365 DC Comics Paper Cut-Out SuperHeroes - One Hero, Every Day, All Year…
November 7th - Hourman / Rick Tyler
The second hero to take on the mantle of Hourman has been Richard ‘Rick’ Tyler, the son of Rex Tyler, the original Hourman. Rick spent much of his youth trying to gain the attention and approval of his father, who was often far too busy his activities as a superhero and industrialist. Rick did not initially have interest in following in his father’s footsteps, but ended up having to use one of his father’s ‘Miraclo’ pills in order to save the life of his girlfriend, Beth Chapel.
Miraclo is a special chemical compound that bestows super strength, speed and durability for exactly an hour. The intense rush of experiencing these augmented abilities proved too alluring to Rick and it was not long before he began using the supplement to act as the new Hourman, joining the team of young legacy heroes known as Infinity Inc. Having severely struggled with addiction to Miraclo, Rick’s father was very much against his son’s decision to become the new Hourman and the whole ordeal further compounded their already strained relationship.
Before the two could mend their differences, Rex was killed in action battling Extant. Shortly thereafter, Rick’s girlfriend and teammate, Beth (Dr. Midnight II), perished in a terrible battle against the villain, Eclipso. Rick fell into a depression and began to use the Miraclo not only to gain super strength but also as part of a desperate effort to manage his feelings and stave off his despair. Inevitably it resulted in his becoming addicted. To make matters worse, Rick’s overuse of the Miraclo contributed to his being afflicted with a rare type of leukemia.
With help from his friends, Rick was able to break free from his addiction. He retired from super-heroics. Later, Rick encountered the new Hourman, a sophisticated android from the distant future whose cyber-gentic template was based on Rex Tyler. Although Rick initially disliked this new Hourman, the two ultimately became friends. Due to the pair’s genetic similarities, the android was able to cultivate a treatment that cured Rick of his leukemia. He additionally used his time-manipulation powers to create a time-pocket where Rick could be with his father who was plucked out of the time-stream moments before his death. The two used this time to reconcile their differences.
Before departing to return to his own era, the android Hourman provided Rick with a new, non-dangerous and non-addictive variant of the Miraclo. He additionally offered a special hourglass full of tachyons that gave Rick random visions one hour into the future.
Rick resumed the mantle of Hourman and he became a member of the new iteration of The Justice Society. Rick would have many adventures alongside the Society. He fell in love with his teammate, Jesse Quick and the two ultimately married.
Actor Cameron Gellman portrays Rick in the television series Stargirl. The hero first appeared in the pages of Infinity Inc. #20 (1985).
