Bouncing Boy (Chuck Taine) is a superhero appearing in American comic books by DC Comics, usually as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Born on Earth, Bouncing Boy has the power to inflate like a giant ball and bounce around. This combination of invulnerability and velocity makes him a surprisingly useful combatant. Born without any powers, he received his abilities from a super-plastic formula he believed was soda. Bouncing Boy is known for sharing a long-term romantic relationship with fellow Legionnaire Triplicate Girl, whom he eventually marries. In reboot Legion continuity, he is the Legion's mechanic.
| Bouncing Boy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Action Comics #276 (May 1961) |
| Created by | Jerry Siegel Jim Mooney |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Charles Foster Taine |
| Species | Metahuman |
| Place of origin | Earth (31st century) |
| Team affiliations | Legion of Super-Heroes |
| Abilities | |
Publication history
editBouncing Boy first appeared in Action Comics #276 (May 1961)[1] and was created by Jerry Siegel and Jim Mooney. His addition to the Legion of Super-Heroes reflected Siegel's interest in comedy and provided a vehicle for humor.[2]
Fictional character biography
editSilver Age
editBouncing Boy is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes who gained his abilities after accidentally drinking a super plastic formula which he believes to be soda. He later becomes a teacher at the Legion Academy and marries Luornu Durgo. However, the two are forced to leave the Legion due to a rule prohibiting members from being married.[3][4][5][6][7]
Post-Zero Hour
editIn post-Zero Hour continuity, Chuck lacks powers and is the Legion's resident architect and engineer, having went to school using his parents' money after they were killed by Daxamites. He designs the Legion Outpost space station and builds a specialty vehicle called the "Bouncing Boy" which acts as a bouncing juggernaut, smashing everything in its way.[1]
Retroboot / New Earth
editInfinite Crisis restores a close analogue of the original Legion to continuity. Bouncing Boy is depicted as an instructor at the Legion Academy and a reserve member of the Legion.
In the Watchmen sequel Doomsday Clock, Bouncing Boy is among the Legion of Super-Heroes members who are erased from existence after Doctor Manhattan alters the timeline. However, he is resurrected when Superman convinces Manhattan to restore the timeline.[8]
In The New Golden Age, Bouncing Boy is among the Legionnaires who arrive in the present and confront the Justice Society over their decision to recruit Legionnaire, a young, heroic incarnation of Mordru.[9]
Powers and abilities
editBouncing Boy is a metahuman with the ability to inflate into an elastic, spherical form, enabling him to bounce at high speeds. This also provides him with a limited degree of invulnerability and resistant to electric shocks. Unlike an inanimate rubber ball, which loses kinetic energy due to friction and gravity, Bouncing Boy maintains his velocity as he bounces.[10]
Bouncing Boy has lost his powers on two occasions, but regained them shortly afterward.[11][12][13][14]
The reboot incarnation of Chuck Taine has no powers, but is a gifted engineer and architect. He built and pilots his own spaceship known as the Bouncing Boy.[15]
As a Legion of Super-Heroes member, Bouncing Boy possesses his own Legion Flight Ring. It enables him to fly and survive in space, and acts as a long-range communicator and navigator.
In other media
editTelevision
edit- Bouncing Boy makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Superman: The Animated Series episode "New Kids in Town".[citation needed]
- A parody of Bouncing Boy called the Bouncing Boil appears in The Fairly OddParents episode "The Big Superhero Wish!".[citation needed]
- Bouncing Boy appears in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Far From Home", voiced by Googy Gress.[16]
- Bouncing Boy appears in Legion of Super Heroes (2006), voiced by Michael Cornacchia.[16] This version temporarily replaced Cosmic Boy as leader of the Legion during the first season, and inspired a group of discouraged Legion applicants to form the Legion of Substitute Heroes.
- Bouncing Boy appears in the Harley Quinn episode "Icons Only", voiced by Eric Bauza.[citation needed] This version is a contemporary Las Vegas performer.
Film
editBouncing Boy appears in Legion of Super-Heroes (2023), voiced by Ely Henry.[17][16] This version is a student of the Legion Academy.
Video games
editBouncing Boy appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.[18]
Miscellaneous
edit- Bouncing Boy appears in Adventures in the DC Universe #10.[19]
- Bouncing Boy appears in Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century.[20]
- A parody of Bouncing Boy called Bobby Badoing, a mentally-impaired and permanently inflated Supe, appears in The Boys.[citation needed]
- Bouncing Boy appears in the Smallville sequel comics.[21]
- Bouncing Boy appears in the one-shot comic Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes.[22]
- The Marvel Comics team, the Imperial Guard has created two pastiches of Bouncing Boy, Hardball and Blimp.
References
edit- ^ a b Beatty, Scott; Wallace, Dan (2008). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe (Updated and expanded. ed.). New York: DK Pub. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1.
- ^ Cadigan, Glen; Shooter, Jim (2003). The Legion Companion. Raleigh, N.C.: TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 23. ISBN 978-1893905221.
- ^ Fleisher, Michael L. (2007). The Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume Three: Superman. DC Comics. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-4012-1389-3.
- ^ 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. 53. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
- ^ Adventure Comics #301 (October 1962)
- ^ Adventure Comics #341 (February 1966)
- ^ Cowsill, Alan (2010). DC Comics Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle. New York: DK Pub. p. 159. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9.
- ^ Doomsday Clock #12 (December 2019). DC Comics.
- ^ Justice Society of America (vol. 4) #10. DC Comics.
- ^ Who's Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes #1 (April 1988)
- ^ Adventure Comics #351 (December 1966)
- ^ Superboy starring the Legion of Super-Heroes #200 (February 1974)
- ^ Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #230 (August 1977)
- ^ Sacks, Jason; Dallas, Keith (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 143. ISBN 978-1605490564.
- ^ Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 4) #76 (January 1996)
- ^ a b c "Bouncing Boy Voices (Legion of Super Heroes)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved April 15, 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.
- ^ Couch, Aaron (October 13, 2022). "DC's Legion of Super-Heroes Sets Voice Cast With Meg Donnelly and Harry Shum Jr. to Star (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ Eisen, Andrew (October 4, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ "Adventures in the DC Universe #10 - The Blobs (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ "Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century #1 - Yesterday's Hero (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ "Smallville: Season Eleven #15 - Argo, Part 3 (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ "Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes #1 - Atomic Batteries To Power, Flight Rings To Speed (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved August 18, 2023.