Dial H For Hero - Original Series

Original Series

The original series debuted in House of Mystery #156 (January 1966), and continued until issue #173 (March–April 1968). The art was by Jim Mooney (though he did not finish the run), with scripts by Dave Wood. The original owner of the dial is Robert "Robby" Reed, a smart teenager from Littleville, Colorado who lived with his grandfather "Gramps" Reed and their housekeeper Miss Millie. Having a penchant for exclaiming, "Sockamagee!", Robby discovered the dial in a cavern. Resembling an old telephone dial, this device is hand-held and covered in unknown symbols (that Robby was able to decipher into modern letters). In Mark Waid's "Silver Age" mini-series, it is revealed that the symbols on the dial are Interlac, suggesting at least some relevance between the later 31st Century of the Legion of Super-Heroes and the Dial's construction.

How the dial got there or who created it is never revealed. Each time he dials the letters H-E-R-O, Robby finds he turns into a different super-powered being; dialing O-R-E-H makes him revert to his normal form. Under the guises of numerous superheroes, Robby soon uses the dial to protect Littleville.

Robby's H-Dial was once used by his foe, Daffy Dagan, who in House of Mystery #158 (April 1966) briefly becomes a supervillain known as Daffy the Great after dialing V-I-L-L-A-I-N. In House of Mystery #169 (September 1967), Robby's girlfriend Suzie uses the dial, dialing H-E-R-O-I-N-E to temporarily transform into Gem Girl in order to help defeat Toymaster. At the end of the story, Suzie receives a blow to the head that causes her to forget about the secret of the device.

After the series ceased its run in House of Mystery, Robby appeared in Plastic Man #13 (June–July 1976). Recovering from an attack of amnesia, Robby retrieves his dial, which has become corroded with rust. The corrosion causes Robby to turn into an evil version of Plastic Man, and he attacks the real Plastic Man. After defeating Robby and returning him to normal, Plastic Man confiscates the dial from Robby for using it irresponsibly. It is never explained how Robby is seen with the dial in later stories.

During the Silver Age cross-over event, Robby encountered his old House of Mystery co-star J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, in Silver Age: Dial H for Hero #1. Believing that he—and the rest of the Justice League—had gone bad, Robby turns into a superhero to stop him. Actually, the Martian has been mind-swapped with Dr. Light (the other JLAers have undergone similar mental transpositions, but those seen here are only Light's illusions). Subsequently, in Silver Age 80-Page Giant #1 (July 2000), Robby lends the Dial to the now mind/body restored Justice League, allowing several of its members to transform themselves into new superheroes to defeat Agamemno's Injustice League at a time when they had learned how to defeat the Leaguers in their normal forms. Their respective new identities are:

• Superman becomes Doc Fission
• Batman becomes Minuteman
• Flash becomes Marionette
• Atom becomes Mod-Man
• Black Canary becomes Miss Fortune
• Aquaman becomes Terra-Firma
• Green Arrow becomes Poltergeist
• Martian Manhunter becomes Go-Go