Dorothy Spinner is a fictional character created by
Paul Kupperberg
Paul Kupperberg (born June 14, 1955) is an American writer and comics editor. He is currently a writer and executive editor at Charlton Neo Comics and Pix-C Webcomics, and a contributing author with Crazy 8 Press. Formerly, he was an editor for D ...
, appearing in
American comic books published by
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 ...
. She was a former member of the Doom Patrol with the ability to bring imaginary beings to life. She first appeared 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 ...
'' vol. 2, #14 (November 1988) as a background character until she was made a full member a few issues later.
Dorothy made her first live adaptation in the second and third seasons of 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 ...
'' television series on
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 ...
and
HBO Max
HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
streaming services portrayed by Abi Monterey.
Publication history
Dorothy Spinner first appeared in issue #14 of the second volume of the series ''Doom Patrol''. Her name is an in-joke referring to
Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum as the protagonist in many of his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's classic 1900 children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and reappears in most of it ...
and how she arrived in Oz, by a tornado, or spinning wind. Also, in her first appearance and in her appearances on the covers of the ''Doom Patrol'' graphic novels, Dorothy is dressed like Dorothy Gale.
Dorothy's facial deformity changes from mild to severe depending on who's drawing her and how it's done.
Fictional character biography
Dorothy Spinner's mother gave her up for adoption when Dorothy was a baby. She was adopted by a Midwestern couple. Dorothy suffered a facial deformity that gave her the appearance of an
ape
Apes (collectively Hominoidea ) are a clade of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and as well as Europe in prehistory), which together with its sister g ...
, complete with hairy arms. Because of this, Dorothy grew up isolated from society, with only her
imaginary friend
Imaginary friends (also known as pretend friends, invisible friends or made-up friends) are a psychological and social phenomenon where a friendship or other interpersonal relationship takes place in the imagination rather than physical reality.
...
s for company. She eventually discovered that she had the power to bring these "friends" to life. Her imaginary friends even taught her how to read and write, since she wasn't allowed to go to school because people thought that she would "scare" the other children.
Dorothy's psychological vulnerability made her the perfect target for the Candlemaker, a malignant
egregore
Egregore (also spelled egregor; , ) is an occult concept representing a non-physical entity that arises from the collective thoughts of a distinct group of people. Historically, the concept referred to angelic beings, or watchers, and the specif ...
, removed from the physical plane of existence eons ago, who sought to come back through Dorothy's psychic ability. One day, a group of boys had been brutally teasing Dorothy. The Candlemaker appeared in her mind, and when she wished that one of the boys was dead, he happily obliged. The next day, they found the boy disemboweled and crucified in a field. Dorothy would spend the rest of her life blocking the Candlemaker in the deepest part of her mind.
Kupperberg run
Dorothy's first comic appearance was in ''Doom Patrol'' (vol. 2) #14, when the Doom Patrol was swallowed by a Chaos Lord named Pythia. This happened near Dorothy's home and when she went to investigate the energy bursts and discovered her favorite super team fighting a monster, she was swallowed by Pythia as well. Inside, she thought she witnessed most of the Doom Patrol killed with the exception of Celsius, who used her meditative learnings to keep her focused on the chaotic illusion, and Powergirl, who held Arani's (Celsius) hand in the maelstrom, but it was Dorothy who pelted Pythia with rocks, which caused her pain and brought back the dead team to life and destroyed Pythia. Dorothy would turn up again in issue #18 for Celsius' funeral.
Morrison run
Starting with the Grant Morrison run of the Doom Patrol, Dorothy became a member. Her first prominent feature as a member was in issue #25, which dealt with Dorothy's first period and the Materioptikon, an old device used by former
JLA villain
Doctor Destiny
Doctor Destiny (John Dee) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.
Jeremy Davies played the character in his live-action debut on the Arrowverse crossover "Elseworlds". David Thewlis plays a version of the char ...
.
The device boosted Dorothy's powers and brought back three of her old imaginary friends, Damn All, Darling-Come-Home, and Flying Robert (nightmarish representations of her neglectful and abusive family), whom she killed with an imaginary gun.
The Ant Farm and the Telephone Avatar
During the ''Men from N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and Pentagon'' saga, Dorothy was on
Danny the Street
Danny the Street is a fictional character appearing in comics of the DC Universe. Danny is a living and sentient piece of urban geography who can magically and seamlessly place himself in any urban landscape at will without any disruption to his su ...
(a living genderqueer street) with Josh and
Flex Mentallo (The Man of Muscle Mystery) when she's kidnapped by the government-run Men from N.O.W.H.E.R.E. She was taken to the sub-sub basement of
the Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a meton ...
called the Ant Farm, a mechanical monstrosity and prison.
Strung up alongside kidnapped psychic Wallace Sage, who created Flex, they were going to be used to summon the Telephone Avatar, an all-powerful being made up of telephone parts. In Dorothy's mind, the Candlemaker appeared once more and promised that if she let him out for good, he would destroy the Men from N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and the Telephone Avatar. Dorothy lapsed, and when she woke up the Candlemaker held true to his promise.
Brief Candles
Following their departure from the Ant Farm, the Candlemaker began to haunt Dorothy's mind trying to get her to let him out. Dorothy confessed to Josh what had been bothering her and about what the Candlemaker had done in the past. She then collapsed from the strain he was putting on her mind, and when Josh tried to find
Chief and the head of the Doom Patrol for help, he was shot by him. When Dorothy found Josh's body, the Candlemaker told her that he would bring back Josh to life if she let him out. She did so, and Josh was brought back to life, only to be killed seconds later.
The Candlemaker proceeded to behead the Chief and destroy Cliff Steele's human brain to use his artificial body. But Cliff's brain was copied onto a floppy disk and inserted into a blank robot body by Willoughby Kipling, who helped the Doom Patrol during the ''Cult of the Unwritten Book'' saga. Danny the Street took Cliff, Dorothy, and Willoughby to a burning and chaotic New York City.
Only children, lunatics, and those sensitive to the astral plane could see what the Candlemaker was doing to the city. He was destroying the world's soul, or
anima mundi, instead of the world itself. This was causing people to go insane. Kipling used one of his occult devices, a wind-up toy, to track down the Candlemaker to a skyscraper where people were being thrown out of windows and onto the pavement.
They were joined by
Crazy Jane
Crazy Jane is a fictional character created by Grant Morrison and Richard Case for their work on the Vertigo Comics version of ''Doom Patrol''. She first appears in ''Doom Patrol'' (vol. 2) #19 (February 1989). According to the afterword in the f ...
and
Rebis, two other Doom Patrolers. Jane had multiple personalities, each with a different power, and Rebis was a radioactive hermaphrodite containing a negative spirit called the Anegima Regis. Rebis had just gone through their reproductive cycle, and Jane's alternate personalities were now powerless. The Candlemaker killed Rebis and tossed Crazy Jane into a vortex to what he called "Hell", which turned out to be our world. He followed the Doom Patrol on Danny the Street, while Cliff, enraged at the loss of Jane, continued to try to kill him. The Candlemaker ripped him to pieces, right after Danny had taken them to the home of Will Magnus, creator of the superhero team of robots called 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 ...
.
Will sent forth one of his new robots,
Tungsten
Tungsten, or wolfram, is a chemical element with the symbol W and atomic number 74. Tungsten is a rare metal found naturally on Earth almost exclusively as compounds with other elements. It was identified as a new element in 1781 and first isol ...
, as a diversion. Danny took them back to the Doom Patrol headquarters and then started traveling to different places in the world with the Candlemaker still on him as a way to disorient him, but he appeared back at headquarters, on fire and screaming.
Dorothy used a gun on the Candlemaker but to no effect, but at that moment, computer-programmed nanomachines that the Chief had created to cover the world, swarmed him. He still went after Dorothy, but she screamed "Why don't you shut up?! Everyone's sick of you!". Then, Kipling came in with the egg that Rebis had created, which hatched into Rebis' new body. It attacked the Candlemaker, who was reduced to a single flame that Dorothy extinguished.
Meanwhile, the nanomachines that the Chief had created planned to swarm the world and create a global catastrophe if they weren't stopped. Cliff integrated his brain with Caulder's computer and proceeded to shut them down. Danny then expanded into an entire world, and Cliff, Jane, and Rebis decided to stay there. Dorothy refused though and asked a red balloon to take her into the real world.
Pollack run
Dorothy was one of the characters left over from Grant Morrison's run of the series used by
Rachel Pollack
Rachel Grace Pollack (born August 17, 1945 as Richard Pollack) is an American science fiction author, comic book writer, and expert on divinatory tarot. She is involved in the women's spirituality movement.
Career
Tarot reading
Pollack has wr ...
.
Sliding in the wreckage
After the Doom Patrol disbanded, Dorothy began living by herself in an apartment building, where she began being vexed by African spirits who continually bothered her. These spirits wanted Dorothy to come live in their world, but she refused them because she wanted to live in the real world. One day, longing for the life she once had, she had a party with her imaginary friends, including imaginary versions of Cliff, the Chief, and Joshua, when she was again bothered by the spirits. Afterward, she was visited by Will Magnus, who convinced her that she needed to return to the human race instead of locking herself away with her imaginary friends. On a trip to the mall, Dorothy was attacked again, this time being saved by Cliff.
Dorothy returned to the Doom Patrol headquarters, where she and Will tried to help Cliff, whose fully robotic brain began to malfunction. At the same time, the Chief's head was being placed in a cryogenic state, but he was simultaneously appearing in a land of shapeshifters called the Teiresias. His arrival in that world began causing fits of craziness and strangeness in the world. This called the attention of a government organization called the Builders, similar in nature to the Men from N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Seeing the Doom Patrol as the cause of the craziness, they attacked Doom Patrol headquarters.
As Dorothy, Will, and Cliff were being attacked, one of the Teiresias presented Dorothy with a blank, human brain to be given to Cliff. She then re-awakened the Chief, who could now survive as a severed head due to the Teiresias. Dorothy then rejoined the Doom Patrol with Cliff and the Chief after the Builders were taken care of.
Moving out of their former headquarters, the three moved to Violet Valley's Rainbow Estates, an unfinished planned community whose construction was halted due to the recession. There, Dorothy discovered a living doll whom she named Charlie, who was made up of a teddy bear's body and a ventriloquist dummy's head. She began to regress to the same mental state as at the beginning of Morrison's run.
Arcudi run
In ''Doom Patrol'' vol. 3 (2001), Dorothy is
comatose and on
life support. She imagines Robotman, who takes form and leads a new version of the Doom Patrol until the real Robotman discovers him and traces him back to Dorothy. At the end of the series, he consents for Dorothy to be removed from life support.
DC Rebirth
In "
DC Rebirth
DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 initiative in May 2016 as its launching point, DC Rebirth restored the DC ...
", Dorothy's history remains intact in the Doom Patrol comics. Robotman is still affected by Dorothy's death and keeps a picture of her with the Doom Patrol with him. However, she appeared in the
DC Pride2022 event at a Pride parade alongside
Kate Kate name may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Kate (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname
* Gyula Káté (born 1982), Hungarian amateur boxer
* Lauren Kate (born 1981), American autho ...
and
Danny the Brick.
Powers and abilities
Dorothy's power enables her to bring imaginary beings to life.
These beings can survive as long as Dorothy is alive. In one case, a false Cliff Steele disappeared when he realized what he was, though Darling-Come-Home was perfectly aware of her imaginary status and seemed to function fine. These imaginary friends can be good or bad, and don't have to like Dorothy. This power can also bring about beings who were removed from this plane of being such as the Candlemaker.
Her imaginary friends
The list of her imaginary friends is as follows:
* Damn All - Made of a newspaper
crossword puzzle
A crossword is a word puzzle that usually takes the form of a square or a rectangular grid of white- and black-shaded squares. The goal is to fill the white squares with letters, forming words or phrases, by solving clues which lead to the answ ...
and financial reports with multiple eyes and a big smile.
* Darling-Come-Home - Wears an apron and has the head of a lightbulb's picture. Damn All's wife.
* Flying Robert - A ghost baby balloon thing. Damn All's son. A reference to a poem in ''
Der Struwwelpeter
''Der Struwwelpeter'' ("shock-headed Peter" or "Shaggy Peter") is an 1845 German children's book by Heinrich Hoffmann. It comprises ten illustrated and rhymed stories, mostly about children. Each has a clear moral that demonstrates the disast ...
'' by
Heinrich Hoffmann.
* The Inky Boys - Three people made up of ink. Another reference to ''Der Struwwelpeter'', specifically the poem 'Die Geschichte von den schwarzen Buben'.
* Pretty Miss Dot - Has lipstick fingers, a helmet over her head covered with lips and curlers, a sweater with a big "D" on it, and shoes that have skulls stitched into them.
* Vegans - Three rhyming girls in tribal masks with deer legs who can-can.
* Paddle the Sky - A dark swirling mass of hands with paddles.
* Dark as the Morning - A shadowy, eyeless smoke being with a mouth filled with fangs.
* Heart-of-Ice - A blue skinned woman made of ice. Can make ice.
* A false
Robotman - Thought he was the real Robotman.
* Jolly Hangar - Made up of coat hangers.
* A false
Joshua Clay - Complete with chest wound and rotting flesh.
* A false
Niles Caulder
* Honey Pie - Made up of a beehive with branches for arms and legs and a honey pot for a head.
* Spinner - Spinner was actually a member of the Doom Force, a one-shot special that Grant Morrison wrote which was a cross between the Doom Patrol and
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in '' New Mutants'' #100 ...
. She appeared in the imaginary version of the Doom Patrol Dorothy summoned to protect her.
* Polly Polly Tinker Boy
* Cowboy Doll Bookface -a being with a book for a face and a body made of dolls. Wears a cowboy hat and boots. Wields two guns.
* Rockabye Baby - A baby made of rocks that throws rocks.
* Baby Twig Lady - A young girl covered in leaves and twigs, use leaves as a weapon.
* All-The-Time-In-The-World - Has spoons for arms and a globe with clocks for eyes for a head. Wears a crown and a dress.
* Moonface Lightfoot - A two legged smiling crescent moon.
* The Candlemaker - Not actually one of her imaginary friends, but actually has an external existence as an
egregore
Egregore (also spelled egregor; , ) is an occult concept representing a non-physical entity that arises from the collective thoughts of a distinct group of people. Historically, the concept referred to angelic beings, or watchers, and the specif ...
/
gestalt
Gestalt may refer to:
Psychology
* Gestalt psychology, a school of psychology
* Gestalt therapy, a form of psychotherapy
* Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test, an assessment of development disorders
* Gestalt Practice, a practice of self-exploration ...
being, with a
candelabra for a head; it is the world's fear of nuclear holocaust.
In other media
Dorothy makes a cameo appearance in the ''
Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' episode "The Last Patrol!" as one of the attractions at a freak show. She is shown on a poster with the word "Spinner" written across it.
Dorothy Spinner is featured in 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 ...
'' television series, where she is primarily portrayed by Abigail Monterey throughout the second season and an unknown actress at the end of the previous season.
In the series, Dorothy is depicted as the daughter of the Chief and a primitive woman named Slava, with her physical appearance resulting from her heritage instead of a facial deformity. Dorothy's connection to the Chief motivates him to cause the tragedies that create the Doom Patrol, hoping to extend his life to protect her. Dorothy later repaired the brick form of Danny the Street and gave it a new form. Her "friend" the Candlemaker serves as the season's primary antagonist, telling Dorothy to let him out. She is usually able to suppress him, but when Jane's alter "Baby Doll" kills Dorothy's imaginary friend Manny she allows the Candlemaker to kill Baby Doll and Flaming Katy (another alter) in retaliation, though she is later guilt ridden over it. The Candlemaker eventually gains access to reality and incapacitates the Doom Patrol. Slava encourages Dorothy to embrace her destiny and face the Candlemaker. The season ends with Dorothy creating a weapon of her own and summoning the Candlemaker, who then drags her away for a showdown.
Dorothy's imaginary friends also appear with Darling-Come-Home portrayed by Vanessa Cater and voiced by
Kat Cressida, Candlemaker voiced by
Lex Lang, and the giant spider Herschel voiced by Brian T. Stevenson. Her other imaginary friend Manny doesn't speak.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spinner, Dorothy
DC Comics female superheroes
DC Comics superheroes
Characters created by Erik Larsen
Characters created by Paul Kupperberg
Superheroes who are adopted
Comics characters introduced in 1988
DC Comics metahumans