Bouncing Boy

Bouncing Boy (Charles Foster "Chuck" Taine) is a superhero appearing in American comic books by DC Comics, usually as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Born on Earth, Bouncing Boy has the power to inflate like a giant ball and bounce around. This combination of invulnerability and velocity makes him a surprisingly useful combatant. Born without any powers, he received his abilities from a super-plastic formula he believed was soda. Bouncing Boy is known for sharing a long-term romantic relationship with fellow Legionnaire Triplicate Girl, whom he eventually marries. In the reboot Legion continuity, he is the Legion's mechanic.

Bouncing Boy
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Action Comics #276 (May 1961)
Created by	Jerry Siegel Jim Mooney
In-story information
Alter ego	Charles Foster Taine
Species	Metahuman
Place of origin	Earth (31st century)
Team affiliations	Legion of Super-Heroes
Abilities	Inflation Ball mimicry Flight via ring

Bouncing Boy has appeared in various media outside comics, primarily in association with the Legion. He is voiced by Michael Cornacchia in Legion of Super Heroes (2006) and Googy Gress in Justice League Unlimited.

Publication history

Bouncing Boy first appeared in Action Comics #276 (May 1961),^[1] and was created by Jerry Siegel and Jim Mooney. His addition to the Legion of Super-Heroes reflected Siegel's interest in comedy and provided a vehicle for humor.^[2]

Fictional character biography

Silver Age

Bouncing Boy is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes who gained his abilities after accidentally drinking a super plastic formula which he believes to be soda. He later becomes a teacher at the Legion Academy and marries Luornu Durgo. However, the two leave the Legion due to a rule that prohibits members from being married and remaining in active duty at the same time.^{[3][4][5][6][7]}

Post-Zero Hour

In post-Zero Hour continuity, Chuck lacks powers and is the Legion's resident architect and engineer, having gone to school using his parents' money after they were killed by Daxamites. He designs the Legion Outpost space station and builds a specialty vehicle called the "Bouncing Boy" which acts as a bouncing juggernaut, smashing everything in its way.^[1]

Retroboot / New Earth

Infinite Crisis restores a close analogue of the original Legion to continuity. Bouncing Boy is depicted as an instructor at the Legion Academy and a reserve member of the Legion.

In Doomsday Clock, Bouncing Boy is among the Legion of Super-Heroes members who are erased from existence after Doctor Manhattan alters the timeline. However, he is resurrected when Superman convinces Manhattan to restore the timeline.^[8]

Powers and abilities

Bouncing Boy is a metahuman with the ability to inflate into an elastic, spherical form, enabling him to bounce at high speeds. This also provides him with a limited degree of invulnerability and resistant to electric shocks. Unlike an inanimate rubber ball, which loses kinetic energy due to friction and gravity, Bouncing Boy maintains velocity as he bounces.^[9]

The reboot incarnation of Chuck Taine has no powers, but is a skilled engineer and architect. He built and pilots his own spaceship known as the Bouncing Boy.^[10]

As a Legion of Super-Heroes member, Bouncing Boy is given a Legion Flight Ring. It enables him to fly and survive in space, and acts as a long-range communicator and navigator.

In other media

Television

• Bouncing Boy makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Superman: The Animated Series episode "New Kids in Town".^{[citation needed]}
• Bouncing Boy appears in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Far From Home", voiced by Googy Gress.^[11]
• Bouncing Boy appears in Legion of Super Heroes (2006), voiced by Michael Cornacchia.^[11] This version temporarily replaced Cosmic Boy as leader of the Legion during the first season, and inspired a group of discouraged Legion applicants to form the Legion of Substitute Heroes.
• Bouncing Boy appears in the Harley Quinn episode "Icons Only", voiced by Eric Bauza.^{[citation needed]} This version is a contemporary Las Vegas performer.

Film

Bouncing Boy appears in Legion of Super-Heroes (2023), voiced by Ely Henry.^[12][11] This version is a student of the Legion Academy.

Video games

Bouncing Boy appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.^[13]

Miscellaneous

• Bouncing Boy appears in Adventures in the DC Universe #10.^[14]
• The Legion of Super Heroes (2006) incarnation of Bouncing Boy appears in Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century.^[15]
• Bouncing Boy appears in Smallville Season 11.^[16]
• Bouncing Boy appears in the one-shot comic Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes.^[17]