Hellgrammite (Roderick Rose) is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an enemy of Superman.[1]
In the series Supergirl, the Hellgrammite is depicted as alien where he is portrayed by Justice Leak.
Publication history
Hellgrammite made his debut in The Brave and the Bold #80 (November 1968) created by Bob Haney and Neal Adams.[2] In this issue, he battled Batman and the Creeper.
Fictional character biography
Pre-Crisis
An entomologist named Roderick Rose, the Hellgrammite subjects himself to a mutagenic process that transforms him into a grasshopper-like insectoid.[3] He possesses superhuman strength and leaping abilities, the power to secrete adhesives and weave transformative or imprisoning cocoons and a durable exoskeleton.[4] A number of his schemes revolve around transforming others into weaker, subordinate versions of himself, leading to clashes with Batman and the Creeper in The Brave and the Bold #80, and with Green Arrow and the Black Canary in World's Finest Comics #248-249.
Post-Crisis
In the Post-Crisis DC Universe, the Hellgrammite returns as a recurring foe for Superman, first encountering the Man of Steel after being hired (by then-LexCorp board member George Markham)[5] to kill Lex Luthor. During the Underworld Unleashed crossover, he makes a deal with Neron, trading his soul in return for increased physical powers and an improved ability to transform others into his drones. In a one-shot issue, Underworld Unleashed: Patterns of Fear #1, it was stated that he had once used the alias Robert Dobson.
Although there were rumors of Hellgrammite's death as a member of the Suicide Squad during the Imperiex crisis, it was instead a similar villain named the Larvanaut who died. He has been seen alive One Year Later, still a member of Superman's rogues' gallery, acting as an assassin for Intergang.
Following the destruction of Star City at the hands of Prometheus, the new Batman leads a newly formed Justice League in a hunt to track down the various villains who helped Prometheus in his plot. The team finds Hellgrammite and several other villains attempting to flee the country and a battle ensues. Hellgrammite is ultimately defeated after Donna Troy ties up a villainess named Harpi with her lasso, and then swings her into the villain, knocking both of them out.[6]
Powers and abilities
Hellgrammite is capable of super-strength, improved jumping and producing cocoons to imprison his foes or transform them into drone versions of himself.
