Hammond is a petty criminal on the run from the law when he discovers the fragments of a strange meteor in the woods (later retconned as part of the same meteor that lands in Africa, super-evolving Gorilla Grodd and the other gorillas of Gorilla City). Observing that radiation from the meteor has caused the nearby plants to evolve rapidly, Hammond decides to kidnap four scientists and expose them to the meteor. The radiation causes their intellects to evolve, but also has the side effect of sapping their wills. Hammond is able to force the scientists to use their heightened intellect to create amazing new inventions, which Hammond sells for his own profit.
Hammond rapidly becomes a rich celebrity due to the wealth he has acquired. Green Lantern Hal Jordan asks his friend and mechanic, Thomas Kalmaku, to take on the role of the Green Lantern while Jordan investigates Hammond. Jordan creates a duplicate power ring and costume for Kalmaku to fool Hammond. Unaware of the impersonation, Hammond kidnaps Kalmaku, steals his ring and turns him into a chimpanzee. Jordan confronts Hammond personally in a battle of power rings that ends only when the charge of Hammond's ring runs out, allowing Jordan to capture him and restore Kalmaku and the scientists.
Hammond returns in Justice League of America #14 (September 1962), where he has managed to escape from prison and deliberately exposes himself to the meteorite. The radiation causes his brain to grow to enormous size, granting him psionic powers as well as immortality in the process. Unfortunately, his body becomes immobilized and he loses the power to speak. Trapped in a motionless state, Hammond is still able to use his psionic powers to control the minds of others. He attempts to steal the Green Lantern's ring, but Jordan manages to command his ring to drain itself of power when it leaves his finger, after which Jordan renders Hammond unconscious.
Hammond is responsible for the creation of the second Royal Flush Gang in Justice League of America #203 (June 1982). Hammond and the Gang are defeated when Dr. Martin Stein, one half of the superhero Firestorm, subdues Hector on the astral plane.
In addition to battling Hal Jordan, Hammond has also fought Alan Scott as well as Kyle Rayner.
Powers and abilities
Hammond in his mutated state exhibits genius level intellect, potent telepathic and telekinetic abilities, and on occasion displays the ability to absorb and mentally redirect Green Lantern's emerald plasma. In some incarnations, his body has atrophied to the point where he cannot walk and he has to strap his head to a chair to support its weight.a
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