Origin
There were two tornado entities that originated from the planet Rann in the Earth-One universe; the Tornado Champion and the Tornado Tyrant combined as one entity. This being, originally one entity, confronted Rann’s adopted champion, Adam Strange, and was defeated. After that defeat, the being contemplated the nature of good and evil and decided that good was the superior force. The good side called itself the Tornado Champion; the evil side, the Tornado Tyrant. Confronting the Tyrant, the Tornado Champion was easily defeated.
Disappointed, the Tornado Champion lured the Tyrant to Earth-One, where the Tyrant was defeated by the real JLA. The Tornado Champion decided that there was no pleasure in being an imitation, and went to Earth-Two to find a new identity. The Tornado Champion came upon the criminal T. O. Morrow, who was making an android with which T.O. was hoping to infiltrate and defeat the Justice Society of America. The Tornado Champion decided to assume control of the robotic form. The merging had an unexpected side effect, and the Tornado Champion’s memory was erased. Red Tornado thus seemed to be a new life-form.
Creation
First written by Gardner Fox and drawn by Dick Dillin in 1968. The character was yet another example of DC Comics modernizing a Golden Age character by putting a science fiction spin on the original. While other characters maintained some semblance of recognition to the original, Red Tornado is the one that experienced the largest change in the Silver Age, going from a late middle aged housewife to a futuristic android to became a mix of both elements in its last incarnation.
Character Evolution
Silver Age / Earth-Two
An android created by the super-villain T.O. Morrow to infiltrate the Justice Society of America. Now it is a noble superhero and member of the Justice League of America. Before becoming the Red Tornado, the Tornado Tyrant a.k.a. the Tornado Champion first appeared in Mystery In Space vol 1 #61. The android body of the Red Tornado first appeared in Justice League of America vol 1 #64.
Modern Age / New Earth
During the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Tornado Champion was separated from his android body and became a spirit of air. Anti-Monitor used the Tornado Champion as a weapon against the Justice League and the Society. After the Crisis, Red Tornado reunited with the Tornado Champion and became a force of nature along with Firestorm (fire) and Swamp Thing (earth). Using his new force of nature abilities, Red Tornado became a protector of nature.
The New 52 / Prime Earth
On Prime Earth, Dr. T.O. Morrow insist that the project Red Tornado is to go forward in the events of Throne of Atlantis to help the Justice League, but was denied by Dr. Silas Stone (Cyborg‘s father).
Silver Age / Earth-Two
Joining the League
T.O. sent the android in to destroy the JSA from the inside, having Red Tornado pose as a member. The JSA did not recognize him, but allowed him to accompany them to help with a museum theft. Through a series of mishaps perfectly performed by Morrow, Red Tornado seemingly murdered the JSA members. Red Tornado then found Morrow in his lair and seemingly defeated him. When the remaining JSA members came to investigate, a trap weapon defeated them all. Morrow then went to Earth-One, where he defeated the JLA also. Red Tornado, who was now revived from his previous injuries, went after Morrow and revived the JLA. The JLA and the android then finally defeated Morrow, and discovered a method to revive the JSA back on Earth-Two. Morrow confessed that Red Tornado was an android made by him, but the JSA still admitted him as a member in good standing.
When the mad Star-God Aquarius attacked Earth-Two, many JSA members were captured and sealed in a magical bubble as Aquarius phased Earth-Two out of existence. Red Tornado escaped, reaching Earth-One and contacting the JLA. The JLA disregarded the android to tend to their own affairs, ultimately hearing him out two weeks later. When they realized the JSA’s dilemma, the JLA members quickly journeyed to the Earth-Two universe, defeating Aquarius and returning Earth-Two to normal.
Red Tornado many times felt that he was an outsider in the JSA. When he stumbled across the Creators monitoring Earth-Two, in a wish to impress his colleagues by defeating the aliens single-handedly he began a fight against them. Instead, Red Tornado was captured and used as a conduit to bring Earth-One and Earth-Two together. The JSA came after Red Tornado, beat the Creators and rescued him. But despite their victory, Red Tornado’s easy defeat and manipulation made Red Tornado more depressed and dejected than ever.
During the 100th meeting of the Justice League of America, the JLA was summoned to Earth-Two to assist the JSA in defeating the Iron Hand, a sworn foe of the Seven Soldiers of Victory. The Iron Hand had created an orbiting weapon in the shape of a hand that was a major threat to Earth-Two. Doctor Fate summoned a being known as the Oracle. The Oracle informed them of the Iron Hand’s last defeat, which cost the life of one of the Seven Soldiers of Victory. The JLA and JSA split into teams and rescued the members of the Seven Soldiers of Victory, who had been scattered throughout time, and with their help made a weapon that would destroy the Iron Hand’s device.
To get the device to its destination was a suicide mission, and while the heroes were arguing over who would go to do it, Red Tornado secretly went all by himself. In the resulting explosion, Red Tornado was believed to be destroyed. Red Tornado survived, however, and was catapulted to the Earth-One universe, where he ultimately became a member of the Justice League of America. In the JLA, Red Tornado finally found the acceptance he longed for so much.
Alter Ego
After becoming a member of the Justice League, his adventures with them caused the android to be destroyed several times. After a decent amount of time, Red Tornado actually managed to form a human alter ego, he called John Smith. He also somehow grew emotionally attached to Kathy Sutton and they adopted a child from the middle eastern nation of Bialya named Traya, and they formed a makeshift family. He also became good friends with a few of the League’s members, such as Hawkwoman and Firestorm.
Modern Age / New Earth
War of the Elements
Due to air pollution, the Red Tornado had been driven somewhat mad and gotten himself into a conflict against Firestorm and Swamp Thing in the Elemental War. Eventually, Firestorm managed to calm Red Tornado down and even made a new body shell for him, but it appeared that this new body was imperfect, as the Red Tornado began to experience serious malfunctions. His humanity was almost lost, and his physical appearance became more and more damaged, dirty and clearly not right. During a period of near-total malfunction, Red Tornado had been a member of the Leymen. During this period, he would experience odd jerks and spasms as he moved, and malfunctioning gears and mechanisms clanging together could be heard coming from within the android’s body. He also could only speak in a halting, emotionless, mechanical monotone. During the course of his association with the Leymen, the original Red Tornado personality began to re-emerge, and slowly, his emotions and humanity as well.
Young Justice
After the his association with the Leymen, Red Tornado shut down. He was put into storage and self reactivated when Young Justice started using the location where he was as their base of operations. He served as a mentor of the group and reconnected to his “humanity.” The Young Justice team disbanded after the events of Graduation Day and Red Tornado returned to semi-active status with the Justice League.
Red Tornado battles The Tornado Champion
After finally getting accustomed to his body following Amazo‘s second attack, Red Tornado proposes to Kathy Sutton in the Hall of Justice in Washington, D.C. She responds with “Of course I will”. Reddy had help from Hawkgirl to pick out the ring. Cyborg put Reddy back together. Reddy is now made of artificial organs and his mechanic parts. His brain is made up of artificial tissue-cortex and meninges and his computer brain. He has the ability to heal immediately when a part of him needs to be repaired. He can now concentrate and look like his John Smith persona or his Red Tornado persona. The Starheart was able to manipulate Red Tornado. The Tornado Champion, that is housed in Red Tornado, was forced to battle his Red Tornado persona over control. Cyborg had to draw power from the Construct without reforming him. The Construct is still held within the JLA watchtower. Cyborg was able to override the android side of Reddy and bring him back to the Red Tornado persona.
Powers and Abilities
Red Tornado is an air elemental, housed in an android shell. He can create powerful air currents that can level huge skyscrapers in seconds. He channels air and wind forces through his arms and legs to produce bursts of cyclone-force winds and high speed forward velocity flight. He can also absorb air. He is super strong and very durable, strong enough to take on a missile straight on and coming out unharmed, or to withstand ocean depths. A few times, Red Tornado actually managed to become invisible to the human eye due to his high velocity movement. His android form gives him resistance to various mental powers that have a biological basis (such as Starro’s mind control), but he can be affected by other telepathic abilities.
Character Profile
Real Name: John Smith
Occupation: Adventurer, Superhero
Siblings: Tomorrow Woman, Red Volcano, Red Inferno, Red Torpedo, Amazo
Gender: Male
Height: 6ft. 1in.
Weight: 325 lbs
Eyes: None
Hair: None
Base: Happy Harbor, Rhode Island
Partnerships: T.O. Morrow, Kathy Sutton, Traya Sutton, Red Robin, Superboy, Kid Flash, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter
Teams: Justice League, Young Justice, Justice Society, Android Family
Foes: Tornado Tyrant, Amazo
Other Version
The New 52 / Earth-2
On Earth 2, a new Red Tornado debuted. Originally being a gynoid developed by the World Army and upgraded by Terry Sloane, the shell of the machine became the host of the spirit of the late Earth-2 Lois Lane. After being awakened by her father, she was pivotal into stop the attack of Brutaal and the discovering of Val-Zod.
During World’s End, Lois would meet a last time with her husband and free the avatar of the Red, along with Power Girl, Val Zod and Thomas Wayne. Despite they freed Yolanda Montez, the red avatar and recusing Huntress, their efforts were useless to save their world and the only thing they would do was left the planet and save the most people possible.
Lois, now using officially calling herself Red Tornado, went with the survivors in the spaceships, leaving old earth behind and searching a new home.
Other Media
Television
Justice League Unlimited (2004-2006)
The Red Tornado first appears briefly at the end of Initiation. He has one line “Soooeeeyyy!” in the episode “This Little Piggy” in which he helps search for Wonder Woman, who has been transformed into a pig. He then appeared in “The Return”, where he very briefly got the upper hand on Amazo before being destroyed, but is rebuilt with no on-screen explanation by the time of “Panic in the Sky”, in which he helps repel an attack on the Watchtower by multiple clones of the Ultimen. He also appeared in a flashback scene in “Epilogue”, fighting The Royal Flush Gang alongside other JLU members. The Red Tornado next appeared in “The Great Brain Robbery” as one of the featured heroes of the episode. Along with Green Lantern, Doctor Fate, and Mister Terrific, he tries to capture a Luthor-possessed Flash (where he is voiced by Powers Boothe for this episode). The Red Tornado’s final appearance was in “Destroyer”, the series finale, in which he races out of the Justice League’s headquarters with almost every other hero.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008-2011)
Red Tornado first appears in the episode Invasion of the Secret Santas where he helps Batman defeat Toyman and save Christmas. He next appears in Hail the Tornado Tyrant where he creates Tornado Champion. After a battle with Major Disaster, he goes haywire becoming The Tornado Tyrant. Batman and Red Tornado are then forced to destroy him. After that he only appears in the background of various episodes. Red Tornado is voiced by Corey Burton.
Young Justice (2010-2013)
Red Tornado (voiced by Jeff Bennett, who also voiced T.O. Morrow) appears as a recurring character and member of the Justice League of America. He appears as supervisor of the team.
Supergirl
Red Tornado appeared in season one episode six of Supergirl. He is the villain of the weak who is defeated but Supergirl but since his first appearance pieces of him have been seen in other episodes.
Film
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
Red Tornado appeared in this DC animated movie as a reserve member to the Justice League.