abstract
| - Jim Barr was the son of a police officer who was killed and as a result took it upon himself to fight crime. He was rejected from the police for physical reasons, but got a job in ballistics. Like many characters of the time, he used chemistry to develop powers for himself; in his case greater muscle mass and brain power using his 'crime cure'. He also invented a Gravity Regulator Helmet (which was bullet shaped and gave him his name), which allowed him to fly and deflect bullets. His first case involved capturing a gangster in his hideout. Shortly after Bulletman began his crime-fighting career, he created a second helmet for his girlfriend and later wife Susan Kent, daughter of policeman Seargent Kent, who adopted the name Bulletgirl. His formula was shown to make him strong enough to smash a tank. The helmet is shown to be so strong that once when Bulletgirl was run over by a Nazi tank she was only knocked out. Bulletman and Bulletgirl were Fawcett Comics' second most popular characters after Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family. They were leased by DC Comics along with the rest of the Fawcett comics stable of characters in 1972. However, the characters lapsed into public domain prior to the said acquisition, which would later allow AC Comics to reprint their Golden Age adventures. During this period of time, Bulletman and Bulletgirl appeared with fellow Fawcett heroes to form Shazam's Squadron of Justice against the forces of King Kull, who was trying to wipe out humanity on all three Earths after capturing all the beings who gave the Marvels their powers. Bulletman and Bulletgirl battled villains on Earth-S, the Earth-2 Joker, Weeper, Shade, and Doctor Light. Their age appeared to be as it was in the 1940s without explanation. They subsequently appeared a few times with Captain Marvel and his family. Bulletman and Bulletgirl were eventually retrofitted into DC Universe continuity as members of the All-Star Squadron. For example, it is established that during World War 2, Bulletman met the long-lived Green Lantern Abin Sur. In issues #39-40 of Starman James Barr is accused of being a traitor to the United States. He is seemingly implicated in the Nazi-attack on the Normandie ocean liner in New York. This contradicts what is known by Jack Knight's father, Ted Knight, whose life Barr saved, in Alaska, on the day of the Normandie attack. Constrained by promises of confidentiality to the same government that is prosecuting him, Barr goes on the run with Ted while Minute Man tries to get the secret oath rescinded. Captain Marvel, currently much younger than Bulletman (than he was back then) fights with Jack Knight in an attempt to arrest Barr. Marvel fails in his mission against Barr, partly because Jack is backed up by human police officers.
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