BHM 3: Tyroc

Ah, Tyroc. Or, as Devon of Seven Hells once called him, "Loud-Black-Man Lad".

Legionnaire Tyroc is from the other dimensional island of, um... Marzipan? Marsupial? Something like that. It was basically Brigadoon for Blacks. Guess that's how the 30th Century dealt with busing; who can say?

His power-- well, clearly his power is erotic fashion. Tyroc's from the Grell Era Legion, where everyone got their costumes at Dream Dresser. And he works it. He's part of the whole "Guys With Thighs" costume phenomenon (see Tempest's ridiculous outfit from yesterday). I used to think there was a "thing" with needing to show black heroes' manly thighs of mighty mahogany. Now I realize it's just because nearly every black male character was introduced in the 1970s. Or maybe Marzal (that's it: Marzal) was a tropical extradimensional island, and really hot? I mean, that's the kind of outfit I wear when it's hot.

Anyway, Tyroc's power was, um, screaming. No, really. Tyroc would scream and then ... things would happen. Whatever the story required. I mean it wasn't like he screamed "woman get me a sammich" and then a sandwich appeared; that might have been funny. Instead it was "YAHH!" and then he flew. Or things blew up. Or he got a better long distance rate or a better price on a muffler. Whatever. Just be glad Cary Bates isn't writing comics any longer. Hey, I know I'd be screaming bloody murder if Cary Bates were writing me.

People with sonic powers usually don't fare too well in comics, which (SFX notwithstanding) is a silent medium, and Tyroc was no exception. He hung around the Legion a bit, screamed at some bad guys, then went black to Black Brigadoon, later to be wiped away by Zero Hero. But in my mind he's partying with Vibe and Dazzler at the Marzal's hottest discos...

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