Feedback (Dark Horse Comics)

Feedback is a superhero created and originally portrayed by actor Matthew Atherton on the reality television series Who Wants to Be a Superhero? As a result of winning the show, his character was made the subject of a Dark Horse Comics comic book written by Stan Lee. He also made a guest appearance in the Sci-Fi Channel original movie Mega Snake. He also has his own audio series written by and starring Atherton. The first episode of which was produced in collaboration with amateur audio groups Darker Projects and is now a continuing audio series hosted by BrokenSea Audio Productions.

Matthew Atherton is a software engineer from Las Cruces, NM. He quit his job to take part in the show. He was 34 years old during season one. After the death of his father by suicide (when Matthew was 14), superheroes like Spider-Man became Matthew's role models. Atherton graduated from Grinnell College in 1995.

While working on a bio-organic computer system using organic computing, software engineer Matthew Atherton is caught in a large explosion that bombards his body with hi-tech cellular shrapnel. Atherton discovers that his body is generating a feedback field that shuts down nearby electronic equipment. Atherton creates a damping suit that keeps the field in check and becomes Dark Horse Comic's new superhero "Feedback." His catchphrase is "Okay, lecture's over—time for some Feedback!"

Atherton also discovers that by playing video games, he can absorb some attributes of the game. For example, if Feedback plays Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, he temporarily gains the ability to run along walls and do acrobatics, and perhaps rewind time. By using an organization created by his former employer known as "Tech Support", Feedback gains enough knowledge to use the limited powers wisely. Each time Feedback uses a power, he loses some of his memory.

However, both the Dark Horse comic and the Sci-Fi Channel original movie Mega Snake failed to feature Feedback's ability to use video game powers. This may be due to intellectual property rights surrounding commercial video games. While the comic did feature Feedback's electricity-wielding abilities, Mega Snake did not show any of his powers at all.

Computer whiz Matthew Atherton is tricked by Ironside, the world's deadliest terrorist, into helping him perfect an unstoppable robot vehicle, little knowing that Ironside intends to use the vehicle to destroy Matthew's hometown. Left for dead by the terrorists, an unexpected event turns Matthew into Feedback, giving him one chance to redeem himself and save the city.

Feedback is equipped with many pieces of technology and several superpowers.

Tech Support is an elite group that provides reconnaissance and research assistance, as well as field support where required. They often research games that would give Feedback the powers necessary for a given task. Also, they are attempting to discover why he is losing his memory, as well as how to retrieve it. They are officially recognized by Feedback as his sidekicks.