Who Is Circuit Breaker in DC Comics? Origin, Powers, Gender & Relationship Status Explained

Upcoming DC release Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate is bound to introduce a new superhero to the lineup, Circuit Breaker. Circuit Breaker is unique in a lot of ways. For starters, he is the polar opposite of The Flash, and likewise, the superhero will further enrich the already decent lineup of DC’s LGBTQ superheroes. We will use this opportunity to present the Circuit Breaker in a bit more light. Let’s see what Circuit Breaker’s powers, abilities, and origin are. 

Circuit Breaker, real name Jules Jourdain, is a brand new superhero scheduled to debut in the Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate #. Circuit Breaker will be able to utilize the so-called “Still Force,” which is able to negate Flash’s Speed Force directly. Jules Jourdain is a transmasculine superhero created by A..L. Kaplan.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to explore Circuit Breaker in a bit more detail. If you’re interested in more info about the newest addition to the DC universe, stay with us and keep reading!

DC’s Circuit Breaker origin explained 

Back in the December of 2022, Batman vs. Robin #4 kickstarted the so-called Lazarus Planet event. So before we tell you all about the origin of Circuit Breaker’s powers, we need to give you a back story on what led to the massive event that will lead to the creation of many more superheroes. 

Batman and Robin, early in their adventures, teamed up with Superman and the Doom Patrol to fight the demon Nezha. Nezha was once a human son of a war general in China, who became a demon after killing his father and obtaining magical weapons. Batman and Superman trapped Nezha in the Phantom Zone, but he tried to escape. During a tournament on Lazarus Island, Damian Wayne learns of his great-grandmother’s resurrection and Nezha’s plan to destroy the world. Batman travels to Lazarus Island to stop Nezha, freeing everyone from his influence and obtaining Doctor Fate’s helmet. King Fire Bull (Nezha’s adoptive son) ultimately defeats Nezha, causing the Lazarus Volcano to explode. 

Damian Wayne escapes from the site with Batman, Talia Al Ghul, and Black Alice. Supergirl notes that a powerful storm is developing over the Earth, directly affecting all magic. The eruption of the Lazarus Volcano caused the storm and the disruption of magic, and King Fire Bull, in turn, caused this event. The heroes will, this time, need to employ the help of the demon Nezha in order to stop the destruction caused by King Fire Bull. But the event will not pass without consequences, as the Lazarus Volcano unleashed forces that will affect the population, granting superpowers. 

And while the exact details of Circuit Breaker getting his powers are unknown, the event is likely connected to the poisonous clouds that the volcano released. This will be closely connected to the Circuit Breaker’s origin story.  

What are Circuit Breaker’s powers and abilities? 

Circuit Breaker is yet to debut on February 14th, but we do have some insight into his initial powerset. Jules Jourdain has the ability to utilize the so-called “Still Force.” If you’re not familiar with the term, the simplest way to describe it is that it’s practically the opposite of the Speed Force. Still Force is just one of the Seven Forces of the Universe and, like other forces, has unique properties that allow the wielder to tap into the higher energies. Speed Force is all about movement and velocity.

The Still Force is directly opposite to it. The Still Force revolves around entropy, stagnation, and inertia and allows its wielders to drain life force energy, create physical constructs and accelerate the Force of entropy. Whoever taps into the Still Force has the power to tap into the kinetic forces of all things. 

Circuit Breaker is not the first wielder of the Still Force, as there have been others before him. Most notably, there was Turtle, who had the power to absorb the energy of all things and negate the energies. He was also immortal because the Still Force allows its avatars to completely negate the passing of time, which slows their aging process to a bare minimum. 

And while we don’t have enough info about Circuit Breaker’s concrete powers, based on what we know about the Still Force from the previous issues, he is going to be a formidable opponent able to employ entropy and energy draining at will. 

What is Circuit Breaker’s gender? 

Despite being able to utilize one of the most mysterious forces in the universe, Circuit Breaker’s use is not the only special thing about him. The new superhero is transmasculine and, confirmed by the creator Kaplan, uses he/they pronouns. Regarding Circuit Breaker’s sexual orientation and relationship status, this is something we’re going to have to look into once the character debuts.

Kaplan used the opportunity to showcase the coming her on his Twitter, sharing the most basic info about the character, as well as his gender identity. 

The response to the artwork was overwhelmingly positive, with DC editor Andrea Shea responding that the character is “bound to become fan favorite.” DC has featured a plethora of LGBT superheroes on its pages over its long history of existence. Circuit Breaker is just the newest addition to the already powerful lineup. 

Summary

Circuit Breaker, aka Jules Jourdain, is a powerful new superhero debuting in the Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate #1 on February 14th. Jules’ powers will likely be the result of a powerful storm generated by the Lazarus Volcano. This destructive event will result in many other people (and villains) getting superpowers.

Circuit Breaker will be able to utilize and manipulate the “Still Force” one of the Seven Forces of the Universe based on entropy and inertia and directly opposite to the Flash’s Speed Force. What makes Circuit Breaker stand out, besides his exciting origin story and powers, is the fact that he identifies as trans, using the pronouns he/they.