Tornado Tyrant

The Tornado Tyrant originally used his powers to conquer worlds, until an encounter with the Justice League left him to contemplate using his powers for good. In the process, he split himself into two, the Tornado Champion (his good self) and the Tornado Tyrant (his evil self).

Background Information
In the parallel universe of Earth-One, the being known as the Tornado Tyrant (proper) began his existence on Rann. His evil nature was dominant. The Tornado Tyrant had watched the earth adventurer Adam Strange, the protector and champion of the planet Rann. He plotted to take Strange's place as protector and champion of Rann – in his own warped way! The Tornado Tyrant disguises himself as Ulthoon, strands Strange on Xalathor so he can become Rann’s new champion. So, he intercepts Strange on his way to Rann via Zeta Beam, warns him of Rann’s impending doom and then strands Strange on Xalthor. Strange escapes and heads to Rann. He arrives to find Rann being terrorized by Ulthoon, who is in a tiny ship projecting a deadly tornado down to the surface. Or so it appears. In reality, it is the Tornado Tyrant who is project the image of Ulthoon. Adam eventually deduced that Ulthoon and his flier were only illusions; it was the tornado itself that was a sentient creature. It was brought down by Rannian weapons.

The Tornado Tyrant was now defeated and in the battle he was almost destroyed. It was in this defeat that he learned a valuable lesson. He learned that good is stronger than evil and that good must always triumph. So, he decided to emulate the heroics of Adam Strange. As he followed Strange, he encountered the Justice League. They had teamed up with Strange to battle the villainous Kanjar Ro. He knew in that moment, the JLA were the examples of heroics he was looking to achieve.

As he ventured into deep space, he created his own planet where he could ‘play out’ the confrontation between ‘good and evil.’ He envisioned a scenario where good in the form of the Tornado Champion (a mental-projection of his good side) fights the Tornado Tyrant (a mental-projection of his evil side) and on the replicated Earth, the battle would unfold. The Tornado Champion solicits the help of the Justice League (also a mental-projection) to aid in the defeat of his evil half. After a long battle, he is able to triumph over evil and banish his evil side – and thus ultimately decided that 'good' was the 'superior force'.

The ethereal Tornado Champion eventually wandered, seeking purpose and perhaps heroics on Earth-Two, where he would be unrecognized. He happened upon the laboratory of Thomas Oscar (T.O.) Morrow who was creating a ‘super-android’ called the Red Tornado. The Champion decided to enter the android form and take control of the Red Tornado. However, the Champion entering the Red Tornado caused a short-circuit in the computer that was controlling the creation of the android. The short-circuit caused a feedback in the Red Tornado that destroyed the Tornado Champion's memory. Initially, Morrow used the Red Tornado in an attempt to infiltrate the Justice Society of America, but was defeated by the JLA of Earth-One and the Red Tornado. A few years later, the Red Tornado joined the JSA and then eventually joined the JLA when he moved to Earth-One. He remained a regular member of the JLA roster for years.

Years later, Morrow is back on earth, has captured and dismantled the Red Tornado in an attempt to learn the secret of the Red Tornado's sentient life. As Morrow dismantled the Red Tornado, the Tornado Tyrant and the Tornado Champion were released from his android form. The Tornado Tyrant attacked Morrow and members of the JLA (who were on scene to rescue the Red Tornado). It is Firestorm who ends up being the last conscious member. As he is poised to valiantly attack the Tornado Tyrant, the Tornado Champion appears and reveals the truth about itself, the Tornado Tyrant and the Red Tornado to him. About how he journeyed to Earth-Two and happened upon Morrow who was building the Red Tornado and how he decided to inhabit the inert form of the Red Tornado, and thus losing all memory of itself. Amazed to hear that the Red Tornado is partially a ‘living-being’, he offers to use his molecular powers to reassemble the Red Tornado. This resulted in the Tornado Tyrant and the Tornado Champion to be re-absorbed into the android form of the Red Tornado. When the Red Tornado recovers, he has no memory of what had just happened. Firestorm decides not to tell him what happened.

This is the last we hear of the Tornado Champion and the Tornado Tyrant.

Powers

 * Aerokinesis
 * Illusion Casting

Abilities
See Above.

Appearances

 * Super Friends, #8 (November 1, 1977):
 * In this SuperFriends issue, we are told that the Red Tornado's appearance follows the events in Justice League of America, Vol. 18 #146 (September, 1977).  In the JLA #146 we are told about T.O. Morrow, which leads us the origin to the Torando Tyrant, the Tornado Champion and Ulthoon.