Celsius (comics)
Encyclopedia
Celsius is the superhero
alias of Arani Desai, a fictional character in the DC Comics
series, Doom Patrol
. She first appeared in Showcase
#94 (September 1977), and was created by Paul Kupperberg
and Joe Staton
. She is among the very few superheroes of Desi
heritage, and may be the first ever such hero created by DC Comics.
(Showcase
#95, October-November 1977), Arani Desai was born in India
into a life of wealth and privilege. Due to the death of her mother while giving birth to Arani, her father Ashok rejected her even though she possessed an excellent intellect and athleticism. Arani ran away from home after her father went insane. Life on the streets in Calcutta made her deathly ill until she was rescued by young American Dr. Niles Caulder
. He gifted her with immortality
on their wedding and left her in the Himalayas while he tried to evade General Immortus
. Arani waited and realized that the serum augmented her powerfully, so that she could control her core temperature and project quantities of heat and cold. This ability coupled with the mysticism
and monastery
training made her a formidable martial artist.
had survived by virtue of his mechanical nature as Robotman (just enough of his body had been left intact, including his head, to keep his brain alive, and he was found by Will Magnus
who built him a new form), and upon returning to Doom Patrol headquarters, found the new team holding a meeting there. They were interrupted and captured by Immortus, who momentarily restored his youth by using the mind-probe on Arani to get the immortality formula from her. As the treatment she had been given was prepared specifically for her metabolism, it soon backfired on him.
had inexplicably also survived the explosion, as well as the loss of his radio-energy being to Soviet defector Valentina Vostok
(herself a member of the new DP as Negative Woman), and was a hostage of Arani's now demonically controlled father Ashok Desai, renamed Kalki. Like the terrorist known as Kobra
, Ashok believed it was his destiny to bring about the Kali Yuga
. Ashok Desai had originally worked with Niles Caulder to develop the immortality serum that Caulder would later perfect and use on Arani. Ashok tested an early version of the mutagenic serum on himself. The formula triggered his metagene
, and mutated his body, driving him insane. He was transformed into a living portal to a nether dimension that he believed was "hell
".
He and Caulder devised a suit of armor to contain his deteriorating body and to control the dimensional portal. Kalki had set up a hidden base on the island of Jamaica
from which he intended to launch a satellite designed to eliminate all life on Earth. Kalki died when Celsius damaged his armor, causing the "demons" on the other side of its portal to turn on him; they were then able to drag his body through to the other side.
Celsius was the only member left fighting against an evil Lord of Chaos, hand in hand with Power Girl
. Her Arctic-cold blast exploded the superheated Metallo
after he managed to control Robotman
's actions to battle Superman
. Arani later discovered that Niles Caulder was, as she had believed, still alive, and that Vostok had become a covert operative for the United States government.
during the Invasion!
crossover. Celsius remained behind when she realized that the aliens were seeking to escape the surprise attack. When other Doom Patrol members begged her to get away she flatly refused, stating that "Niles knows the truth" while engulfing the rear of the ship in tons of ice. As the fusion engines erupted with power, the force blew back at her point blank. Aquaman
realized that the backlash created by Celsius coupled with the bombs did indeed cripple the interstellar ship. Tragically, Celsius became the first heroic casualty in the invasion. The Patrol buried her remains, but the Gene Bomb went off at her funeral.
Niles Caulder later revealed that he and Arani had indeed been married when Grant Morrison
took over the Doom Patrol, but like the other members, he manipulated her for his own needs.
whom the Doom Patrol must deal with in the Blackest Night tie-in storyline. She confronts her ex-husband and proceeds to taunt him emotionally, then super freeze and shatter his paralyzed legs. She is prevented from killing Caulder by a man with a black hole for a face, and is sent away from Oolong island, along with her fellow Black Lanterns, via a warp gate.
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
alias of Arani Desai, a fictional character in the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
series, Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol
The Doom Patrol is a superhero team appearing in publications from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
. She first appeared in Showcase
Showcase (comics)
Showcase has been the title of several comic anthology series published by DC Comics. The general theme of these series has been to feature new and minor characters as a way to gauge reader interest in them, without the difficulty and risk of featuring "untested" characters in their own ongoing...
#94 (September 1977), and was created by Paul Kupperberg
Paul Kupperberg
Paul Kupperberg is a former editor for DC Comics, and a prolific writer of comic books and newspaper strips.-Biography:Kupperberg entered the comics field from comics fandom, as had his brother, writer/artist Alan Kupperberg...
and Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Joe Staton is an American illustrator and writer of comic books.-Career:Staton started his work with Charlton Comics in 1971 and gained notability as the artist of the super-hero book E-Man...
. She is among the very few superheroes of Desi
Desi
Desi or Deshi refers to the people, cultures, and products of the Indian subcontinent and, increasingly, to the people, cultures, and products of their diaspora. Desi countries include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh...
heritage, and may be the first ever such hero created by DC Comics.
Fictional character biography
The following account is the result of a mind probe on Arani by General ImmortusGeneral Immortus
General Immortus is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain. He first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80, the first story in the Doom Patrol series, though they all can be seen in artwork used in a "Next Issue" ad in #79...
(Showcase
Showcase (comics)
Showcase has been the title of several comic anthology series published by DC Comics. The general theme of these series has been to feature new and minor characters as a way to gauge reader interest in them, without the difficulty and risk of featuring "untested" characters in their own ongoing...
#95, October-November 1977), Arani Desai was born in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
into a life of wealth and privilege. Due to the death of her mother while giving birth to Arani, her father Ashok rejected her even though she possessed an excellent intellect and athleticism. Arani ran away from home after her father went insane. Life on the streets in Calcutta made her deathly ill until she was rescued by young American Dr. Niles Caulder
Chief (comics)
The Chief is a fictional character from DC Comics and the leader of the Doom Patrol. He first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
. He gifted her with immortality
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
on their wedding and left her in the Himalayas while he tried to evade General Immortus
General Immortus
General Immortus is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain. He first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80, the first story in the Doom Patrol series, though they all can be seen in artwork used in a "Next Issue" ad in #79...
. Arani waited and realized that the serum augmented her powerfully, so that she could control her core temperature and project quantities of heat and cold. This ability coupled with the mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
and monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
training made her a formidable martial artist.
Doom Patrol
Discovering the death of the Doom Patrol, she created her own team initially to search for her husband, whom she refused to believe perished with the rest of the original Patrol in an explosion. Cliff SteeleRobotman (Cliff Steele)
Robotman is a fictional character, a cyborg superhero in the . Robotman first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80 and was created by Arnold Drake, Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani.-Fictional character biography:...
had survived by virtue of his mechanical nature as Robotman (just enough of his body had been left intact, including his head, to keep his brain alive, and he was found by Will Magnus
Will Magnus
Doctor Will Magnus is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Showcase #37 alongside his creations, the Metal Men; he was created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru.-Fictional character biography:...
who built him a new form), and upon returning to Doom Patrol headquarters, found the new team holding a meeting there. They were interrupted and captured by Immortus, who momentarily restored his youth by using the mind-probe on Arani to get the immortality formula from her. As the treatment she had been given was prepared specifically for her metabolism, it soon backfired on him.
Kalki
During her leadership of the Doom Patrol, they discovered Larry TrainorNegative Man
Negative Man is a fictional superhero from DC Comics. He first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80.-Larry Trainor:The original Negative Man, Larry Trainor, is a founding member of the Doom Patrol, along with Elasti-Girl, Robotman, and The Chief...
had inexplicably also survived the explosion, as well as the loss of his radio-energy being to Soviet defector Valentina Vostok
Valentina Vostok
Valentina Vostok is a fictional character by DC Comics. She first appeared in Showcase #94, , and was created by Paul Kupperberg and Jim Aparo.-Fictional character biography:...
(herself a member of the new DP as Negative Woman), and was a hostage of Arani's now demonically controlled father Ashok Desai, renamed Kalki. Like the terrorist known as Kobra
Kobra (comics)
Kobra is the name used by two fictional supervillains published by DC Comics. The Jeffrey Burr Kobra first appeared in Kobra #1 , and was created by Martin Pasko, Steve Sherman, Jack Kirby, and Pablo Marcos...
, Ashok believed it was his destiny to bring about the Kali Yuga
Kali Yuga
Kali Yuga is the last of the four stages that the world goes through as part of the cycle of yugas described in the Indian scriptures. The other ages are Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga...
. Ashok Desai had originally worked with Niles Caulder to develop the immortality serum that Caulder would later perfect and use on Arani. Ashok tested an early version of the mutagenic serum on himself. The formula triggered his metagene
Metahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
, and mutated his body, driving him insane. He was transformed into a living portal to a nether dimension that he believed was "hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
".
He and Caulder devised a suit of armor to contain his deteriorating body and to control the dimensional portal. Kalki had set up a hidden base on the island of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
from which he intended to launch a satellite designed to eliminate all life on Earth. Kalki died when Celsius damaged his armor, causing the "demons" on the other side of its portal to turn on him; they were then able to drag his body through to the other side.
Celsius was the only member left fighting against an evil Lord of Chaos, hand in hand with Power Girl
Power Girl
Power Girl is a DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58 ....
. Her Arctic-cold blast exploded the superheated Metallo
Metallo
Metallo is a comic book supervillain and cyborg who appears in Superman stories published by DC Comics. Metallo's trademark is his kryptonite power source, which he often uses as a weapon against Superman. His traditional identity is John Corben...
after he managed to control Robotman
Robotman
Robotman may refer to:*Robotman , a DC Comics superhero and member of the Doom Patrol*Robotman , a Golden Age DC Comics superhero and a member of the All-Star Squadron...
's actions to battle Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
. Arani later discovered that Niles Caulder was, as she had believed, still alive, and that Vostok had become a covert operative for the United States government.
Invasion
When Niles came out of hiding, he declared they were never married, although he did know her, then declared that Arani was "hoplessly insane" for believing so, although he would later retract that statement. He admitted to experimenting on her with his immortality serum. Arani was seemingly killed in a suicidal attempt to freeze a Gil'Dishpan battle cruiser from escaping the Arctic CircleArctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
during the Invasion!
Invasion!
Invasion! can refer to either of two comic book related events:* Invasion! * Invasion! In film:*Invasion! or Invasion is the DVD retitling of John Paizs's Top of the Food ChainIn theatre:...
crossover. Celsius remained behind when she realized that the aliens were seeking to escape the surprise attack. When other Doom Patrol members begged her to get away she flatly refused, stating that "Niles knows the truth" while engulfing the rear of the ship in tons of ice. As the fusion engines erupted with power, the force blew back at her point blank. Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
realized that the backlash created by Celsius coupled with the bombs did indeed cripple the interstellar ship. Tragically, Celsius became the first heroic casualty in the invasion. The Patrol buried her remains, but the Gene Bomb went off at her funeral.
Niles Caulder later revealed that he and Arani had indeed been married when Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
took over the Doom Patrol, but like the other members, he manipulated her for his own needs.
Blackest Night
Celsius is one of four Doom Patrol members reanimated as Black LanternsBlack Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
whom the Doom Patrol must deal with in the Blackest Night tie-in storyline. She confronts her ex-husband and proceeds to taunt him emotionally, then super freeze and shatter his paralyzed legs. She is prevented from killing Caulder by a man with a black hole for a face, and is sent away from Oolong island, along with her fellow Black Lanterns, via a warp gate.
Powers and abilities
- Superior martial artist due to her monastery training
- Minor levels of mysticism taught to her due to her monastery training
- Celsius is able to control and manipulate her core temperature, projecting heat or intense cold from her hands (Intense heat and fire from Celsius'left hand; Intense cold and ice from her right hand) after Niles Caulder's immortality serum triggered her metageneMetahumanMetahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
. Celsius was even seen to hold a Government helicopter aloft due to a power blast of superheated steam. - Due to the serum given to her by Niles Caulder, she was supposedly immortal.
- The combination of her natural athletic prowess, intelligence, martial arts and thermal duality made Celsius one of the most formidable and dynamic martial artists in the DC UniverseDC UniverseThe DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. - She now has a Black power ring because of her resurrection and can do anything a Black lantern can do combined with her old powers.