Bouncing Boy

Publication history

Bouncing Boy first appeared in Action Comics #276 (May 1961), and was created by Jerry Siegel and Jim Mooney. His addition to the Legion of Super-Heroes reflected Siegel's interest in comedy and provided a vehicle for humor.

Fictional character biography

Silver Age

Chuck Taine was born on Earth with no powers. He received his ability to inflate when he accidentally drank a super plastic formula which he thought was soda pop. He applied for membership in the Legion of Super-Heroes, but was at first rejected. After he used his new power to defeat a robber using electric weaponry (which did not affect him because his bouncing kept him from being grounded), he was admitted and took the codename Bouncing Boy. With his good humor, wit and charm, Taine appointed himself the Legion's "Morale Officer".

Bouncing Boy once lost his powers while bouncing in front of a matter-shrinking machine, and was forced to resign from the Legion. He regained his powers again temporarily when the Legion faced Computo for the first time, and one of fellow Legionnaire Triplicate Girl's bodies was killed.

Bouncing Boy becomes a teacher at the Legion Academy. After once again losing his powers, he proposed to Triplicate Girl (now known as Duo Damsel). The two quickly married on Mars at Nix Olympia and both retired from the Legion because of a rule stating that Legionnaires cannot be married and remain in active duty at the same time. This rule is later overturned, but the two remain as Legion reserves. They become the headmasters of the Legion Academy and members of the Legion of Substitute Heroes alongside reservists Cosmic Boy and Night Girl.

Post-Zero Hour

In post-Zero Hour continuity, Chuck lacks powers and is the Legion's resident architect and engineer, having gone to school using his parents' money after they were killed by Daxamite terrorists. Using his parents' life insurance, Chuck was able to attend school and become an architect. He designed and helped rebuild the Legion Headquarters after it took damage from Chronos.

Retroboot / New Earth

"Infinite Crisis" restored a close analogue of the original Legion to continuity, shortly after the Magic Wars. Chuck is once more an instructor at the Legion Academy and a Legion reservist. After Triplicate Girl's second body is killed, she develops the ability to infinitely clone herself. She discovers this ability while on their third honeymoon and returns to Earth alongside Bouncing Boy to battle Superboy-Prime and the Legion of Super-Villains.

In Doomsday Clock, Bouncing Boy is among the Legion of Super-Heroes members who are erased from existence after Doctor Manhattan alters the timeline. However, he is resurrected when Superman convinces Manhattan to restore the timeline.

Powers and abilities

Bouncing Boy is a metahuman with the ability to inflate into an elastic, spherical form, enabling him to bounce at high speeds. This also provides him with a limited degree of invulnerability and resistant to electric shocks. Unlike an inanimate rubber ball, which loses kinetic energy due to friction and gravity, Bouncing Boy maintains velocity as he bounces.

The reboot incarnation of Chuck Taine has no powers, but is a skilled engineer and architect. He built and pilots his own spaceship known as the Bouncing Boy.

As a Legion of Super-Heroes member, Bouncing Boy is given a Legion Flight Ring. It enables him to fly and survive in space, and acts as a long-range communicator and navigator.

In other media

Television

• Bouncing Boy makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Superman: The Animated Series episode "New Kids in Town".
• Bouncing Boy appears in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Far From Home", voiced by Googy Gress.
• Bouncing Boy appears in Legion of Super Heroes (2006), voiced by Michael Cornacchia. This version temporarily replaced Cosmic Boy as leader of the Legion during the first season, and inspired a group of discouraged Legion applicants to form the Legion of Substitute Heroes.
• Bouncing Boy appears in the Harley Quinn episode "Icons Only", voiced by Eric Bauza. This version is a contemporary Las Vegas performer.

Film

Bouncing Boy appears in Legion of Super-Heroes (2023), voiced by Ely Henry. This version is a student of the Legion Academy.

Video games

Bouncing Boy appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.

Miscellaneous

• Bouncing Boy appears in Adventures in the DC Universe #10.
• The Legion of Super Heroes (2006) incarnation of Bouncing Boy appears in Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century.
• Bouncing Boy appears in Smallville Season 11.
• Bouncing Boy appears in the one-shot comic Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes.

References

References

1. (2008). "The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe". DK Pub..
2. (2003). "The Legion Companion". [[TwoMorrows Publishing]].
3. (2007). "The Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume Three: Superman". DC Comics.
4. (2016). "The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe". DK Publishing.
5. (October 1962). "[[Adventure Comics]]". DC Comics.
6. (January 1966). "[[Adventure Comics]]". DC Comics.
7. (February 1966). "[[Adventure Comics]]". DC Comics.
8. (2010). "DC Comics Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle". DK Pub..
9. (February 1974). "[[Superboy (comic book)". DC Comics.
10. (February 2020). "[[Doomsday Clock (comics)". DC Comics.
11. ''Who's Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes'' #1 (April 1988)
12. (January 1996). "[[Legion of Super-Heroes]]". DC Comics.
13. "Bouncing Boy Voices (Legion of Super Heroes)". Behind The Voice Actors.
14. Couch, Aaron. (October 13, 2022). "DC's Legion of Super-Heroes Sets Voice Cast With Meg Donnelly and Harry Shum Jr. to Star (Exclusive)".
15. Eisen, Andrew. (October 4, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - ''Scribblenauts Unmasked'' Guide".
16. "''Adventures in the DC Universe'' #10 - The Blobs (Issue)".
17. "''Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century'' #1 - Yesterday's Hero (Issue)".
18. "''Smallville: Season Eleven'' #15 - Argo, Part 3 (Issue)".
19. "''Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes'' #1 - Atomic Batteries To Power, Flight Rings To Speed (Issue)".