James Barr (Earth-S)

Rookie policeman Jim Barr donned the Gravity Regulator Helmet and became the superhero Bulletman. His girlfriend and later wife Susan Kent helped him as Bulletgirl.

History

Jim Barr is the son of a police officer who was murdered in the line of duty in 1940. Jim decided to avenge his father by devoting his life to crime fighting. At first Jim tried to join the police but was rejected from the police Academy. This purely down to physical reasons, so he applied for a job in ballistics. Jim used his knowledge of chemistry to develop a drug that would increase his muscle mass and brain power using his 'crime cure'. His formula was shown to make him strong enough to smash a tank.

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 well known gangster, during which Bulletman crashed into his hideout to arrest him.

After a successful time as a hero Bulletman decided to create a second Gravity Regulator Helmet for his girlfriend Susan Kent, daughter of his boss, policeman Sgt. Kent (who was promoted to lieutenant in 1943); she took the name of Bulletgirl.

Bulletman and Bulletgirl occasionally teamed-up with other empowered heroes such as Captain Marvel and his sister Mary Marvel. Bulletman was still an active super-hero in 1953 when he and Bulletgirl were trapped in Dr. Sivana's Suspendium globe, to be held in suspended animation until released in 1973.

Bulletman and Bulletgirl later became members of Shazam's Squadron of Justice and fought against menaces such as the savage King Kull. The duo remained active until the events of the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Powers and Abilities

Abilities

Chemistry: Jim Barr invented a new Truth Serum.^[1]
Forensic Pathology
Gadgetry: He invented his own flying equipment, the Gravity Regulator Helmet.^[2]

Weaknesses

Enough poison gas to kill ten men will knock Bulletman unconscious.^[3]
Power Limitation: Submersion in water makes Bulletman's gravity regulator helmet useless, but only until it dries out.^[3]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Gravity Regulator Helmet: Bulletman wore a cone-shaped anti-gravity helmet which provided him with powers , including:
- Flight: Bulletman could fly, at supersonic speeds, and make mid-air course changes. He could carry extremely large and heavy objects, such as a ripped-out bank vault, for long distances at high speeds.^[2]
- Bulletproof: The helmet creates an invisible electromagnetic field, which prevents approaching objects from striking Bulletman while in flight.^[4]
- Enhanced Vision: Bulletman has telescopic vision.^[5]
- Enhanced Hearing: Bulletman has super-keen hearing.^[5]

Notes

This version of Bulletman, including all history and corresponding appearances, was erased from existence following the collapse of the original Multiverse in the 1985–86 Crisis on Infinite Earths event and later restored following the rebirth of the infinite Multiverse during the Dark Crisis of 2022-2023. Even though other versions of the character may have appeared, this information does not apply to those versions.
Bulletman and Bulletgirl were Fawcett Comics' second most popular characters after Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family.
Bulletman was created by writer Bill Parker and artist John Smalle for Fawcett Publications. In 1953, National Periodical Publications settled a long-running lawsuit against Fawcett citing that the character of Captain Marvel bore too much of a resemblance to their own character, Superman. After settling the case (by agreeing to no longer publish Captain Marvel), Fawcett discontinued publication of their entire comic book line and Bulletman lapsed into obscurity. In 1972, DC Comics licensed many of the Fawcett characters, including Bulletman, and established that they existed on the fictional parallel world known as Earth-S. The Fawcett characters made several appearances throughout various Bronze Age DC titles including Shazam, World's Finest Comics and Justice League of America. In 1991, DC bought the Fawcett characters (including Bulletman) outright.
Bulletman's last Golden Age adventure was published in 1949.^[6] However, we know he continued his super-hero career beyond that, because he was still active in 1953 when he was trapped in the Suspendium globe.^[7]
It is unclear when Jim Barr married Susan Kent. They were not married in their last Golden Age appearance in Master Comics #106, and their marriage was first revealed in Justice League of America #135.
Bulletman's first DC-published appearance was in Justice League of America #135.

James Barr (Earth-S)

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