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Herbie developed an attachment to lollipops as a baby. Herbie's physique is hereditary, but his father, Pincus Popnecker, worked hard to slim down. Dad, unaware of Herbie's fame and powers, feels self-pity because his son is a little fat nothing. Judging from Herbie's Grandpa, Herbie's terse language may also be hereditary. Herbie gets his powers from special lollipops from the Unknown. Different lollipop flavors convey different powers. For purely conformist reasons, Herbie created his "costume hero" persona, the Fat Fury, but did not acquire new powers in the process.
Index terms: origin, roots, back story, background, lollipops, hard-to-get cinnamon, schlemiehl, schlemiel, Unknown, Supernatural Lollipops, costume hero, licensed graduate hero, Richard E. Hughes, Ogden Whitney