The Dimensioneer
Real Name: Frank Fontana
Identity/Class: Unrevealed
Occupation: Financial planner
Affiliations: Cheryl Fontana
Enemies: The Animator, the Better Half, Dr. Insect and his Ant Men
Known Relatives: Cheryl Fontana (wife)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Silver City, USA
First Appearance:
Powers/Abilities: Able to create teleportation portals.
History: Silver City, USA was "globally renowned as the financial capitol of the world". At it's heart were the three gleaming spires of the Skyhammer Corporation, known collectively as the Skyhammer Triadic. Certified financial planner Frank Fontana worked on the 136th floor of the 250 storey Skyhammer Two building.
Frank was happily married to Cheryl and worked with a nice old man called Gunther. Frank had a secret, unknown to anyone but his wife. He had the ability to create circular "dimensional portals" in the air, through which he can travel long distances in an instant. He had a smart blue, red and yellow costume waiting at his home basement headquarters, and he was looking forward to his first adventure as a super hero. However, he had yet to come up with a jazzy name.
Frank and Gunther were discussing the birthday gala to be held that evening at the Swanky T-Rex casino for the president of the Skyhammer Corporation, when the building was rocked by what seemed to be an earthquake. Realising that this was impossible (as Silver City is built on solid bedrock) Frank took advantage of the confusion to make a "dimension hop home", changed into his costume and "then slips through another warp to the scene".
The "quake" was the work of a bizzare villain calling himself "The Animator". Frank bravely tried to stop him by using his "dimension warp" power in various ways, but was unsuccesful. Nevertheless, he had made an impressive costumed debut in public.
That evening Frank and Cheryl attended the birthday gala at the T-Rex casino, where they saw some old friends. The following evening Frank was monitoring police calls in his basement when he heard of a robbery being commited at the T-Rex by an even more bizzare villain called "The Better Half". Finding even more ingenious uses for his power, Frank was victorious this time, earning himself a good reputation.
Returning home, Cheryl informed him that after his battle with The Animator, the media had dubbed him "The Dimensioneer" a name that she liked. The following month, The Dimensioneer thwarted the maniacal Dr Insect and his Ant-Men in their attempt "to steal the gold ingots from the national treasury" at Fort Silver.
The Dimensioneer was later one of the many heroes who turned up to fight the Time Being.
Comments: Profile by Chris Adams.
The Dimensioneer is notable for several things. First of all, it ran for three consecutive issues (BB # 20, 21 and 22) and has it's own continuity. Second, it is not an homage to any particular hero, but rather the whole genre. Frank's power is not like that of any Silver Age hero (though it is identical to the THUNDER Agents villain, the Warp Wizard" and the Alan Moore creation, Warpsmith). The hero he comes closest to emulating is the Silver Age Flash (good job, a nice wife who knows his secret identity, ingenious use of powers for more than just quick travel, colouful "Rogues Gallery", etc).
The three episodes read like shortened versions of the first three issues of any new solo-hero comic book published since the mid 1970's, with plot threads set up for future stories. They are also unique in that they seem to be set in the present, as Frank uses the Internet in both identities (the stories were published in 1998).
What really set's "The Dimensioneer" strip apart is the second villain, "The Better Half", surely the MOST bizzare ever seen in comics. One can not help but wonder what became of "The Other Half" ....
CLARIFICATIONS: None.
Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.
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