Samuel Smithers was born in London and orphaned out very early. At some point during his childhood, he left the orphanage. He went to work as a lab assistant to a well-known London botanist who was exploring the low-order mental activity of plant life. After ten years, the botanist died and Samuel came to the U.S., in hopes of continuing his work: an invention to make plant life smart enough so that human beings could speak with plants and understand them.

He did not have the proper education needed so Smithers went to work as a gardener in Glenville, Long Island, New York. He worked for Morris Evans, who eventually fired him because he was spending more time working on his invention than gardening. Not long after, lightning struck his plant ray gun, giving it the power to control and animate all plant life. He made a disguise and called himself Plantman. Smithers then thought out a suitable revenge for his former boss Morris Evans, framing him for robbery. However, Evans' daughter Dorrie was dating the Human Torch, who thwarted Plantman and cleared Evans' name. Even though the Human Torch destroyed Plantman’s ray gun, Smithers escaped^[1].

He then created another ray gun, even stronger than his first. He challenged the Human Torch to a duel in the botanical garden, but was defeated and taken to prison^[2].

Powers and AbilitiesEdit

Powers

Plant Manipulation: As Blackheath, Samuel Smithers' body seems completely composed of vegetable matter, allowing him superhuman strength and resistance to injury. He can also alter his shape and elongate his body. He is capable of mentally communicating with the Verdant Green, the psychic embodiment of Earth's biosphere, and he can mentally command plant and vegetable matter.

Power Grid ^[3]

Abilities

Despite his lack of formal education, Smithers is a brilliant botanist, biochemist, and inventor.

Strength level

Normal strength, average male that partakes in minimal regular exercise.

ParaphernaliaEdit

Equipment

The Plantman would also use a unique humanoid plant life of his own creation called “simuloids,” creatures capable of mimicking human life and possessing rudimentary artificial intelligence. (Many times he has fooled the authorities or escaped capture by using a plant-duplicate of himself. Another simulacra even developed its own identity as Terraformer.) He has created armies of such plant-life, including at least one 100-foot tall tree-man. Moreover, he would equip these simuloids and personal duplicates with weaponry that could launch poisoned thorns or spores.

Weapons

As Blackheath, Smithers carries no weapons. As Plantman, he would often employ guns that fired a “vege-ray,” a type of unique energies that could stimulate rampant plant growth and animate plants according to his whims. These plants could remain under his control for hours.