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REBOUND

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human mutate (pre-modern era)

Occupation: Adventurer

Group Membership: First Line (Black Fox/Robert William Paine, Blackjack, Doctor Mime, Effigy/Velmax, Firefall, Flatiron/Russell, Frank (see comments), Liberty Girl/Beverly, Major Mercury/Makkari, Mr. Justice/Timothy "Tim" Carney, Morph, Nightingale, Oxbow/Sam Matonabbe, Pixie, Positron/Veronica, Rapunzel, Reflex, Squire, Templar/Ian Fitzwilliam Dare, Vulcan, Walkabout/William Carmody, Yankee Clipper/Patrick "Pat" Carney, Yeti)

Affiliations: Captain Hip (Fred MacRae), Sunshine (Autumn MacRae), Thor (Thor Odinson), Venus

Enemies: Rumor and his gang

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: First Line headquarters, Colorado Mountains

First Appearance: Marvel: The Lost Generation#5 (October 2000)

Powers/Abilities: The full array and nature of Rebound's superhuman abilities has not been revealed. She was seen flying under her own power, and she was durable enough to survive getting flung away by one of Thor's gales. If her codename is anything to go by, she is somehow able to absorb kinetic energy (the force from a blow, or the impact from a fall) without ill effects. Rebound generates an invisible, possibly telekinetic, force field that shields her from damage. She wore a costume with an unusually large, oddly shaped helmet that only showed her face. Rebound was a smoker.

Height: 5'6" (by approximation)
Weight: 110 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Unrevealed.

History:
(Marvel: The Lost Generation#5 - (fb) - BTS) - At some point during the mid-1960s, the woman calling herself Rebound joined the First Line. In those days, the line-up consisted of, among others, Black Fox, Effigy, Frank, Major Mercury, Mr. Justice, Oxbow and Pixie.

(Marvel: The Lost Generation#5 - BTS) - Acting on a tip from Cap'n Hip and his partner Sunshine, Rebound and the other members of the First Line decided to investigate a youth oriented pop event hosted by Venus. Suspecting there might be mind-control at work, Pixie and Effigy joined Hip and Sunshine on a fact-finding mission at the festival. There, Sunshine fell prey to the mental persuasion of both Venus and Rumor, who was secretly adding his power to Venus's. While Cap'n Hip went off to rescue his wife, only to succumb to its insidious influences as well, Pixie learned of Rumor's involvement moments before running into Thor (who had been ordered to Earth by Odin to deal with the situation as well).

(Marvel: The Lost Generation#5) - Rebound was relaxing in the First Line's temporary headquarters, enjoying a smoke and waiting for Pixie and the others to return. Black Fox, however, was less than relaxed and angrily lamented the fact Effigy had talked him into working with "those blasted hippies." Revealing that the reports suggested a mind-altering agent was involved, Rebound wondered if he meant drugs. When the Fox explained he suspected the involvement of Rumor, an enemy he faced two decades earlier, Rebound told him she'd read the file on Rumor. She described the villain as a mind-bending, behind-the-scenes type whom she thought was dead. Just then, Pixie arrived with Thor and confirmed Rumor was still very much alive. Before the First Line could properly process being in the presence of the actual Norse god of thunder, Rebound spotted a gigantic mob coming from the festival, led by Cap'n Hip and Sunshine, who guided them in a planned take over of city hall and the state house.

    Rebound, Thor and the First Line tried their best to contain the mob, but found it hard not to injure the basically innocent mind-controlled minors. When Rumor and Venus entered the fray, Thor immediately felt the effects of her love powers and was about to switch sides. Rebound yanked on the thunderer's cape, hoping to keep him focused. Angered, Thor blew her away with a gust of wind. Rebound returned just in time to help out Major Mercury, Mr. Justice and Frank, the only First Liners still standing, while Rumor had Venus order her subjects to kill the heroes.

    Luckily, Effigy and the Black Fox disabled the Nazi's vocal cords, an act that immediately released Venus and everyone else Rumor had swayed. In the aftermath, Rebound watched as Thor rather brusquely rejected Black Fox's invitation to join the First Line; Thor flew off, declaring he had carried out Odin's orders, and now Asgard's mead houses awaited him--watching him go, Rebound rather prophetically remarked that his pop wouldn't be pleased.

Comments: Created by Roger Stern (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Al Milgrom (inks).

Does it get any more mid-60s superhero chic than Rebound's costume? I've always wondered why she wore that excessively large head gear that made her look like the third member of Daft Punk. It certainly wouldn't increase her peripheral vision...

    Speaking of the outfit, Rebound's get-up reminds me somewhat of comedian Phyllis Diller (1917 - 2012), who was already a famous star in those days. From the frilly gloves to the cigarette (though Diller's was actually a wooden prop), there are remarkable similarities. And wearing a mask that only showed the slightest bit of her face would have been an ideal choice for the self-deprecating Diller as well.

    Having a superhero light up a cigarette is something unheard of these days, but perfectly acceptable in the 1960s. Stan Lee even had Tony Stark happily puffing away while he recharged the device that kept his heart ticking. Oh, the irony.

    So where did Rebound disappear to after the mid-60s? She wasn't part of the First Line's massive assault on the Skrull invasion fleet, which got just about every living First Liner out of retirement. Assuming she didn't succumb to any kind of lung disease caused by her smoking, she might have perished during a mission or lost her powers at some point. For my money, I'd like to believe that somewhere in the late-70s, Rebound developed a rebellious streak as she got into punk, shaved her head and became Riot-Act. One can dream, right?

    It's not clear whether Frank from the First Line is definitely the Frankenstein monster or not. The First Line and Frankenstein Monster profiles in the OHotMU are contradictory in this regard, with the former saying they are the same and the latter saying it is "unknown."
    As the head writer of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe at that time, I can tell you, the official policy is:
Frank of the First Line is apparently either a Frankenstein monster - meaning a creature created in the manner of Victor Frankenstein's first creation - or just a being with a similar appearance and abilities who adopted the name Frank due to the notable similarities. However, it as yet remains unrevealed whether Frank is actually the original creation of Victor Frankenstein, aka "the Frankenstein monster." Previous entries referencing Frank as "Frankenstein monster" were unclear in specifying/clarifying this point.
--Snood.

Profile by Norvo.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Rebound should not be confused with


images: (without ads)
Marvel The Lost Generation#5, p17, pan2 (main image)
Marvel The Lost Generation#5, p9, pan4 (enjoying a cigarrete)


Appearances:
Marvel: The Lost Generation#5 (October 2000) - Roger Stern (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)


First Posted: 02/06/2014
Last updated: 05/11/2014

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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