The younger brother of a local drug lord Jack Monteleone, Joey Monteleone was arrested for armed robbery. While serving time, he discovered he had the metahuman ability to inhabit inanimate objects. Eventually, he became trapped in the form of anthropomorphic asphalt, while his real body remains unconscious in Iron Heights.
Now in his new form, Tar Pit first caused havoc at a Keystone Cityice hockey game, trying to steal the Stanley Cup for himself. He was stopped by Flash and Captain Cold, although Cold himself stole the trophy. He has appeared sporadically with the other rogues ever since.
Most recently, he has been seen among the new Injustice League and is one of the villains featured in Salvation Run.
In the Blackest Night crossover, Tar Pit is shown with Owen Mercer, visiting his father's grave, accompanying Owen in his search for the Black Lantern version of his father on the grounds that he will be of no interest to the Black Lantern Corps as his tar-based form has no heart for them to take.[3]
In "The New 52", Tar Pit is shown about to attack Iris West following her defeating Folded Man when Flash appears. He thaws out the guards and sends the melted ice towards the villains.[4]
When Girder initiated a prison break, Tar Pit temporarily breaks out to save Flash before he can be falsely imprisoned by Riddler.[7]
When a Speed Force storm strikes Central City and turns its citizens into speedsters, Tar Pit is one of a few villains to not leave Central City.[8]
On the night before Christmas, Tar Pit's nephew and niece were kidnapped by criminals. Tar Pit had to rob a toy store to pay their ransom only to be defeated by Kid Flash. As Tar Pit is taken to Iron Heights, Kid Flash rescued the children and defeated the criminals.[9]
Powers and abilities
Tar Pit's body is made of molten asphalt and burns on touch. He is able to trap people in the substance of his body and can hurl flaming chunks of tar at his enemies. Due to his body being made of tar, Tar Pit is practically invulnerable.
Before becoming Tar Pit, Joey was able to project his consciousness into inanimate objects and animate them.
Other versions
An alternate timeline variant of Tar Pit appears in the Flashpoint tie-in Flashpoint: Citizen Cold. Initially imprisoned in Iron Heights, he joins Mirror Master's Rogues and breaks out of prison to pursue revenge against the eponymous Citizen Cold for seemingly stealing his family's money,[10][11] only to be killed by him.[12]
In other media
Tar Pit appears in The Flash, portrayed by Marco Grazzini[13] in the second season and Josh Chambers in the ninth season. This version was pushed into a tar pit amidst the explosion of S.T.A.R. Labs' particle accelerator. After being freed by workers two years later, he gains the ability to transform into molten tar.
