Doctor Spectro
Encyclopedia
Doctor Spectro is a fictional supervillain
that appears in comics published by Charlton Comics
and DC Comics
.
. When the Doctor refused to help, the criminals pushed him into his experimental machinery. The strange energies of the machine reacted with the prisms, giving the Doctor the ability to control emotions directly. The energy also affected his mind, causing the Doctor to embark on a crime spree. The superhero Captain Atom confronted Doctor Spectro, who was disintegrated when he came into contact with a high tension wire. The supervillain managed to survive and returned to fight Captain Atom in issue #81 (July 1966).
(December 1985 and January 1986, respectively).
Post-Crisis, Doctor Spectro was re-introduced in Captain Atom Vol. 3, #5 (July 1987), in a story written by Cary Bates
and drawn by Pat Broderick
. In the new version Doctor Spectro was really Tom Emery. A newspaper reporter discovered that "Doctor Spectro" was the creation of General Wade Eiling
, a fake supervillain whose exploits were used to provide a cover story for the Captain Atom project. Once Captain Atom went missing, Doctor Spectro reverted to the life of a small time super-crook.
Doctor Spectro has made guest appearances in other DC titles, including Underworld Unleashed (November 1995), JLA #34 (October 1999), Action Comics
#760 (December 1999), JSA #28 (November 2001), and Superman/Batman
#3 (December 2003).
In the Green Arrow comics, the Green Arrow family often claim that Doctor Spectro has the worst supervillain costume. In Green Arrow #26, Green Arrow confronts saboteurs at a construction site saying “What are you doing?! When a guy twice your size in a costume tells you to stop doing something--you stop! Unless it’s the Riddler. Or that moron Doctor Spectro. ‘Cause they’re just…sad.”. In #46, Speedy quips to a villain “Dude, that is one sorry outfit. You make Doctor Spectro look cool. You know how hard that is?”
In the recent novelized version of Infinite Crisis
, Doctor Spectro was killed by Superboy-Prime
alongside the hero Aaron Van Horn, aka Gunfire
. This was a scene notably not shown in the illustrated Infinite Crisis mini-series, and occurred at the same time that the death of Blood Pack was shown.
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...
that appears in comics published by Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1985, having begun under a different name in 1944. It was based in Derby, Connecticut...
and 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...
.
Charlton Comics
Doctor Spectro debuted in Captain Atom #79 (February-March 1966). After inventing a series of prisms that could alter human emotions, the Doctor was kidnapped by a gang of criminals and forced to use his invention to commit a bank robberyBank robbery
Bank robbery is the crime of stealing from a bank during opening hours. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, robbery is "the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of...
. When the Doctor refused to help, the criminals pushed him into his experimental machinery. The strange energies of the machine reacted with the prisms, giving the Doctor the ability to control emotions directly. The energy also affected his mind, causing the Doctor to embark on a crime spree. The superhero Captain Atom confronted Doctor Spectro, who was disintegrated when he came into contact with a high tension wire. The supervillain managed to survive and returned to fight Captain Atom in issue #81 (July 1966).
DC Comics
Doctor Spectro became part of the DC Universe after DC Comics purchased the rights to Captain Atom and other characters. He appeared in issues #9 and 10 of Crisis on Infinite EarthsCrisis 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...
(December 1985 and January 1986, respectively).
Post-Crisis, Doctor Spectro was re-introduced in Captain Atom Vol. 3, #5 (July 1987), in a story written by Cary Bates
Cary Bates
Cary Bates is an American comic book, animation television and film writer.-Biography:Bates began submitting ideas for comic book covers to DC Comics at the age of 13, and a number of them were bought and published, the first as the cover to Superman #167...
and drawn by Pat Broderick
Pat Broderick
Pat Broderick is an American comic book artist known for his work on the Micronauts. Broderick also pencilled the four-part Batman: Year Three storyline, written by Marv Wolfman, which detailed the first meeting of Batman and Tim Drake.-Early career :Fresh from high school in Tampa, Florida,...
. In the new version Doctor Spectro was really Tom Emery. A newspaper reporter discovered that "Doctor Spectro" was the creation of General Wade Eiling
General Wade Eiling
General Wade Eiling, sometimes known as The General, is a fictional character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Captain Atom #1 , and was created by Cary Bates and Pat Broderick.-Captain Atom:...
, a fake supervillain whose exploits were used to provide a cover story for the Captain Atom project. Once Captain Atom went missing, Doctor Spectro reverted to the life of a small time super-crook.
Doctor Spectro has made guest appearances in other DC titles, including Underworld Unleashed (November 1995), JLA #34 (October 1999), 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...
#760 (December 1999), JSA #28 (November 2001), and Superman/Batman
Superman/Batman
Superman/Batman was a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular characters: Batman and Superman...
#3 (December 2003).
In the Green Arrow comics, the Green Arrow family often claim that Doctor Spectro has the worst supervillain costume. In Green Arrow #26, Green Arrow confronts saboteurs at a construction site saying “What are you doing?! When a guy twice your size in a costume tells you to stop doing something--you stop! Unless it’s the Riddler. Or that moron Doctor Spectro. ‘Cause they’re just…sad.”. In #46, Speedy quips to a villain “Dude, that is one sorry outfit. You make Doctor Spectro look cool. You know how hard that is?”
In the recent novelized version of Infinite Crisis
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, and a number of tie-in books...
, Doctor Spectro was killed by Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
alongside the hero Aaron Van Horn, aka Gunfire
Gunfire (comics)
Gunfire is a fictional DC Comics superhero and freelance anti-terrorist operative. He first appeared in Deathstroke Annual #3 October 1993, he was created by Len Wein and Steve Erwin.-Fictional character biography:...
. This was a scene notably not shown in the illustrated Infinite Crisis mini-series, and occurred at the same time that the death of Blood Pack was shown.
Television
- In the 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...
episode "Dead Reckoning," Doctor Spectro is later seen as one of the latest recruits in the Secret SocietySecret Society of Super VillainsThe Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
.