| Character Name: | Mal Duncan |
| Real Name: | Malcolm Arnold "Mal" Duncan |
| Publisher: | DC Comics |
| Debut: | Teen Titans #26 (March–April 1970) |
| Creators: | Robert Kanigher (writer) Nick Cardy (artist) |
| Species: | Metahuman |
| Alliances: | Doom Patrol Teen Titans |
| Aliases: | Guardian, Hornblower, The Herald, Vox |
| Powers: |
Artificial lungs and voice box grant:
Formerly:
|
Malcolm Arnold "Mal" Duncan, currently known as Vox (also known as the Guardian, Hornblower, and Herald), is a superhero appearing in media published by DC Comics. Introduced in April 1970, he is DC's first African-American superhero.[1]
Mal Duncan made his first appearance in Teen Titans #26, and was created by Robert Kanigher and Nick Cardy.[2]
In that issue, the African-American Mal kissed the Caucasian Lilith Clay goodbye, in a scene considered to be the first interracial kiss in comic book history.[3] When editorial director Carmine Infantino objected to the scene, thinking it too controversial, editor Dick Giordano kept the scene, but colored it in blue as a night scene, to draw less attention to the moment. Giordano recalls receiving many letters about the kiss, both hate mail (including one death threat) and many supportive letters approving of the kiss.[4]
Malcolm "Mal" Duncan[5] saves the Teen Titans from a street gang called the Hell Hawks by beating their leader in a boxing match.[6] Recruited by the Teen Titans, Mal feels unworthy due to his lack of abilities, and stows away on a rocket flight, which nearly costs him his life.[7] After a time, Mal discovers a strength-enhancing exoskeleton and the costume of the Guardian. Using these, he becomes the second Guardian.[8]
After assuming the Guardian mantle, Mal fights Azrael, the Angel of Death. Believing it to be a hallucination, Mal is surprised to awaken with the mystical Gabriel's Horn. Having defeated Azrael, Mal is permitted to live, provided he never loses another fight. The horn grants Mal unspecified powers, whenever the odds are against him in battle. Armed with the horn, Mal assumes the name Hornblower.[9]
Mal soon returns to his Guardian identity, claiming that too many people knew who he was.
Following Crisis on Infinite Earths, Mal never took the identity of Guardian and built Gabriel's Horn himself. When Gargoyle implants a virus in the horn to free himself and the Antithesis, Mal destroys it and retires.[10]
During the JLA/Titans event, Mal acquires a new Gabriel's Horn,[11] and later, he and Bumblebee join the short-lived Titans LA.[12] In Titans Tomorrow, an alternate timeline variant of Mal becomes president of the Eastern United States.
When Doctor Light captures Green Arrow, taking him hostage and demanding to see the Titans, Mal, Bumblebee, and about two dozen other former Titans are assembled to fight him.[13] He and Bumblebee then join a team of heroes gathered by Troia to embark on an ominous mission into deep space during Infinite Crisis.[14] The group eventually encounters a rift in the universe caused by Alexander Luthor, who is re-creating the multiverse. The team of heroes in space temporarily stop Luthor, but in the resulting chaos they are scattered; some are killed, while others go missing for varying lengths of time, including Mal and Karen.
In 52, Mal resurfaces, but his lungs and vocal cords are damaged after Gabriel's Horn explodes. He is given cybernetic implants that recreate the Horn's abilities and joins the Doom Patrol alongside Bumblebee.[15] [16] [17]
In The New 52, a reboot DC's continuity, Mal is introduced as an award-winning film composer and the husband of Karen, who is pregnant with their daughter.[18] He is later kidnapped by Mister Twister, who reveals that as a teenager, Mal was a member of the original Teen Titans under the name Herald. The Titans had allowed their memories of each other to be erased to defeat Twister, but he now seeks to use Mal's sonic abilities to summon a demon.[19] When Karen (who has now gained superpowers of her own) and the former Titans arrive, they are able to defeat Mister Twister once and for all.[20]
Following this incident during DC Rebirth, Mal reveals to Karen that he underwent a procedure to remove his superpowers so that the couple could live a normal life.[21] When Karen helps the Titans battle the Fearsome Five, Mal steals armor from Titans Tower to back her up. However, by the time he reaches the battle, Psimon has removed Bumblebee's memories.[22] [23]
Mal works with Gnarrk to hunt down H.I.V.E., believing that they can restore Karen's memory.[24] During one of these raids, Mal and Gnarrk are brainwashed and turned into avatars of Mister Twister. After Karen's memories are restored, Mal helps the Titans take down Twister and the Key.[25]
Formerly, his Gabriel Horn could open up multi-dimensional portals and generate strong sonic blasts. He now relies more on his artificial lungs and voice box to achieve the same effects. He also has a background in kickboxing, and hand-to-hand combat, and is in exceptional physical condition.
In the New 52 continuity, Mal possesses sonic and harmonic abilities that he projects by using his voice.