Crucible:Astonishing Hydraulic Man
Real Name: Reuben J. Lipschitz
Background: Science whiz Reuben J. Lipschitz was the shortest guy around. We're talkin' short. He wasn't short enough to be a dwarf...at least that would get him noticed...but he was short enough to be overlooked and ignored. He was always chosen last for basketball. He was ridiculed by women he liked. Taller men would pat the top of his prematurely bald head. And he had to ask for help to reach the top shelves!
Until finally, one day, he had enough. He asked Amanda Matthews to his homeschool "prom", but his mother, as chaperone, kept cutting in to dance with her. It was all Reuben could stand. Thanks to his inventions, Reuben J. Lipshitz would be the tallest guy ever. As the Astonishing Hydraulic Man, he'd make them all fear the name of...Reuben J. Lipschitz!
Status: Active
Skills: Lipschitz is a highly skilled inventor and technologist, with expertise in hydraulics.
Technology: Reuben wears a hydraulic suit of his own manufacture, elevating him on extensible stilts hundreds of meters in height. The suit is armed with an array of weaponry and defensive systems.
Creator: Ed Messina
First Appearance: BOOSTER #91