365 DC Comics Heroes & Villains Paper Cut-Outs
Animal Man
Bernhard ‘Buddy’ Baker was touring an undisclosed game park in Africa when he encounter a strange pair of aliens traveling in a flying saucer. These alien beings found interest in Buddy and fired a mysterious ray t him. Being struck bye this ray imbued Buddy with a psychic connection to the Morphogenetic Field. This field (sometimes called ‘The Red’) is an ethereal plain that connects the spirits of all animal life on the planet.
Buddy’s link to this field enables him to take on super powers based upon any given animal in his vicinity. This allows him to fly like a bird, have the proportionate strength of an insect or use echolocation like a bat or whale. Calling himself 'Animal Man,' Buddy became a costumed superhero and had numerous adventures. For a time he used his abilities to support himself as a Hollywood stuntman.
His connection to the Morphogenetic field resulted in a significant alteration of Buddy’s attitudes and behaviors. Specifically he became a staunch environmentalist, an animal rights advocate and vegan. Animal Man’s actions as an environmental crusader has put him at odds with a number of unscrupulous industrial factions, leading to many perilous ordeals.
A number of Animal Man's adventures ventured into the bizarre. His connection to Morphogenetic Field allowed him to experience reality in new and often strange fashions. Indeed, Buddy is one of the few denizens of the DC Universe who is aware that he is a comic book character and his reality is a fictional construct.
Animal Man has been a member of The Forgotten Heroes and later joined the Justice League. He has also served with The Justice League Europe, The Totem and the Justice League Dark.
Actor/musician Al Yankovic voiced the hero in a number of animated appearance in the DC Nation Shorts series. Animal Man first appeared in the pages of Strange Adventures #180 (1965).
I never knew Weird Al Yankovic voiced an animated character!
