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Rex Dexter

Name:
Rex Dexter
Publisher:
Real name:
Rex Dexter
Aliases:
  • Battle Tank
Birth date:
None
Gender:
Male
Powers:
First issue:
Graphic Fantasy (1982) #1 Prism
cover

Origin

Rex Dexter was a brilliant scientist whose radical experiments allowed him to develop a powerful suit of armor that would allow him to fight crime. Taking the name Battle Tank, Rex joined forces with a number of superheroes to form the Fighting Force. This young group of heroes was led by the WWII veteran superhero SuperPatriot and their accomplishments soon brought them to the attention of the United States government. Unfortunately, a clash of egos occurred between SuperPatriot and Battle Tank which resulted in the Liberty League losing it’s leader. This ultimately led to the disbanding of the team and the fading to obscurity of Battle Tank. Rex Dexter had continued his research, remaining in relative obscurity but helping out the world where possible. He had trained a replacement for himself in Sterling Mason, the second man to take on the identity of Battle Tank.

Story Arcs

Attack of the Atlanteans

When, Sterling Mason went missing alongside his daughter, Lexie Dexter, into the Void, or Dimension-X. He was unable to go in search of the pair as he had uncovered the plot of the Atlantean to unite the world’s waterways using the Grokk to create tunnels through the Earth. Rex Dexter was unaware that Mako had killed the Atlantean and ended his threat already.

CyberFace

When the Dragon went looking for help in his efforts to overthrow CyberFace, Frank Darling introduced him to Rex Dexter. He provided invaluable technical assistance in the assault upon the White House in return for the promise of searching the Void for his missing daughter and protege. Rex also created a computer virus that would annihilate any presence of CyberFace’s programs that remained on Earth once he had been contained aboard Vanguard’s starship.

Into the Void

While on the mission into the Void, things went very wrong when Dragon got himself stuck in one of Death Seed’s stasis pods where he remained for two whole years. It was only when a team consisting of other heroes arrived to rescue him that Lexie Dexter could be returned to Earth, but Sterling Mason remained missing. The resulting reunion did not last as the young woman was suddenly consumed from within by strange creatures that then bit Rex Dexter before Dragon killed them all. Despite the terrible loss of his only relative, Rex Dexter managed to keep active by once more serving as a member of the Liberty League. Battle Tank created a number of devices which were crucial to defeating Universo in this timeline. His primary concern though was the safe return of his long-missing replacement.

Mutation

Eventually, Battle Tank could not wait any longer and left his original armor behind while he set off into Dimension-X. This second suit was passed to Alex Wilde while Rex Dexter began mutating into an alien life form. A rescue mission by some of the Liberty League not only recovered their veteran member but also uncovered the secret that Sterling Mason was now Deathseed. Ever since his return from the Void, Rex Dexter was forced to give up his Battle Tank persona as he was mutating into new form that could not fit within the armor.

A New Dexter

When Mister Glum enlarged Angel Dragon into giant size, Rex Dexter was impaled by a steel girder. He was assumed killed but his body was recovered by androids that he had created and his disembodied head was taken miles beneath the surface to a hidden bunker to be fitted into a new robotic body that resembles his Battle Tank armor. Rex remained in this form and managed to clear the name of Horridus, whom he had begun a relationship shortly before his physical body was impaled. He was surprised to discover that he now had a daughter, Dixie. Rex and his family were then exiled out into Dimension-X by Emperor Kurr when he took possession of the scientist’s laboratory.

Powers Abilities

Rex Dexter currently inhabits his old Battle Tank armor, granting him superhuman strength, flight, concussive energy invulnerability. His former demonic form possessed great strength and wing-granted flight

Issues

March 1998

September 2001

November 2001

December 2001

January 2002

February 2002

March 2002

May 2002

August 2002

September 2002

October 2002

December 2002

May 2003

June 2003

July 2003

August 2003

September 2003

October 2003

January 2004

February 2004

April 2004

September 2004

October 2004

November 2004

January 2005

April 2005

January 2006

March 2006

Volumes

1993

2002

2003

2015

Died in issues

Friends

Enemies

Teams