Heywood went straight into World War II as a secret weapon before he allied himself with All-Star Squadron. At this time, he was designatedCommander Steel by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
His membership in the Squadron was only for a brief period; Crisis on Infinite Earths caused him to move from his homeland on Earth-Two to Post-Crisis Earth, where he retired from his superhero career. (as there were no more active heroes at the time).
Years later, as a wealthy industrialist, he incorporated the same mechanical components into his grandson, Hank Heywood III.
After the death of his grandson, Heywood took up the mantle of Commander Steel and killed himself fighting the supervillain Eclipso.