Matter-Eater Lad
| Matter-Eater Lad | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Adventure Comics #303 (December 1962) |
| Created by |
Jerry Siegel John Forte |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Tenzil Kem |
| Species | Bismollian |
| Place of origin | Bismoll |
| Team affiliations | Legion of Super-Heroes |
| Abilities | Able to bite through and consume all forms of matter; including that which is supposedly indestructible like Amazonium or Superman. |
Matter-Eater Lad (real name Tenzil Kem) is a superhero in the DC Universe. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes and possesses the power to eat matter in all forms, as do all natives of his home planet, Bismoll. He first appears in Adventure Comics #303 (December 1962).
Matter-Eater Lad is the fifteenth member inducted into the Legion of Super-Heroes, joining soon after Bouncing Boy. In his first appearance, Matter-Eater Lad explains his origins, saying that the natives of Bismoll found that microbes had made all their food inedible, and that the populace evolved their ability to eat all matter as a survival mechanism. Tenzil's mother is named Mitz Kem, his father Rall. His brother, Renkil, tries to take Tenzil's place in the Legion during one story (Superboy #184). Their family life is shown to be rough. He has an unrequited crush on Shrinking Violet, which features for the bulk of the Legion's run in Adventure Comics.
He appears rarely in Legion stories, as the writers struggled with the problem of how to make his power useful in a fight and was routinely written out via a plot device where Tenzil was constantly being drafted into his planet's political system due to his fame as a Legion member. During one of his first draftings to be in politics, he put in a good word for fellow Bismollian, Calorie Queen, who had somewhat similar powers as him, but also had the ability to turn caloric energy into super strength. Matter-Eater Lad does have one major moment of heroism though, saving the universe in Superboy and The Legion of Super-Heroes #251 by eating the previously thought to be indestructible Miracle Machine, though the energies of the device leave him insane for several years. He is ultimately cured by Brainiac Five. He would later avert the conquest of Bismoll by an army of Computo replicas, with the assistance of the Legion Subs (this mission would cause Polar Boy to disband his group, and join the Legion proper). It was not until the launch of Legion of the Super-Heroes, volume 4, that the character becomes a major figure in the Legion series. Keith Giffen, who had much success with humor in his 1987 Justice League relaunch, revamped Tenzil Kem (which could arguably be explained as consequence of his regained sanity) as a free spirit who rebels against his planet's virtual enslavement of him as a senator by becoming a multi-media celebrity, using his planet's tax money to finance multiple television shows that allow Tenzil to leave his planet for multiple trips to Earth and other planets for adventure and fun. While Tenzil's exploits make him persona non-grata with his world's rulers, they make him even more popular with the masses of his homeworld, resulting in Tenzil being kept on as senator. "Trust me, I'm a senator" is an oft-uttered catchphrase during this period. Tenzil eventually comes into conflict with former Legion villain Prince Evillo, founder of The Devil's Dozen, and is sent to a Hades-like dimension. Having been technically "dead", Kem is voted out of office by the opposition party (who dislike both his disrespect for their traditions and his overwhelming popularity) and leaves Bismoll to find adventure.
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