Origin
A member of the Marine Corps, Captain John Wether was one of four soldiers who volunteered to take part in General Eiling’s Ultramarine project. He was genetically engineered and implanted with an activated metagene which gave him his powers. Taking on the identity of Pulse 8, he became the leader of the UItramarine Corps.
Creation
Pulse 8 was created by Grant Morrison and Howard Porter. He technically made his first appearance in DC One Million #2, but made his first full appearance in JLA #24.
Major Story Arcs
Executive Action
Pulse 8 and his team are ordered by Eiling to carry out an attack on the JLA, ostensibly on the orders of the president. He joins them in successfully incapacitating a number of heroes, personally defeating Big Barda and Steel. The attack is halted when Superman reveals that Pulse 8 and his team are dying because of Eiling’s genetic manipulations, and that Eiling has betrayed them. Pulse 8 joins his team in allying with the JLA against Eiling. Following the general’s defeat he helps found Superbia and joins the new Ultramarines, recreated as a global peacekeeping force.
Classified
Pulse 8 joins his team in attempting to defuse a terrorism incident created by Gorilla Grodd, which is actually a tactic by Grodd to seize control of their headquarters at Superbia. He encounters the infant universe Qwewq, and is absorbed into it, allowing Qwewq to seed a new body based on his, ultimately growing into Neh-Buh-Loh. Released from Qwewq he is taken over by a Sheeda spine-rider, and though he successfully resists its control for some time he ultimately succumbs to its control. He is forced to give 4-D dozens of tumours, driving the rest of his team to submit to the Sheeda. He is used as a living weapon, and directed to attack the JLA and civilians, until he is freed when Neh-Buh-Loh flees. He agrees to accompany his team into Qwewq to act as superheroes in the infant universe. His actions there are unknown, but his team successfully implants a flaw in Qwewq.
Powers and Abilities
Pulse 8’s atomic structure is connected to the unified field harmonic, and he is able to exert control over fundamental forces of the universe. He is able to manipulate reality in any way he wishes by accessing a metaphysical keyboard and performing “edits” to reality, as one may do to a script. For example he may rewrite the weight of a person to save them from a fall, or edit an individual’s biology so that they suddenly develop tumours. He is capable of performing various feats with his body, notably flying, which are probably inherently tied to his reality manipulation abilities and not direct powers in an of themselves. As a soldier, he has received extensive training in armed and unarmed combat.