Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Who's Who: Porcupine Pete

Porcupine Pete
by Siskoid

Real Name: Peter Dursin
Super-Power(s): Project sharp quills
Planet of Origin: Earth
Legion Seniority: Porcupine Pete was the eleventh recruit to join the Legion in the mostly-unchronicled era known as the Five-Year Gap.

Legion Log
Peter Dursin was born on Earth, a mutant, with quills like a porcupine's. Despite not being very huggable, he was raised in a loving home and developed a friendly, approachable personality. Benefiting from local popularity, he was encouraged to try out for the Legion of Super-Heroes as Porcupine Pete, but was rejected for his powers' lack of finesse. After a while, he joined the Legion of Substitute Heroes, but spent little time refining their powers before Polar Boy disbanded the team.

During the so-called Five-Year Gap, Polar Boy recruited Porcupine Pete to bolster the Legion of Super-Heroes' dwindling ranks. But frustrated with the constraints placed on the team by Dominion-controlled Earthgov, he quit to join Jacque Foccart's resistance movement. There, he improved his skills considerably, and became an excellent aircraft pilot as well. He and his friends from the original Substitute Legion played instrumental roles in freeing the Earth from Dominion tyranny, aiding refugee resettlement efforts and training young super-powered beings at the United Planets Militia Academy.

Porcupine Pete hasn't been seen since. Not in the Reboot, nor the Threeboot, nor after Infinite Crisis, though presumably, his original history has been more or less re-established.

Porcupine Pete has appeared on the Legion of Super-Heroes animated series as the Subs' unofficial leader, voiced by James Arnold Taylor.

Important Porcupine Pete Stories:

Superboy (v1) #201
Porcupine Pete's first appearance, a failed try-out for the Legion

DC Comics Presents #59
Porcupine Pete shown to have joined the Legion of Substitute-Heroes
 
Legion of Substitute Heroes Special #1
Porcupine Pete fights Pulsar Stargrave

Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) #32
Porcupine Pete flies missions for the resistance
 
Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) #57
Porcupine Pete helps train the next generation at the United Planets Militia Academy

Legion of Super-Heroes animated series
Porcupine Pete voiced by James Arnold Taylor

2 comments:

  1. Who was responsible for that picture in Who's Who? (And why did the editors allow it?)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Stephen DeStefano (artist credit always in the post's Labels). I don't know why Porcupine Pete is an Irish stereotype in this. I really don't. It's bizarre.

    ReplyDelete