The first Robotman was a scientist named Robert Crane whose brain was placed inside a robotic body after he had been fatally shot. Since Crane had to be legally dead for his assailants to be charged with murder, he created a civilian identity as Paul Dennis, accomplished with lifelike face mask and gloves. As Robotman, he was a member of the World War II-era team, the All-Star Squadron. He also fought crime solo with help from his canine sidekick, Robotdog. His stories were mostly lighthearted in nature, featuring whimsical situations and plenty of comedy relief (usually provided by Robotdog).