Origin

Very little is known about the Hand's origin. A career criminal, he gained a reputation as a mastermind.

Creation

The Hand was created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp. He made his first appearance in Leading Comics #1.

Character Evolution

Golden Age

In his initial appearance, the Hand had both his natural hands, and wore no special prosthetic or glove.

Bronze Age

In the Bronze Age, the Hand became the Iron Hand. He had lost his right hand following his first appearance, and wore a mechanical, iron prosthetic. During this Age he was identified as having created Nebula Man.

Modern Age

Partway through the Modern Age, it was retconned that the Hand had simply summoned Neh-Buh-Loh.

Major Story Arcs

Blueprint for Crime

Believing himself to be dying, the Hand sends five fellow criminals to carry out his most daring schemes, and baits the heroes to try to solve them, believing they will be easily defeated. While his "Five Fingers," carry out their plots, the Hand learns that a cure for his condition has been found. He informs the heroes about his location, planning to defeat them and thus remain free. He is defeated and apparently killed when Vigilante shoots out a crucial component in his lightning machine.

The Hand That Shook The World

The Hand orchestrates an elaborate revenge plot on the Seven Soldiers, creating the Nebula Man to attack them. This attack results in the death of one member of the team, while the others are lost throughout time, and forgotten by those still in the present. He next creates a giant Nebula Hand with which he threatens to crush Earth-2 unless he is given complete control of the planet. He takes Diana Prince hostage, but she severs his hand and easily overpowers him. He warns them that the controls for the Nebula Hand were in his broken iron hand, thus dooming them all. The Nebula Hand is destroyed by Red Tornado, and the Hand is captured.

Seven Soldiers of Victory

Hearing from his nephew, Boy Blue, that Vigilante is putting together a new Seven Soldiers of Victory, he passes on the summoning horn, and instructs his nephew to infiltrate the group and summon Neh-Buh-Loh to destroy his hated enemy. After the deaths of the members of the Seven Soldiers at the hands of Neh-Buh-Loh and the Sheeda, the Hand is visited in his sleep by an apparition of Vigilante, who shoots him in the soul. The next day he is visited in prison by Helen Helligan and Bulleteer, who force him to reveal his association to Neh-Buh-Loh and his knowledge of the Sheeda by breaking fingers off his iron hand. He reveals his visitation by Vigilante, and, suddenly bleeding from a wound in his chest, collapses and dies.

Powers and Abilities

The Hand has no known superhuman powers or abilities. He is very intelligent, a criminal mastermind, and a skilled inventor, with a particular talent for prosthetic design.

Weapons and Equipment

The Hand possesses an iron hand prosthetic, which functions as a normal hand and can also fire concussive beams from the fingers. He possessed a horn with which he could summon Neh-Buh-Loh from Summer's End.