| BLOCH INDUSTRIES | BIOGRAPHY |
| Created by Marv Wolfman, Roy Thomas and Joe Staton |
 |
ORGANIZATION DATA
Full Name:
Base of Operation: California, U.S.A. (Corporate Headquarters)
Leader(s): Conrad Bloch
First Appearance: (Conrad Bloch): Green Lantern Vol. 2 #138 (March 1981): "Total Eclipso!"
(Bloch Industries): Green Lantern Vol. 2 #140 (May 1981): "As Ye Sow..."
Creators: Marv Wolfman, Roy Thomas and Joe Staton
HISTORY
Friends with Carl Ferris since childhood, Conrad Bloch shared the dream of creating a business together, Ferris-Bloch Air-Cargo, Ltd. Ferris was a business man, Bloch a pilot. Together they became profitable against the odds. However, as time went on, Ferris was constantly working, building up the business while Bloch played around, seeing many women and drinking.
Conrad Bloch eventually married and a son, Benjamin with his wife, Edith. Another son, Jason, was on the way when Ferris presented him with figures showing Bloch was not holding up his end of the business. Despite Bloch's pleading, Ferris gave his friend only seven days to meet their agreement. When Bloch couldn't in such a short time he defaulted and Ferris took over, taking down Bloch's name and renaming the company Ferris Aircraft. All the while, Ferris claimed it was a legal transaction.
Nearly bankrupt and feeling betrayed by his one time friend, Conrad Bloch was hardened by his failure. He became angry, lashing out at Edith. She left him and their sons three years later, but by that point Conrad Bloch didn't care. Bloch only grew angrier and began drinking heavier than ever. Finally, after a week long binge, Bloch passed out in a street gutter. He was near death but the doctors managed to save him. It took a month for him to detoxify and another month strapped in a bed, begging and screaming for another drink. His two young sons could only watch.
After leaving the hospital, Conrad Bloch swore he would build himself up again. He managed to gather enough money to buy into a small air-cargo company. It took years for it to grow and Bloch prospered until the company was all his. Bloch Air, Inc. was almost as big as Ferris. Working with his sons Benjamin and Jason, Conrad Bloch planned to make his company even bigger, investing all his money in the designs of a solar jet.
No sooner had Bloch Air, Inc. completed their initial designs than they learned Ferris had received the government contracts worth millions. Bloch Air, Inc. was bankrupted, and Conrad Bloch blamed Carl Ferris.
Conrad Bloch intended to destroy Ferris' solar jet prototype to give his company time to perfect its model. The bomb he set went off too soon and Bloch was caught in the center of a solar cell explosion. His flesh was burned right through to the bone. The badly scarred Bloch returned to destroy the Ferris testing facilities and solar jets. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #140
Destroying Ferris professionally would not be enough, Bloch wanted Carl Ferris destroyed personally as well. Armed agents kidnapped Ferris and his wife from their vacation in Zurich, Switzerland. They ransacked the apartment to make it look like a robbery. The Ferrises were then taken to Lucifer Island to be held as prisoners.
The same day, half a world away in Los Angeles, Carol Ferris, daughter of Carl Ferris and current President of Ferris Aircraft, received a subpoena from Walter Long of the Federal Aviation Agency. Carol Ferris was ordered to appear the next day in Washington, DC, before a panel convened to decide if Ferris Aircraft's government contracts were to be canceled.
Green Lantern flew her across country but had to defend himself from a magnetic attack by Doctor Polaris. Bloch, or one of his agents, tried to capture her in New York City while Green Lantern was distracted. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #133
Carol Ferris was later kidnapped in a New York City hotel room. Without a representative of Ferris Aircraft appearing in Washington, the governmental panel assumed Ferris offered no contest to their decision. Citing the record number of accidents at Ferris, it was decided all government contracts with Ferris Aircraft would be canceled. Back in Ferris Aircraft's Coast City facilities, a series of bombs were detonated. The testing facilities were totaled. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #134
On Lucifer Island, Bloch toyed with the Ferris family by letting Carol Ferris "escape" only to be hunted down once more. They still had no idea who their captor was. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #136
Goaded by Carol Ferris, Conrad Bloch revealed finally his horribly scarred face. The Ferrises drew back in horror but still did not recognize him. Bloch wanted them to suffer as he had suffered and though he blamed his problems on Carl Ferris, Carl's wife and daughter bore the same name and would not be spared. They soon left Lucifer Island to return to the mainland. -Green Lantern Vol. 2 #138
To destroy all that Ferris stood for, Bloch sent Carol Ferris to plant bombs around Ferris Aircraft's Los Angeles division. She was monitored by Bloch to make sure she did as instructed. Carol herself had a bomb on her body which Bloch would detonate if she did not help destroy her company. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #139
Green Lantern arrived as the fire bombs went off. He was able to save the facility from complete destruction, and spared the solar jet prototype. Another explosion kept his from finding out the true story from Carol Ferris but he knew her life was endangered. Thanks to Green Lantern, Ferris Aircraft only suffered minimal damage.
Frustrated by the hero's interference, Conrad Bloch called his son, Jason. Congressman Jason Bloch would use the power of the government to gather information about Green Lantern. Extortion was used frequently by Jason Bloch and using pictures of an affair a fellow Congressman was involved in, a Congressman on the Federal Intelligence Agency, Jason Bloch wanted to know everything about the ring wielder. Another Congressman was forced by Bloch to put pressure on a Congressional committee to cancel all of Ferris' government contracts and have the solar jet contracts awarded to Benjamin Bloch's company.
Back in Conrad Bloch's mansion atop a craggy mountain peak to the north of Los Angeles, Conrad Bloch revealed his identity to Carl Ferris and his ex-partner's family. He told Carol Ferris how her father had taken everything he owned. He planned to eliminate the Ferris family that very night but for the arrival of Green Lantern. The ring slinger separated Conrad Bloch from Carol Ferris but Bloch still believed he would kill all of them by pressing the detonator for the bomb Carol Ferris wore. Trapped inside a shield of power ring energy, the detonator's signal could not reach the bomb and the detonator exploded from the electrical feedback. He was barely alive.
Conrad Bloch was taken to a hospital where he died a month later. Before he passed on, he called out to his son Benjamin to complete what he began. He wanted Ferris Aircraft destroyed and Green Lantern as well. His sons swore to see their father's wishes carried out. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #140
Jason Bloch increased the pressure on all of his government contacts to ruin Ferris Aircraft while working with the criminal underworld to eliminate Green Lantern. Keith Kenyon, better known as the armored supervillain Goldface, had manipulated the courts into sentencing Green Lantern to jail where the hero would share a cell with the villain known as the Black Hand. The regular guards were replaced with men working for Goldface and Black Hand was promised freedom if he eliminated their mutual foe. Green Lantern was able to save himself from the attempt on his life and with the help of Carol Ferris' lawyer, who proved the judge who sentenced Green Lantern was bribed, was released from imprisonment. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #145-147
Meanwhile, federal agents were investigating the link between Ferris Aircraft and Green Lantern. Doctor Bruce Gordon was one of the Ferris employees questioned. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #146
Congressman Bloch called a hearing in Washington, DC, to decide if Ferris Aircraft would be stripped of its contracts with the government. He cited the string of accidents and the failure of Ferris to produce the solar jet. Bloch accused Ferris of blatant mishandling of public funds and criminal negligence. He went on, claiming Ferris had been skimming off the top of each contract, offering reports "proving" Ferris Aircraft had been using second-rate materials and that Ferris may have planned the failures solely to destroy the defense capabilities of the United States of America, an act of treason. Based on Bloch's accusations and "evidence," the members of the hearing decided to cancel all contracts with the Ferris Aircraft Corporation. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #147-148
After Jason Bloch learned of Green Lantern's identity as Ferris Aircraft test pilot Hal Jordan, Jason Bloch called his brother on the West Coast. Benjamin Bloch would deal with Hal Jordan. His men ransacked Jordan's then Carol Ferris' apartment while others in his employ torched the solar jet. Carol Ferris, Dr. Bruce Gordon and Gregory Harrison tried to save the solar jet but failed.
Benjamin Bloch received word from Ted Bishop, a Ferris Aircraft employee secretly working for Bloch Industries. Carl Ferris had hired investigators had found proof Ferris Aircraft had been sabotaged and phony reports had been given to Congress.
Carl Ferris planned to take this information to Washington and Bishop would be the pilot of his private jet. A fight ensued when Bishop revealed his true allegiance and the jet crash-landed in Death Valley. Though Carl Ferris held the gun, Ted Bishop was younger and better fit for the grueling walk back to civilization. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #150
Seeking to find evidence vindicating Ferris Aircraft, Carol Ferris, Richard Davis and Bruce Gordon snuck into Bloch Industries, but their actions were already known to Benjamin Bloch. They found themselves facing Bloch and his armed guards. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #150-151
In Washington, DC, the day had finally arrived when Jason Bloch's investigators brought him their findings regarding Green Lantern's link with Ferris Aircraft. Matching Ferris Aircraft's personnel records with the appearances of Green Lantern, they discovered Green Lantern was secretly Ferris Aircraft test pilot Hal Jordan. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #150
Jason Bloch arranged for Goldface to delay Green Lantern while crushing any last hopes for Ferris Aircraft's survival. Goldface used his knowledge of Jordan's identity to help break the hero's will.
In Death Valley, Carl Ferris collapsed after six hours of walking across the desert floor. Ted Bishop was able to wrest the gun out of the older man's hands.
Benjamin Bloch and his henchmen were unable to finish off Carol Ferris, Rich Davis and Bruce Gordon as Green Lantern had arrived in the nick of time. He was able to rescue his friends and then headed out to the desert to save Carl Ferris.
Ted Bishop was able to burn most of the papers held by the founder of Ferris Aircraft but Green Lantern saved some of the documents. There was not enough to link Jason Bloch with the attacks on Ferris but Benjamin Bloch had been arrested then released on bail. Ferris Aircraft was cleared was all charges but Congress was in no hurry to reinstate their contracts. As for Green Lantern, he left Earth for a year, under orders of the Guardians of the Universe. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #151
Months later, working through the being known as the Monitor, Congressman Jason Bloch hired the Javelin for industrial sabotage against Ferris Aircraft. The Javelin raided a truck transporting Ferris Aircraft's solar engine. His assistants carried off the engine while he fought Green Lantern. As test pilot Hal Jordan, Green Lantern had inside knowledge of Ferris Aircraft's latest trouble. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #173
After a brief delay, Green Lantern tracked the Javelin to his lair. The solar engine was installed in a giant golden rocket, aimed at the heart of Ferris Aircraft's Los Angeles facility. Aside from the missile's yellow coloring, Green Lantern could not destroy the explosive without losing the solar engine in the process. Instead, he removed the solar engine in mid flight, using the power ring to raise his body in the air, pulling the missile off course. It exploded in the Pacific Ocean, safely away from Los Angeles and Ferris Aircraft. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #174
Frustrated by the numerous failed attempts to destroy Ferris Aircraft, Congressman Jason Bloch again contacted the Monitor for help. With Green Lantern out of the picture following a battle with the Shark, Bloch wanted to strike immediately. The Monitor put Bloch in touch with the Demolition Team.
Scoopshovel, Steamroller, Jackhammer II, and Hardhat each had power equipment that matched their "industrial" names. Rosie, their leader, brandished a rivet gun. They met Congressman Bloch in Los Angeles and took the job of destroying Ferris. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #176, 178
Shortly after the Demolition Team was deployed, Bloch learned of Green Lantern's recovery and tried in vain to call them off. He could not risk being tied to the destruction should the ring wielder defeat the team. Though Green Lantern was at Ferris when the mercenaries attacked, he was called away by the Guardians of the Universe. Assigned to stabilize the planet Omnicron Ceti IV from internal stresses that threatened to tear it apart, the Demolition was free to destroy Bloch's enemies.
Without Green Lantern, Ferris Aircraft was virtually defenseless against the Demolition Team. The employees that tried to protect the Solar Jet project were minor obstacles to the villains. Help came in the form of the Predator. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #178]
The mysterious Predator picked off the Demolition Team one by one. Green Lantern returned to Earth too late to assist the Predator. By the time Hal Jordan arrived the Predator had defeated the Demolition Team and disappeared. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #179]
Unable to get in contact with the Monitor and fearful the Demolition Team might turn him in, Congressman Jason Bloch prepared to escape the United States. Returning to his office, he was confronted by the Predator. The mysterious figure reminded Bloch of Smith's warning to spare Ferris Aircraft but the Congressman was still defiant. Left with no other option, the Predator drew his claws on Bloch. The fight was as brief as it was one-sided. Bloch stumbled out in to the hallway, mortally wounded. He tried to tell an Air Force major of Green Lantern's identity as Green Lantern but the secret he sought to expose died with him. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #181]
Benjamin Bloch and Bloch Industries have not been heard of since.
CHRONOLOGY
For a definitive list of appearances of Bloch Industries in chronological order click here