Tyroc

Troy Stewart was raised with the awareness of racial bias. His home, the transdimensional island Marzal, was founded as a haven from the world which tried to enslave his ancestors. When it was discovered that he was a mutant with the ability to vocally draw upon the energies of Marzal's alien dimension for a variety of reality-warping effects, the people of Marzal groomed him to be their protector, assuming that no outsiders would come to their aid. As Tyroc (a name that means "Scream of the Devil" in Marzallian), he served in that position until his teens without any assistance.

Then he met the Legion of Super-Heroes, who were chasing a gang of jewel thieves to Marzal. Tyroc was bitter towards the Legion, who had never visited Marzal since it returned to Earth's dimension. (Superboy #216) Troy treated them harshly, refuse to work with them, and accused them of racism. But after the Legionnaires saved his life, he began to trust them, and accepted their offer for membership. (#218)

Tyroc's Legion career was one of the shortest and most lackluster in its history. Stewart's priorityies remained with his own people, and his duties as protector of Marzal made his missions with the Legion few and infrequent. (#222)

Tyroc was called back to Legion duty when Dagon the Avenger kidnapped the parents of several Legionnaires. Given his infrequent appearances, his teammates were irate when he had to return to Marzal in the middle of their case. Ironically, his powers were precisely what the Legion needed to find Dagon. Dawnstar and his friend Shadow Lass were sympathetic to his duties on Marzal and went to him there. But they learned that Marzal was now entering its next cycle in another dimension — they would be trapped there with no way back! Tyroc could not forsake his home, and chose to remain. Dawnstar was able to get herself and Shadow Lass back to Earth (from which Marzal had already disappeared) and explain the situation to the rest of the Legion. (Legion vol. 2 #264-265)

His standing in the Legion's consciousness was restored, but most assume that they will never see him again.

Glorith Reality (Legion vol. 4)

After Marzal disappeared, the Legionnaires assumed that they would never see Tyroc again. And they might never have, if Earth had not been taken over by the Dominators. In a public relations plot, the Dominators orchestrated a quick victory against Khunds by using recordings of Tyroc's screams to draw Marzal back to Earth's dimension. Then they destroyed Marzal, claiming that the entire city was populated by Khund sympathizers. (Legion vol. 4 #16) Tyroc led the few survivors until they came across a resistance movement founded by the Legion's Jacques Foccart (Invisible Kid). Troy became Jacques's second-in-command and top advisor. After the war that freed Earth from the Dominators, Jacques was appointed interim president of Earth, and Troy became Vice President. (#35)

When Jacques resigned the presidency to rejoin the Legion, Troy found himself stuck in the Presidential chair (#41), where he remained until the Zero Hour—the crisis in time that destroyed this timeline. In one last effort, Stewart tried to use his powers to create a dimensional warp large enough to bring the Earth of a pocket dimension through. The planet proved to be unstable, but before he could rectify the situation, he disappeared in the white wave. (Valor #22)

Notes

Tyroc's publishing history is explained by the dissatisfaction among Legion creators to use an editorially-mandated black character. Artist Mike Grell said that he was eager to create a black Legionnaire but that Tyroc, and the segregationist premise behind his civilization, was an embarrassment. (The Legion Companion, Glen Cadigan, Two Morrows, 2003) The character appeared only a handful of times before being written off the team.

Paul Levitz on Tyroc: "The idea of using a sound-based character is, I think, intrinsically futile in a silen medium. He just never worked for me, so I did my best to dodge him over the years." —The Legion Companion

Tom and Mary Bierbaum on Tyroc: "Another painfully two-dimensional character and an anachronistic one to boot. During the Giffen run, he blossomed into a powerful, dedicated presence, a voice of experience." —Interlac (2000)

Other Versions

There was no Tyroc in the Reboot or Threeboot Legions, however the cover of Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 5 #15 (Apr. 2006) depicted him with two other 'forgotten' Legionnaires. The implication here may have been that these characters were part of the galaxywide Legion members-at-large; they did not appear inside the comic books.

Tyroc was also a member in TV's Legion of Super-Heroes cartoon.

Powers

Tyroc is a metahuman who can use his voice to effect a range of powers. Most frequently, he uses this to fly. He has also used it for concussive force, and to open dimensional gateways.

Appearances + References

» FEATURED APPEARANCES:  

• All-New Collectors' Edition #C-55
• Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 2 #263–265
• Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 4 #16, 29, 32, 34–36, 38, 40, 41, 50, 54, 59
• Legionnaires #1, 9, 10, 12
• Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes #1
• Superboy (& the Legion of Super-Heroes) #216, 218, 222, 250
• Valor #22

» SERIES:

• Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 6, 16 issues (2010–11)
• Legion: Lost vol. 2, 17 issues (2011–13)

» SEE ALSO:

• Major Spoilers: Tyroc