Red Tornado – John Smith

Red Tornado… The Elemental Android… The Contained Force of Nature

Red Tornado is a complicated matter.

Reddy’s body was created by JLA villain T.O. Morrow, a mad scientist who is bent upon defeating the JLA.  Dr. Morrow then imbued the body with false memories making the new android believe it was actually present at the JSA meetings in place of the original Red Tornado, Ma Hunkel.

Inside the android body were two entities, the Tornado Tyrant and the Tornado Champion.  Ulthoon is the name of this whole entity who was split in two when he decided to find out which force was more powerful, evil or good.  Dr. Morrow harnessed those energies and placed them inside the Red Tornado’s body along with commands to cause Red Tornado to turn on the JLA and JSA at a key moment.

Instead, Reddy sacrificed himself in battle to save both teams, a trademark that would be Reddy’s defining trait.

Like Black Canary before him, Reddy migrated from Earth-2 to Earth-1, where he was created, to join the JLA and he met Kathy Sutton who would help Red Tornado assimilate into human society by giving him a secret identity, John Smith, and both of them would foster an orphan child named Traya.

Red Tornado would serve alongside the JLA as a faithful member for many years to come.

First Appearance

Created By:  Gardner Fox and Dick Dillin

Powers

Computer Logic – Reddy’s brain is a computer and is capable of analyzing complicated factors and resulting in a course of action, sometimes however, he omits emotions from his calculations often to the dismay of his intended, Kathy Sutton.

Flight – Red Tornado flies by means of creating a vortex with his legs.  He is able to hover and fly at speeds approaching Superman’s capabilities.

Immortal – The inside of Red Tornado being inhabited by seemingly immortal elemental energies that home in on a new Android body whenever the old one is destroyed.  This has enabled Reddy to act in place of humans that may have suffered more permanent damage.

Tornado Creation – Red Tornado creates vortexes from either arm that vary in size and strength from a gentle breeze to a hurricane level gale.

Vulnerabilities

Red Tornado is an android and must be housed in an android body in order to effect the outside world.  Red Tornado is impervious to most small arms fire, however his body can be damaged and has been destroyed previously.