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Hardware (character)
Hardware (Curtis Metcalf) is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. An original character from DC's Milestone Comics imprint, he first appeared in ''Hardware'' #1 (April 1993), and was created by Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan. Publication history ''Hardware'' was the first of Milestone's titles to be published, and (along with '' Blood Syndicate'', ''Icon'', and '' Static'') was one of the company's main titles. Fictional character biography Milestone universe Curtis Metcalf is a working class child prodigy who was discovered aged 12–13 by a big-time businessman, Edwin Alva Sr., who enrolled him in A Better Chance, "a program intended to get minority students into elite prep schools". Metcalf proved to be much smarter than all the other prep school students, graduating at age 14 and earning his first college degree at age 15. Alva paid for Metcalf's college tuition in exchange for him working as an inventor for Alva Industries. Metcalf later realizes that Alva is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Denys Cowan
Denys Cowan (; born January 30, 1961) is an American comics artist, television producer, media executive and one of the co-founders of Milestone Media. Early life Denys Cowan was first inspired by superheroes as a child from reruns of the 1950s TV show ''Adventures of Superman (TV series), Adventures of Superman'' with George Reeves. He did not yet know what a comic book was, and would not learn about them until the third grade. After Cowan's mother died, he moved in with his grandparents, and attended school in that district, where he met a future fellow comics creator, Derek Dingle, who drew comics with his brother. Dingle showed Cowan his first comic book, an issue of Jack Kirby's ''New Gods''.Cowan, Denys (December 2018). "How I broken into comics with...Denys Cowan", ''DC Nation'' #5, Page 2, DC Comics (Burbank, California). Cowan attended the High School of Art and Design in New York City. One day in the school lunchroom, the 14-year-old Cowan met someone who worked for artis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dharma (character)
Dharma (Harry Chawney) is a fictional comic book character distributed by DC Comics, and the leader of the Shadow Cabinet. Originating in Milestone Comics media, he first appeared in ''Hardware'' #11 (January 1993), and was created by Dwayne McDuffie, Robert L. Washington III, and Denys Cowan. Fictional character biography Dharma is the leader of the Shadow Cabinet who can perceive the past and future of any object he touches. He has perceived countless apocalypses, and is ruthless in acting to prevent them, whatever the cost. It is later revealed that Dharma orchestrated the Big Bang to create powerful beings capable of preventing an approaching apocalypse whose cause he could not determine. When his last two prospects ( Hardware and Static) fail to meet his expectations, he absorbs the powers of the god-like being Rift, destroying the Dakotaverse, but Dharma transports the universe's heroes to the DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the shared universe in which most ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shadow Cabinet (comics)
The Shadow Cabinet is a superhero team created by Milestone Comics and published by DC Comics. They first appeared in ''Shadow Cabinet'' #0 (January 1994), and were created by Dwayne McDuffie, Robert L. Washington III and John Paul Leon. Almost all of the original run, issues #4-11 and #13-17, were written by Matt Wayne. Publication history In the Milestone Comics universe the Shadow Cabinet is a secret organization of superhuman beings acting to protect the world by neutralizing potential threats while they are still relatively harmless - "''to save humanity from itself, no matter what that requires''". Various Cabinet members may be sent on "deep-cover" missions lasting months, or even years (during which time some choose to defect), their total membership at any time is known only to their leader. The base of operations for the Shadow Cabinet is the Shadowspire, a subterranean complex within the Himalayas and typically accessible only via the Shadowslide, their teleporte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kusarigama
A is a traditional Japanese weapon that consists of a '' kama'' (the Japanese equivalent of a sickle or billhook) on a kusari-fundo – a type of metal chain (''kusari'') with a heavy iron weight (''fundo'') at the end. The ''kusarigama'' is said to have been developed during the Muromachi period. The art of handling the kusarigama is called '' kusarigamajutsu''. History The researcher Nawa Yumio believes that the ''kusarigama'' was based on the ''jingama'', a tool that resembles a sickle, which was used to cut through a horse's ropes in the case of a fire. The ''jingama'' could also be used as a weapon and according to Nawa, the tool might have been combined with a , which is a chain that contained a weighted end and a chain around the user's wrist. People would wield the weapons with both hands to protect their horses against criminals. Another theory is that the ''kusarigama'' is based on the ''tobiguchi'' ( :ja:鳶口), which is a type of axe that had a "stout haft and a s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gyrojet
The Gyrojet is a family of unique firearms developed in the 1960s named for the method of gyroscope, gyroscopically stabilizing its projectiles. Rather than inert bullets, Gyrojets fire small Rocket (weapon), rockets called Microjets which have little recoil and do not require a heavy barrel or chamber to resist the pressure of the combustion gases. Velocity on leaving the tube was very low, but increased to around at . The result is a very lightweight and transportable weapon. Long out of production, today they are a coveted collector's item with prices for even the most common model ranging above $1,000. They are rarely fired; ammunition is scarce and can cost over $200 per round. History Robert Mainhardt and Art Biehl joined forces to form MBAssociates, or MBA, in order to develop Biehl's armor-piercing rocket rounds. Originally developed in a .51 caliber, the cartridges were self-contained self-propelled rockets with calibers ranging from .49 and 6mm to 20mm. A family of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tranquilizer Dart
A sedative or tranquilliser is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement. They are central nervous system (CNS) depressants and interact with brain activity, causing its deceleration. Various kinds of sedatives can be distinguished, but the majority of them affect the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Most sedatives produce relaxing effects by increasing GABA activity. This group is related to hypnotics. The term ''sedative'' describes drugs that serve to calm or relieve anxiety, whereas the term ''hypnotic'' describes drugs whose main purpose is to initiate, sustain, or lengthen sleep. Because these two functions frequently overlap, and because drugs in this class generally produce dose-dependent effects (ranging from anxiolysis to loss of consciousness), they are often referred to collectively as ''sedative–hypnotic'' drugs. Terminology There is some overlap between the terms "sedative" and "hypnotic". Advances in pharmacolo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Explosives
An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An explosive charge is a measured quantity of explosive material, which may either be composed solely of one ingredient or be a mixture containing at least two substances. The potential energy stored in an explosive material may, for example, be: * chemical energy, such as nitroglycerin or Dust explosion, grain dust * pressure, pressurized gas compressor, gas, such as a gas cylinder, aerosol can, or boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion * nuclear weapon, nuclear energy, such as in the fissile isotopes uranium-235 and plutonium-239 Explosive materials may be categorized by the speed at which they expand. Materials that detonate (the front of the chemical reaction moves faster through the material than the speed of sound) are said to be "high ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tasers
Taser (stylized in all caps) is a line of handheld conducted energy devices (CED) sold by Axon Enterprise (formerly Taser International). The device fires two small barbed darts intended to puncture the skin and remain attached to the target until removed by the user of the device. The darts are connected to the main unit by thin wires that achieve a high dielectric strength and durability given the extremely high-voltage electric current they conduct (typically 50,000 volts, or 2,000 volts under load), which can be delivered in short-duration pulses from a core of copper wire in the main unit. This enormous rush of current into the body produces effects ranging from localized pain to strong involuntary long muscle contractions, causing " neuromuscular incapacitation" (NMI), based on the mode of use (tasing frequency and environmental factors) and connectivity of the darts. When successfully used, the target is said to have been " tased". The first Taser conducted energy we ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is commonly known as quicksilver. A Heavy metal element, heavy, silvery d-block element, mercury is the only metallic element that is known to be liquid at standard temperature and pressure; the only other element that is liquid under these conditions is the halogen bromine, though metals such as caesium, gallium, and rubidium melt just above room temperature. Mercury occurs in deposits throughout the world mostly as cinnabar (mercuric sulfide). The red pigment vermilion is obtained by Mill (grinding), grinding natural cinnabar or synthetic mercuric sulfide. Exposure to mercury and mercury-containing organic compounds is toxic to the nervous system, immune system and kidneys of humans and other animals; mercury poisoning can result from exposure to water-soluble forms of mercury (such as mercuric chloride or methylmercury) either directly or through mechanisms of biomagnification. Mercu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flare Gun
A flare gun, also known as a Very pistol or signal pistol, is a large-bore handgun that discharges flares, blanks and smoke. The flare gun is typically used to produce a distress signal. Types The most common type of flare gun is a Very (sometimes spelled Verey), which was named after Edward Wilson Very (1847–1910), an American naval officer who developed and popularized a single-shot breech-loading snub-nosed pistol that fired flares (Very lights). They have a single action trigger mechanism, hammer action, and a center fire pin. Modern varieties are frequently made out of durable plastic of a bright colour that makes them more conspicuous and easier to retrieve in an emergency and assists in distinguishing them from conventional firearms. The Very pistol, typical of the type used in the Second World War, are of one inch bore (26.5mm), now known as "Calibre 4" for signal pistols. These are still available and more recent longer-barrel models can also fire parachute f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
