He is a genius engineer who built a mechanized suit of armor that mirrors Superman's powers, and initially sought to replace him after he was killed by Doomsday.

[2][3] Doctor John Henry Irons was a brilliant weapons engineer for AmerTek Industries, who eventually became disgusted when the BG-60, a powerful man-portable energy cannon he had designed, fell into the wrong hands and was used to kill innocent people.

While working on a construction site, he managed to save another worker from a fall but subsequently fell off the building himself, only for Superman to catch him in time.

Irons created and donned a suit of powered armor in Superman's memory to stop the war, as well as the weapons, which were being distributed by Dr. Angora Lapin (also known as the White Rabbit), a former partner and lover during his time at AmerTek Industries.

Even with Superman's return, he affirmed that Steel and Superboy could continue operating as heroes, expressing pride in what John Henry had done with his second chance.

[9] Steel briefly joined up with Maxima, who was still on Earth at the time and working with the Justice League, to help her with an alien warlord named De'cine.

A bounty hunter named Chindi attempted to take down Steel, but after realizing Hazard was experimenting with children, he ended up as an ally of Irons.

John Henry's beloved grandmother, Bess, was killed and the family was forced to go into hiding, relocated by a friend of Steel's called Double.

He built a new suit of armor that was significantly less powerful than the previous one (but featured the return of an Kryptonian peace symbol on his shield on it).

While in Jersey City, he clashed with Dennis Samuel Ellis, a resident at Garden State Medical and rival for the affections of another colleague, Amanda Quick.

Clay assumed the alias "Crash" and managed to acquire a pair of Steel's flight boots before turning himself in so that he could save his daughter Natasha when she needed a blood transfusion.

He even served as the leader of the reserve team—consisting of the Huntress, Big Barda, Plastic Man, and Zauriel—left in the present during the DC One Million crisis.

A week later, at his Steelworks facilities, John Henry appeared to be hallucinating due to the effects of an unknown metabolic toxin.

Three days later, Steel, again wearing his armor, was called in by Doctor Mid-Nite to help him with the wounded heroes returned from space after the Crisis.

Labs, Irons learned that he had been injected with a small dosage of Lex Luthor's new exo-gene therapy, causing his skin to mutate into stainless steel and back again.

He later returned to active duty saving lives, and discovered from Kala that the exo-gene therapy allowed Luthor to take away any powers he had given.

Investigating the Everyman Project on Thanksgiving along with Doctor Mid-Nite, Beast Boy/Changeling, and Kala, John discovered that his metal skin was peeling off and realized that the exo-gene therapy granted powers only for a limited time before they disappear completely.

In 52 Week 40, after Natasha's capture by Luthor, Irons, in his full armor, led the Teen Titans—Raven(Daughter of Trigon, The lord of the Underworld) Beast Boy/Changeling, Aquagirl, and Offspring—in an open assault on LexCorp.

Upon the much solicited ending for the series,[18] the Infinitors are kidnapped by the Dark Side Club, as due to the exo-gene therapy, they are unpredictable and undetectable by Apokoliptan technology, and a wild card in the upcoming Final Crisis.

In recent months, Irons has been working with Bruce Wayne/Batman, Zatanna, Mister Miracle, the Metal Men, and assorted other technical geniuses in creating a new body for the Red Tornado.

[21] He plays a part in the War of the Supermen event, where he helps Superboy, the Guardian(James Harper), and Natasha bring down Sam Lane's conspiracy.

Steel later appeared as one of the former JLA members called to Washington D.C. to help pierce a massive energy dome that had encapsulated the city.

[24] Sean Chen was initially announced as the artist, but due to scheduling problems, Ed Benes took over the art duties.

In this new timeline, John Henry Irons first appears in Grant Morrison's Action Comics as a young scientist working on the government's "Steel Soldier" program.

[29] John Henry also shows up in Animal Man during the Rotworld crossover, where he assists Buddy Baker when the world has been overrun by The Rot, the elemental force of decay.

When she deals with the loss, the three return to the city, where they create a test chamber that they believed could restore Lana's powers by pushing her through her worst fears and doubts.

The chamber accomplished the task, and it was discovered that the Insect Queen suit Natasha built for her stored her powers inside the last time she used it.

Steel had his own enemies that he fought in his comic series: An alternate universe variant of John Henry Irons makes a cameo appearance in DC: The New Frontier #12.

[52] Additionally, an African American man inspired by Irons' folk hero namesake named John Wilson appears in DC: The New Frontier #4, in which he dons a black hood secured by a hangman's noose and starts wielding a sledgehammer to avenge his family, who were murdered by the KKK, only to be killed by them.

An alternate universe variant of John Henry Irons inspired by his folk hero namesake appears in Steel Annual #1.