BLACK BOX (Laurence Cooper)	BIOGRAPHY
Created by Mark Millar and Phillip Hester

Black Box (Laurence Cooper)

PERSONAL DATA

Real Name: Laurence Cooper
Homeworld: Earth (parallel world)
Known Relatives: Anna Cooper (wife), Michael Cooper (son, deceased)
Base of Operation: Moline, Illinois
Gender: Male
Hair: Grey
First Appearance: Swamp Thing Vol. 2 #155 (June 1995): "The Secret of Slaughter Swamp: Chapter Four of River Run"
Creators: Mark Millar and Phillip Hester

HISTORY

Living in Moline, Illinois with his wife, Anna, Laurence Cooper's life changed five decades ago when the mysterious black box materialized in their cellar. Presumably, the box is from another dimension but this has yet to be proven. The box itself is sentient, but it appears only Cooper's wife believes it.

A magic staff touched to the Black Box granted Cooper the power. The natural source of the purple plasma gave him the power of flight and the ability to walk through walls. He could manipulate the purple plasma to create objects made out of the purple light, but the staff he wielded was powerless against earthly matter. Cooper became known as Black Box, a super-hero, one of many on his world.

Forty years ago Cooper and his wife had a son, Michael. The other life Laurence Cooper kept as Black Box kept him away from home and slowly destroyed his marriage. In his absence, Anna became depressed. For all intents and purposes she was the only one raising Michael. Their son had serious medical problems and was not expected to live past eight or nine. When Anna told Laurence their son had been left alone to play in the garden and was taken away, Laurence believed their son was dead and did not want to speak of the issue any further.

Now, over thirty years after their son disappeared, the Black Box called Laurence Cooper to face Solomon Grundy in Slaughter Swamp. Anna tried to talk her husband out of going there but he could not be turned from what he believed was his duty.

Confident he could defeat Solomon Grundy as he had so many times in the past, Black Box was unprepared for what happened next. Grundy had merged with the essence of a plant elemental from a parallel Earth. The monster now had Earthly properties and could not be harmed by the purple plasma of the Black Box.

Black Box could not seize Grundy nor shield himself from his enemy's assault. It seemed Cooper was all but defeated when Grundy lifted a large rock to crush the veteran hero. Instinctively, Black Box scooped up even more rocks with the power of the purple plasma and piled it on top of Grundy, crushing the Marshland Monster instead.

Black Box was frustrated when his staff began to emit a green glow, that of the power of the Earth itself. He could not leave without learning the secrets of Slaughter Swamp. Raising his staff, Black Box demanded the secrets be shown to him.

One by one, dozens of the dead, long buried beneath the swamp's dark waters rose up to tell their secrets. Many had been murdered, others were suicides but one of the dead was familiar to Laurence Cooper, it was his son. Michael told his father he had not been taken away by strangers over thirty years ago but he had been murdered. Anna Cooper, overcome by depression and the burden of caring for their son alone drowned him in Slaughter Swamp.

The dead of Slaughter Swamp had needed Black Box to help their spirits escape their watery graves. Once they had their chance to tell their secrets they were free to go and rest in peace. The only secret left in the swamp was that of Solomon Grundy.

Turning his staff on one of his oldest foes, Black Box learned Grundy had been possessed by a plant elemental from a parallel Earth, the Swamp Thing. Usually benevolent, the Swamp Thing had been twisted by the evil permeating Slaughter Swamp and could only gain influence over Grundy for moments before the Marshland Monster reverted back to its violent ways. Once it had told its secret, Solomon Grundy was free to rest in peace as well. Black Box used his staff to clear Slaughter Swamp of the evil it had kept for the past one hundred years. A purple light filled the skies for miles as the spirits freed themselves of the swamp.

Black Box returned to Moline where Anna was waiting in front of a statue the townspeople had erected to honor their hero. It was the night before what would have been Michael's fortieth birthday and at Anna's insistence they walked home like ordinary people.

In the days that passed the rift between them grew wider. Both knew each other's secrets but would not bring the issues out in the open. The Black Box has not been seen since. - Swamp Thing Vol. 2 #155

CHRONOLOGY

For a definitive list of appearances of Black Box in chronological order click here

GLCWP NOTE

The River Run was a multiple part story arc which involved Swamp Thing being send to alternate dimensions. The dark tale of Black Box is based upon Golden Age Green Lantern Alan Scott.

Like the Green Lanterns, Black Box also spoke an oath: If knowledge is power, then share your wisdom, show me the secrets of the worlds you have visited... the secrets of the Black Box