Doctor Spectrum
Encyclopedia
Doctor Spectrum is the name of several fictional
characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics
. There have been five versions of the character to date - three supervillains from the mainstream Marvel Universe belonging to the team Squadron Sinister
(Earth-616
) and two heroes from different alternate universes. The two heroes each belong to a version of the team Squadron Supreme, the Squadron Supreme
of Earth-712 and the Squadron Supreme
of Earth-31916 respectively).
#69 (Oct. 1969), the first chapter of a three-issue storyline by writer Roy Thomas
and penciller Sal Buscema
. The story arc introduced the supervillain
team the Squadron Sinister
, whose four members were loosely based on heroes in DC Comics
' Justice League of America, with Doctor Spectrum based on Green Lantern
.
The Squadron Sinister are created by the cosmic entity the Grandmaster
to battle the champions of the time-traveling Kang - the superhero team the Avengers
. Doctor Spectrum battles the Avenger Iron Man
, and is defeated when the hero deduces that the villain's Power Prism (a sentient entity called Krimonn) is vulnerable to ultra-violet light. The Avengers eventually defeat the Squadron and they in turn are abandoned by the Grandmaster. Doctor Spectrum reappears in the title Iron Man and after a series of battles is defeated when Iron Man crushes the Power Prism. A powerless Obatu is arrested and deported back to his native Africa
.
Billy Roberts, who after learning of the Prism's abilities becomes the second Doctor Spectrum.
The Squadron reappear in the title Defenders
, reunited by the alien
Nebulon
(although the team are unaware of the fact that this a new Doctor Spectrum). The villains receive greater power in exchange for the planet Earth, and create a giant laser cannon in the Arctic
to melt the polar ice caps, thereby covering the entirety of the Earth's surface in water. The superhero team the Defenders
prevent the scheme and defeat the Squadron (and Nebulon), with Doctor Strange
defeating Doctor Spectrum. After this defeat Doctor Spectrum and his two remaining team mates are teleported off world by Nebulon, returning with an energy-draining weapon. The Squadron Sinister plan to threaten the Earth again but are defeated once again by the Defenders and the Avenger Yellowjacket
.
The Power Prism is kept by Yellowjacket, who decides to modify the gem and present it to his wife Janet Van Dyne (also the Avenger known as the Wasp). The Power Prism seizes control of the character and transforms her into a mind-controlled female Doctor Spectrum, who battles several Avengers but is then defeated by the Vision's use of the Prism's ultraviolet weakness (Spectrum's own arrogance meant that s/he assumed that Iron Man had kept that information to himself rather than sharing it with others and thus 'giving up an advantage'). The Power Prism bonds to the Wasp in an attempt to save itself, but is eventually removed by Billy Roberts after he is located by the Avengers. Roberts becomes Doctor Spectrum once more, although on this occasion the Power Prism is in control and seeks to bond with the most powerful Avenger, the Thunder God Thor
. The Power Prism succeeds in taking Thor as a host, infecting Mjolnir to use as a focal point to control him and defeat the other Avengers, but fails to take into account that to wield Mjolnir, Thor must be "worthy". No longer worthy to wield the hammer due to him being tainted by the gem, Thor drops Mjolnir and reverts back to his mortal alter-ego Donald Blake during a fight with Iron Man, which results in the Power Prism losing control and becoming inert, apparently forever.
is joined by the Whizzer (now called Speed Demon); Nighthawk
and a new Doctor Spectrum (complete with Power Prism) - Alice Nugent, former lab assistant of Henry Pym. Courtesy of a phenomenon known as the Wellspring of Power - an interdimensional source of superhuman abilities - the Grandmaster increases the Squadron Sinister's powers and they battle the New Thunderbolts. Thunderbolts team leader Baron Zemo
defeats the Grandmaster, and in the ensuing chaos Doctor Spectrum and the members of the Squadron Sinister scatter and escape.
created an alternate-universe
team of heroes called the Squadron Supreme
, who debut in The Avengers #85 (Feb. 1971). After an initial skirmish with four Avengers, the teams unite to stop a common threat. The characters (including Doctor Spectrum) were identical in name and appearance to the Squadron Sinister, which caused confusion in Marvel's production department, as the covers of The Avengers #85 and #141 (Nov. 1975) "cover-blurbed" appearances by the Squadron Sinister, when in fact it was the Squadron Supreme that appeared in both issues.
The heroic Doctor Spectrum and the Squadron Supreme have another series of skirmishes with the Avengers engineered by the group the Serpent Cartel, but eventually team together and prevent the use of the artifact
the Serpent Crown
. The character and his team mates briefly feature in the title Thor
, when the evil version of Hyperion attacks the Earth-712 version and then Thunder God Thor. The Squadron are mind-controlled by the entities the Over-Mind
and Null the Living Darkness
, but are freed by the Defenders and aid the heroes in defeating the villains.
The character features with the Squadron Supreme in a self-titled 12-issue miniseries
(Sept. 1985 - Aug. 1986) by writer Mark Gruenwald
. Gruenwald revealed each member's origin, with Joseph Ledger being a former astronaut
who saves a Skrull
in space
. The grateful Skrull, called the Skrullian Skymaster
, rewards Ledger with the Power Prism. The series also explains why there are the Squadrons Sinister and Supreme are similar: the Grandmaster creates the Squadron Sinister modelled on the already-existing Squadron Supreme of the Earth-712 universe.
Gruenwald, Ryan, and inker
Al Williamson
created a graphic-novel sequel which maroons
the team in the mainstream Marvel universe. Doctor Spectrum and team mates encounter the hero Quasar, and relocate to the government facility Project Pegasus
. After another encounter with the Overmind and a visit to the laboratory
world of the Stranger
; attempts (with the Squadron) to return to their universe and with fellow members Hyperion and the Whizzer battle the entity Deathurge
.
The entire Squadron Supreme appear in a two-part story with the Avengers that finally returns them to their home universe, where they disband for a time. Doctor Spectrtum rejoins his teammates to aid the interdimensional
team the Exiles
.
The mature-audience Marvel MAX imprint showcases the adventures of the Earth-31916 version of the Squadron Supreme. The title Supreme Power
relates how Joseph Ledger, a soldier
in the United States Army
, accidentally bonds with a crystal found in the vessel that brings Hyperion to Earth. The story continues in the limited series Doctor Spectrum, written by Sara Barnes and art by John Dell and Travel Foreman
, with the experience placing Ledger in a coma
, and after reliving his life in his mind for the benefit of the apparently sentient crystal, the character awakens and adopts the codename of Doctor Spectrum. Operating in a military-style uniform as opposed to a prismatic costume, Doctor Spectrum encounters and battles Hyperion, forming a truce with him to hunt down a super-powered serial killer
. Doctor Spectrum also begins a tentative romance with fellow superhuman Amphibian
Both eventually join the US-backed Squadron Supreme
in the 2006 title of the same name.
, who after failing to usurp the Skrull Emperor
was transformed into a living prism as punishment. When the Grandmaster requires champions to battle the Avengers, he retrieves the prism and grants Krimonn several energy-based powers that can be used in conjunction with a host. Kenji Obatu is the first to coin the term "Power Prism", and discovers that although trapped in prism form, Krimonn remains aggressive and asserts his will via telepathy
. Krimonn's mind is "muted" by Nebulon when the Power Prism is given to Billy Roberts, although Krimonn reasserts itelf during the quest to find and bond with the character Thor. When the plan fails and the gem is shattered, Krimonn's consciousness apparently dissipated forever.
Krimonn could bestow on a host the ability to project and manipulate energy; create energy constructs of various shapes and sizes; flight; protection from the rigors of space and in the case of the original Doctor Spectrum, Kenji Obatu, the ability to become intangible. The Power Prism has one weakness: being vulnerable to ultra-violet light.
The Earth-712 Doctor Spectrum gains his power from tiny fragments of the Skrullian Power Prism, given to him by the Skrullian Skymaster, which have bonded to his skin and imbedded within his body. When the Power Prism exploded, his skin, hair, and costume were bleached chalk-white. The Earth-712 Power Prism is identical to the Earth-616 version in terms of strengths and weaknesses.
The Earth-31916 Power Prism is a sentient power source removed from the spacecraft that brings Hyperion to Earth.
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...
characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. There have been five versions of the character to date - three supervillains from the mainstream Marvel Universe belonging to the team Squadron Sinister
Squadron Sinister
The Squadron Sinister is a fictional supervillain team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Squadron Sinister first appeared in the final panel of The Avengers #69 The Squadron Sinister is a fictional supervillain team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics....
(Earth-616
Earth-616
In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 or Earth 616 is the name used to identify the primary continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place.-Origin of Earth-616:...
) and two heroes from different alternate universes. The two heroes each belong to a version of the team Squadron Supreme, the Squadron Supreme
Squadron Supreme
The Squadron Supreme is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Squadron Supreme first appeared in Avengers #85 - 86 The Squadron Supreme is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Squadron Supreme first...
of Earth-712 and the Squadron Supreme
Squadron Supreme (Supreme Power)
The Squadron Supreme is a fictional superhero team that appears in publications under the mature-audience MAX imprint by Marvel Comics. The team first appears in Supreme Power #1 and was created by writer J...
of Earth-31916 respectively).
Kenji Obatu
The first villainous version appears in the final panel of The AvengersAvengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
#69 (Oct. 1969), the first chapter of a three-issue storyline by writer Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
and penciller Sal Buscema
Sal Buscema
Silvio "Sal" Buscema is an American comic book artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of The Incredible Hulk...
. The story arc introduced the 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...
team the Squadron Sinister
Squadron Sinister
The Squadron Sinister is a fictional supervillain team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Squadron Sinister first appeared in the final panel of The Avengers #69 The Squadron Sinister is a fictional supervillain team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics....
, whose four members were loosely based on heroes in 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...
' Justice League of America, with Doctor Spectrum based on Green Lantern
Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...
.
The Squadron Sinister are created by the cosmic entity the Grandmaster
Grandmaster (comics)
The Grandmaster is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. who first appeared in The Avengers #69. He is one of the ageless Elders of the Universe and has mastered most civilizations' games of skill and chance.-Fictional character biography:...
to battle the champions of the time-traveling Kang - the superhero team the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
. Doctor Spectrum battles the Avenger Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
, and is defeated when the hero deduces that the villain's Power Prism (a sentient entity called Krimonn) is vulnerable to ultra-violet light. The Avengers eventually defeat the Squadron and they in turn are abandoned by the Grandmaster. Doctor Spectrum reappears in the title Iron Man and after a series of battles is defeated when Iron Man crushes the Power Prism. A powerless Obatu is arrested and deported back to his native Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
Billy Roberts
Unknown to Iron Man, the Power Prism reforms and is found by a sanitation worker, who eventually brings it to evangelistEvangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
Billy Roberts, who after learning of the Prism's abilities becomes the second Doctor Spectrum.
The Squadron reappear in the title Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
, reunited by the alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
Nebulon
Nebulon (comics)
Nebulon is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Nebulon is an Ul'lula'n, a race of six-tentacled, finned, water-breathing extraterrestrials about in length...
(although the team are unaware of the fact that this a new Doctor Spectrum). The villains receive greater power in exchange for the planet Earth, and create a giant laser cannon in the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
to melt the polar ice caps, thereby covering the entirety of the Earth's surface in water. The superhero team the Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
prevent the scheme and defeat the Squadron (and Nebulon), with Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
defeating Doctor Spectrum. After this defeat Doctor Spectrum and his two remaining team mates are teleported off world by Nebulon, returning with an energy-draining weapon. The Squadron Sinister plan to threaten the Earth again but are defeated once again by the Defenders and the Avenger Yellowjacket
Yellowjacket (comics)
-In comics:Yellowjacket may refer to:*Marvel Comics characters:**Henry Pym, the first Yellowjacket, also known as Ant-Man, Giant-Man and Goliath, who was a founding member of the Avengers....
.
The Power Prism is kept by Yellowjacket, who decides to modify the gem and present it to his wife Janet Van Dyne (also the Avenger known as the Wasp). The Power Prism seizes control of the character and transforms her into a mind-controlled female Doctor Spectrum, who battles several Avengers but is then defeated by the Vision's use of the Prism's ultraviolet weakness (Spectrum's own arrogance meant that s/he assumed that Iron Man had kept that information to himself rather than sharing it with others and thus 'giving up an advantage'). The Power Prism bonds to the Wasp in an attempt to save itself, but is eventually removed by Billy Roberts after he is located by the Avengers. Roberts becomes Doctor Spectrum once more, although on this occasion the Power Prism is in control and seeks to bond with the most powerful Avenger, the Thunder God Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
. The Power Prism succeeds in taking Thor as a host, infecting Mjolnir to use as a focal point to control him and defeat the other Avengers, but fails to take into account that to wield Mjolnir, Thor must be "worthy". No longer worthy to wield the hammer due to him being tainted by the gem, Thor drops Mjolnir and reverts back to his mortal alter-ego Donald Blake during a fight with Iron Man, which results in the Power Prism losing control and becoming inert, apparently forever.
Alice Nugent
The Grandmaster reappears and reforms the Squadron Sinister: an apparently resurrected HyperionHyperion (comics)
Hyperion is the name of several fictional characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The first character debuted in The Avengers #69 Hyperion is the name of several fictional characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The first character debuted in...
is joined by the Whizzer (now called Speed Demon); Nighthawk
Nighthawk (Marvel Comics)
Nighthawk is the name of several fictional characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. There have been five versions of the character: a supervillain-turned-superhero from the mainstream Marvel Universe continuity, Kyle Richmond, who belonged to the team Squadron Sinister;...
and a new Doctor Spectrum (complete with Power Prism) - Alice Nugent, former lab assistant of Henry Pym. Courtesy of a phenomenon known as the Wellspring of Power - an interdimensional source of superhuman abilities - the Grandmaster increases the Squadron Sinister's powers and they battle the New Thunderbolts. Thunderbolts team leader Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo is the name of two fictional characters, both supervillains, in various Marvel Comics comic books, notably Captain America and the Avengers...
defeats the Grandmaster, and in the ensuing chaos Doctor Spectrum and the members of the Squadron Sinister scatter and escape.
Joseph Ledger (Earth-712)
Roy Thomas and penciller John BuscemaJohn Buscema
John Buscema, born Giovanni Natale Buscema , was an American comic-book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate...
created an alternate-universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
team of heroes called the Squadron Supreme
Squadron Supreme
The Squadron Supreme is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Squadron Supreme first appeared in Avengers #85 - 86 The Squadron Supreme is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Squadron Supreme first...
, who debut in The Avengers #85 (Feb. 1971). After an initial skirmish with four Avengers, the teams unite to stop a common threat. The characters (including Doctor Spectrum) were identical in name and appearance to the Squadron Sinister, which caused confusion in Marvel's production department, as the covers of The Avengers #85 and #141 (Nov. 1975) "cover-blurbed" appearances by the Squadron Sinister, when in fact it was the Squadron Supreme that appeared in both issues.
The heroic Doctor Spectrum and the Squadron Supreme have another series of skirmishes with the Avengers engineered by the group the Serpent Cartel, but eventually team together and prevent the use of the artifact
Magic item
A magic item is any object that has magical powers inherent in it. These may act on their own or be the tools of the person or being whose hands they fall into. Magic items are commonly found in both folklore and modern fantasy...
the Serpent Crown
Serpent Crown
The Serpent Crown is a fictional mystical power object which has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It exists within Marvel's main shared universe...
. The character and his team mates briefly feature in the title Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
, when the evil version of Hyperion attacks the Earth-712 version and then Thunder God Thor. The Squadron are mind-controlled by the entities the Over-Mind
Overmind (comics)
-Fictional character biography:The Overmind is an alien belonging to the Eternals of Eyung, and was born uncounted millennia ago on the planet Eyung . Grom acted as one of their warlords, leading massacres of entire species. He was also the reigning champion in their gladiatorial arenas...
and Null the Living Darkness
Null, the Living Darkness
Null, called also Null the Living Darkness, is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.Null is a demon and enemy of the Defenders and Squadron Supreme.-Fictional character biography:...
, but are freed by the Defenders and aid the heroes in defeating the villains.
The character features with the Squadron Supreme in a self-titled 12-issue miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
(Sept. 1985 - Aug. 1986) by writer Mark Gruenwald
Mark Gruenwald
Mark E. Gruenwald was an American comic book writer, editor, and occasional penciler. Gruenwald got his start in comics fandom, publishing his own fanzine, Omniverse, which explored the concept of continuity...
. Gruenwald revealed each member's origin, with Joseph Ledger being a former astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
who saves a Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
in space
Space
Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...
. The grateful Skrull, called the Skrullian Skymaster
Skrullian Skymaster
The Skrullian Skymaster is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics, who exists in the universe of the Squadron Supreme. The character is the Squadron's counterpart of the Martian Manhunter, a member of DC Comics' superhero team, the Justice League of America.-Publication history:The Skrull...
, rewards Ledger with the Power Prism. The series also explains why there are the Squadrons Sinister and Supreme are similar: the Grandmaster creates the Squadron Sinister modelled on the already-existing Squadron Supreme of the Earth-712 universe.
Gruenwald, Ryan, and inker
Inker
The inker is one of the two line artists in a traditional comic book or graphic novel. After a pencilled drawing is given to the inker, the inker uses black ink to produce refined outlines over the pencil lines...
Al Williamson
Al Williamson
Alfonso "Al" Williamson was an American cartoonist, comic book artist and illustrator specializing in adventure, Western and science-fiction/fantasy...
created a graphic-novel sequel which maroons
Marooning
Marooning is the intentional leaving of someone in a remote area, such as an uninhabited island. The word appears in writing in approximately 1709, and is derived from the term maroon, a word for a fugitive slave, which could be a corruption of Spanish cimarrón, meaning a household animal who has...
the team in the mainstream Marvel universe. Doctor Spectrum and team mates encounter the hero Quasar, and relocate to the government facility Project Pegasus
Project Pegasus
Project Pegasus is a fictional scientific base in the Marvel Comics universe which has been the location of a variety of stories for superheroes and supervillains, most notably in the title Marvel Two-in-One...
. After another encounter with the Overmind and a visit to the laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
world of the Stranger
Stranger (comics)
The Stranger is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The Stranger first appeared in X-Men #11 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
; attempts (with the Squadron) to return to their universe and with fellow members Hyperion and the Whizzer battle the entity Deathurge
Deathurge
Deathurge is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a wraith-like superhuman entity who served as the herald and agent of Oblivion. He first appeared in Marvel Two-In-One #71.-Fictional character biography:...
.
The entire Squadron Supreme appear in a two-part story with the Avengers that finally returns them to their home universe, where they disband for a time. Doctor Spectrtum rejoins his teammates to aid the interdimensional
Interdimensional
Interdimensional may refer to:* Interdimensional hypothesis* Interdimensional doorway* Interdimensional travel* Interdimensional being...
team the Exiles
Exiles (Marvel Comics)
The Exiles are a group of fictional characters that feature in three Marvel Comics series, Exiles, New Exiles, and Exiles vol. 2. The Exiles consists of characters from different dimensions, or realities, which have been removed from time and space in order to correct problems in various alternate...
.
Joseph Ledger (Earth-31916)
Supreme Power
The Squadron Supreme is a fictional superhero team that appears in publications under the mature-audience MAX imprint by Marvel Comics. The team first appears in Supreme Power #1 and was created by writer J...
relates how Joseph Ledger, a soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, accidentally bonds with a crystal found in the vessel that brings Hyperion to Earth. The story continues in the limited series Doctor Spectrum, written by Sara Barnes and art by John Dell and Travel Foreman
Travel Foreman
-Biography:Travel Foreman gained attention with his work on Com.x’s Cla$$war, where he replaced original series artist Trevor Hairsine. He quickly moved on to work at Marvel Comics, illustrating the Supreme Power spin-off mini-series, Doctor Spectrum, and a Juggernaut story written by Lee Barnett...
, with the experience placing Ledger in a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
, and after reliving his life in his mind for the benefit of the apparently sentient crystal, the character awakens and adopts the codename of Doctor Spectrum. Operating in a military-style uniform as opposed to a prismatic costume, Doctor Spectrum encounters and battles Hyperion, forming a truce with him to hunt down a super-powered serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
. Doctor Spectrum also begins a tentative romance with fellow superhuman Amphibian
Amphibian (comics)
Amphibian is the name of two different fictional characters that have appeared in publications from Marvel Comics.The first debuted as a member of the team of superheroes called the Squadron Supreme in Avengers #147 . The other first appeared in Supreme Power #2 , later joining a team of super...
Both eventually join the US-backed Squadron Supreme
Squadron Supreme (Supreme Power)
The Squadron Supreme is a fictional superhero team that appears in publications under the mature-audience MAX imprint by Marvel Comics. The team first appears in Supreme Power #1 and was created by writer J...
in the 2006 title of the same name.
Powers and abilities
All versions of Doctor Spectrum derive their abilities from an alien gem called the Power Prism. The original prism, used by the Kenji Obatu and Billy Roberts versions of Doctor Spectrum, is a sentient being called Krimonn. Krimmon relates his origin in the title Iron Man, explaining how it had previously been a SkrullSkrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
, who after failing to usurp the Skrull Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
was transformed into a living prism as punishment. When the Grandmaster requires champions to battle the Avengers, he retrieves the prism and grants Krimonn several energy-based powers that can be used in conjunction with a host. Kenji Obatu is the first to coin the term "Power Prism", and discovers that although trapped in prism form, Krimonn remains aggressive and asserts his will via telepathy
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
. Krimonn's mind is "muted" by Nebulon when the Power Prism is given to Billy Roberts, although Krimonn reasserts itelf during the quest to find and bond with the character Thor. When the plan fails and the gem is shattered, Krimonn's consciousness apparently dissipated forever.
Krimonn could bestow on a host the ability to project and manipulate energy; create energy constructs of various shapes and sizes; flight; protection from the rigors of space and in the case of the original Doctor Spectrum, Kenji Obatu, the ability to become intangible. The Power Prism has one weakness: being vulnerable to ultra-violet light.
The Earth-712 Doctor Spectrum gains his power from tiny fragments of the Skrullian Power Prism, given to him by the Skrullian Skymaster, which have bonded to his skin and imbedded within his body. When the Power Prism exploded, his skin, hair, and costume were bleached chalk-white. The Earth-712 Power Prism is identical to the Earth-616 version in terms of strengths and weaknesses.
The Earth-31916 Power Prism is a sentient power source removed from the spacecraft that brings Hyperion to Earth.