DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
, usually as the leader of the superhero team
Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol is a superhero team from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80 (June 1963), and was created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney, along with artist Bruno Premiani. Doom Patrol has appe ...
. Please cite actual comic books rather than this encyclopedia so we can locate source material Created by
Arnold Drake
Arnold Drake (March 1, 1924 – March 12, 2007) was an American comic book writer and screenwriter best known for co-creating the DC Comics characters Deadman and the Doom Patrol, and the Marvel Comics characters the Guardians of the Galaxy, amo ...
and
Bruno Premiani
Giordano Bruno Premiani (January 4, 1907 – August 17, 1984) at the
DC Universe
The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lant ...
series ''
Titans
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Gai ...
'', played by
Bruno Bichir
Bruno Bichir Nájera (born 6 October 1967) is a Mexican actor and one of the members of the Bichir family.
Biography
Bichir was born in Mexico City. He started his acting career at the age of five in several theater, film and television series. ...
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Leonard Dalton Leggett (; born 21 March 1946) is a British actor. Beginning his career on stage, he made his film debut as Philip II of France in the 1968 historical drama '' The Lion in Winter''. He gained international prominence a ...
in the first two seasons and guest starred in a few episodes of the third season.
Publication history
He first appeared in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80 (June 1963) Please cite actual comic books rather than this encyclopedia so we can locate source material and was created by
Arnold Drake
Arnold Drake (March 1, 1924 – March 12, 2007) was an American comic book writer and screenwriter best known for co-creating the DC Comics characters Deadman and the Doom Patrol, and the Marvel Comics characters the Guardians of the Galaxy, amo ...
and
Bruno Premiani
Giordano Bruno Premiani (January 4, 1907 – August 17, 1984) at the
Bob Haney
Robert Gilbert Haney, Jr. (March 15, 1926 – November 25, 2004) was an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. He co-created the Teen Titans as well as characters such as Metamorpho, Eclipso, Cain, and the Super-Sons. ...
was not brought on to the project until after the Chief was created.
Drake has confirmed in an interview that his inspiration for The Chief was the works of
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for '' A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...
genius
Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for future works, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabili ...
intelligence. Caulder uses his scientific knowledge to develop numerous inventions and innovations that have made him wealthy. Caulder founded and organized the team called Doom Patrol to protect the innocent and fight crime, and to teach humanity to accept others who live as ostracized "freaks," who have been radically transformed from terrible accidents. It is Caulder's genius that allowed the team members to survive (e.g., designing Robotman's body, devising
Negative Man
Negative Man is a superhero from DC Comics. The character was created by Bob Haney, Arnold Drake, and Bruno Premiani and made his first appearance in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80 (June 1963).
Negative Man has appeared in numerous cartoon telev ...
's medicated bandages), and helped grant their freakishness and amazing abilities.
Caulder developed an interest in creating better life at a young age. Proving at a young age to be both a brilliant inventor and engineer, Caulder received funding from a mysterious benefactor. Thanks to the funding, Caulder succeeded in creating a chemical capable of prolonging life. Ultimately, it was revealed that the benefactor was a man called
General Immortus
General Immortus is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He has also been called "The Forever Soldier" or "The Forever General".
Publication history
He first appeared in '' My Greatest Adventure'' #80, the first ...
, who hired Caulder to create a chemical to replace the one that had been prolonging his life for centuries but was now failing. When the young scientist discovered the truth about his employer, he refused to continue the work. Immortus responded by implanting an explosive device in Caulder's upper torso, which he could set off remotely, and any attempt to remove it while Niles lived would also detonate it. Caulder eventually devised a plan to get the bomb out, but it cost him his ability to walk. Please cite actual comic books rather than this encyclopedia so we can locate source material The incident inspired and reminded Caulder that a better life may come from surviving a tragic event, such as his own.
In the early years of the Patrol, Caulder not only kept his true identity and appearance secret from the public; even his team knew him only as the Chief. In issue #88 (June 1964), their third battle against Immortus forces him to tell the rest of the Patrol his back-story and real name, which suddenly and with no explanation becomes common public knowledge for the rest of the original 1960s series (even two "flashback" miniseries that ran in the back of the comic, detailing how Cliff Steele and Larry Trainor became "freaks" and were recruited by Caulder, casually used the name).
Post-Crisis
Niles Caulder's back-history seemingly remained intact following the events of
Crisis on Infinite Earths
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to Mar ...
; however, when writer
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, humanist philosophy and countercultural leanings. Morrison has written extensively for th ...
took over the Doom Patrol title (starting with vol. 2 #19) they reimagined him as a cold, detached and somewhat mysterious individual. Near the end of their run, Morrison even revealed that Caulder had been responsible for the "accidents" that caused the original Doom Patrol members to gain their powers, since his personal philosophy is that true greatness comes through overcoming tragic events.
While volunteering for the
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order of President John F ...
in the 1960s in
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
, India, Niles Caulder met Arani Desai and the two fell in love. He gave her immortality on their wedding night and left her in a monastery in the Himalayas, sensing danger from his mysterious benefactor.
Caulder had been hired to develop a serum to increase a person's life span indefinitely. While working on the project, Caulder discovered that his mysterious benefactor was actually a villain named
General Immortus
General Immortus is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He has also been called "The Forever Soldier" or "The Forever General".
Publication history
He first appeared in '' My Greatest Adventure'' #80, the first ...
. Immortus planted a bomb in Caulder's chest and would only remove it when Caulder had developed the serum. Immortus shot Caulder and while he was technically dead, his robot surgeon removed the bomb and revived him. Due to the robot's crude surgical technique, The Chief lost the use of his legs. Fearing that Immortus would never stop until he was dead, he decided to form a team of heroic misfits to fight Immortus. This team became the first incarnation of the Doom Patrol.
In keeping with the above retcon that he manipulated the original Doom Patrol's transformations, it has been revealed that Caulder had also experimented on other characters in the world who would both benefit and destroy humanity. The most noted are a bitter group called the
Brotherhood of Evil
The Brotherhood of Evil is a group of DC Comics supervillains, archenemies of the original Doom Patrol and the Teen Titans and enemies of the Justice League.
The Brotherhood of Evil appears in the third season of the HBO Max series ''Doom Patrol ...
, a group of people who also live like "freaks", led by
the Brain
A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ i ...
. The Brotherhood exists as an elitist paramilitary organization involved in terrorist acts around the world such as the destruction of the American city
Blüdhaven
This page list the locations in the DC Universe, the shared universe setting of DC Comics.
Sites
* the Arrowcave – The former base of operations of the Green Arrow and Speedy.
* Avernus Cemetery – A burial ground located in Central City for ...
, occasionally attempting global control of humanity, and the death and destruction of Niles Caulder for causing their tragic transformations.
Towards the end of
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, humanist philosophy and countercultural leanings. Morrison has written extensively for th ...
's ''Doom Patrol'' run, Caulder is discovered working on a nanotechnology bomb that will destroy half the world and replace it with humans transformed into freaks of nature — his theory being that from the destruction would rise a better human race. He murders the original Tempest,
Joshua Clay
Joshua Clay (Tempest) is a fictional character, a member of the superhero team Doom Patrol in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Kupperberg and Joe Staton, he first appears as the hero Tempest in ''Showcase'' #94 (August 1977).
...
, to protect his secret but the Doom Patrol succeed in stopping his plans.
During these events, he is killed by a creation of Dorothy Spinner's known as the Candlemaker. Dr.
Will Magnus
Doctor Will Magnus is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.
Publication history
He first appeared in ''Showcase'' #37 alongside his creations, the Metal Men and was created by Robert Kanigher and Ross A ...
of the
Metal Men
The Metal Men are a group of superheroes that appear in DC Comics. The characters first appeared in ''Showcase'' #37 (March–April 1962) and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru. Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...
builds a new body for the Chief, telling him that he should try helping the Patrol to make up for what he did. Becoming suicidal with guilt, the Chief states that he can never do enough to make up for his actions and uses his new body to rip off his head. Magnus is able to save the Chief by getting the head to a cryogenic chamber. After this, the Chief exists solely as a disembodied head in a bucket of
ice
Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaqu ...
, subsisting on milkshakes. He expresses remorse at his actions and rebuilds the Doom Patrol to continue their efforts in the war against weird crime.
In the final issues of the series, the Chief had combined himself with Alice Wired-for-Sound, one of the SRS (Sexually Remaindered Spirits), who powered the DP Teleporter, as a means for more mobility. During the last story arc, ''Imagine Ari's Friends'', the Chief died entering the Tree of Life called the Sephirot.
Infinite Crisis
After Superboy-Prime's pounding on the barriers to reality, certain events are rewritten, and Niles has his body back and still acts as the team leader. It has been revealed that he apparently still is responsible for the creation of the original members of the Patrol, though they claim to have forgiven him.
Caulder now seems to be intent on expanding the Doom Patrol's ranks; he has already convinced
Beast Boy
Garfield Mark Logan, better known as Beast Boy, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He has also gone under the alias Changeling. Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Bob Brown, he is a shapeshifter who po ...
to return to the team and formally join it for the first time, and gotten
Bumblebee
A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related genera ...
and Vox to join. Robin doubts the Chief's motives, and after seeing him appear to manipulate
Elasti-Girl
Elasti-Girl (also known as Elasti-Woman) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Doom Patrol. Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Bruno Premiani, the character first appeared ...
, Robin accuses him of brainwashing the Doom Patrol by keeping them dependent on him. For his part, Caulder maintains that by joining the Doom Patrol, team members "won't have to be freaks anymore." Later, when Caulder is overheard telling
Kid Devil
Edward Bloomberg (currently known as Red Devil) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Alan Kupperberg, Dan Mishkin, and Gary Cohn, the character first appeared in Fury of Firestorm #2 (June, 1984). Th ...
that his teammates do not like him and he should join the Doom Patrol, the others finally see that he is controlling them with fear and self-loathing. While Caulder tells them that they need him,
Mento
Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. It is a fusion of African rhythmic elements and European elements, which reached peak popularity in the 1940s and 1950s. Mento typically ...
finally takes off his helmet, allowing him to think clearly. Mento then informs the Chief that he is no longer their leader and if he ever speaks to Elasti-Girl or Beast Boy like that again, he will destroy Caulder's intellect. Shocked by this, the Chief rushes off to his lab.
Also in the Teen Titans story, it is also revealed that Caulder brutally murdered the scientist who would become "Brain" because they were both working on General Immortus' potion and Caulder was jealous of the Brain's genius and tried to blow up the other scientist's lab in order to force him to become Robotman prior to Cliff Steele's accident that made him the character of the same name. Brain also reveals that he and the Doom Patrol are not the only innocent humans whose bodies are mutilated against their will by Caulder to create his own personal super-hero team. Two never before mentioned characters (Electric Blu and the Human Cannon) and a Negative Girl (possibly a retcon of Valentina Vostok) are said to be out there somewhere, having rejected Caulder for the damage he inflicted upon them.
Recently, Caulder designed a new training room for the
Justice League
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...
. He also appears in ''Four Horsemen'' #4, apparently back in charge of the Doom Patrol.
During the Doom Patrol's "
Blackest Night
"Blackest Night" is a 2009–10 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous central miniseries, written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, along with a number of tie-in issues. ''Blackest Ni ...
" tie-in storyline, Caulder is attacked by his former wife Celsius who had been revived as a member of the Black Lantern Corps. During her attack, Celsius is only able to detect avarice as the dominant emotion in Niles' body, his entire emotional aura colored
orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
*Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum
* ...
. Using her temperature control powers, Celsius freezes and shatters Caulder's legs. She then goes in for the kill, aiming to rip out his heart. Caulder is saved by the intervention of a man with a black hole for a face, who imprisons Celsius in an energy bubble. Unable to defeat the Black Lanterns, Caulder utilized a warp gate to send them all to the Justice League, in hopes that they will be able to deal with the problem. However, at last beaten by the excruciating pain of his destroyed legs, he gives in at last and appears to fall unconscious.
Caulder later gains the body of a Kryptonian, and successfully duplicates the ability to absorb yellow sun radiation into the cells from it, transforming himself into a "Superman". Caulder then attacks his team, before setting out to do their job himself. He steals every missile on the planet and dumps them in Antarctica, and attacks the United Nations in his attempts to make "a better world". He is only stopped when his laboratory computer, "Millicent", transmits a sequence of lights through Robotman's eyes and into his own, neurologically shutting down Caulder's brain. His comatose body is then placed in storage in Oolong Island. Afterwards, the Doom Patrol discover that someone has broken in and stolen Caulder's comatose body.
The New 52
In "
The New 52
The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...
", DC Comics' 2011 reboot of their universe, a young and healthy Niles Caulder is introduced in issue #4 of ''The Ravagers''. Operating a deep underground science & engineering facility located beneath Los Angeles, he provides headquarters and combat training for the team in their campaign against the organization of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Infiltrating the compound, Caulder is captured along with the rest of the Ravagers by Deathstroke on the behest of Harvest.
During the events of
Forever Evil
"Forever Evil" is a 2013–2014 crossover comic book storyline published by DC Comics that began in September 2013 and ended in May 2014, consisting of an eponymous, central miniseries written by Geoff Johns and art by David Finch. It is the fir ...
, it is revealed that Niles Caulder has created a Doom Patrol since his last appearance and seems to be free from Harvest. This Doom Patrol was killed by
Crime Syndicate of America
The Crime Syndicate are teams of supervillains from one of DC Comics' parallel universes where they are the evil counterparts of the Justice League. The original team was specifically known as the Crime Syndicate of America and is sometimes abb ...
members
Johnny Quick
Johnny Quick are two fictional DC Comics characters, each with the power of superhuman speed. The first was a superhero who first appeared in '' More Fun Comics'' #71 (September 1941) during the Golden Age. The other was a supervillain, an evil ve ...
and Atomica except for Celsius and Tempest who according to Lex Luthor faked their deaths to escape him, prompting Caulder to make plans to "start over". Following the defeat of the Crime Syndicate, Caulder and the newly created Doom Patrol is introduced in issue #30 of Justice League. Membership consists of team's classic, 1963, lineup with Robotman, Elasti-Girl, Negative Man and - M.I.A. Justice League member - Element Woman.
Young Animal
The Doom Patrol is contacted by Niles Caulder in issue #7 and embark on a mission with him leading. The mission goes haywire and it is revealed that Niles Caulder is gambling again, leading the team to evict him as a leader and as a member of the team. This marks the team embracing being a new iteration of the Doom Patrol.
Skills and abilities
As the Chief, Caulder has proficiency in chemistry, electrical engineering, leadership, and robotics.
S.T.A.R. Labs
Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories (S.T.A.R. Labs) is a fictional scientific research facility and organization appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It first appeared in ''Superman'' #246 (December 1 ...
, which in this version are the main antagonistic force behind the creation of the
Titans
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Gai ...
Justice
Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
Richard McGonagle
Richard Francis McGonagle (born October 22, 1946) is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his voice work in various video games, movies and television shows. He is also known for his work by voicing Colonel Taggart in ''Prototype'', O ...
. Following a failed mission and the
Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol is a superhero team from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80 (June 1963), and was created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney, along with artist Bruno Premiani. Doom Patrol has appe ...
disbanding, this version retired until Batman reunites the Doom Patrol in the present after the team's enemies form an alliance to seek revenge. While Batman foils the alliance, the Doom Patrol sacrifice themselves to save a small town being threatened by the villains.
* The Chief appears in the "Doom Patrol" segment of ''
DC Nation Shorts
''DC Nation Shorts'' are animated shorts featuring characters from DC Comics that aired in a series on Cartoon Network on Saturdays at 10/9c.
Production
On March 3, 2012, the shorts premiered as part of the ''DC Nation'' block, produced by Warn ...
'', voiced by
Jeffrey Combs
Jeffrey Alan Combs (born September 9, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for starring in horror films, such as ''Re-Animator'', and appearances playing a number of characters in the ''Star Trek'' and the DC animated universe television fr ...
.
* The Chief appears in the '' Young Justice: Outsiders'' episode "Nightmare Monkeys", voiced by
Scott Menville
Scott David Menville (born February 12, 1971) is an American actor who is known for his voice work in animated films, television series and video games.
Life and career
Menville was born on February 12, 1971, to television animator and writer ...
. This version died while on a mission with the Doom Patrol years prior to the series.
* The Chief appears in ''
Teen Titans Go!
''Teen Titans Go!'' is an American animated television series developed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic for Cartoon Network. It premiered on April 23, 2013 and is based on the DC Comics fictional superhero team. The series was announce ...
'', voiced by
Larry Kenney
Larry Kenney (born August 5, 1947) is an American voice actor and radio personality.
Early life
Larry Kenney was born August 5, 1947 in Pekin, Illinois, the son of George and Joyce Kenney. He has a brother, Steven, and a sister, Jody. He graduat ...
.
Live-action
* The Chief appears in the ''
Titans
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Gai ...
'' episode "Doom Patrol", portrayed by
Bruno Bichir
Bruno Bichir Nájera (born 6 October 1967) is a Mexican actor and one of the members of the Bichir family.
Biography
Bichir was born in Mexico City. He started his acting career at the age of five in several theater, film and television series. ...
. This version saved the lives of fellow Doom Patrol members Rita Farr,
Larry Trainor
Larry Trainor (April 20, 1905 – July 22, 1975) was a leading activist of the Socialist Workers Party (US) in Boston and a member of the party's National Committee.
Trainor was a noted socialist educator, giving classes on Marxism, the history o ...
Gar Logan
Garfield Mark Logan, better known as Beast Boy, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He has also gone under the alias Changeling. Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Bob Brown (comics), Bob Brown, he is a ...
and Shyleen Lao. The Chief also regained the ability to walk until he is paralyzed by Rachel Roth while trying to experiment on her.
* The Chief appears in ''
Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol is a superhero team from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80 (June 1963), and was created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney, along with artist Bruno Premiani. Doom Patrol has appe ...
'', portrayed by
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Leonard Dalton Leggett (; born 21 March 1946) is a British actor. Beginning his career on stage, he made his film debut as Philip II of France in the 1968 historical drama '' The Lion in Winter''. He gained international prominence a ...
as an adult and Abigail Shapiro as a child. Similarly to the post-''Crisis'' comics incarnation and separate ''Titans'' counterpart, this version was responsible for turning the future Doom Patrol members into metahumans in an attempt to protect his daughter Dorothy Spinner. Additionally, he formed and led an earlier incarnation of the Doom Patrol in the 1950s before they were defeated by Mr. Nobody and possesses a degree of immortality due to a talisman stolen from Nazi scientist Heinrich Von Fuchs. After giving the talisman to Willoughby Kipling to restore a shrunken Doom Patrol to their normal sizes, the Chief worked to stave off death so he can spend more time with Spinner before dying in the season three premiere.