Doctor Thirteen
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Dr. Terrance Thirteen (sometimes Terrence), known simply as Doctor Thirteen, Dr. 13 and The Ghost-Breaker, is a
fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life perso ...
in
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
s set in 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 ...
. The character's first published appearance is in ''
Star Spangled Comics ''Star Spangled Comics'' was a comics anthology published by DC Comics which ran for 130 issues from October 1941 to July 1952. It was then retitled ''Star Spangled War Stories'' and lasted until issue #204 (February–March 1977). Publication his ...
'' #122 (November 1951).


Publication history

Dr. Thirteen, also known as Dr. Thirteen the Ghost Breaker, debuted in his own feature in ''
Star Spangled Comics ''Star Spangled Comics'' was a comics anthology published by DC Comics which ran for 130 issues from October 1941 to July 1952. It was then retitled ''Star Spangled War Stories'' and lasted until issue #204 (February–March 1977). Publication his ...
'', from issue #122–130 (Nov. 1951 – July 1952). The feature then moved to ''
House of Mystery ''The House of Mystery'' is the name of several horror, fantasy, and mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strang ...
'' and was canceled after issue #7. The character was created by an unknown writer with artist
Leonard Starr Leonard Starr (October 28, 1925 – June 30, 2015) was an American cartoonist, comic book artist, and advertising artist, best known for creating the newspaper comic strip '' On Stage'' and reviving ''Little Orphan Annie''. Early life Born Octob ...
.Doctor Thirteen
at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
Archived
from the original on April 4, 2016.
The character next appeared in ''
Showcase Showcase or vitrine may refer to: *Cabinet (furniture) *Display case Music * ''Showcase'' (Bill Anderson album), 1964 * ''Showcase'' (Patsy Cline album), 1961 * ''Showcase'' (Buddy Holly album), 1964 * ''Showcase'' (Philly Joe Jones album), 1959 ...
'' #80 in 1969 as a supporting character in the
Phantom Stranger The Phantom Stranger is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, of unspecified paranormal origins, who battles mysterious and occult forces, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint. The character first appeared in an ...
story and then as a regular character in the ''Phantom Stranger'' series that began later that year. Early issues featured a few new pages of story and art that framed reprints of the two characters' old stories. The feature was temporarily replaced by ''The Spawn of Frankenstein'' in ''Phantom Stranger'' #23–30, in which Dr. Thirteen appeared, blaming
Frankenstein's monster Frankenstein's monster or Frankenstein's creature, often referred to as simply "Frankenstein", is a fictional character who first appeared in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''. Shelley's title thus compares ...
for putting his wife, Maria, in a coma. He made one further appearance in issue #36, replacing the '' Black Orchid'' serial that had replaced ''The Spawn of Frankenstein''. He also had a serial in '' Ghosts'' #95–99 and #101-102. In three of these issues, he confronted the
Spectre Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to: Religion and spirituality * Vision (spirituality) * Apparitional experience * Ghost Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and writ ...
. He also appeared in '' House of Secrets'' #150 alongside his longtime rival, the Phantom Stranger. Dr. Thirteen also appeared in '' Batman'' #341–342 (November–December 1981) to research a mystery in the abandoned
Wayne Manor Wayne Manor Estate (or simply Wayne Manor) is a fictional mansion appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the personal residence of Bruce Wayne, who is also the superhero Batman. The residence is depicted as a large mansio ...
involving the
Man-Bat Man-Bat (Dr. Robert Kirkland "Kirk" Langstrom) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Introduced in ''Detective Comics'' #400 (June 1970) as an enemy of the superhero Batman, the character belongs to t ...
. He reappeared in Gotham City in '' Batman'' #354 (December 1982) to reluctantly aid Rupert Thorne, who believed that he was being haunted by the ghost of
Hugo Strange Hugo Strange is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character is one of Batman's first recurring villains and is also one of the first Batman villains to discover t ...
.


Fictional character biography


Pre-''Crisis''

Dr. Thirteen is a parapsychologist who investigates reports of possible supernatural activity with the goal of proving them to be hoaxes. Dr. Thirteen's stories are set in the DC Universe, where many stories involving the supernatural also are set. He was usually accompanied by his wife, Maria, sometimes called Marie. In his origin story, as presented in ''Showcase'' #80, Terrence's ic—the spelling varied, but it was spelled with an e in the first storyfather tries to hide his ancestry from him, but eventually went into a locked room, showing his son the history of his ancestors, many of whom were executed for practicing magic, such as Daniel, who was killed by the ancient Romans for diagramming the solar system, and Rebecca, who was executed during the
Salem witch trials The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were accused. Thirty people were found guilty, 19 of whom w ...
, when she was actually developing anesthesia. Terry and his unnamed father enter into a pact to prove that the supernatural is false by determining things that Mr. Thirteen will say to Terry by the
grandfather clock A grandfather clock (also a longcase clock, tall-case clock, grandfather's clock, or floor clock) is a tall, freestanding, weight-driven pendulum clock with the pendulum held inside the tower or waist of the case. Clocks of this style are common ...
on the one-year anniversary of his death. Mr. Thirteen is then killed in a road accident three months later. On the first anniversary of his father's death, Terry asks the questions and gets no response, then remembers that he was supposed to set the clock before asking the questions. At this point, he hears the correct responses to the questions. He discovers that these responses are on a
gramophone record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts ne ...
that was planted by his fiancée, Marie, who also had a pact with Mr. Thirteen to show Terry that anything that appears to be supernatural has a rational explanation.


Post-''Crisis''

In the
limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
''
The Books of Magic ''The Books of Magic'' is the title of a four-issue English-language comic book mini-series written by Neil Gaiman, published by DC Comics, and later an ongoing series under the imprint Vertigo. Since its original publication, the mini-series has ...
'',
John Constantine John Constantine () is a fictional character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Constantine first appeared in ''Swamp Thing'' #37 (June 1985), and was created by Alan Moore, Stephen R. Bissette, Rick Veitch, and John Tot ...
explains to Timothy Hunter that because Dr. Thirteen does not believe,
magic Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
and the supernatural truly do not work for him.


''Vertigo Visions''

In the
Vertigo Comics Vertigo Comics, also known as DC Vertigo or simply Vertigo, was an imprint of American comic book publisher DC Comics started by editor Karen Berger in 1993. Vertigo's purpose was to publish comics with adult content, such as nudity, drug us ...
one-shot ''Vertigo Visions: Doctor 13 – Do AIs Dream of Electric Sheep?'', Dr. Terrence Thirteen and his wife Marie go to marriage counseling, as Marie is becoming increasingly alienated from Terrence due to his overbearing behavior and the fact that he refuses to take payment for his services and therefore lives off her bank account. Dr. Thirteen becomes trapped in a virtual reality and embroiled in a conflict between benign and malicious artificial intelligences with the ability to manipulate media and sensory perceptions on a global scale. At the conclusion of the comic, Dr. Thirteen is seen in a mental institution, having apparently suffered a mental breakdown during the visit to the marriage counselor and hallucinated everything, although the AIs are also seen to be real.


''Seven Soldiers of Victory''

In the first issue of Grant Morrison's ''
Seven Soldiers ''Seven Soldiers'' is a 2005–2006 comic book metaseries written by Grant Morrison and published by DC Comics. It was published as seven interrelated mini-series and two bookend issues. The series features a new version of the Seven Soldiers of Vi ...
:
Zatanna Zatanna Zatara () is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, and first appeared in ''Hawkman (comic book), Hawkman'' #4 (November 1964). Zatanna is a st ...
'' miniseries, Dr. Thirteen is said to have been dating the title character, believing her to be just a very talented stage magician. After she attends his book signing, he agrees to go with her to obtain proof that magic is real. Joined by
Ibis the Invincible Ibis the Invincible is a fictional character originally published by Fawcett Comics in the 1940s and then by DC Comics beginning in the 1970s. Like many magician superheroes introduced in the Golden Age of Comics, Ibis owes much to the popular com ...
, his wife Taia, and ''
Swamp Thing The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or monster incarnations in v ...
'' supporting character Timothy Ravenwind, the group journey to many mystical realms. The purpose is to hunt for an approaching magical threat. Thirteen and the other three mystics are skeletonized by an entity called Gwdion. Zatanna blames her lack of preparation for the mystical journey, along with her addiction to using magic for selfish purposes.


''Tales of the Unexpected''

In the eight-issue miniseries '' Tales of the Unexpected'' published in 2006, Dr. Thirteen unites with other characters from cancelled series, including Genius Jones, Andrew Bennett,
Anthro Anthro may refer to: * Anthropo-, a prefix meaning human, humanoid, human-like * Anthro, short for: **Anthroposophy **Anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, ...
, the Primate Patrol,
Infectious Lass Legion of Substitute Heroes is a group of fictional characters in the future of the DC Comics universe. The "Subs", as they are often called, are a group of rejected applicants to the Legion of Super-Heroes who band together, hoping to prove to ...
from the Legion of Substitute-Heroes, Captain Fear from a 1970s feature within the pages of '' Adventure Comics'', and the
Haunted Tank The Haunted Tank is a comic book feature that appeared in the DC Comics anthology war title ''G.I. Combat'' from 1961 through 1987. Publication history The Haunted Tank was created by writer and editor Robert Kanigher and artist Russ Heath i ...
, in a story that repeatedly breaks the
fourth wall The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th cen ...
and comments on the then-current state of
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 ...
and its continuity. Dr. Thirteen's group fights the Architects, the four writers who were heavily involved in the direction of the DC Universe titles at the time —
Geoff Johns Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash and Superman, has drawn critical acclaim. He serv ...
,
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 ...
,
Greg Rucka Gregory Rucka (born November 29, 1969) is an American writer known for the series of novels starring his character Atticus Kodiak, the creator-owned comic book series '' Whiteout'', ''Queen & Country'', '' Stumptown'' and '' Lazarus'', as well as ...
and Mark Waid — to convince them to include them in the new Universe. The story ends with Dr. Thirteen warning his companions and the readers of a new danger. Post-''
Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, ...
'', Dr. Thirteen lives with his daughter
Traci Thirteen Traci Thirteen (also known as Girl 13 and Traci 13) is a superhero featured in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Superman'' vol. 2 #189 (February 2003), and was created by writer Joe Kelly and artist D ...
in Doomsbury Mansion, still working as a paranormal investigator. Traci is a sorceress, a fact that he finds ''most'' upsetting.


''Flashpoint''

In the alternate timeline of the '' Flashpoint'' event, Dr. Thirteen was rescued from
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
before its destruction by his daughter, and is a member of the
H.I.V.E. The H.I.V.E., which stands for the Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination, is a fictional terrorist organization appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The H.I.V.E. organization appeared on the fourth season of ...
, who vote on using nuclear weapons to end the Atlantean/Amazonian threat in Western Europe. When Traci tries to stop this, he injects her with a drug and proceeds to start the countdown. Traci teleports away to find help. When she returns to face her father without the desired help, she discovers that he had learnt the art of black magic, which he uses to attack her. During the battle, Traci teleports herself to Paris, showing her father that, if the nuclear weapons are used, then she will die, along with 118 million people. She becomes badly injured from an Amazon spear. This snaps Dr. Thirteen out of his rampage. The two reconcile and Dr. Thirteen uses his remaining magic to stop the satellite, less than two minutes before it attacks. Traci then saves him, and it is revealed they have both used up all of their magic.


''The New 52''

Following the events of ''Flashpoint'', Dr. Thirteen appeared in a two-part backup story in ''
All-Star Western ''All-Star Western'' was the name of three American comic book series published by DC Comics, each a Western fiction omnibus featuring both continuing characters and anthological stories. The first ran from 1951 to 1961, the second from 1970 to 1 ...
'' #11-12. In this rebooted version, he lives in 1880s
Gotham City Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List of Batman supporting characters#Bat-Family, allies and List of Batman fa ...
, where he is enlisted by the police to hunt down a paranormal highwayman. Dr. Thirteen's descendant (also named Dr. Terrance Thirteen) later appears in ''The Phantom Stranger'' (vol. 4) #2, enlisting the aid of the Phantom Stranger to repel the Haunted Highwayman in the present time. Dr. Terrance is killed by Nimraa's minion, Zalkoat, while hunting down the Phantom Stranger. While battling Phantom Stranger, Zalkoat states that Terrance's soul is trapped in its sword. Phantom Stranger revives Terrance by stabbing the latter's body with Zalkoat's sword.''Trinity of Sin'' #6 (May 2015)


Other versions

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 ...
, 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) #54 substituted him in
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 ...
's dreams with
Doctor Occult Doctor Occult (sometimes dubbed the Ghost Detective, one time referred to as Doctor Mystic) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (known commonly as the creator ...
in a superhero version of
The Trenchcoat Brigade ''The Trenchcoat Brigade'' is a four-issue comic book limited series that was published in 1999 as a part of DC Comics' Vertigo imprint, featuring several mystic DC Universe characters. The title references an offhand joke used by John Constantin ...
in which Constantine uses "Hellblazer" as a superhero name. That version of the character was "the Multiple Man" rather than the Ghost-Breaker, of which his Dr. 8 identity was second most important to the story.


References


External links

* *
Doctor Thirteen
at the DCU Guide {{Justice League Dark, state=collapsed Comics characters introduced in 1951 DC Comics fantasy characters DC Comics male superheroes DC Comics scientists DC Comics superheroes DC Comics titles Fictional characters with anti-magic or power negation abilities Fictional male detectives Fictional occult and psychic detectives Fictional parapsychologists de:Phantom Stranger#Doctor Thirteen