Ironclad

Background

Drogen Lar, a native of the planet Dorvala, dreamed of might and glory as one of the feared Dorvalan Space Marines. But after finishing training, Drogen found life in the military rather mundane. Instead of storming citadels in distant worlds, he spent his days cleaning test tubes and sweeping floors in a starship engineering lab. One day Drogen was adjusting some smelting equipment when it exploded, showering his body with an experimental alloy. Instead of being killed by the wave of molten metal, Drogen was transformed as the alloy melded with his cellular structure, transforming him into a being of living metal.

While he was recovering in sick bay, Drogen was visited by a group of admirals who explained that his transformation had not been by chance. Drogen's physical profile had indicated that he might be able to bond with the experimental metal, so the "accident" had been arranged as an attempt to create a Dorvalan super-soldier. They expected Drogen to be grateful for this "opportunity."

Drogen was furious and disgusted at his superiors' underhanded and dishonorable act. Using his new-found power to fight his way out of the base, Drogen stole a small starship and set out to find his destiny. He ended up on the planet Malva, a planet where the population was obsessed with super-powered gladiatorial combats.

Drogen's great strength and armored body made him one of the most powerful gladiators, and for years he reaped the riches and rewards of victory. But as the duels became more and more brutal to satisfy the Malvans' bloodlust, Drogen was sickened by the pointless carnage. The honor of combat was gone.

Taking one of the Malvan ships, Drogen fled again. But his knowledge of Malvan technology wasn't enough to operate the ship's advanced navigational equipment, and the ship careened out of control across the galaxy, crash-landing on a primitive blue world called Earth.

The superheroes of this planet intrigued Drogen – they fought with honor. They fought to protect the innocent and defend justice. Soon he was fighting beside them. As a superhero, Drogen has found the excitement and sense of purpose he always wanted. He is Ironclad – he is a Champion.

About

Although not human, Ironclad is happy on Earth. He is kindhearted and noble, and always sympathetic to those in need. When he's not battling evil, he often donates his time and awesome strength to help build clinics and shelters to the poor, or help with rescue and recovery efforts after natural disasters.

Ironclad's armor and sword are trophies from his years in the Malvan gladiatorial pits. The armor is a relic from Malva's ancient, star-spanning empire, and is decorated with the flame motif common in Malvan art. It was given to Ironclad as a gift by the Phazor, the absolute ruler of Malva, in honor of his many victories. The sword Ironclad wrested from the hands of the Phazor's champion in epic combat. He continues to use these trophies as a symbol of his freedom from gladiatorial slavery and to show that he will always triumph over his foes.

Seeking a permanent home and comrades in the fight against villainy, Ironclad joined the Champions. He works well with his teammates, but his great strength and resilience give him an overinflated sense of confidence. He doesn't think anything can really hurt him, and that belief sometimes causes him to be reckless.

Ironclad's ship was destroyed when he crash-landed on Earth, and he's accepted that he may be stranded here for the rest of his life. He is extremely curious about Earth culture, and is slowly learning about humans and their ways. Unfortunately, most of his information comes from television and the Internet.