SuperFriends Comic Book Character
The ‘Time Trapper’
Information
Real name:	Unknown
AKA:	Time Master Ty. M. Master
Species:	Controller
Homeworld:	Unknown
Universe:	Earth-One Earth-1A
Occupation:	Time-Traveler Tyrant Warlord
Base:	End of Time Anywhere in time
Rogue of:	Wonder Woman Superman Legion of Super-Heroes
Abilities:	Time Travel Time Manipulation

Nothing is known of the Time Trapper's origin. All we know is the he is being of great power and is one of the most powerful and relentless foes to ever face the Legion of Super-Heroes. His true identity is currently unknown.

Background Information

In the parallel-universe of Earth-One, the mysterious figure calling himself the Time Trapper is a strange robed warlord from the extremely distant future, well past the time of the Legion of Super-Heroes. He created a strange "Iron Curtain of Time" that prevented the Legion from going into their future. He also commanded a vast number of slaves.

He has invented an 'hour glass' that can devolve people to their earliest stage of life. The Time Trapper sends his beautiful agent Glorith of Baaldur to the 30th century to use it against his super-hero enemies, the Legion of Super-Heroes. Manipulating the Legion into coming to her, Glorith uses the hour glass against the Legion. However, things don't go exactly as planned because the hour glass only devolves the present Legion members to the age of infancy instead of slime, thus failing the Time Trapper. Meanwhile, Superboy and Brainiac 5 have received a distress call a million years in the future, so they take the time-bubble and head out on their mission. They are surprised to see that the "Iron Curtain of Time" did not prevent their travel. Upon arrival they find nothing is at it should be. Brainiac 5 then receives a distress call on the timescope from the Legion. As they try to head back, they are trapped by the "Iron Curtain of Time" which prevents their return. At the same time, the Time Trapper travels to the 30th Century to take control of the operation. He betrays Glorith, using the hour glass against her and also manages to convince the children to commit crimes for him. However he underestimates the children and when they turn his ship into candy, they also turn the device he uses to control his "Iron Curtain of Time" into candy as well, allowing Superboy and Brainiac 5 to return to the 30th Century. He agrees to change them back to normal if they let him escape in his ship. However, after restoring the Legion members to normal, the Time Trapper soon finds himself trapped thanks to a barrier ring that was planted on the ship by the Legion.^[1]

Justice League hero, Wonder Woman first encountered the Time Trapper (who at that time called himself the 'Ty. M. Master') while on a date with Colonel Steve Trevor, by creating a diabolical "fun house". He reveals himself to the two and says that he has watched Wonder Woman from the Time Dimension and that he wanted to see if she can face any challenge he throws at her. He tells them that each mirrored-door will transport them to a different time and they will be sent back if they manage to avoid whatever peril waits for them there. Their only way out will is to correctly guess which door the Time Master is hiding behind. After being transported to various disasters throughout time, Wonder Woman decides to use her super-human abilities. Vibrating at super-speed, Wonder Woman passes through each door without having to open them, thus preventing her from being transported to other eras until she can find the right one containing the Time Master. This plan is a success and Wonder Woman pulls the Time Master out of the correct door. With his plot foiled, the Time Master teleports away and Wonder Woman and Steve leave the fun house as it begins to collapse.^[2]

It was eventually revealed that the Time Trapper was a member of the fascist but well-intentioned race of Controllers.^[3]

The Time Trapper shows up at Professor Nichols' Lab. He destroys the Professor’s Time-Machine and then sends Jayna to Krypton's doomsday and Zan is sent to the future on Neryla IV where its Sun is about to go Nova. It is the combined effort of the SuperFriends (Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Superman) that save the displaced teens. However, hey still need to locate the Time Trapper. Since his time-machine is destroyed, Professor Nichols, uses his 'time travel hypnosis' technique to send the SuperFriends to various points in time that the Time Trapper may be hiding. The SuperFriends and Tuatara eventually capture him and contact the Controllers to come take him away.^[4]

The Time Trapper was defeated by the Legion and it was believed that Darkseid removed almost all of his power during the Great Darkness Saga.^[5]

Powers and Abilities

Super powers

• Chronokinesis: The Time Trapper can manipulate the timestream. He is able to age anyone he chooses (even to bones or ashes). He is also capable of creating an "Iron Curtain of Time," a barrier which prevented time travel. The Trapper was also able to create a temporal force barrier which he used to seal a time traveling Superman off from the 20th century.^[6]

Abilities

• Temporal Mechanics: He is presumably well-versed in this field of science, as it is how his powers work.

Appearances

Neither the Time Trapper or the Time Master appeared in any episode of the Superfriends TV Show.

Earth-One Appearances of the Time Master:

• Wonder Woman, #101 (October, 1958).

Earth-One Appearances of the Time Trapper:

• Adventure Comics, #317 (February 1964) – behind the scenes
• Adventure Comics, #318 (March 1964)
• Adventure Comics, #321 (June 1964)
• Adventure Comics, #322 (July 1964) – behind the scenes
• Adventure Comics, #338 (November 1965)
• Action Comics, #385 (February 1970)
• Action Comics, #386 (March 1970)
• Action Comics, #387 (April 1970)
• Superboy, #223 (January 1977)

Earth-1A Appearance:

• Super Friends, #17 (February, 1979)
• Super Friends, #18 (March, 1979)

Notes

• The Time Trapper was created by Edmond Hamilton and John Forte. He first appeared in Adventure Comics, #317 (1964).
• The Time Master was created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru. He first appeared in Wonder Woman, #101 (October, 1958).
• In the SuperFriends Comic Book, issue #17 (February, 1979), E. Nelson Bridwell (writer / editor) states that Wonder Woman knows the villain Superman calls the Time Trapper (the infamous 'Legion of Super-Heroes' foe) as the Time Master (aka Ty. M. Master) who she has battled before. Thus directly connecting the two villains. And although it is not stated in the letters column or the margin notes, Wonder Woman's battle references the Earth-One events recorded in Wonder Woman, #101/2 (October, 1958). Superman then connects this villain to a race of superior beings from and another universe known as the Controllers. Thus, this story establishes in the Earth-1A universe (at least), that the Time Trapper and Time Master are one-and-the-same.

External Links

• Time Trapper at the DC Database
• Time Trapper at Wikipedia

References

1. ↑ As revealed in Adventure Comics, #338 (October 1965).
2. ↑ As revealed in Wonder Woman, #101 (October, 1958).
3. ↑ As revealed in All New Collectors' Edition, #C-55 (March, 1978).
4. ↑ As revealed in Super Friends, #17 (February, 1979) and #18 (March, 1979).
5. ↑ See The Great Darkness Saga at the DC Database
6. ↑ As revealed in Action Comics, #385 (February, 1970).