Name: Blackrock
Universe: Earth-1
Alter Ego: Dr. Peter Silverstone
Occupation: Director of Research and Development for the United Broadcasting Company
Marital Status: Unknown
Group Affiliation: None
Base of Operations: City of Metropolis
Known Relatives: None
Height: 5 ft. 10 in.
Weight: 168 lbs.
Hair Color: Red
Eye Color: Blue
First Appearance: Action Comics #458

History:
Convinced that his network was second in the ratings because his chief competitor, Galaxy Broadcasting had so many exclusive stories concerning Superman, United Broadcasting Company President Samuel Tanner ordered his chief research scientist, Dr. Peter Silverstone, to create a super-hero for UBC to exploit. Intrigued by the challenge, Silverstone, who had helped invent color television, the long-playing record, and America's first communications satellite, set to work designing a costume the would give its wearer a wide array of super-powers. He called this super-hero Blackrock, after the popular nickname of the UBC building itself.

Looking for someone to fill the supersuit, Silverstone chose Samuel Tanner himself, hypnotizing the UBC President without his knowledge into becoming his own super-hero. When Blackrock was ultimately defeated by Superman after a fierce competition, Tanner resumed his normal life with no memory of what he had done.

Months later, when UBC’s ratings slipped once more, Silverstone revived Blackrock, hypnotizing Tanner’s nephew, comedian Les Vegas, into filling the role. Again, Superman defeated Blackrock, and Vegas returned to normal, never knowing what he had done.

The third time Blackrock was needed, Silverstone used charged ions to animate the costume itself, eliminating the need for another unwitting pawn.

Finally, Silverstone himself donned the Blackrock costume in an attempt at industrial espionage when his own ideas had run dry. This time Blackrock found himself in conflict with Supergirl, who thwarted Silverstone’s plans, then turned him over to the police. At this writing Silverstone is serving a prison term at a low-security installation, and appears to be enjoying the enforced vacation.

Powers:
While he first used a TV antenna-like wand as a focus for his powers, Blackrock currently employs a device he calls his "power-stone", which looks like a baseball-sized black rock strapped to the palm of his right hand. The power-stone serves as a receiver for radio- and TV-waves, converting them into energy Blackrock can manipulate at will. With this inexhaustible power source, Blackrock commands energy of such magnitude that even Superman and Supergirl are vulnerable to its effects.

With the aid of his power-stone, Blackrock is able to cast illusions of sight and sound, short out any communication device at will, and transform himself into ionic particles so he can ride broadcast waves at the speed of the light to anywhere in the world. Blackrock can also focus these charged particles into an impenetrable force-field or a tight beam of sheer destructive power. Only in areas where broadcast signals cannot reach, such as a lead-lined room or a tunnel under a river, is Blackrock vulnerable.

With all this power at his command, Blackrock does not find it necessary to demonstrate skill at hand-to-hand combat.