Steel, the Indestructible Man
Entry updated 21 September 2026. Tagged: Character, Comics, Publication.
US Comic (1978). DC Comics. 5 issues. Written by Gerry Conway and mainly drawn by Don Heck; Juan Ortiz drew the second strip when issues had two. 36 pages with 1-2 strips per issue, all part of an ongoing serial.
In 1939 Hank Heywood, assistant to Dr Giles, develops a biological retardant that enables the surgical replacement of damaged limbs and organs (see Medicine). After the invasion of Poland (see World War Two) Hank – whose earlier visit to Germany led to a loathing of the Nazis – joins the Marines, only to be caught in an explosion whilst foiling saboteurs. He tells Dr Giles to repair his ruined body using the biological retardant: bone is replaced with metal, artificial organs substituted for the damaged originals and his new skin has a "subdermal layer of steel" (see Cyborg). There are benefits: super-strength, the ability to stay submerged for 30 minutes and being "for all practical purposes, indestructible!". He decides to use his new Superpowers to battle saboteurs and fifth columnists, becoming the Superhero Steel, the Indestructible Man. He wants the USA to join the war in Europe but Dr Giles and his daughter Gloria (Hank's fiancée) thinks their country should not get involved in Europe's problems again (see World War One)and consider Steel a "warhawk". Later Giles suffers a heart attack whilst reading about Steel: Hank wonders if the doctor had guessed his identity and worries that he would be culpable should Giles die.
Another "America First" isolationist is Scientist Dr Moeg, whose research has created the "Omega Field" enabling him to Transmute minerals from one form to another (including their changing shape and becoming animate) simply by verbal instruction. An accident leads to Moeg becoming one with the Omega Field (his skin incidentally turns blue): he names himself The Mineral Master, dedicated to fighting US "warmongers" such as Steel. Edward Runyon once betrayed a friend, using the reward to accumulate "money, power, prestige" as a newspaper publisher, whilst imprisonment leads to the friend becoming a gangster. Hank, angered by Runyon's actions, has a moral crisis: if "that's what the rest of this world is really like, why am I risking my life to stop this insane war?". Later, a politician's daughter (see Politics) advises Runyon to promise Steel that his newspaper (which campaigns against involvement in the European war) will be more honest in his coverage if Steel catches Supervillain The Gadgeteer (which he does): the daughter tells Runyon there is no need to keep the promise. Steel is caught in an explosion when the Gadgeteer attempts Suicide and is told his wounds will eventually kill him, so attempts to recover the last sample of the biological retardant, to use it both on his injuries and to repair Dr Giles's damaged heart. This leads to him being attacked by a humanoid Monster who turns out to be a man who suffered horrific injuries in a car crash; his brother founded an institute (set in a gothic mansion in the backwoods) to research a cure; he is assured, "We are reputable scientists here ... engaged in legitimate research." A new experimental formula based on "bio-retardation" was used (not Hank's): it healed the sibling, but changed him into the creature Steel fought. #5 closes with the monster dead and the mansion collapsing.
Conway has said Steel was a tribute to Captain America, though The Six Million Dollar Man also seems to be in the mix. Conway shows interest in the historical debate within the USA over participating in World War Two, between those who did not want another American generation dying on European fields, and those who (aside from believing an evil such as the Nazis needed to be fought) were concerned a victorious Germany would eventually turn their eyes on the USA (so much so that in #3 and #4 the supervillains are secondary characters). The cancellation of the comic after five issues meant there was little opportunity to develop this further. Another victim is presumably the Nazi industrialist Baron Toten, who in #1 expresses an interest in Hank's biological retardant, then arrives in the USA as supervillain Baron Death (whose costume has a swastika on the back) to lead a saboteur ring; but though marked as a major antagonist he is seen only once again, briefly, in #2, meeting Dr Moeg as Baron Toten. [SP]
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