Chemical King
Encyclopedia
Chemical King is the name of two fictional character
s in the DC Comics
universe
. The first was Mr. Lambert, who was murdered by Alfred Stryker in Detective Comics
#27. The second character named Chemical King is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes
in the 30th century.
with power to act as a human catalyst; he can slow down or speed up chemical reactions.
Chemical King's name is first mentioned in the "Adult Legion
" story in Adventure Comics
#354, where it is engraved on a memorial statue which read that Chemical King had died sacrificing his life to prevent World War VII. The adult Legion stories were believed to be true glimpses of the Legion's future, and it was not until years later that they were revealed to belong to a different possible timeline.
In Chemical King's full debut (Adventure Comics #371), he is a member of the Legion Academy
and works undercover to infiltrate the Legion of Super-Villains
. After graduating alongside Timber Wolf
, he becomes a full Legion member in Adventure Comics #372 (September 1968). Chemical King appears in few subsequent stories afterwards Plagued with self-doubts over the relative usefulness of his powers, he dies in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #228 (June 1977), when he sacrifices his life to stop Deregon, a Dark Circle
agent and the governor of Australia
, from starting World War VII, thus fulfilling the prophecy of his first posthumous appearance.
Later the sorcerer Mordru
resurrects Chemical King along with millions of other corpses as part of a plan to conquer the universe. The "zombie" Chemical King displays limited imagination with his abilities, igniting pockets of methane
gas and starting fires. He is readily disposed of.
continuity, he first appears in Legionnaires #59 (April 1998) then again in issue #64 (September 1998). He is not a Legionnaire, but instead works as a reporter. According to the Encyclopedia of the DC Universe he was supposed to be in a relationship with Invisible Kid
. However, this was never verified in the comic. This version of the character has dark skin, instead of the Caucasian skin of the pre-Zero Hour version.
miniseries have apparently restored a close analogue of the Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths
Legion to continuity, as seen in "The Lightning Saga
" story arc in Justice League of America and Justice Society of America
, and in the "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes" story arc in Action Comics
. In Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #1, an image of Condo alongside Invisible Kid and Ferro Lad
can be seen in the Superman Museum, confirming that he is still dead.
In the Legion Academy storyline featured in Adventure Comics
(beginning with #523), one of the Academy trainees is a native of Phlon named Hadru Jamik, a.k.a. Chemical Kid, whose father used a genetic modification based on Condo Arlik's mutation to grant Hadru the same abilities. The elder Jamik is later forced to give the same modification to a female criminal named Queega Semk in order to cover his illegal gambling debts. Semk, now calling herself Alchemical Girl, then attempts to force further accommodations out of Jamik using strongarm tactics, only to be beaten and captured by Chemical Kid and his fellow Academy trainees; Semk's genetic modification is then stripped from her by the magics of Academy trainee Glorith
. Following the events of Flashpoint
, Chemical Kid and other Academy students become full members of the Legion, as replacements for Legion members believed deceased.
.
, in the episode "Dark Victory, part 1", as part of a crowd of Legionaires.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s 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...
universe
DC Universe
The 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...
. The first was Mr. Lambert, who was murdered by Alfred Stryker in Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
#27. The second character named Chemical King is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
in the 30th century.
Fictional character biography
Chemical King was born Condo Arlik on the planet Phlon (though some sources state he is from the planet Valdow). He is a mutantMutant (comics)
Mutant or Mutants, in comics, may refer to:*Mutant , one of the main causes for super-powered characters in Marvel Comics, as well as a number of titles, groups or characters:...
with power to act as a human catalyst; he can slow down or speed up chemical reactions.
Chemical King's name is first mentioned in the "Adult Legion
The Adult Legion
"The Adult Legion" is a story arc that was published by DC Comics, and presented in Adventure Comics #354-355 . It was written by Jim Shooter, pencilled by Curt Swan and inked by George Klein...
" story in Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
#354, where it is engraved on a memorial statue which read that Chemical King had died sacrificing his life to prevent World War VII. The adult Legion stories were believed to be true glimpses of the Legion's future, and it was not until years later that they were revealed to belong to a different possible timeline.
In Chemical King's full debut (Adventure Comics #371), he is a member of the Legion Academy
The Legion Academy
The Legion Academy is a training school for members of the Legion of Super-heroes. It was created by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan, and has been re-used and revisited by subsequent creators in the many evolving iterations of the Legion that have been published over the decades...
and works undercover to infiltrate the Legion of Super-Villains
Legion of Super-Villains
The Legion of Super-Villains is a team of fictional supervillains that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. They are adversaries of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the future...
. After graduating alongside Timber Wolf
Timber Wolf (comics)
Timber Wolf is a fictional character, a superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the and member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. He comes from the planet Zoon . His powers are enhanced strength, speed and agility...
, he becomes a full Legion member in Adventure Comics #372 (September 1968). Chemical King appears in few subsequent stories afterwards Plagued with self-doubts over the relative usefulness of his powers, he dies in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #228 (June 1977), when he sacrifices his life to stop Deregon, a Dark Circle
Dark Circle
The Dark Circle is a fictional criminal organization in publications from DC Comics.-Fictional history:The Dark Circle first appeared in Adventure Comics #367 as an insurgent group planning to conquer the United Planets in the 30th century. It was composed of only five people and armies of clones...
agent and the governor of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, from starting World War VII, thus fulfilling the prophecy of his first posthumous appearance.
Later the sorcerer Mordru
Mordru
Mordru is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics' main shared universe.Mordru is the most prominent Lord of Chaos who is fated to survive even after the end of the universe, although he is usually shown as a powerful wizard...
resurrects Chemical King along with millions of other corpses as part of a plan to conquer the universe. The "zombie" Chemical King displays limited imagination with his abilities, igniting pockets of methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
gas and starting fires. He is readily disposed of.
Post Zero Hour
In post-Zero HourZero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
continuity, he first appears in Legionnaires #59 (April 1998) then again in issue #64 (September 1998). He is not a Legionnaire, but instead works as a reporter. According to the Encyclopedia of the DC Universe he was supposed to be in a relationship with Invisible Kid
Invisible Kid
Lyle Norg is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe, and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. He was the first to assume the name Invisible Kid.-Lyle Norg:...
. However, this was never verified in the comic. This version of the character has dark skin, instead of the Caucasian skin of the pre-Zero Hour version.
Post-Infinite Crisis
The events of the Infinite CrisisInfinite 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, and a number of tie-in books...
miniseries have apparently restored a close analogue of the Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
Legion to continuity, as seen in "The Lightning Saga
The Lightning Saga
"The Lightning Saga" is a comic book crossover story arc that took place in DC Comics' two flagship team books: Justice League of America and Justice Society of America. It was written by Brad Meltzer and Geoff Johns, and illustrated by Ed Benes, Dale Eaglesham, and Shane Davis...
" story arc in Justice League of America and Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
, and in the "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes" story arc in Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
. In Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #1, an image of Condo alongside Invisible Kid and Ferro Lad
Ferro Lad
Ferro Lad is a fictional character, a comic book superhero and member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century of the . He is Andrew Nolan of Earth...
can be seen in the Superman Museum, confirming that he is still dead.
In the Legion Academy storyline featured in Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
(beginning with #523), one of the Academy trainees is a native of Phlon named Hadru Jamik, a.k.a. Chemical Kid, whose father used a genetic modification based on Condo Arlik's mutation to grant Hadru the same abilities. The elder Jamik is later forced to give the same modification to a female criminal named Queega Semk in order to cover his illegal gambling debts. Semk, now calling herself Alchemical Girl, then attempts to force further accommodations out of Jamik using strongarm tactics, only to be beaten and captured by Chemical Kid and his fellow Academy trainees; Semk's genetic modification is then stripped from her by the magics of Academy trainee Glorith
Glorith
Glorith of Baaldur is a fictional villainess appearing in stories published by DC Comics. Her primary foe is the 30th century team known as the Legion of Super-Heroes, and she was a major presence in Legion of Super-Heroes...
. Following the events of Flashpoint
Flashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
, Chemical Kid and other Academy students become full members of the Legion, as replacements for Legion members believed deceased.
Powers and abilities
Chemical King is a mutant with the power to act as a human catalyst. He can speed up or slow down any chemical reaction; for example, he can cause iron to rapidly rust, or even burst into flames from rapid oxidation. His powers can affect the chemical reactions in the human body, rendering an opponent unconscious from shock, but take several seconds and can only focus on a single opponent at a time. Late in his career, Chemical King displayed the ability to change energy reaction rates as well, causing batteries to drain of power and force fields to decay. As the final act before his death, he used his powers to alter and absorb vast amounts of radiation capable of paralyzing SuperboySuperboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
.
In other media
Chemical King appears in the second (2007–2008) season of the animated Legion TV seriesLegion of Super Heroes (TV series)
Legion of Super Heroes is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation that debuted on September 23, 2006, based on characters appearing in the DC Comics comic book series. The series centers on the young Superman's adventures in the 31st century, fighting alongside a...
, in the episode "Dark Victory, part 1", as part of a crowd of Legionaires.