Dial H for Hero: Difference between revisions

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Question: What series features a boy finding an alien watch-like device that allows him to change into random superpowered forms, and deciding to use it to become a superhero?

 

 

The series began as a feature in DC's ''House of Mystery'' anthology comic, in 1966. In it, a teenager named Robby Reed finds a disk with a dial like that of a phone on it (back when phones used rotary disks). It had alien letters on it that Robby managed to translate. By dialing words on it, Robby found that he would transform into a superhero. The catch: he became a different hero each time—usually completely original ones, though he once turned into [[Plastic Man]]. Robby used the dial to battle crime around his small Colorado hometown. The series did not last long. It appeared in ''House of Mystery'' #156-173 (January, 1966-March, 1968). Robby had a guest appearance in ''Plastic Man'' vol. 2 #13 (June-July, 1976) but was otherwise forgotten.

During the [[Dark Age]] of comics, the "Dial H" characters suffered a lot. Chris and Vicky lost control of their powers and Vicky joined a cult that abused her (which storyline was written by Wolfman himself over in ''Teen Titans''). The original dial was lost to them and passed through many hands, usually ruining the lives of those who used it, in a 00's series titled "H-E-R-O". Eventually Robby himself showed up, having been granted permanent low level powers from long term exposure to the dial, and in the end the Dial was lost in time and space.

 

 

In May 2012 a new version of ''Dial H For Hero'', titled simply ''Dial H'', and written by [[China Mieville]], was introduced as one of the second wave of [[New 52]] titles, rebooting the canon. It introduced a new dial, this one identical to an actual rotary phone dial, and a new wielder, Nelson Jent, who had lost his job, let himself go to seed, and was on the path to self-destruction.

 

 

 

* [[Absurdly Sharp Blade]]: The serial killer in ''H-E-R-O'' used one of these through his [[Superpower Lottery|power to use any superpower he could think of]].

* [[Alliterative Name]]: Robby Reed.

* [[Big Applesauce]]: Averted, the series were set in small towns up until ''H-E-R-O'', and even then only ''some'' of the dial's users lived in big cities.

* [[Captain Ersatz]]: The creators of Ben 10 used to work in comics, so the similarities are likely ''not'' a coincidence.

* [[Fifth Week Event]]: DC's "[[Silver Age]]" comics crossover involved Robby and the Dial (transforming the [[Justice League]] into NEW heroes!)

* [[Gender Bender]]: Turns up less often than you might think:

** In ''Plastic Man'' Vol. 2 #13, Plastic Man faces off against Robby, who uses the dial to turn into his previous forms, including Plastic Man himself (much to the real Plas's confusion).

* [[The Joy of X]]: The idea probably came from the title of the movie "Dial M for Murder".

* [[Loads and Loads of Characters]]: [[The Other Wiki]]'s page lists every transformation the dials were ever used for, totaling over 200!

* [[Metafictional Device]]: The Dials allowed comic fans to see their creations in a comic, if only once.

* [[Personality Powers]]: In the new ''Dial H'' series, it appears that the superhero identities which manifest through the dial act as personifications for aspects of the dialer's personality. Boy Chimney represents Nelson Jent's cigarette smoking, Captain Lachrymose his depression.

* [[Production Throwback]]: In the first issue of ''Dial H'', Robby Reed, Chris King, and Vicki Grant have been glimpsed through Boy Chimney's smoke vision. [[Word of God]] from China Mieville has explained that the series will have numerous [[Easter Egg]] references to the previous stories, but has neither confirmed nor denied whether the previous dial owners will have a bigger connection to the series.

* [[Super Empowering]]

* [[The Smurfette Principle]]: Adding Vicky to the series.

* [[Technology Marches On]]: Is there any device today that uses rotary disks? Other than combination locks.

* [[Weaksauce Weakness]]: In his second adventure as Giant Boy, the first hero he ever turned into, Robby was poisoned. He turned back into himself, but if he ever turned into Giant Boy again (and remember the dial is completely random), he'd die.

* [[Wild Mass Guessing]]: Is the Omnitrix an [[Alternate Continuity]] Hero Dial?

 

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[[Category:New 52]]

[[Category:The Sixties]]

[[Category:DC Comics Series]]

[[Category:The DCU]]