Who's Who: Infinite Man

Infinite Man
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Jason Rugarth

Super-Power(s): Control over Time itself, able to move people and animals through various eras, able to concentrate chronal energy into blasts
Planet of Origin: Earth

Relationship to Legion: Initially a science project; then a villain; then a force of nature

Legion Log
The Infinite Man began life as Jaxon Rugarth, a professor at Metropolis University Time Institute. He was a friend and co-worker of honorary Legionnaire Rond Vidar, and volunteered for Rond's experiments with an extremely powerful time machine. Their theory was that time was circular, so that if Rugarth managed to go far enough into the future he would eventually "return" to the past, and to the actual moment when he began the experiment.

However, the time machine was either much more powerful than the researchers believed, or something went very, very wrong. Rugarth was trapped in a time loop, living through countless experiences until he finally managed to broke free as the Infnite Man. Blaming Vidar for his fate, he attempted to destroy him. The Legion was eventually able to protect their friend and return the Infinite Man to his time loop.

Several years later, in order to help save 30th Century Earth from The Crisis, Rond Vidar and Brainiac 5 set up a time beacon, keeping the "time" around Earth from being attacked. Unfortunately, this beacon served as a "light-house" to the Infinite Man, who used it to zero in on and return to Earth. After another battle with the Legion, the White Witch was able to strip the chronal energy from Rugarth's body, returning it to normal. His mind, however, was gone.

When the Legion was planning on confronting the Time Trapper, they brought along the comatose body of Jaxon Rugarth. Surrounded by the Time Trapper's chronal energy at the end of time, Rugarth spontaneously morphed back into the Infinite Man. He then confronted the Time Trapper, as the embodiment of non-circular time theory. Both beings destroyed each other in an epic clash.

Late after the so-called Five-Year Gap, the Infinite Man returned during the chronal event known as Zero Hour, but was immediately destroyed and his energies absorbed by the sorcerers Glorith and Mordru, trying to gain ultimate control of whatever timeline emerged from the crisis.

Neither the Reboot nor the Threeboot continuities made mention of the Infinite Man.

After Infinite Crisis, the Infinite Man's history has presumably been restored. An event from some future time, called the Crisis in Infinite Eras, which may or may not come to pass now, will apparently involve him in a major way.

After Flashpoint, Ultra the Multi-Alien is prophesied to one day become Infinitus, Destroyer of Worlds, and the Legion returns to the 21st Century to kill him as a child lest the 31st perish. By all outward appearances, despite the different name, this is the Infinite Man. The entity followed the Legion back in time and fought both it and the Justice League based in Canada; it unraveled when the Martian Manhunter took Ultra's young mind, aborting Byth's attempts to corrupt him, which led to the entity's creation.

Important Infinite Man Stories:

Superboy & The Legion of Super-Heroes #233
 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 13)

 
Infinite Man makes his debut

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #18

 
Infinite Man returns in the midst of The Crisis

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #50

The Infinite Man battles the Time Trapper

Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) #60

Mordru and Glorith absorb the Infinite Man during Zero Hour

Superman #709

The Infinite Man at the center of a future Crisis

Justice League United Annual #1 and #6-10

Post-Flashpoint, Ultra the Multi-Alien becomes Infinitus, the timeline's answer to the Infinite Man