Snapper Carr

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Publication information
Snapper Carr
Snapper Carr, drawn by George Pérez
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	The Brave and the Bold #28 (February-March 1960)
Created by	Gardner Fox (writer) Mike Sekowsky (artist)
In story information
Full name	Lucas "Snapper" Carr
Team affiliations	Checkmate Blasters Justice League Young Justice
Supporting character of	Hourman (android)

Lucas "Snapper" Carr is a fictional supporting character in the DC Universe. Most famous as a sidekick, and the first civilian member of the Justice League, he got his nickname from his habit of continually snapping his fingers. He was introduced in the League's first story in The Brave and the Bold #28, in which he helps them defeat Starro the Conqueror.

1 Fictional character history
2 Other media
3 Trivia
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Fictional character history

As the JLA could not have the sidekicks of all its members occasionally wandering through its secret headquarters, but needed a character to whom the reader could relate, the group needed a distinct character not associated with the home town of any of its members. In order to rationalize that an ordinary person could become an honorary member of the JLA, he had to be important to them at the moment of that group's formation. This was done by a gimmick devised by Gardner Fox: young Lucas — called "Snapper" for his penchant for snapping his fingers — is immune to Starro's attacks, explained by his just having put lime on the lawn. It is Aquaman who recalls that various sea invertebrates are susceptible to lime and by this means, Starro is defeated.^[1]

As luck would have it, Snapper's uncle, Simon Carr, approaches the new JLA on behalf of Oliver Queen and provides them with the resources to set up a headquarters in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island. This becomes the site of the JLA's Secret Sanctuary. Snapper quickly becomes a fixture around JLA headquarters.^[2] During this time, Simon Carr becomes the host for an Apellaxian alien; he then founds the organization called Locus. Eventually, it is Snapper who uncovers his uncle's betrayal, just in time to warn the JLA. Locus is defeated, and Simon returns to normal.^[3] Carr is present for most of the League's early adventures. Three Leaguers even dedicate humanitarian hours to help Snapper write a paper about "brotherhood."^[4] His time with the JLA ends in tragedy, however. Snapper is manipulated by the Joker into betraying the location of the Secret Sanctuary. After this, Carr resigns his honorary membership. The shame of this failure still haunts him today.^[5]

Still, the JLA rescues Snapper Carr and his family, when they were kidnapped by Anakronus,^[6] but he suffers further humiliation when the Key seemingly bestowed him with the powers of the Star-Tsar and sets him against the JLA again. Eventually, it is revealed that Mark Shaw (the future Manhunter) was the real Star-Tsar.^[7] He aids the League only one more time, when Thorak turned the JLA into giants; he and Superman return them to normal size.^[8]

[edit] Invasion!

During the Invasion storyline, Carr is among a number of prisoners of the alien Dominators. The Dominators sought human test subjects to discover how prevalent the "metagene" was in the human genome. To this end, they line up 50 humans and initate their "blaster field." Six humans, including Snapper, survive the carnage by developing latent metahuman powers. Another is thought to be critically injured but would later recover and ally herself with Snapper.^[9] Snapper now has the ability to teleport by snapping his fingers.

Soon afterwards, the Dominators and their allies are driven from Earth and the captives freed. Snapper and the other five survivors dub themselves the Blasters and join the struggle to reverse the effects of the Dominators' gene bomb.^[10] Snapper becomes the group's leader and they hang around with the Omega Men for a time. Snapper becomes separated from the others and a foul-up with his powers temporarily drives him insane. He had kept his eyes open during transport and had perceived an eternity of time passing while teleporting. He ends up meeting Churljenkins, a green-furred cat-woman, who helps stabilize his reality. He manages to reuinite the team and develops a romance with Churl. The Blasters stop an alien-controlled weapons smuggling operation and decide to travel through space together.^[11]

They later encounter Valor and fight Kanjar Ru and the Unimaginable. At the end of these adventures, the Blasters are trapped inside a crumbling prison,^[12] but Snapper is separated from his teammates. While searching for them, he is captured by some Khunds, who cut off his hands — thus removing his teleporting ability. He is subsequenlty rescued by the L.E.G.I.O.N., but knows nothing about the fate of the Blasters. Vril Dox gives Snapper new hands and returns him to earth.^[13]

[edit] Back On Earth

Since then he has served as an advisor to aspiring heroes. First, to the android Hourman.^[14] During the course of this series, the "Day of Judgement" crossover event happens. Snapper saves an innocent man from one of the many demons that have crawled out of hell. Soon after, he and his friends, stuck in a heatwave, begin arguing with each other. Recognizing something is wrong, Snapper performs a mystic spell. It reveals the group was being plagued by demons urging them to nastiness. In the ensuing encounter, he manages to sweet-talk one of the demons into crossing over to the side of good. Most recently, Snapper became an adviser to the teen superhero team Young Justice.^[15] Young Justice have disbanded and Snapper's next move is unknown.

Snapper maintains his contacts with the current incarnation of the League. He is called upon to take their official group photo when the team's roster is finalized. He was also invited to Green Arrow and Black Canary's wedding; though his attendance could be called into question, as his invitation was stolen by several villains, he was seen in the double-page spread of attendees.

[edit] Checkmate

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Coinciding with the Green Arrow / Black Canary wedding special event, an issue of the miniseries The Four Horsemen has Snapper eavesdropping on Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman using a communications and tracking system indicating the involvement of the metahuman policing agency known as Checkmate. Snapper later reveals that he has been deep-cover for Checkmate ever since the incident involving the OMACs. Batman decides to allow Snapper to continue in this fashion since Snapper tends to look favorably on the League's activities.

[edit] Other media

Snapper Carr appears frequently in the animated television series, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited voiced by actor Jason Marsden. In these appearances Carr is a television news reporter giving commentary to the events of the episode. The Justice League episode "Legends" parodies Carr's role as sidekick for the Justice League by featuring a similar character acting as sidekick for the Justice Guild, an alternate universe version of the Justice League.

He also appeared, with his given name of Lucas, in the Elseworlds' title The Island of Doctor Moreau. Snapper once portrayed a JLA talk show host in the Elseworlds' comic Son of Superman.

[edit] Trivia

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In JLA: Year One, which retold the JLA's origin according to post-Crisis continuity, Snapper is a handyman, taking care of the JLA's headquarters. He annoys some of the team.
He graduates high school during the JLA's first year, which would make him roughly in his late twenties, since the League has been around for less than twelve years.^[16]
A recurring gag in both Hourman and Young Justice is Snapper's preference for wearing various superhero logo t-shirts.
According to the Absolute Edition of DC: The New Frontier, Snapper doesn't exist on Earth-21, the universe in which The New Frontier takes place.