, art by
Sheldon Mayer. In the original comics in the 1940s, Ma Hunkel is a working mother whose costume consists of
longjohns and a
cooking pot on her head. She adopts the identity of the Red Tornado to fight local criminals in her
New York City neighborhood, inspired by her son's admiration for the superhero
Green Lantern. The character's popularity was such that she was given a cameo in the first adventure of the
Justice Society of America, visiting the JSA's headquarters but being forced by a humorous mishap, her pants splitting, to leave without having the chance to apply for membership. Later Justice Society stories have declared Ma to be an honorary member of the team. Due to her bright red costume and rotund build, she is sometimes jokingly referred to as the Red Tomato. Ma was later joined by a pair of sidekicks known as the
Cyclone Kids, consisting of her daughter Amelia "Sisty" Hunkel and neighbor Mortimer "Dinky" Jibbet (brother of boy cartoonist
Scribbly, the star of the comic book feature in which the Red Tornado debuted). Ma Hunkel returned in
JSA #55 (February 2004). This story reveals that Ma had been in the
Witness Protection Program since 1950. Senior JSA members Green Lantern,
the Flash,
Hawkman, and
Wildcat find Ma to tell her that she can come out of hiding, as the last member of the gang against whom she testified in 1950 has died. Ma subsequently becomes caretaker of the JSA's
Manhattan museum/headquarters. She does not, however, resume her crimefighting activities as the Red Tornado. Her daughter and son-in-law, the former Cyclone Kids, briefly have their own costumed adventures, starting in the title
Young Justice. They band together with other Golden Age sidekicks out of concern for the safety of younger superheroes. Ma's wind-controlling granddaughter,
Maxine Hunkel, joins the JSA in
Justice Society of America Vol. 3 #1 (February 2007). In
Justice Society of America Vol. 3 #3 (March 2007), Maxine adopts the alias "
Cyclone". Ma still has some fighting ability, using a mace and gas weaponry to help the younger JSA stun and delay members of the invading
Injustice Society. She is taken hostage and frozen by the villain
Icicle. She only suffers a mild cold as the team's plans was not to kill or injure but steal from the JSA. Maxine is responsible for the continuation of the Society as a viable team. When supernatural entities obliterate the brownstone, Jay Garrick believes this was a sign to end the team and move on. Maxine convinces him that such an attitude was nonsensical and the Society is more than just a headquarters. In
Dark Nights: Death Metal, Ma Hunkel is stated to have been the guardian of the first Justice Society of America headquarters. Her name is the password needed to access
Valhalla Cemetery, where fallen superheroes are entombed. It was revealed that Hunkel died at some point, with Batman resurrecting her using a
Black Lantern ring. In the series "
The New Golden Age",
Alan Scott considers having Ma Hunkel explain the history of
Legionnaire, a young version of
Mordru who previously met Hunkel and intends to avoid becoming a villain. Mister Terrific turns down Scott's idea, stating that Legionnaire wants to explain his history himself. ==Powers and abilities==