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Chronos (comics)
Encyclopedia
Chronos is the name of several fictional character
s of DC Comics
, both supervillain
s who take their name from the Greek personification of Time
and have the ability of time travel
and can manipulate history.
of time
pieces and by practice he learned to synchronize
each of his actions with the beat of the prison clock. By the end of his sentence he had developed an extraordinary sense of timing which he resolved to use to further his criminal
career. He then adopted the colorful costume and alter ego of Chronos, the Time Thief. Clinton had acquired an unhealthy fascination with time and he developed a series of gimmick
weapon
s and deathtrap
s based on time pieces (clocks with blades as hands, flying sun dials). He liked to give time related puns, such as 'Time is golden!' when spraying golden gas at Green Lantern
.
Chronos made his debut in Ivy Town, but was defeated by the Atom when he tried to steal an atomic clock
at an idea ironically given to him by Ray Palmer. He came close to deducing the Atom's secret identity when he realised the Atom attacked him soon after Ray saw him, and succeeded in capturing the Atom and placing him inside a watch. The Atom escaped the watch while Chronos was breaking into a vault, and used a trick to make him think he was wrong. However he escaped from jail by adapting a guard's watch, making the ticks so loud they broke open his cell door. He next tried to steal a collection of historic Hungarian
clocks which each had a gem hidden inside, but was again defeated. The Atom has since thwarted all of Chronos' plans. Each appearance or new crime prompted an evolution in Chronos' weaponry. His study of time led to more intricate and revolutionary inventions—lenses
that prevent people from seeing certain events (e.g. his getaway vehicle or another specific object), circuitry embedded in his costume that could control the local flow of time (freezing people in time or altering his own perception of time), an hourglass of concentrated time that could speed points up briefly and even make bricks next to a bank vault crumble in a few seconds, and ultimately a fully functional time machine
(before it and the designs were destroyed). One story suggests that Chronos may have been receiving help from a future
version of himself, but it is unknown at what relative time frame that Chronos came from. Another story, published in World's Finest Comics
#321 (1985), suggests that Chronos made the transition from a mere thief with a time gimmick to a full-fledged time traveler after becoming acquainted with the mysterious Dr. Fox (perhaps named after Gardner Fox
), a criminal scientist who had never been apprehended and who was described by Chronos as "the greatest mind since Einstein
." Pre-Crisis Chronos was a member of the Crime Champions, a trio of Earth-1 villains who teamed up with a trio of Earth-2 villains to commit robberies, then escape to the other world using a vibratory device the Fiddler (comics)
accidentally discovered. Chronos is able to escape Wonder Woman
, Batman
, and Green Lantern
after stealing a million dollars from the Powers City Bank. When the Earth-2 Crime Champions impersonate the Earth-1 Crime Champions the Icicle (comics)
impersonates Chronos with the help of the Wizard's Tibetan magic, and fought Batman
, Wonder Woman
, and Green Lantern
, making them touch rubber, animal, and glass as part of a spell to trap the JLA. On Earth-2 Chronos tries to steal a rare clock from a lighthouse, and uses his vibratory watch to put Aquaman
into a coma, but Superman
is able to revive Aquaman and captures Chronos, crushing his watch. The JLA and JSA are captured again and magically placed in cages in space, but with the aid of the Green Lanterns escape, and return to Earth. Chronos tries to help the Fiddler find an Earth-3 with his chronological knowledge, but is defeated by the Martian Manhunter
and Black Canary
.
Chronos eventually stopped stealing for his own gain and began stealing to finance his time research
. The Atom had always thwarted Chronos, but he had decided to turn his back on human
ity and had retreated to a peace
ful seclusion with a group of six-inch tall aliens in the Amazonian
jungle
. Chronos had more success without the Atom, but he brought himself to the attention of the Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)
when he tried to blackmail one of the employees of Kord Inc. He also fought the Beetle during Darkseid
's anti-hero riots. During one struggle against the Beetle, Chronos was hurled 100 million years into the past where he encountered a time-lost Captain Atom
. He later met a time traveling Superman
who Chronos manipulated into helping him get home.
Upon his return to the present, Chronos was able to use his technology
to manipulate the money markets to amass a fortune. However, Chronos' illegal endeavors were discovered and he was returned to prison. He was freed by the Calendar Man
to work with the Time Foes, but was captured by the Teen Titans. Out of desperation and humiliation, Chronos took a drastic chance — he accepted an offer from the demon Neron
and exchanged his soul
for the metahuman ability to travel through time. However bargains with Neron are never fair and Chronos found that each journey through the timestream
accelerated his aging. A man who should have been a health
y adult became an aged senior citizen
. Clinton's efforts to bypass this flaw - passing his artificial age onto youths and intercepting other time travelers in an attempt to acquire their technology - brought him briefly into conflict with the Legion of Super-Heroes
, in a somewhat confusing and often non-linear sequence of events.
All the experiment
s and Neron's "gift" had taken a toll on Clinton's body and he began to lose touch with any sense of the "now." He had trouble staying localized in time and appeared to fade away into nothingness. His disappearance was enough for him to be declared dead and speculation has suggested that he may have slipped into "The Void" of time. A funeral of sorts was held and his research was passed on to the second Chronos (Walker Gabriel).
Time travel being what it is, David Clinton's legal death has not meant the end of his presence in the DC universe; he has made several appearances since, such as during the Identity Crisis, when he claimed to have traveled forward from a point in time shortly before his final disappearance. This foreknowledge of his own (suspected) demise led to a somewhat subdued, even morose, demeanor.
In The All-New Atom #12, it was revealed that the wacky Anagram guy that has been testing and helping Ryan Choi (The New Atom) is none other than Chronos himself. In issue #20, he is revealed as the mastermind behind all of the strange occurrences surrounding Ivy Town since the start of the series. His vengeful goal is to destroy everything that Ray Palmer loved.
He's able to do so by joining forces with Lady Chronos, a new companion and lover who once was Jia, Ryan's love interest in their college years. With Jia's intimate knowledge about Ryan, he was able to add a further layer of credibility to his ruse, faking years of correspondence and epistular friendship between Ryan and Ray Palmer, spurring Ryan to follow in Palmer's footsteps only to disgrace him in the eyes of Ivy Town, shaming the Atom's legacy forever.
With some help from the real Ray Palmer, Ryan is eventually able to overcome the couple, and prevent David and Jia from messing again with Ivy Town. They retreat into the timestream, where they are noticed by Starro the Conqueror
who, after being thwarted in his attempts to gain total domination over time by enslaving Rip Hunter
and his Time Masters, retaliates by dominating Chronos' and Lady Chronos' minds, using them to travel in time and put Booster Gold
against Rip, eradicating the Time Masters.
Walker Gabriel got possession of Clinton's research after his death. He became the second Chronos and was the lead character of a short-lived comic book series published by DC Comics, acting as both a hero and a criminal depending on circumstances, and often running afoul of the Linear Men
. He was eventually revealed to be the son of a temporal theorist who had worked with Clinton and created Chronopolis, the city beyond time. The series ran for 12 issues (including a DC One Million
crossover numbered 1,000,000) between March 1998 and February 1999, and concluded with Gabriel wiping himself from history, to save his mother's life. The nature of Chronopolis, however, meant he still existed despite not being born. Still, due to an unclear series of events, it appeared in fact two Walker Gabriels existed: one outside of time, one within it, but only up to the point when he removed himself out of it. After that, the timeline streamlined and only the timetraveling Chronos remained. Gabriel had many encounters with members of the Linear Men and also met Destiny
of the Endless
during this series.
Gabriel briefly appeared in the pages of JSA
(2005); there, he was killed by Per Degaton
when he was struck by a car a decade before receiving his time-travel powers; however, as is the case when Degaton's adventures end in failure, his death was reversed.
Gabriel most recently had a cameo in "Superman Beyond 3D" #1 as an inhabitant of Limbo
.
more interested in science than a social life. Eventually, Jia and Ryan parted, and she ended up marrying the local football jock, Alvin, a guy who at high school did his best to make Ryan's life miserable.
Ryan Choi, now an American teacher and the new Atom, at Ivy University, was contacted again by Jia, claiming that her husband, who had died in unclear circumstances, had resurfaced as an undead being who was harassing and stalking her. Ryan, still carrying a torch for Jia, returned to Hong Kong to fight the menace of Alvin, and his undead gang of bullies.
There Alvin revealed how Jia herself had brutally killed him, and she was far from the helpless woman she pretended to be to rekindle her relationship with Ryan. They parted again.
Sometime after that, Jia came into possession of Clinton's research, and became the third Chronos, or later Lady Chronos. Wearing a female version of the classic Clinton's outfit, she allied with Clinton in his attempt to destroy Ivy Town and ruin the Atom's reputation for good. Using her knowledge about Ryan, she helped Chronos into faking a mail correspondence with Ryan, giving him the shrinking belt he eventually used to become the Atom, but planting the seeds of his downfall, trapping part of the denizens of Ivy Town in a microverse held in strange viral constructs hidden in Ryan's bloodstream.
With some help from the former Atom, Ray Palmer, Ryan dodged the bullet, but still feels responsible for Jia's wrongdoings.
Jia claims that Dwarfstar, master assassin and shrinking nemesis of Ryan, is her "firstborn". Whether she's speaking literally, or metaphorically as both men got their powers by her actions, remains to be seen.
Lady Chronos is later seen as a mind-controlled pawn of Starro the Conqueror
, along with Chronos. During her battle against Booster Gold
for ensuring Starro's domination of the timestream, she reveals to know with a certain degree of intimacy the future adventures of Booster and his sister Goldstar, having observed and interacted with them.
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 of 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...
, both supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
s who take their name from the Greek personification of Time
Chronos
In Greek mythology, Chronos in pre-Socratic philosophical works is said to be the personification of time. His name in Greek means "time" and is alternatively spelled Chronus or Khronos.Chronos was imagined as an incorporeal god, serpentine in form, with three heads—those of a man, a bull, and...
and have the ability of time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
and can manipulate history.
David Clinton
Considered by some to be the arch-nemesis of the Atom (Ray Palmer), Chronos started his career as petty thief David Clinton who attributed his consistent incarceration to his timing, or lack thereof. To improve his timing, he studied the rhythmRhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
of time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
pieces and by practice he learned to synchronize
Synchronization
Synchronization is timekeeping which requires the coordination of events to operate a system in unison. The familiar conductor of an orchestra serves to keep the orchestra in time....
each of his actions with the beat of the prison clock. By the end of his sentence he had developed an extraordinary sense of timing which he resolved to use to further his criminal
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
career. He then adopted the colorful costume and alter ego of Chronos, the Time Thief. Clinton had acquired an unhealthy fascination with time and he developed a series of gimmick
Gimmick
In marketing language, a gimmick is a unique or quirky special feature that makes something "stand out" from its contemporaries. However, the special feature is typically thought to be of little relevance or use. Thus, a gimmick is a special feature for the sake of having a special feature...
weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
s and deathtrap
Deathtrap (plot device)
A deathtrap is a literary and dramatic plot device in which a villain, who has captured the hero or another sympathetic character, attempts to use an elaborate and usually sadistic method of murdering him/her....
s based on time pieces (clocks with blades as hands, flying sun dials). He liked to give time related puns, such as 'Time is golden!' when spraying golden gas at Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
.
Chronos made his debut in Ivy Town, but was defeated by the Atom when he tried to steal an atomic clock
Atomic clock
An atomic clock is a clock that uses an electronic transition frequency in the microwave, optical, or ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum of atoms as a frequency standard for its timekeeping element...
at an idea ironically given to him by Ray Palmer. He came close to deducing the Atom's secret identity when he realised the Atom attacked him soon after Ray saw him, and succeeded in capturing the Atom and placing him inside a watch. The Atom escaped the watch while Chronos was breaking into a vault, and used a trick to make him think he was wrong. However he escaped from jail by adapting a guard's watch, making the ticks so loud they broke open his cell door. He next tried to steal a collection of historic Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
clocks which each had a gem hidden inside, but was again defeated. The Atom has since thwarted all of Chronos' plans. Each appearance or new crime prompted an evolution in Chronos' weaponry. His study of time led to more intricate and revolutionary inventions—lenses
Lens (optics)
A lens is an optical device with perfect or approximate axial symmetry which transmits and refracts light, converging or diverging the beam. A simple lens consists of a single optical element...
that prevent people from seeing certain events (e.g. his getaway vehicle or another specific object), circuitry embedded in his costume that could control the local flow of time (freezing people in time or altering his own perception of time), an hourglass of concentrated time that could speed points up briefly and even make bricks next to a bank vault crumble in a few seconds, and ultimately a fully functional time machine
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
(before it and the designs were destroyed). One story suggests that Chronos may have been receiving help from a future
Future
The future is the indefinite time period after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the nature of the reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist is temporary and will come...
version of himself, but it is unknown at what relative time frame that Chronos came from. Another story, published in World's Finest Comics
World's Finest Comics
World's Finest Comics was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue; issue #2 switched to the more familiar name...
#321 (1985), suggests that Chronos made the transition from a mere thief with a time gimmick to a full-fledged time traveler after becoming acquainted with the mysterious Dr. Fox (perhaps named after Gardner Fox
Gardner Fox
Gardner Francis Cooper Fox was an American writer best known for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. Comic-book historians estimate that he wrote over 4,000 comics stories....
), a criminal scientist who had never been apprehended and who was described by Chronos as "the greatest mind since Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
." Pre-Crisis Chronos was a member of the Crime Champions, a trio of Earth-1 villains who teamed up with a trio of Earth-2 villains to commit robberies, then escape to the other world using a vibratory device the Fiddler (comics)
Fiddler (comics)
The Fiddler is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain and a recurring foe of the first Flash . He first appeared in All-Flash #32 .-Fictional character biography:...
accidentally discovered. Chronos is able to escape Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
, Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, and Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
after stealing a million dollars from the Powers City Bank. When the Earth-2 Crime Champions impersonate the Earth-1 Crime Champions the Icicle (comics)
Icicle (comics)
Icicle is the name of two fictional DC Comics supervillains.-Dr. Joar Mahkent:When noted European physicist Dr. Joar Mahkent arrived in America with his latest scientific discovery, spectators at dockside were astonished to witness the luxury liner upon which Mahkent was traveling suddenly frozen...
impersonates Chronos with the help of the Wizard's Tibetan magic, and fought Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
, and Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
, making them touch rubber, animal, and glass as part of a spell to trap the JLA. On Earth-2 Chronos tries to steal a rare clock from a lighthouse, and uses his vibratory watch to put 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...
into a coma, but 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...
is able to revive Aquaman and captures Chronos, crushing his watch. The JLA and JSA are captured again and magically placed in cages in space, but with the aid of the Green Lanterns escape, and return to Earth. Chronos tries to help the Fiddler find an Earth-3 with his chronological knowledge, but is defeated by the Martian Manhunter
Martian Manhunter
The Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
and Black Canary
Black Canary
Black Canary is the name of two fictional characters, DC Comics superheroines created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino. The first Black Canary debuted appeared in Flash Comics #86 . The first Black Canary was the alter-ego of Dinah Drake, who took part in Golden Age adventures...
.
Chronos eventually stopped stealing for his own gain and began stealing to finance his time research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
. The Atom had always thwarted Chronos, but he had decided to turn his back on human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
ity and had retreated to a peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
ful seclusion with a group of six-inch tall aliens in the Amazonian
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
jungle
Jungle
A Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
. Chronos had more success without the Atom, but he brought himself to the attention of the Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)
Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)
Blue Beetle is the second Blue Beetle, a superhero who was originally published by Charlton Comics and later picked up by DC Comics...
when he tried to blackmail one of the employees of Kord Inc. He also fought the Beetle during Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
's anti-hero riots. During one struggle against the Beetle, Chronos was hurled 100 million years into the past where he encountered a time-lost Captain Atom
Captain Atom
Captain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero that has existed in three basic incarnations. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33 . Captain Atom was created for Charlton Comics but was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for...
. He later met a time traveling 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...
who Chronos manipulated into helping him get home.
Upon his return to the present, Chronos was able to use his technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
to manipulate the money markets to amass a fortune. However, Chronos' illegal endeavors were discovered and he was returned to prison. He was freed by the Calendar Man
Calendar Man
Calendar Man is a fictional comic book supervillain, and an enemy of Batman, who appeared in books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Detective Comics #259...
to work with the Time Foes, but was captured by the Teen Titans. Out of desperation and humiliation, Chronos took a drastic chance — he accepted an offer from the demon Neron
Neron
Neron is a fictional demon, a comic book character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in the DC Comics cross-over event Underworld Unleashed #1, , and was created by Mark Waid and Howard Porter.- Publication history :...
and exchanged his soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
for the metahuman ability to travel through time. However bargains with Neron are never fair and Chronos found that each journey through the timestream
Timestream
The timestream is a metaphorical conception of time as a stream, a flowing body of water. This conception has been widely used in mythology and in fiction. This analogy is useful in several ways:* Streams only flow one way. Time only moves forward....
accelerated his aging. A man who should have been a health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
y adult became an aged senior citizen
Old age
Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average life span of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle...
. Clinton's efforts to bypass this flaw - passing his artificial age onto youths and intercepting other time travelers in an attempt to acquire their technology - brought him briefly into conflict with 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 a somewhat confusing and often non-linear sequence of events.
All the experiment
Experiment
An experiment is a methodical procedure carried out with the goal of verifying, falsifying, or establishing the validity of a hypothesis. Experiments vary greatly in their goal and scale, but always rely on repeatable procedure and logical analysis of the results...
s and Neron's "gift" had taken a toll on Clinton's body and he began to lose touch with any sense of the "now." He had trouble staying localized in time and appeared to fade away into nothingness. His disappearance was enough for him to be declared dead and speculation has suggested that he may have slipped into "The Void" of time. A funeral of sorts was held and his research was passed on to the second Chronos (Walker Gabriel).
Time travel being what it is, David Clinton's legal death has not meant the end of his presence in the DC universe; he has made several appearances since, such as during the Identity Crisis, when he claimed to have traveled forward from a point in time shortly before his final disappearance. This foreknowledge of his own (suspected) demise led to a somewhat subdued, even morose, demeanor.
In The All-New Atom #12, it was revealed that the wacky Anagram guy that has been testing and helping Ryan Choi (The New Atom) is none other than Chronos himself. In issue #20, he is revealed as the mastermind behind all of the strange occurrences surrounding Ivy Town since the start of the series. His vengeful goal is to destroy everything that Ray Palmer loved.
He's able to do so by joining forces with Lady Chronos, a new companion and lover who once was Jia, Ryan's love interest in their college years. With Jia's intimate knowledge about Ryan, he was able to add a further layer of credibility to his ruse, faking years of correspondence and epistular friendship between Ryan and Ray Palmer, spurring Ryan to follow in Palmer's footsteps only to disgrace him in the eyes of Ivy Town, shaming the Atom's legacy forever.
With some help from the real Ray Palmer, Ryan is eventually able to overcome the couple, and prevent David and Jia from messing again with Ivy Town. They retreat into the timestream, where they are noticed by Starro the Conqueror
Starro
Starro is a fictional supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Brave and the Bold #28 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky....
who, after being thwarted in his attempts to gain total domination over time by enslaving Rip Hunter
Rip Hunter
Rip Hunter is a DC Comics character who first appeared in Showcase #20 . Following three more appearances in Showcase , Rip Hunter was given his own series, which ran for 29 issues . He later starred in the six-issue Time Masters series , written by Bob Wayne and Lewis Shiner...
and his Time Masters, retaliates by dominating Chronos' and Lady Chronos' minds, using them to travel in time and put Booster Gold
Booster Gold
Booster Gold is a fictional DC Comics superhero. Created by Dan Jurgens, he first appeared in Booster Gold #1 and has been a member of the Justice League, DC Comics' all-star team of heroes. The character is initially depicted as a glory-seeking showboat from the future, using knowledge of...
against Rip, eradicating the Time Masters.
Walker Gabriel
Linear Men
The Linear Men are fictional characters, a fictional superhero team in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Adventures of Superman #476 .-Fictional history:...
. He was eventually revealed to be the son of a temporal theorist who had worked with Clinton and created Chronopolis, the city beyond time. The series ran for 12 issues (including a DC One Million
DC One Million
"DC One Million" was a crossover storyline that ran through a self titled, weekly limited series and through special issues of almost all "DCU" titles published by DC Comics in November 1998...
crossover numbered 1,000,000) between March 1998 and February 1999, and concluded with Gabriel wiping himself from history, to save his mother's life. The nature of Chronopolis, however, meant he still existed despite not being born. Still, due to an unclear series of events, it appeared in fact two Walker Gabriels existed: one outside of time, one within it, but only up to the point when he removed himself out of it. After that, the timeline streamlined and only the timetraveling Chronos remained. Gabriel had many encounters with members of the Linear Men and also met Destiny
Destiny (DC Comics)
Destiny is a DC Comics character created by Marv Wolfman and Bernie Wrightson, first appearing in Weird Mystery Tales #1 , and was regular host of that series for the first fourteen issues, after which he hosted Secrets of Haunted House. He is one of the Endless in Neil Gaiman's comic book series,...
of the Endless
Endless (comics)
The Endless are a group of beings who embody powerful forces or aspects of the universe in the DC comic book series The Sandman, by Neil Gaiman. They have existed since the dawn of time and are thought to be among the most powerful beings in the universe...
during this series.
Gabriel briefly appeared in the pages of JSA
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 ....
(2005); there, he was killed by Per Degaton
Per Degaton
Per Degaton is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain who can travel through time. Per Degaton made his first appearance in All Star Comics #35 and was created by John Broome and Irwin Hasen...
when he was struck by a car a decade before receiving his time-travel powers; however, as is the case when Degaton's adventures end in failure, his death was reversed.
Gabriel most recently had a cameo in "Superman Beyond 3D" #1 as an inhabitant of Limbo
Limbo (DC Comics)
Limbo refers to a fictional location in books published by DC Comics. Limbo first appeared in Ambush Bug #3 , and was created by Keith Giffen.-History:In Ambush Bug Limbo refers to a fictional location in books published by DC Comics. Limbo first appeared in Ambush Bug (vol. 1) #3 (August 1985),...
.
Lady Chronos (Jia)
Jia, a young Chinese woman from Hong Kong, was the long time sweetheart of the young and socially awkward Ryan Choi, a stereotypical nerdNerd
Nerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
more interested in science than a social life. Eventually, Jia and Ryan parted, and she ended up marrying the local football jock, Alvin, a guy who at high school did his best to make Ryan's life miserable.
Ryan Choi, now an American teacher and the new Atom, at Ivy University, was contacted again by Jia, claiming that her husband, who had died in unclear circumstances, had resurfaced as an undead being who was harassing and stalking her. Ryan, still carrying a torch for Jia, returned to Hong Kong to fight the menace of Alvin, and his undead gang of bullies.
There Alvin revealed how Jia herself had brutally killed him, and she was far from the helpless woman she pretended to be to rekindle her relationship with Ryan. They parted again.
Sometime after that, Jia came into possession of Clinton's research, and became the third Chronos, or later Lady Chronos. Wearing a female version of the classic Clinton's outfit, she allied with Clinton in his attempt to destroy Ivy Town and ruin the Atom's reputation for good. Using her knowledge about Ryan, she helped Chronos into faking a mail correspondence with Ryan, giving him the shrinking belt he eventually used to become the Atom, but planting the seeds of his downfall, trapping part of the denizens of Ivy Town in a microverse held in strange viral constructs hidden in Ryan's bloodstream.
With some help from the former Atom, Ray Palmer, Ryan dodged the bullet, but still feels responsible for Jia's wrongdoings.
Jia claims that Dwarfstar, master assassin and shrinking nemesis of Ryan, is her "firstborn". Whether she's speaking literally, or metaphorically as both men got their powers by her actions, remains to be seen.
Lady Chronos is later seen as a mind-controlled pawn of Starro the Conqueror
Starro
Starro is a fictional supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Brave and the Bold #28 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky....
, along with Chronos. During her battle against Booster Gold
Booster Gold
Booster Gold is a fictional DC Comics superhero. Created by Dan Jurgens, he first appeared in Booster Gold #1 and has been a member of the Justice League, DC Comics' all-star team of heroes. The character is initially depicted as a glory-seeking showboat from the future, using knowledge of...
for ensuring Starro's domination of the timestream, she reveals to know with a certain degree of intimacy the future adventures of Booster and his sister Goldstar, having observed and interacted with them.
Television
- A version of Chronos appears in the two-part Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
animated series episode "The Once and Future Thing" voiced by Peter MacNicolPeter MacNicolPeter MacNicol is an American actor. He may be best known in films for his roles of Janosz Poha in Ghostbusters II, Stingo in Sophie's Choice, Thomas Renfield in Dracula: Dead and Loving It and David Langley in Bean...
. In this incarnation, David Clinton is a small, meek physics professor from the Batman BeyondBatman BeyondBatman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
era. He was ostracized by his peers for his theories on time travel, but secretly perfected a time-traveling device. Aware of the problems of time paradoxes, he uses the device to add to his collection of rare artifacts, stealing the items from the past at the points when they would no longer be missed (e.g. Cleopatra's comb, an early draft of the Magna CartaMagna CartaMagna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
, etc.). Eventually, the incessant hectoring from his wife Enid (voiced by Mindy SterlingMindy SterlingMindy Lee Sterling is an American actress. Although she had worked in film for over 30 years, she only began to garner attention after playing Frau Farbissina, the diminutive and domineering Germanic cohort of Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers series of comedy films, and has a recurring role as Ms...
) drove Clinton to retreat into the past. While trying to steal Batman's utility beltBatman's utility beltBatman's utility belt is one of the most characteristic portions of Batman's costume. Similar belts are used by the various Robins, Batgirls, and other members of the Batman family.-History:...
, he attracts the attention of BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, Wonder WomanWonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
, and Green LanternJohn Stewart (comics)John Stewart is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 2, #87 , and was created by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams.-Publication history:...
, and as he tries to escape, they follow him and are accidentally pulled into the Old West. In the time between his arrival and theirs, Clinton's time belt was stolen by a local villain named Tobias ManningTerra-ManTerra-Man is a fictional character and supervillain who appears in Superman stories published by DC Comics. Terra-Man first appeared in Superman #249, March 1972.-Pre-Crisis:...
who used it to steal future technology. Once the Leaguers find him, with the help of a certain bounty hunter, Jonah HexJonah HexJonah Woodson Hex is a Western comic book antihero created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga and published by DC Comics. Hex is a surly and cynical bounty hunter whose face is horribly scarred on the right side. Despite his poor reputation and personality, Hex is bound by a personal...
and other figures: (Bat LashBat LashBartholomew "Bat" Alouysius Lash is a fictional Western character in the DC Universe. A self-professed pacifist, ladies' man, and gambler, Bat Lash's adventures have been published by DC Comics since 1968.-Character origin:...
, Ohiyesa SmithPow Wow SmithOhiyesa "Pow Wow" Smith is a fictional Western hero published by DC Comics. Created by writer Don Cameron and penciler Carmine Infantino, he is a Sioux who is the sheriff of the small Western town of Elkhorn, where he is known as a master detective...
, and El DiabloEl Diablo (comics)El Diablo is a name shared by several fictional characters published by DC Comics. Lazarus Lane the first El Diablo debuted in All-Star Western #2 , and was created by Robert Kanigher and Gray Morrow.-Publication history:...
). Clinton helps the League and the Western heroes defeat him. Once free, the power-hungry and increasingly unstable Clinton retreated into the timestream to make himself "the undisputed master of space and time", adopting the Chronos identity. The three Leaguers followed him to the Batman Beyond era, where they discover that his trips through time have severely impacted the timeline; the Titanic and the Leaning Tower of PisaLeaning Tower of PisaThe Leaning Tower of Pisa or simply the Tower of Pisa is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa...
are situated alongside Gotham's architecture, amongst other bizarre things. Chronos' irresponsible actions are causing time to collapse. Batman and Green Lantern (Wonder Woman having been erased from existence) team up with the remaining roster of the Justice League Unlimited: WarhawkWarhawk (Batman Beyond)Warhawk is a fictional character created for the DC Animated Universe, voiced by Peter Onorati.-Batman Beyond Appearances:...
, Static, Batman (Terry McGinnis), and the future version of Bruce Wayne. They force the now-fearful Enid to lead them to Clinton - in the jail from the Old West that Clinton had brought to the future, where he slept every night (presumably because his six months in the jail cell were a vacation away from his nagging wife, and therefore far more comfortable to him). After a pitched battle, only Green Lantern, Batman, and Chronos are left alive. As time begins to fall apart all around them, Chronos escapes into the timestream intending to return to the beginning of timeKrona (comics)Krona is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Green Lantern #40 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane.-Fictional character biography:...
and make himself into a god. The heroes catch up with him, and Batman inserts a disc into Chronos' belt that reverses everything that had happened. Green Lantern and Batman return to the present day, (having retained the memories of their experience) Wonder Woman has none, and Clinton himself is stuck in a permanent time-loop of the last few seconds of his life before the whole chain started, which happens to be his wife Enid berating him for all eternity (a la Groundhog DayGroundhog Day (film)Groundhog Day is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. It was written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, based on a story by Rubin....
). - Chronos appears in the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode "Sword of the Atom!". He has returned to attack the city causing Batman and Ryan Choi to look for Ray Palmer. By the end of the episode, Batman, Ryan Choi, and Aquaman end up fighting Aquaman while Ray Palmer stays with the Kartathians.
Miscellaneous
- Chronos makes an appearance in issue #22 of the TV series-based SuperFriends comic.
- In an issue of Justice League Adventures (adapted from Justice LeagueJustice League (TV series)Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
) titled "Wolf's Clothing," Chronos (not the latter version below) captured the Justice League and plots to auction them off to the highest bidding villain. In another issue called "The Moment", Flash and Atom discover that he's traveled to the past to prevent the death of his brother Bobby, but his interference threatens to wreck the timestream.
External links
- Chronos overview from artist Paul Guinan who also has a page on Chronopolis
- Killing Time with the Creative Team of Chronos: Paul Guinan Interview