El Barba Grande (The Big Beard)

A.K.A: Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, President of Cuba, Comandante en Jefe of the Cuban Armed Forces, "El Caballo" (the horse), "The Giant", "The Grandfather"

El Barba Grande, way back when.

El Barba Grande, not so very long ago.

Powers: El Barba Grande's body is covered by an Amazing Epidermis which has the power to channel amino acids that create proteins, which, in turn, create keratin, which becomes hair. It is suspected that El Barba Grande can grow 120mm of hair from his Amazing Epidermis in a single year! El Barba Grande ("The Big Beard") has used his powers to grow a beard that is recognisable around the world. By using his powers, he has become a world leader and an internationally recognised icon for nearly half a century. Limitations: Some suspect that, without his hair, and especially his beard, El Barba Grande would lose his powers. There are numerous allegations that the CIA, in its attempts to destroy El Barba Grande's powers, have tried exploding cigars and hair loss potions. Others argue that El Barba Grande's Pointing Finger (which is also covered by his Amazing Epidermis - see images above) is also a source of power. Status: It is a matter of personal opinion and political doctrine whether or not El Barba Grande is a hero or villain. Superhero Slogan: "“As I have said before, the ever more sophisticated weapons piling up in the arsenals of the wealthiest and the mightiest can kill the illiterate, the ill, the poor and the hungry, but they cannot kill ignorance, illness, poverty or hunger." Interesting Facts:

• El Barba Grande was, in his early years, a guerilla.
• Fabian Escalante, who was long tasked with protecting the life of El Barba Grande has calculated the exact number of assassination schemes and/or attempts by the CIA to be 638. Some such attempts have included an exploding cigar, a fungal-infected scuba-diving suit, and a mafia-style shooting. One of these attempts was by his ex-lover Marita Lorenz whom he met in 1959. She subsequently agreed to aid the CIA and attempted to smuggle a jar of cold cream containing poison pills into his room. When El Barba Grande realised, he reportedly gave her a gun and told her to kill him but her nerve failed. El Barba Grande once said in regards to the numerous attempts on his life, "If surviving assassination attempts were an Olympic event, I would win the gold medal."