$60 MILLION DOLLAR MAN

Real Name: Johnson Cooper

Identity/Class: Alternate Reality (Earth-90632)

Occupation: Warrior;
    former astronaut

Group Membership: Former servant of Kevkorp;
    formerly NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)'s Icarus Program 

Affiliations: Enslaved by Kevkorp;
    befriended by John Gabriel Starkweather

Enemies: Kiev Carr, Otomo Edo, KevKorp, Isabelle J. LaSalle, Felix A. Merrin

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    formerly Skytech, California, USA, Earth-90632

First Appearance: Tomorrow Knights#3 (September, 1990)

Powers/Abilities:  As the "$60 Million Dollar Man," Cooper was rebuilt as a cyborg to adapt him to life in space.

    Cooper was trained and experienced as an astronaut. However, he was unable to handle isolation of apparently living alone in a space station for several months.

    After being revived by Kevkorp, he had a heavily armored/mechanized form with a pincer claw on his right arm and an extensible blade on his left forearm. His armor grants him enhanced durability (although heavy weapons from Isabelle LaSalle's armored exoskeleton could damage the armor and blow off the helmet, leaving his face and neck more vulnerable) and superhuman strength (lifting perhaps 1000 pounds or more).

    His armor received commands from someone serving Kiev Carr, and Cooper was unable to resist commands, even to the point of injuring or killing himself or others.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 7'6" - 8'); (human form) approximately 6'
Weight: Unrevealed (it is unrevealed how much of his body is machine as is the composition of his mechanical, but he is certainly at least several hundred pounds); (human form) approximately 200 lbs.
Eyes: Unrevealed (he wore translucent lenses that obscured his eye color; his pre-cyborg form is shown too distantly to identify his eye color
Hair: Brown

History:
(Tomorrow Knights#3 (fb)) - NASA astronaut Johnson Cooper was the pride of the Icarus program, having volunteered to be adapted for space as a fast track. At some point, he was nicknamed the "$60 Million Dollar Man."

    However, after six month alone in space, apparently aboard a space station, he cracked under the pressure and apparently caused some sort of explosion.

(Tomorrow Knights#3 (fb) - BTS) <2002 A.D.> - After two years of cryotherapy, Cooper was revived, and he learned about the 13 Hour War (see comments). With NASA no longer active, Cooper was now the property of Kevkorp, who slaved him with a cybernetic override.

    Cooper spent the next 10 years working as Kevkorp's guard dog.

"$60 Million Dollar Man" (see comments). With LaSalle's shot having apparently disabled the override goad, Cooper confirmed his identity and revealed his history. When Starkweather told Cooper he was coming with them when they departed, he was agreeable and felt that he could make it.

    However, Edo then activated the failsafe by telling Cooper the codeword, "Mishima," and the override kicked back in. Announcing this and warning the others that he had no control, Cooper was helpless to disobey the order to terminate, and he decapitated Edo (presumably for his failure and to prevent his capture). Begging for help, Cooper was unable to stop himself from fatally stabbing himself in the throat.

    Although Starkweather's associates urged him that it was time to depart as authorities were on the way, Starkweather refused to leave Cooper to die alone, and he instructed LaSalle to take Merrin and get out of there. Starkweather then comforted and talked to Cooper, who appreciated it as he had not wanted to die alone.

Comments: Created by Roy Richardson and Rod Whigman as part of the Epic line of creator-owned characters/stories.

Earth-90632 Following “13 Hour War” -- which involved nuclear or chemical strikes against dozens of cities and nations around the world  -- in 2002 A.D., the United Corporate Council (UCC) took over the world. Circa 2012 A.D. John Starkweather led Tomorrow Knights mercenaries to oppose Kieven Carr’s plot to nuke Moscow and establish New Rodina meteor base. Tomorrow Knights #1 (1990)

    There is no reason to ASSume that this reality has a sliding timescale. It would be nice to see some story follow-up on the character with real time having passed over a decade since their 2012 adventures, which were 22 years in the future when they first published.

    They repeatedly referred to him as the "$60 Million Dollar Man," although the dollar sign is redundant given that the word dollar is spelled out. You just need one or the other, not both.

    Kevkorp is also spelled Kevcorp.

    I assume the codeword Mishima was in reference to Japanese author, actor, and revolutionary Kimitake Hiraoka, also known as Yukio Mishima, who committed seppuku (ritual suicide).
    It's also a pottery term, which seems less likely to have been its intent.

    This profile was completed 07/30/2023, but it was saved for the Appendix's 25th Anniversary Event to represent the Tomorrow Knights characters and stories.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
This $60 Million Dollar Man should be distinguished from:

• SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN (Steve Austin) - astronaut rebuilt as cyborg after surviving test plane crash--Six Million Dollar Man TV series, adapted from Martin Caidin's "Cyborg" novel; presumably the inspiration for the 60 million Dollar Man
  
• SIX MILLION YEAR MAN - encountered Black Panther and Council of Antiquarians - aka HATCH 22--Black Panther I#1
• Other "Six (or 60) million" characters, groups, items, events, races, or places...
  

Appearances:
Tomorrow Knights#3 (September, 1990) - Roy Richardson (writer/inker), Rod Whigman (writer/penciler), Christian Cooper (assistant editor), Marc McLaurin (editor)

First posted: 09/11/2026
Last updated: 07/12/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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