Henry Heywood

"I'm a hero to a lot of people; that's the job."

- Henry Heywood

Henry Heywood is a former member of the Justice Society of America known as Commander Steel, and the grandfather of Nate Heywood.

Biography
Sometime prior to 1939, Henry Heywood joined the army, and was given dog tags with the number 070233; he continued to regularly wear them throughout his career. In 1939, he saved President Roosevelt from an assassin's bullet, which left a dent in his tags.

After the Legends forced Albert Einstein to reveal Mileva Maric as the physicist's secret collaborator in 1942, Heywood and the Justice Society of America intercepted the team and wanted to bring them in for questioning. When the Legends resisted, the JSA quickly incapacitated them, and took them back to their headquarters. Once they realized that they were no threat, they let them go. Sometime after, they encountered them, putting a stop to a brawl in a Parisian nightclub caused by the Legends. The Legends revealed that they had access to a timeship, suggesting that they work together. They headed to the Fontainebleau Forest, intercepting some Nazis and taking on their target, Krieger, just closely escaping, albeit with Ray and Amaya kidnapped. Shortly following, Krieger used a biomolecular enhancer, causing Commander Steel and Dr. Mid-Nite to take him on. Commander Steel fired shots at him, causing Krieger to go after him. He was picked up by Nate, his future grandson, in a motorcycle with a sidecar. Baron Krieger was promptly bombed by Allies, but so were Nate and Henry. Back on the Waverider, Henry stood by Nate's side as he recovered, calling him a hero and bidding him farewell. Following this ordeal, the Legends handed over the Askaran Amulet to the JSA, who went on their way. Heywood gave his dog tags to his wife after their son was born in 1955. The following year, Henry and the JSA (sans Obsidian) were sent on a mission to Leipzig, aided by Rip Hunter, to recover the Spear of Destiny. Breaking it into four pieces, Henry took a piece and was transported to an unknown time period for safekeeping.

Legacy
After his apparent death in 1956, his wife gave their son the dog tags, which he eventually passed down to his own son.

Personality
Henry never wanted to be seen as a hero, merely a person, a belief he relayed to his grandson Nate when the latter traveled back in time to 1942. Usually appearing rough around the edges and possessing a no-nonsense attitude, Henry was not purely a grouch; he regularly sung to the JSA to raise their spirits when on missions, and often tried to teach Amaya Jiwe to sing along, though he never succeeded.

Henry's somewhat gruff exterior was notably seen during his interactions with his future grandson. Despite his rough demeanor towards his descendant, Henry offered Nate sound advice and appears proud of the hero that Nate would become. He also felt a certain attachment to Nate, sitting by his side following Nate's recovery from his injuries on board the Waverider.

Abilities

 * Expert marksman/Firearms: Henry is masterful with firearms, protecting the Legends and fighting Nazis.
 * Expert hand-to-hand combatant: Henry is incredibly strong in close combat, managing to defeat the seasoned Legends members with relative ease.
 * Performance/Singing: Henry is an avid singer with a beautiful voice, his songs kept his team's spirit on harsh missions.

Equipment

 * Commander Steel uniform: Henry uses this specialized uniform on his missions as a member of the JSA.
 * Dog tags #060233: This item was passed in the Heywood family throughout generations, eventually ending in Nate's hands. When Henry saved President Roosevelt from an assassin's bullet, it left a dent in the tags.
 * Rifle: Henry uses a modified rifle on his missions as Commander Steel.

Behind the scenes

 * In DC comics, Hank Heywood was crippled during World War II, and a scientist used cybernetic upgrades to make him extremely powerful. He took the name "Commander Steel", originally just "Steel", and became a member of the All-Star Squadron. His grandson Hank Heywood III also had to be rebuilt after an injury, and he became the second Steel working with Justice League Detroit. Heywood's other grandson Nathan became Citizen Steel as a member of the Justice Society.
 * In the New 52 continuity, Henry Heywood became known as Captain Steel, after his scientist father Henry Heywood, Sr., used a special metal alloy to make his bones stronger by binding with his DNA; however, it replaced the bones and some of his vital organs entirely, while imbuing him with super-strength and a mental control over machinery.