General Hardcastle

General Hardcastle
Species:	Human
Hair:	Brown (later Gray)
Eyes:	Black
Base:	Metropolis
Affiliations:	U.S. Military
Abilities:	Military Strategist
Weaponry:	Kryptonite Gun
Voiced by:	Charles Napier

"He's an alien with no allegiance or jurisdiction. I don't trust what I can't control, Hamilton, and I don't like what I can't trust."

General Hardcastle was a General in the United States Army. Among his many accomplishments was spearheading the creation of the Z-8 droid project.

History

The Prometheon

Hardcastle disputes with Emil Hamilton on how to deal with the Prometheon.

General Hardcastle was assigned to destroy an asteroid that was heading towards Earth. Taking a shuttle and a team of military personnel he intended to blow it up. However, when Superman showed up he grew angry with having to rely upon an alien whom he perceived as having no allegiance to anyone and he thereby couldn't control. When it was discovered that a giant alien creature was strapped to the asteroid, Hardcastle showed no concern for the creature and still intended to destroy the asteroid and the creature along with it. Even when an alternate solution was devised, Hardcastle argued, claiming that his mission was to destroy the asteroid. When the Prometheon became active, Hardcastle detonated the charges in spite of the fact that Superman was still on the asteroid. He showed no remorse nor concern for Superman, claiming, "Wasn't his party to begin with".

The Prometheon survived the fall to Earth and made its way to land. Upon reaching land, it was met by Hardcastle's forces that immediately started attacking with various forms of explosive weaponry. Though the attack was doing no visible damage, Hardcastle perceived the creature's lack of movement as a sign of effectiveness and ordered the attack to continue. When Superman arrived and explained that the Prometheon was simply absorbing the heat from the explosions, Hardcastle refused to listen, claiming that he listened to Superman before and the advice failed (conveniently omitting the fact that destroying the asteroid and thereby releasing the Prometheon to Earth was his idea). However, after the failure of his NX Missiles, Hardcastle was forced to believe Superman and called off the attack.

Project Achilles

In spite of the fact that Hardcastle was forced to believe Superman's advice about the Prometheon, his trust didn't grow. In secret, Hardcastle and Lex Luthor formed an alliance and initiated Project Achilles. The project was meant to monitor Superman and Supergirl for their weaknesses.

Hardcastle questions Superman.

When Superman went rogue after being brainwashed by Darkseid, Hardcastle's forces were amongst the greatest opposing forces to Superman's invasion. Using a specialized Kryptonite missile created and delivered by Lex Luthor, Hardcastle managed to stop and capture both Superman and Supergirl. Believing that Superman was always in league with Darkseid and had been planning to invade Earth, Hardcastle kept Superman alive solely to question him. After Superman made an attempt to escape, Hardcastle took it upon himself to execute Superman and Supergirl by injecting a liquid Kryptonite formula into their bloodstreams. However, with the aid of Lois Lane, both Superman and Supergirl escaped from Hardcastle's prison.

Failure and retirement

Hardcastle now retired.

Hardcastle was made the scapegoat for the failure of Project Achilles. He took early retirement and moved into a small isolated cabin in the woods. However, he lived in fear for he knew too much about the government's secret projects.

One day he was visited by a Justice League team consisting of Supergirl, Green Arrow and The Question. Since the events surrounding Superman's attack on Earth, Supergirl had been suffering from strange dreams and the trail had led them to Hardcastle. He threatened Supergirl with a gun containing a Kryptonite bullet but was blocked by Green Arrow and disarmed by the Question.

By now a broken man, Hardcastle told the Leaguers about how government and big business collaborated in creating advanced weapons and even metahumans such as Volcana and the Royal Flush Gang. He also revealed that this was being co-ordinated by a secret organisation which was keeping track of every member of the Justice League. He also warned the Leaguers that they could not find the organisation, stating "They find you!"

After the Leaguers had gone, Hardcastle was confronted by Galatea. Supergirl later subconsciously realised that Hardcastle was "gone", heavily implying that he had been killed.

Background information

• General Hardcastle appears in two issues of the tie-in comic Superman Adventures, issues 1 and 8. In issue #1 he is bamboozled by Lex Luthor into believing Superman is not merely a nuisance, but a threat to humanity. However, Luthor's deception is thwarted. Hardcastle is shown with a red mustache as opposed to his clean-shaven later appearances. In issue #8 General Hardcastle is supportive of Superman and the one to piece together a conspiracy that everyone else fails to see. When Superman takes it upon himself to defend the President of the United States from hired assassin Multiface, General Hardcastle realizes it was a ploy and that the true target is Superman, causing Superman to be saved in the nick of time.
• Another issue of Superman Adventures mentions a "General McCormick", who is never shown on screen or in the comics, but Lois Lane says her father and McCormick were compatriots. As Generals McCormick and Hardcastle are the only two mentioned flag officers in the comics, this was likely an inside joke to the 1980s TV series Hardcastle and McCormick.

Appearances

Superman: The Animated Series

• "The Prometheon"
• "Legacy"

Justice League Unlimited

• "Fearful Symmetry"
• "The Doomsday Sanction" ^{(Mentioned Only)}