Natasha Irons
Natasha Irons | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
First appearance | as Natasha Irons: Steel (vol. 2) #1 (January 1994) as Steel: Action Comics #806 (October 2003) as Starlight: 52 #21 (September 27, 2006) as Vaporlock: Infinity Inc. (vol. 2) #8 (June 2008) |
Created by | Louise Simonson Chris Batista |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Natasha Jasmine Irons |
Team affiliations | Infinity Inc. Team Superman Titans Justice League Justice League Queer Steelworks |
Partnerships | Traci Thirteen |
Notable aliases | Steel, Starlight, Vaporlock, Jenny Blake |
Abilities | As Steel Superhuman Strength (via armor) Flight (via armor) Size-shifting As Starlight Superhuman strength Durability Flight Solid light constructs As Vaporlock Transformation into living mist Flight |
Natasha Irons is a fictional superhero in DC Comics, first appeared in Steel (vol. 2) #1 (February 1994) created by Louise Simonson and Chris Bastista.[1] A super-genius similar to her uncle John Henry Irons and ally to Superman, she becomes the hero known as Steel after her uncle is injured and in current continuity, operates alongside her uncle concurrently. Prior to The New 52 reboot, the character gained super-powers in the 2006 limited series 52, using the codename Starlight. She would later change her name when her powers changed, instead assuming the codename Vaperlock.
The character has made several appearance in media, including Superman: The Animated Series where she is voiced by Cree Summer and is portrayed by Tayler Buck in the television series Superman & Lois, where she is renamed Natalie Lane Irons and is made the daughter of John.
Fictional character biography
[edit]Natasha Irons is the daughter of John Henry's brother, Clay, and Clay's wife Blondel. She is introduced in the first issue of Steel's solo series, where she is initially portrayed as being 13 years old.
With Christopher Priest at the helm of Steel starting with #34, Nat was radically altered. She was transformed into a more stereotypical modern teenager with a flippant attitude. During this time, she meets and befriends a teen named Paul Tomlinson and her father becomes the villain Crash.
Nat later travels with Steel to Metropolis when he establishes Steelworks. She becomes his assistant and succeeds him as Steel after he is injured in battle.[2][3]
Operating as Starlight
[edit]In 52, Natasha has a violent falling out with John and joins Lex Luthor's "Everyman Project".[4] She becomes a double agent within Luthor's organization before he discovers and ousts her.[5] In World War III, Natasha creates a nanotech missile to attack Black Adam.[6]
Operating as Vaporlock
[edit]Infinity, Inc. reveals that the Everyman Project gave Natasha the ability to transform into living gas.[7] Following this, she becomes Vaporlock and helps Steel rescue civilians in Reign of Doomsday.[8]
DC Rebirth
[edit]In The New 52 continuity reboot, Natasha loses her Vaporlock abilities and is established to be lesbian.[9][10] She later joins the Teen Titans and meets her great-great-uncle, John Henry Jr.[11][12]
Powers, abilities, and resources
[edit]- As Starlight, Natasha possesses superhuman physical abilities and can fly and generate light energy.
- As Vaporlock, Natasha can transform into living gas.
Equipment
[edit]Natasha's "Steel" armor enhances her strength, enables her to fly, and can transform into various weapons. She wields a hammer that can generate electricity and become stronger the farther it is thrown.
The original Entropy Aegis-fueled armor gives her enhanced strength and teleportation and the ability to fire purple energy blasts,
Other versions
[edit]- Natasha Irons / Steel appears as a background character in Kingdom Come.[13]
- An alternate timeline version of Natasha Irons appears in Flashpoint as a member of the Brazilian Army who fights Nazis.[14]
- An anime-inspired Natasha Irons / Steel with superhuman intelligence appears in the Ame-Comi series.[15][16]
- A teenage version of Natasha Irons appears in Superman Family Adventures as a friend and classmate of Jimmy Olsen.[17]
- An adult version of Natasha Irons / Steel appears in Multiversity as a member of the Justice League of Earth-16.[18]
In other media
[edit]Television
[edit]- Natasha Irons appears in television series set in the DC Animated Universe (DCAU). Introduced in the Superman: The Animated Series episode "Heavy Metal", voiced by Cree Summer, Irons later makes a cameo appearance in the Justice League episode "Hereafter".[19]
- A character based on Natasha named Natalie Lane Irons appears in Superman & Lois, portrayed by Tayler Buck.[20] This version is the daughter of John Henry Irons and Lois Lane from a parallel Earth ruled by Kryptonians. After Superman kills Lois, Natalie helps her father build an exo-suit to avenge the latter. At the end of the first season, Natalie unknowingly travels to the main universe. Afterward, she begins dating Bruno Mannheim's son Matteo and joins the Department of Defense Academy. In the fourth season, she takes on the codename "Starlight".
Miscellaneous
[edit]- Natasha Irons appears in Justice League Unlimited #35.
- Natasha Irons / Steel appears in the Injustice 2 prequel comic. This version succeeded John Henry Irons as Steel after he was killed in the Joker's destruction of Metropolis.[21] Following the downfall of Superman's Regime, Natasha helps Batman's Insurgency restore world peace.
References
[edit]- ^ 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. 155. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
- ^ Superman: The Man of Steel #100 (May 2000)
- ^ Greenberger, Robert; Pasko, Martin (2010). The Essential Superman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-345-50108-0.
- ^
- 52 #1 (May 2006)
- 52 #8 (June 2006)
- 52 #9 (July 2006)
- 52 #21 (September 2006)
- 52 #35 (January 2007)
- ^
- 52 #39 (January 2007)
- 52 #40 (February 2007)
- 52 #46 (March 2007)
- ^ 52 #50 (April 2007)
- ^
- Infinity, Inc. (vol. 2) #1 (November 2007)
- Infinity, Inc. (vol. 2) #8 (June 2008)
- Infinity, Inc. (vol. 2) #12 (October 2008)
- Terror Titans #6 (May 2009)
- ^ Steel (vol. 2) #1 (February 1994)
- ^ Superwoman #2 (November 2016)
- ^ Superwoman #5 (February 2017)
- ^ NIGHTWING Leads New TITANS Team Out of NO JUSTICE -Newsarama
- ^ Justice Society of America (vol. 4) #6 (November 2023)
- ^ Kingdom Come #2 (June 1996)
- ^ Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint #2 (July 2011)
- ^ Ame-Comi Batgirl #2 (July 2012)
- ^ Ame-Comi Duela Dent #3 (July 2012)
- ^ Superman Family Adventures #3 (July 2012)
- ^ The Multiversity: The Just one-shot (December 2014)
- ^ "Natasha Irons Voice - Superman: The Animated Series (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved November 23, 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.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (August 18, 2021). "Superman & Lois Adds [Spoiler] as Series Regular for Season 2". TVLine. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ^ Injustice 2 #10 (November 2017)
- African-American superheroes
- Characters created by Louise Simonson
- Comics characters introduced in 1994
- DC Comics characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability
- DC Comics characters with superhuman strength
- DC Comics female superheroes
- DC Comics LGBTQ superheroes
- DC Comics metahumans
- DC Comics shapeshifters
- Fictional characters with energy-manipulation abilities
- Fictional characters who can change size
- Fictional characters who can manipulate light
- Fictional hammer fighters
- Steel (John Henry Irons)
- Superman characters