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"You're exactly where you said you'd be. Do not get on that ship. If you do, you're all dead."
—Rex Tyler to Rip Hunter's team[src]

Rex Tyler (died 1942), also known as Hourman, was the leader of the Justice Society of America.

Biography[]

Rex joined the Justice Society of America, a secret government organization created to combat the Nazis during World War II on behalf of the United States. Rex eventually rose to become the group's leader.[1]

Prior to 1942, Rex recruited Amaya Jiwe/Vixen into the team. Despite the JSA's discouragement against fraternizing within its ranks, Rex and Amaya fell in love and decided that once the war was over, they would leave the JSA so they could be together.[2]

Original timeline[]

In 1942 Rex encountered a group of time travelers known as the Legends, becoming a trusted ally. He also encountered Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash, and fought the rogue time traveler several times. During their last encounter Mick Rory/Heat Wave instructed Hourman to take the Waverider to 2016 and stop the Legends original arrival in 1942. The Reverse-Flash attempted to stop Hourman and succeeded in killing the Legends but Hourman was successfully able to venture through time.

Crashing the Waverider in Star City during May 2016 just meters from the earlier Waverider and the younger versions of the team, Rex approached the team. After confirming his whereabouts, he introduced himself and warned the group not to disembark on the ship, or they'd all die, and revealed to a skeptical Mick that he was sent by his own future-self. While the Legends were skeptical to believe him, Rex tried to stress the grave consequences of traveling through time again, but suddenly faded out of existence much to the Legends' confusion.[3]

Due to the Reverse-Flash's killing of Rex in the current version of 1942 and rupturing the timeline, most of these events never happened in the current timeline.

Current timeline[]

The Justice Society of America watch the imprisoned Legends on security footage

Rex and the JSA discuss the Legends.

In 1942, Rex discovered several individuals posing as government agents and sent the JSA after them. After capturing them Rex observed them arguing in their prison cell via a camera, but as surprised when his team told him they knew his name. Wanting to hear their side of the story Rex was further confused when Professor Martin Stein, as Rex presumed to be the team leader, addressed him as though personally acquainted. The team, the Legends, informed Rex they met him when he crashed their ship in 2016 and warned them not to travel to 1942 and vanished. Rex however was still highly disbelieving of their story. He was then contacted by the president for a mission in Paris after Baron Kreiger was located.[4]

White Canary and Rex Tyler

Rex and Sara Lance aboard the Waverider.

After having Vixen's cover blown by the Legends, Rex allowed the group to join their mission. Conferring with Martin Stein, he launched an attack on a Nazi transport containing an amulet that was meant to be traded for a serum that would allow the creation of Nazi super soldiers. Unfortunately, both Vixen and the Atom were captured. Upon returning to the ship Sara Lance wished to return to save Amaya and Ray, but Rex remained adamant that they destroy the Nazi's super serum with an air strike. However, after Martin turned the right of leadership over to Sara Lance, he agreed to save them.

Reverse-Flash kills Hourman

Rex is killed by the Reverse-Flash.

After a successful mission, Rex returned to the JSA headquarters with the Askaran Amulet but was attacked by the Reverse-Flash, who phased his vibrating hand through Rex's chest to prevent him from completing his warning to the Legends. The speedster then fled, and the fatally injured Rex was discovered by Amaya. With his dying breath, Rex told her that his attacker was a time traveler, before dying in her arms, much to Amaya's heartbreak.[1]

Legacy[]

Rex's death caused Amaya to sneak aboard the Waverider thinking Mick Rory killed Rex. But later joined the Legends when Sara revealed Mick's innocence to find Rex's killer. [5]

Thawne used Rex's death to imtimadate Amaya to attacking him when he and Malcolm Merlyn attacked the Waverider.[6]

Abilities[]

  • High-level intellect/Expert tactician/Leader: As the leader of the Justice Society, Rex was a highly trained tactician leader.[1]
  • Peak of human physical condition: As a former member of the JSA, Rex was in top human condition.[1]
  • Expert hand-to-hand combatant/Martial artist: Rex has shown to be highly trained in close quarters combat.[1]

Equipment[]

  • Hourman suit: Rex wears a protective suit for when he is operating as Hourman. The suit is all black with a black cape, a black belt with a golden belt buckle, and black boots with red at the sides. The sleeves also have red stripes on them and the suit has an attached hood to further hide his identity.[1]

Appearances[]

DC's Legends of Tomorrow[]

Season 1

Season 2


Gallery[]

Concept artwork[]

Trivia[]

  • Rex's conversation with the Legends is depicted differently between the Season 1 finale "Legendary" and the Season 2 premiere "Out of Time". It is likely that the conversation changed due to a rupture of time, courtesy of Eobard Thawne, who murdered Rex in a new version of 1942.
  • Despite being the leader of the JSA, Rex does not seem to be the field leader and seems to stay back as the Mission Control leader.

Behind the scenes[]

  • In the main DC Comics continuity, Rex Tyler is known as the superhero Hourman, who is able to harness extraordinary abilities for an hour at a time by using the Miraclo vitamin.

References[]

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