Hector Hammond is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics who is primarily an enemy of Green Lantern.
Peter Sarsgaard portrays Hammond in the 2011 film Green Lantern.
Publication history
Hector Hammond originally appeared in
Green Lantern (vol. 2) #5 (March–April 1961) and was created by John Broome and
Gil Kane.
Fictional character biography
Hector Hammond is a petty criminal on the run from the law when he discovers the fragments of a meteor that previously landed in Africa, rapidly evolving
Gorilla Grodd and the other gorillas of
Gorilla City.
[ The Flash (vol. 2) #69 (October 1992)] Observing the meteor's mutagenic effects, Hammond kidnaps four scientists and exposes them to the meteor on a remote island. The radiation causes their intellects to evolve, but also has the side effect of sapping their wills. Hammond forces the scientists to use their heightened intellect to create inventions, which he sells for profit.
Green Lantern Hal Jordan asks his friend and mechanic, Thomas Kalmaku, to take on the role of the Green Lantern while Jordan investigates Hammond. Jordan creates a duplicate power ring and costume for Kalmaku to fool Hammond and tells him to fly above Coast City so it would be thought Green Lantern was there. Unaware of the impersonation, Hammond steals Kalmaku's ring and transforms him into a chimpanzee. Jordan confronts Hammond personally in a battle of power rings that ends only when the charge of Hammond's ring runs out, allowing Jordan to capture him and restore Kalmaku and the scientists. He removes the scientists' memory of their knowledge and gets rid of the inventions as well.
Hammond returns in Justice League of America #14 (September 1962). He manages to escape from prison and deliberately exposes himself to the meteorite. The radiation causes his brain to grow to enormous size, granting him psionic powers as well as immortality. He captures Green Lantern using a "de-memorizer" invented by Amos Fortune, but he is later captured. His body later becomes immobilized, and he loses the power to speak. Trapped in a motionless state, Hammond is still able to use his psionic powers to control the minds of others.[ Green Lantern (vol. 2) #25 (December 1963)]
In a 1982 story arc of Justice League of America, Hammond forms the second incarnation of the second Royal Flush Gang. The group attacks and hospitalizes the members of the Justice League before Martin Stein, who exists in an intangible state as part of Firestorm, subdues Hammond on the astral plane.[ Justice League of America #205 (August 1982)]
After Green Lantern: Rebirth
Following the 2004-2005 miniseries
, in which Hal Jordan is resurrected, vindicated for his past crimes as Parallax, and returns as the star of the
Green Lantern core series, Hammond reappears as one of his adversaries.
The
Kroloteans, aliens who sent the meteor that gave him his powers, capture and experiment on Hammond, causing him to regain his capability of speech.
[ Green Lantern (vol. 4) #6 (December 2005)]
Hammond appears in Infinite Crisis as a member of Alexander Luthor Jr.'s Secret Society of Super Villains.
Green Lantern: Secret Origin
Hammond appears in the 2008 storyline
, a re-telling of Hal Jordan's first days as a Green Lantern. Hammond aspires to be
Carol Ferris' boyfriend,
[ Green Lantern (vol. 4) #30 (April 2008)] feelings that are not reciprocated by Ferris, who merely went out to one dinner with him for business purposes as he is a private consultant for Ferris Aircraft.
[ Green Lantern (vol. 4) #31 (May 2008)] While inspecting
Abin Sur's crashed spacecraft, Hammond is affected by the meteorite fragment used as a power source in its reactor, which gives him psychic powers.
[ Green Lantern (vol. 4) #32 (June 2008)]
Brightest Day
In the
Brightest Day event, Hammond escapes from Belle Reve with help from Krona and pursues the entity trapped inside
Larfleeze's lantern. Hammond attacks Larfleeze and Hal Jordan and swallows Larfleeze's battery, which enables the orange entity Ophidian to possess him.
[ Green Lantern (vol. 4) #56 (June 2010)] Ophidian attempts to kill Larfleeze, who is saved by Hal Jordan. Hammond regains control of his body, subdues Ophidian, and leaves to search for Carol Ferris.
[ Green Lantern (vol. 4) #57 (September 2010)]
The New 52
In September 2011,
The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, Hector Hammond first appears in
Superman #18, seen comatose as a prisoner in S.T.A.R. Labs, where he suddenly recovers the ability to dream.
[ Superman (vol. 3) #18 (May 2013)]
Hammond later appears in the "Psi War" story arc, where his body is stolen from S.T.A.R. Labs by H.I.V.E. agents. The H.I.V.E. Queen intends to use Hammond's mental powers to mentally enslave the world in preparation for Brainiac's return. However, Hammond is electrocuted by his life support system, awakening him from his medically induced coma.
Hammond connects with the minds of every citizen in Metropolis, causing them to act strange and attract Superman's attention. He breaks into H.I.V.E.'s headquarters located beneath Metropolis and confronts the H.I.V.E. Queen. Once she makes it clear that it is not an alliance she is seeking and that she merely sees him as a means to an end, he overpowers her and takes over H.I.V.E.
In Forever Evil, Hector Hammond is among the villains recruited by the Crime Syndicate of America to join the Secret Society of Super Villains.[ Forever Evil #1 (November 2013)]
Infinite Frontier
Following the restoration of the multiverse in
, Hammond is restored to his human form and joins the Department of Extranormal Operations.
[ Infinite Frontier #3 (September 2021)]
Powers and abilities
Hammond in his mutated state exhibits genius level intellect, as well as potent telepathic and telekinetic abilities
including mind reading, mind control, astral projection, levitation, projection of harmful psionic blasts, moving physical objects with his mind, and on occasion displays the ability to absorb and mentally redirect Green Lantern's energy. In some incarnations, his body has atrophied to the point where he cannot walk and he has to strap his head to a chair to support its weight.
As the host of Ophidian, Hammond possesses the powers of an Orange Lantern without needing a power ring to access them.
Other versions
Flashpoint
An alternate universe version of Hector Hammond appears in
Flashpoint. This version is a civilian, consultant to Ferris Aircraft, and superior of Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris.
[ Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #1 - #3 (June - August 2011)]
Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!
Hector Hamhock, a
funny animal version of Hector Hammond from Earth-C-Minus, appears in
Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!.
[ Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! #14 (April 1983)]
Amalgam Comics
HECTOR (
Highly Evolved Creature Totally Oriented for Revenge), a fusion of Hector Hammond and
MODOK from Earth-9602, appears in the
Amalgam Comics one-shot
Iron Lantern.
[ Iron Lantern #1]
Absolute Universe
An alternate universe version of Hector Hammond appears in series set in the Absolute Universe. Primarily appearing in
Absolute Green Lantern, this version is a wealthy and flamboyant human entrepreneur. In the one-shot
Absolute Evil, he joins the Justice League.
In other media
-
Hector Hammond appears in Green Lantern, portrayed by Peter Sarsgaard.
-
Hector Hammond appears in the Teen Titans Go! episode "Orangins".
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Hector Hammond appears as a character summon in .
External links
