View source for Damage (DC Comics)

{{Short description|Two superheroes created by DC Comics}}
{{Infobox comics character <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
|character_name = Damage
|image = Damage (comics).jpg
|caption = The Grant Emerson incarnation of Damage as depicted in ''Justice Society of America'' #6 (2007); art by [[Alex Ross]].
|real_name = Grant Albert Emerson<br>Ethan "Elvis" Avery Junior
|publisher = [[DC Comics]]
|debut = *'''Emerson''': ''Damage'' (vol. 1) #1 (April 1994)
*'''Avery''': ''Damage'' (vol. 2) #1 (March 2018)
|creators = *'''Emerson''':<br>[[Tom Joyner (writer)|Tom Joyner]]<br>Bill Marimon
*'''Avery''':<br>[[Robert Venditti]]<br>[[Tony Daniel]]
|species = [[Metahuman]]
|alliances = [[Teen Titans]]<br/>[[Freedom Fighters (comics)|Freedom Fighters]]<br/>[[Justice Society of America]]<br/>[[Black Lantern Corps]]<br/>[[Justice League Task Force (comics)|Justice League Task Force]]<br/>[[Justice League]]
|aliases =
|powers = *'''Emerson''':
**Enhanced strength
**Energy projection
*'''Avery''':
**Transformation
**Enhanced physical abilities
}}
'''Damage''' is the name of two fictional characters appearing in comic books published by [[DC Comics]].

The Grant Emerson incarnation of Damage first appeared in a [[comic book]] of the same name during the [[Zero Hour: Crisis in Time!|Zero Hour crisis]]. He is the son of [[Atom (Al Pratt)|the original Atom, Al Pratt]]. He has been a member of the [[Teen Titans|Titans]], the [[Freedom Fighters (comics)|Freedom Fighters]], and the [[Justice Society of America]].<ref name="dc-ency">{{Citation | last = Greenberger | first = Robert | author-link = Robert Greenberger | contribution = Damage | editor-last = Dougall | editor-first = Alastair | title = The DC Comics Encyclopedia | page = 94 | publisher = [[Dorling Kindersley]] | place = New York | year = 2008 | isbn = 978-0-7566-4119-1 | oclc = 213309017}}</ref>

The Ethan Avery Jr. incarnation of Damage debuted in ''Damage'' (vol. 2) #1.<ref name="Grossberg">{{cite web|url=http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/exclusive-preview-dc-unveils-first-look-at-damage-3|title=DC Unveils first look at Damage #3|last=Grossberg|first=Josh|work=[[Syfy]]|access-date=1 April 2018|date=15 March 2018|archive-date=19 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119125531/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/exclusive-preview-dc-unveils-first-look-at-damage-3|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Publication history==
The Grant Emerson incarnation of Damage first appeared in ''Damage'' #1, and was created by [[Tom Joyner (writer)|Tom Joyner]] and Bill Marimon.<ref name=Guide>{{cite book |last1=Cowsill |first1=Alan |last2=Irvine |first2=Alex |last3=Korte |first3=Steve |last4=Manning |first4=Matt |last5=Wiacek |first5=Win |last6=Wilson |first6=Sven |title=The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe |date=2016 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-5357-0 |page=80}}</ref>

The Ethan Avery Jr. incarnation of Damage first appeared in ''Damage'' (vol. 2) #1, and was created by [[Robert Venditti]] and [[Tony Daniel]]. Critics have compared him to [[Marvel Comics]] character [[Hulk]].<ref name="Grossberg"/>

==Fictional character biography==
===Grant Emerson===
'''Grant Emerson''' is a teenage metahuman and ally of the [[Justice Society of America]] who is imbued with the DNA of various superheroes as part of Project [[Telemachus]].<ref name="dc-ency" /><ref>{{Cite comic|Title = Damage|Issue = #1-2|Date = (April–May 1994| publisher = [[DC Comics]]}}</ref> Grant later learns that he is the son of Al Pratt, the original Atom, and his wife Mary. In ''[[Zero Hour: Crisis in Time!]]'', Grant helps restore the universe after [[Hal Jordan|Parallax]] destroys it.<ref>{{Cite comic|Title = [[Zero Hour: Crisis in Time]]|Issue = #0|Date = (September 1994)|Publisher = DC Comics}}</ref>

[[File:Damage (Grant Emerson).png|thumb|upright|left|Grant Emerson as Damage; art by Tom McWeeney and Bill Marimo.]]Damage later joins the Justice Society and the Teen Titans.<ref>{{Cite comic|Title = Titans|Issue = #1|Date = March 1999|publisher = DC Comics}}</ref> He confronts his past suffering at the hands of his foster father and leaves the Titans.

In ''[[Infinite Crisis]]'', Damage is attacked and scarred by [[Reverse-Flash|Zoom]].<ref>''Justice Society of America'' vol. 3 #4. DC Comics.</ref><ref>''Infinite Crisis'' #1. DC Comics.</ref> He adopts a new costume similar to his father and enters a relationship with [[Judomaster#Sonia Sato|Judomaster]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cowsill |first1=Alan |last2=Irvine |first2=Alex |last3=Manning |first3=Matthew K. |last4=McAvennie |first4=Michael |last5=Wallace |first5=Daniel |title=DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle |date=2019 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-8578-6 |page=313}}</ref><ref>{{multiref2|''Justice Society of America'' vol. 3 #8. DC Comics.|''Justice Society of America'' vol. 3 #16 - #22. DC Comics.|''Justice Society of America: The Kingdom'' one-shot (2008). DC Comics.
}}</ref>

In ''[[Blackest Night]]'', Damage is killed by [[Jean Loring]] and resurrected as a [[Black Lantern]].<ref>{{multiref2|''Blackest Night'' #4 - #5. DC Comics.|''Blackest Night: JSA'' #1 - #2. DC Comics.|''JSA All-Stars'' #7. DC Comics.
}}</ref> Following ''[[The New 52]]'' continuity reboot, he is resurrected and reunites with the Justice Society.<ref>{{multiref2|''[[Doomsday Clock (comics)|Doomsday Clock]]'' #12. DC Comics.|''[[Dark Nights: Death Metal]]'' #5. DC Comics.|''Justice Society of America'' Vol. 4 #6. DC Comics.|''Justice Society of America'' Vol. 4 #9. DC Comics.
}}</ref>

===Ethan Avery===
{{expand section|date=October 2023}}
The second incarnation of Damage is Ethan Avery, an Army recruit who is given the ability to transform into a monster for one hour daily. Following this, Avery goes into hiding and is pursued by Task Force XL, a division of the [[Suicide Squad]].<ref>''Damage'' vol. 2 #1 - #3. DC Comics.</ref>

==Powers and abilities==
The Grant Emerson version of Damage can generate a power charge that enhances his strength, durability, speed, and reflexes to superhuman levels. If he does not use the energy in the aforementioned manner he is forced to expend it in a discharge, most notably the time he started another [[Big Bang]] during Zero Hour (although he only gained the energy necessary to do this thanks to other heroes such as [[Kyle Rayner|Green Lantern]], the [[Ray (DC Comics)|Ray]] and [[Waverider (character)|Waverider]] absorbing and converting [[Parallax (comics)|Parallax]]'s energy into something that he could then process). The aged Damage in ''Young Justice: Sins of Youth'' had the ability to fly. While the current Damage cannot harness this ability yet, he can "leap" by firing his energy at the ground, sometimes traveling great distances, as shown most recently in ''Justice Society of America'' #8. At one point in his ongoing series, it is implied that he potentially possesses all of the powers of the heroes whose DNA he shares.

The Ethan Avery version of Damage can transform into a monstrous form for one hour at a time. In this form, he has super-strength enough to leap great distances and rival the strengths of Solomon Grundy and Wonder Woman. Damage has enhanced durability where he is resistant to blades, bullets, rockets, and falling from several hundred feet from the air. He is largely unable to control himself while transformed, possessing a dual personality that fights to trigger his transformation.

==In other media==
The Ethan Avery incarnation of Damage appears in ''[[My Adventures with Superman]]'', voiced by [[Jason Marnocha]].<ref name="btva">{{cite web |title=Damage Voice - ''My Adventures With Superman'' (TV Show) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/My-Adventures-With-Superman/Damage/ |access-date=November 6, 2024 |publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref> This version is an agent of [[Task Force X]] whose abilities are derived from [[Kryptonian]] armor.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050113034000/https://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=damage Damage] at DCU Guide

{{The Atom}}
{{Justice Society of America}}
{{Teen Titans}}

[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1994]]
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[[Category:DC Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds]]
[[Category:DC Comics characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability]]
[[Category:DC Comics characters with superhuman strength]]
[[Category:DC Comics male superheroes]]
[[Category:DC Comics metahumans]]
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[[Category:Fictional characters from Atlanta]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with disfigurements]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with dissociative identity disorder]]
[[Category:Genetically engineered characters in comics]]
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