A super-hero created by
Mort Weisinger and
Lee Harris for
DC Comics. Air Wave first appeared in
Detective Comics
#60 in February 1942.
Air Wave was actually a district attorney named Lawrence
"Larry" Jordan. When Jordan was a high school student, he
helped the police bring in a criminal by using a tape recorder
and a special radio receiver that could bounce radio waves off
any smooth metal surface. Larry perfected the equipment over
the years and used it in his costumed identity of Air Wave.
His other equipment included a radio-equipped helmet and a
pair of roller skates that were specially designed to allow him
to ride telephone, electrical, or trolley car cables, making
him a contender for the super-hero with the lamest mode of transportation.
Jordan fought crime for many years as Air Wave. He was one of
the original members of the All-Star Squadron. He was aided
by his pet parrot Static and with a cheesy, fake moustache
which he used like Clark Kent's glasses to disguise his secret
identity. One can imagine that when presented with a crime, the
scene went something like this:
Air Wave: This looks like a job for...riiipppp... Owwww!
Jordan eventually married and hung up his roller skates. He was
killed defending his wife and young son, Harold, from a criminal
who broke into their home. His wife Helen donned Jordan's costume
to bring his killer to justice.
Harold, or Hal, eventually followed in his father's foot steps,
becoming the next Air Wave. Unlike his father, Harold used
a modified version of his father's helmet to actually turn into
radio waves. Later, his abilities expanded to allow him to
turn into all types of electro-magnetic radiation and he changed
his name to Maser.
Larry Jordan was part of a larger family. His brother had
three sons, one of which was
Hal Jordan, the famous member of the
Green Lantern Corps. Harold Jordan was named in his honor.