History Comicbook / DialHForHero

The concept was however revived in the 1980s, having a preview established as a special insert in issue 272, volume 2 of ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'', afterwards becoming a full-issue feature in issues 479-490 of ''ComicBook/AdventureComics'', another DC anthology series, before eventually being reduced to a back-up feature in issues 28-49 of ''[[ComicBook/Superboy1980 The New Adventures of Superboy]]''. The premise was now being used to showcase superhero characters that comics fans were sending to DC comics. Written by Creator/MarvWolfman (who was at the same time having great success with another teenage superhero series, ''New TeenTitans'') the new version had two teenagers, a boy and a girl (in order to use hero characters of ''both'' genders, obviously) named Chris King and Vicky Grant, from a town in New England, who find similar devices in a "haunted house" (Chris's was a wristwatch, Vicky's was a locket) with only four letters in them (H-E-R-O) which allowed them to change into random heroes but only for a limited time period. Supposedly, a "wizard" left them there for them to find. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure known only as "The Master" kept sending super villains (also invented by fans) to try to get the Dials.

* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Vicki Grant succumbed to some dark urges when she left Fairfax and Chris when the two were old enough for college, joining the villainous cult the Children of the Sun in the pages of ''[[ComicBook/TeenTitans New Teen Titans]]''. She later appeared in ''ComicBook/SuperboyAndTheRavers'' hunting down Hero Cruz for stealing her Dial, but it appeared Hero might have been able to snap Vicki back to her old state of mind. She was reportedly recovering with heroine Sparx's family, but she later reappeared as a villain in ''Franchise/WonderWoman''.

The concept was however revived in the 1980s, having a preview established as a special insert in issue 272, volume 2 of ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'', afterwards becoming a full-issue feature in issues 479-490 of ''Adventure Comics'', another DC anthology series, before eventually being reduced to a back-up feature in issues 28-49 of ''New Adventures of Superboy''. The premise was now being used to showcase superhero characters that comics fans were sending to DC comics! Written by Creator/MarvWolfman (who was at the same time having great success with another teenage superhero series, ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'') the new version had two teenagers, a boy and a girl (in order to use hero characters of ''both'' genders, obviously) named Chris King and Vicky Grant, from a town in New England, who find similar devices in a "haunted house" (Chris's was a wristwatch, Vicky's was a locket) with only four letters in them (H-E-R-O) which allowed them to change into random heroes but only for a limited time period. Supposedly, a "wizard" left them there for them to find. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure known only as "The Master" kept sending super villains (also invented by fans) to try to get the Dials.

* BroadStrokes: The 2019 series appears to take the original Silver Age feature from ''House of Mystery'' as canon, but doesn't follow on from any of the subsequent series' depictions of how the adult Robby Reed turned out (such as the 1980s version establishing that he was [[LiteralSplitPersonality split into two beings called the Wizard and the Master]], and ''H-E-R-O'' establishing that he lost the dial and subsequently served time in prison).

During UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks, the "Dial H" characters suffered a lot. Chris and Vicky lost control of their powers and Vicky joined a cult that abused her (in a storyline written by Wolfman himself over in ''Teen Titans''). Vicky's dial later showed up in the 1990s series ''ComicBook/SuperboyAndTheRavers'', where it was claimed by the [[AffirmativeActionLegacy gay]] [[TwoferTokenMinority Latino]] character Hero Cruz. At around the same time (in real world terms; a thousand years in the future in-story) a Hero-Dial of unknown origin was given to Lori Morning, the Threeboot ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes' TagalongKid, by the Time Trapper.

The 2000 ''Silver Age'' event, set during [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks the titular era of comics]], included a ''Dial H For Hero'' one-shot featuring Robby and the Dial, and had them play an important part in the event's climax. They also turned up in a 2009 issue of ''ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold'' comic book, though that story seems set in the past as well, as Robby is still an innocent teenager in it. Robby also appears in an issue of ''ComicBook/TeenTitansGo'', the comic book tie-in for ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003''.

* BroadStrokes: The 2019 series appears to take the original Silver Age feature from ''House of Mystery'' as canon, but doesn't follow on from any of the subsequent series' depictions of how adult Robby Reed turned out (such as the 1980s version establishing that he was [[LiteralSplitPersonality split into two beings called the Wizard and the Master]], and ''H-E-R-O'' establishing that he lost the dial and subsequently served time in prison).

* BroadStrokes: The 2019 series appears to take the original Silver Age feature from ''House of Mystery'' as canon, but doesn't follow on from any of the subsequent series' depictions of how adult Robby Reed turned out, such as the 1980s version establishing that he was [[LiteralSplitPersonality split into two beings called the Wizard and the Master]] and ''H-E-R-O'' establishing that he lost the dial and subsequently served time in prison.

* TakeOurWordForIt: Some of the heroes Manteau dialed but never used because they were so offensive. Golliwog especially was not shown on panel, but we do so Nelson's utterly horrified expression of disbelief when he sees the photo.

* TakeOurWordForIt: Some of the heroes Manteau dialed but never used because they were so offensive.

The 2000 "Silver Age" event, set during the titular era of comics, included a ''Dial H For Hero'' one-shot featuring Robby and the Dial, and had them play an important part in the event's climax. They also turned up in a 2009 issue of ''ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold'' comic book, though that story seems set in the past as well, as Robby is still an innocent teenager in it. Robby also appears in an issue of ''ComicBook/TeenTitansGo'', the comic book tie-in for ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003''.

** "Silver Age" suggested the dial was an alien artifact.

* FifthWeekEvent: DC's "[[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]]" event involved Robby and the Dial transforming the Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica into NEW heroes!

* {{Catchphrase}}: Robby has "sockamagee!"

* AdventureDuo: Chris and Vicky.