Appearance

In Damage #1-2 (1994): High school student Grant Emerson suddenly discovers he is a superhuman with incredible explosive powers.

During Zero Hour, Grant's powers became the spark that restarted the universe.

The Titans

After he accidentally blew up half of downtown Atlanta, Sarge Steel was able to cut a deal for him: he would be banned from Georgia and remanded into custody of the then federally-sponsored Titans team, lead by Arsenal. After a while, though, he left to find his origins.

He learned that Vandal Savage was involved in an experiment at Symbolix called Project: Telemachus, where he took DNA samples he had collected from various superheroes and injected them into a fitting vessel: Grant. Symbolix was allied with Shadowspire through Shadowspire's leader the Baron (Baron Blitzkrieg). The Baron became a recurring foe in Damage's series, staring with issue number three. Grant eventually learned that he was the son of the original Atom, Al Pratt and his wife Mary.

Grant was forced to go underground after leaving the Titans, since he violated his parole by doing so.

When the original five Titans reformed the group, Arsenal nominated Damage for membership. Arsenal managed to erase Grant's criminal records, so he was no longer a fugitive, and Grant joined the team.

After some missions, Damage confronted something he had buried for a long time: he had been victim of abuse at the hands of his foster father. After opening up to Roy Harper, Grant took a leave of absence and sought peace and healing on the Navajo reservation Roy was raised.

After the Titans

He has helped the current Justice Society of America against Imperiex and the villainous team of Obsidian, Eclipso and Mordru, both times as part of a modern All-Star Squadron. He has since been seen with a new team of government-sponsored Freedom Fighters, whose activities are yet unknown. He also has something of a brotherly relationship with Atom Smasher, the godson of his father, the original Atom. It was thought that Grant had a brother, Walter, who was recently killed by Walter's superhero daughter, Manhunter, aka Kate Spencer. However, in an odd parallel to Damage's paternity search, Walter was actually the son of Iron Munro and Phantom Lady.

Several members of the modern Freedom Fighters team were killed by the Society in Infinite Crisis #1, with the exception of Damage, who was severely injured by Zoom, and the Ray, who was captured by the Psycho-Pirate and told that Luthor wanted him alive. The Society was collecting people representatives of each of the Earths merged in the original Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Damage has been confirmed as a member of the relaunched Justice Society of America, due to be published from October 2006. He will be wearing a new costume designed by Alex Ross.^*

DC Comics titles | DC Comics Titans members | Freedom Fighters members | Fictional Americans in DC Comics | Fictional genetically engineered people | Teen comics | Young Justice members