Lemuel Gulliver Gates first appeared 3000 ficlets ago in “Fury of the Superjudge!” (http://ficlets.com/stories/3213). Make sure you pick up that first issue, true believers: it’s a collectors item!
Philip’s first Pre-Crisis appearance comes from “The Butler’s Secret” (http://ficlets.com/stories/3710), courtesy of the man who started it all, Kevin Lawver.

(whistles) Nicely done, and a nice coup on bringing KL into it! I bow before you, sir! Well played!
(And a Stan Lee-ism in the comment, too! Dude, you rock, if I may say so.)

I just noticed that L.G. Gates took four installments to demolish a Wal-Mart. I’m not sure if that means he’s losing his touch or that Brenda gave him a helluva fight. Or maybe it was one of those grizzled old greeters.
;)

Well, it was one of them new-fangled Super Wal-Marts. It took twice as long to get blowed up. And the greeter was a Korean War Vet itching for a fight. (Which makes me want to write the prequel, just so I can write that fight scene.)

Down like a “poleaxed steer” – Ouch!

I love the backstory you’ve given Philip.
~
As for LG taking 4 Ficlets to blow up a Wal-Mart: It’s not how long it takes, it’s that you do in fact blow the gorram Wal-Mart to bits.

Thousands of local mom and pop shops thank you for blowing up the gorram Wal-Mart, and hoo daddy for a Firefly swear word! That’s fracking awesome.