TOM STRONG 643
Th e Ozu also allow the Strongs to freely conduct their experiment, which, according
to Sinclair Strong, is “to produce a child raised by pure reason, away from society’s infl u-
ence.” Young Tom is kept within a pressurized chamber, and administered “progressive
schooling” and a vegetarian diet. Th e experiment is cut short in 1908 when an earth-
quake devastates the Strongs’ laboratory (housed within a dormant volcano), and Tom
is orphaned at the age of eight. Removed from his chamber for the fi rst time, Tom
Strong spends his formative years under the guidance of the Ozu chief. In 1921, as a
brawny and highly scientifi c young man, Tom decides to fi nally visit “the world beyond
the rainbow mists,” with Pneuman as his only companion. Tom travels to his parents’
hometown, the fi ctional American metropolis Millennium City, where he instantly
becomes a celebrity as a savior from the city’s colorful criminals. Of these fl amboyant
“science villains,” the most notable—and persistent—is the evil Paul Saveen, an enemy
cast in both the “mad scientist” and “gentleman crook” molds. Tom eventually returns to
Attabar Teru in order to marry the Ozu tribe’s princess, Dhalua, making them one of
the relatively few interracial couples in mainstream comics, and they produce a daughter,
Te s l a.
Tom’s adventures in Millennium City continue over the course of the century. Th e
family frequently returns to Attabar Teru, but lives primarily in “Th e Stronghold,” a
massive skyscraper in Millennium City that functions as residence, laboratory, and for-
tress; as philanthropists and heroes, the Strongs become the city’s biggest celebrities.
Th e regenerative eff ects of the goloka root keep the Strong family youthful and vital,
even on the verge of Tom’s centennial birthday. In addition to the Strong family and
Pneuman, the regular cast of To m S t r o n g also includes the “educated ape,” King Solo-
mon, an intelligent, articulate gorilla with the manners and accent of an Edwardian
England gentleman; Tesla’s boyfriend Val, the exiled prince of a subterranean society; as
well as Timmy Turbo and a handful of pre-pubescent members of Tom’s fan club, the
Strongmen of America. Frequent fl ashback scenes, and references to past adventures
that go largely unexplained, give the impression of a fully realized world with a rich
history.
Moore has said that the premise behind To m S t r o n g was to imagine contemporary
comic books if the popularity of Superman had not instigated the superhero genre;
therefore, To m S t r o n g ’s cultural ancestors are pulp fi ction and popular adventure nov-
els from the early 20th century. However, although Tom Strong’s “scientist-adventurer”
persona suggests Doc Savage and his origin seems undoubtedly infl uenced by Ta r z a n,
To m S t r o n g is still steeped in the tropes and history of superhero comics. In many ways,
the foundational model for To m S t r o n g is the pulp adventure, upon which Moore then
grafts superhero elements. Th e superhero genre provides inspiration for stories that
involve Strong’s analogue Tom Strange, versions of the Strong family from parallel
dimensions, and alternate timelines. Additionally, Moore uses frequent fl ashbacks to
evoke not only the character’s long life, but also To m S t r o n g’s nonexistent publication
history, and the types of adventures Tom has at various points in his 100-year biogra-
phy roughly correspond to the trends in superhero comics at that particular historical
