Sonar is the name of three fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.
Publication history
The Bito Wladon version of Sonar first appeared in Green Lantern (vol. 2) #14 and was created by John Broome and Gil Kane.
Fictional character biography
Bito Wladon
The small Balkan nation of Modora was sealed off from the rest of the world by Fando the Mad, a leader who believed Modora should be frozen in its past, and cut off access to the outside world while making all decisions for his countrymen. One man, Bito Wladon, is determined to change that.
Wladon's parents are deaf, which is a mark of Satan to the superstitious Modorans. According to Modoran beliefs, they are not to be hurt or killed, but shunned. Although Wladon can hear, he is branded a pariah as well. Wladon hides from the rest of the world in a barn, and he discovers a cache of books hidden by his peddler grandfather against Fando's orders.
Bito Wladon becomes a clockmaker's apprentice while he secretly works on mastering sound. He invents the "nucleo-sonic motor", which can use any sound source to power it. Wladon discovers he can nullify gravity or concentrate sound as a destructive force. Believing the greatest nations on Earth were also the most powerful, Wladon supplies Modora with the "nucleo-sonic bomb", a weapon based on supersonic energy to make it the most powerful country in the world.
However, his homeland is not technologically advanced enough to support his efforts. Wladon slips out of Modora for the United States. Many of the items he needs are classified equipment, and he commits crimes to acquire the components needed.
Wladon designs a regal military costume befitting of the future of Modora. When he appears in the United States, the media dubs him Sonar because of his mastery of sound.
After returning home from a cosmos-wide meeting of the Green Lantern Corps, Green Lantern of Earth Hal Jordan visits Modora to get a stamp for Tom Kalmaku's stamp collection. While he was searching for a stamp, Jordan learns of Wladon and his sound discoveries from the clockmaker, and he returns to the United States as soon as possible.
Sonar defeats Green Lantern, but despite his victory, he is disturbed by Modora's lack of representation in the media. He needs one more robbery to gain the components to his nucleo-sonic bomb. Sonar prepares for his next skirmish with Green Lantern by creating a tuning fork gun.
Sonar's tuning fork gun makes Green Lantern see everything in yellow.
Sonar travels east, crossing the Atlantic Ocean on his way to Modora. His tuning fork gun leaves a faint trail of radiation Jordan can track, whose ring creates a waterspout to defeat Sonar.
Although he is stripped of his weapons and stolen technology before being imprisoned, Sonar is proud his exploits had made the newspapers all over the world. The people of Modora show their gratitude to Green Lantern by creating a Modoran postage stamp for the hero, which he gives to Kalmaku to complete his stamp collection.
Fando knows Sonar is a threat to his power, but Wladon appeals to his greed and fear. Fando later believes Sonar would help him keep his power. Weeks later, Sonar is released from prison by a legal loophole: using an old Modoran law, Sonar is granted his freedom due to his help in the annual harvest.
Playing upon Fando's insecurities, Wladon strikes a deal with him and becomes commander of his armies. However, Wladon secretly orchestrates an invasion by one of Modora's neighbours and murders Fando and the royal family during the confusion, and becomes the new ruler of Modora.
When Jordan goes to the Slab to get information from Hector Hammond, he is taunted by Wladon, who claims that he should not be locked up because he had diplomatic immunity, until Jordan knocks him out with a power ring-generated fist.
In the following years, Sonar continues his adversarial relationship with Jordan while slowly expanding his influence across Europe. Incarcerated by the Justice League after his failed take-over of the former Soviet Union, Wladon's sound technology and name are adopted by a mentally unstable criminal, who has the devices implanted beneath his skin.
Sonar reappears in 52 as the Modoran representative to Black Adam's Freedom of Power coalition.