Girder
After being thrown into a vat of molten steel at STAR Labs, Tony Woodward was transformed into a steel giant, he uses his newfound strength for crime as Girder.
Name:
Girder
Publisher:
Real name:
Anthony Woodward
Aliases:
- Tony Woodward
- Girder
Birth date:
None
Gender:
Male
Powers:
- Invulnerability
- Stamina
- Super Strength
- Unarmed Combat
First issue:
Origin
A steelworker, Tony Woodward caused a riot at the plant where he worked when he assaulted a female coworker. In the chaos, he was pushed into a vat of liquid steel and recycled STAR Lab scraps. Rather than dying, Woodward was transformed into living metal. Using his newfound powers, he goes on a crime rampage, eventually getting arrested and sent to Iron Heights.
Creation
Girder was created by Geoff Johns and Ethan van Sciver. He first appeared in Flash: Iron Heights #1. He is based partially on Pig-Iron from the Zoo Crew.
Major Story Arcs
Iron Heights
Imprisoned in Iron Heights during Murmur's release of the Frenzy virus, Girder attacks the Flash during the mass breakout attempt. He is incapacitated by Flash, but later manages to escape and join up with Blacksmith's Rogues.
Crossfire
Girder joins Blacksmith's attempts to take over Central and Keystone Cities. He is kept from rusting away by Magenta, for whom he develops affections. He makes several crude advances towards her but is rebuffed. He succeeds in rendering the Flash unconscious during their battle and nearly kills him, but Magenta changes her mind about killing the Flash, and she rips Girder in half. He is welded back together and returned to Iron Heights.
Rogue War
During the Rogue War, Girder fights alongside the Top and the New Rogues. The Flash dumps him in the bay, leaving him to rust.
Salvation
Girder is among the villains transported to the planet Salvation. He refuses to listen to the original Rogues, who have been on the planet for some time, and falls prey to one of the planet's many dangerous creatures. The Rogues save him, and he later joins Team Joker. He presumably escapes the planet through Lex Luthor's portal.
Forever Evil
Girder, along with Chroma and Tar Pit, approaches the newly-arrived Gorilla Grodd to negotiate territory in Central City. Grodd refuses and attacks them, knocking Girder out. He is later returned to prison.
Escape
Imprisoned in Iron Heights, Girder is the cellmate of Henry Allen. He and their other cellmates join Allen in escaping prison after Professor Zoom threatens Allen's son. After they part ways, the Flash tracks him down at his grandmother's house and traps him with a large magnet. He presumably returns to prison.
Alternate Versions
Injustice: Gods Among Us
Girder is one of many criminals who run afoul of Superman's Regime
Powers and Abilities
Girder is made entirely out of metal. This grants him superhuman strength and durability. However, his metal body is susceptible to rust, which is maddeningly painful.
Other Media
Film
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Girder appears as a member of the army of villains that seeks to collect the bounty on the heads of Batman and Superman. He does not speak in his appearance.
Television
The Flash
Girder appears in two episodes of this series, making his first appearance in "The Flash Is Born." He is portrayed as the childhood bully of Barry Allen who gains the ability to change into a powerful metal body after falling into melted scrap metal. He dies in the episode "Power Outage." He is portrayed by Greg Finley.
