General (DC Comics)
Encyclopedia
The General is a fictional character
appearing in the DC Comics
universe
. Created by Chuck Dixon
as an opponent for Batman
, the character first appeared in Detective Comics
#654, published in December 1992. Named for the character's gimmick
for military strategy
and prowess with small arms
, stories involving the character often include historic military references
and themes.
Initially portrayed as a dangerously psychopathic
, murderous adolescent
, the tone of the General was changed by Dixon himself for later appearances. Return appearances featured the character in issues of Robin
during the mid 1990s, in which Dixon portrayed the character as pompous and childish, rather than maliciously insane. Though still occasionally dangerous and lethal, the graphic violence
of the character's criminal behavior was also toned down.
The character experienced a prolonged period of obscurity after 1997, lasting over ten years, until Fabian Nicieza
chose to revamp the character for the concluding story arc
of the Robin comic book series in the final months of 2008. With Nicieza's intention being to establish the character as an archenemy
for Tim Drake
, the General was once again characterized as a major threat in the "Batman Family" pantheon of villains. Recast as a new version of another obscure character, Anarky
, Armstrong was also re-characterized with a new "Anarky" themed costume.
Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong is a psychotic
child with the mind of a military genius
. Bored with his life at a military school, he reads books about military history. Ulysses later escapes his school, burning down the school and killing everyone inside, acts of arson
and mass murder
, to avoid alerting authorities to his escape. He goes to Gotham City
to recruit small-time gang members into a makeshift "army". Utilizing military skills, Armstrong's reputation gains him the nickname "the General". Continuing a campaign to become a powerful crime boss
of Gotham, the General conquers and absorbs enemy gangs into a sizable force. Laying siege to a police station with the intent of capturing the storage room full of guns and illegal drugs, with which to fund future activities, he is confronted by Batman. Once captured by Batman, the General's undisciplined army scatters in fear, and the General himself is sent to a youth detention center
.
comic book series.
The General manipulated delusional homeless derelict, Julie Caesar, who believed himself to be the historical Julius Caesar
.
The General teamed up with Toyman
, but this partnership ended in mutual betrayal.
The General was given control as commander-in-chief of a country's military.
The General appeared at the end of 2008 in Robin
#177, "Search for a Hero" storyline that deals with the Batman R.I.P.
aftermath, Battle for the Cowl. Within the storyline, he is revealed to disguised as Red Robin
.
After a very long absence, the General has returned to Gotham City
, having aged several years, grown several feet and has become a more formidable hand-to-hand combatant. He physically appears closer in age to Robin and Spoiler. He has for reasons yet unknown been hired by Spoiler to gather information about the Gang Wars, and find a possible solution to them. He continues to hold a grudge against Robin and betrays Spoiler. Spoiler survives a gunshot to the shoulder, and then distracts him long enough to get the drop on him and escape.
He comes into possession of the Red Robin
costume worn by Jason Todd
, and uses it as part of a campaign of psychological warfare against Tim Drake
. More formidable than ever, he's revealed to be holding Lonnie Machin
hostage and to have commandeered the latter's identity as Anarky. Where Machin's approach as Anarky had been to cause social change, Armstrong's approach bordered more on psychotic and meaningless acts of chaos and destruction.
Armstrong manages to catch Robin in his warehouse, yet Robin escapes through unknown means, but not without sustaining serious burns to his head. Soon after, a final confrontation ensues, where Anarky attempts to kill all of Gotham City's Gangs, so as to create more violence. The combined efforts of Robin, Spoiler, Commissioner Gordon, Officer Harper and the Gotham Gangs results in Armstrong's defeat. However, not without a price. In order to take the edge off of Armstrong, Robin asked Officer Harper to bring the Armstrong Family to confront Ulysses. While the action worked, Armstrong caused a bomb to explode, killing his brother and sister in the blast. Armstrong blames Robin for their deaths.
The General is a military and strategic genius. He has vast knowledge of military history
, and his careful planning are what earned him the respect of his henchmen. Sometimes he fools adults into false senses of security in order to attack them. Sometimes he tricks adults into letting him control armies
Armed and unarmed combat
Growing up, he gains a muscular build and a lesser degree of martial arts
knowledge, not nearly enough to best seasoned fighters like Robin
, but quite formidable nevertheless.
He retains his penchant for historical weapons, and in his brief stint as the Red Robin he's shown using a Mauser
as his sidearm of preference.
Costumes
He likes to play dress up, changing several costumes and identities in his career. Starting from a simple military themed garb, he then adopted the Red Robin suit, discarded from a dimension hopping
Jason Todd
, using the Bat-Family themed identity to pave off for his return as the new Anarchy.
As Anarchy he uses a modified version of the original Anarky suit, adapted to fit his broader and sturdier physical build and with an angrier mask
Explosives expertise
Both as Red Robin, both as Anarky, Adrian is shown able to create and set complex explosive traps, drawing Tim Drake in a mined warehouse and managing to wound him seriously. As Anarky he wears a special cane with remote controller trigger, making him able to detonate explosives carefully hidden through the battlefield.
Character indexes
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...
appearing 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...
. Created by Chuck Dixon
Chuck Dixon
Charles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, best known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.-Biography:Dixon grew up in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area, reading comics of all genres...
as an opponent for 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...
, the character first appeared 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...
#654, published in December 1992. Named for the character's 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...
for military strategy
Military strategy
Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Derived from the Greek strategos, strategy when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow sense as the "art of the general", 'the art of arrangement' of troops...
and prowess with small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
, stories involving the character often include historic military references
Military history
Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
and themes.
Initially portrayed as a dangerously psychopathic
Psychopathy
Psychopathy is a mental disorder characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness. Psychopaths are highly prone to antisocial behavior and abusive treatment of others, and are very disproportionately responsible for violent crime...
, murderous adolescent
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
, the tone of the General was changed by Dixon himself for later appearances. Return appearances featured the character in issues of Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
during the mid 1990s, in which Dixon portrayed the character as pompous and childish, rather than maliciously insane. Though still occasionally dangerous and lethal, the graphic violence
Graphic violence
Graphic violence is the depiction of especially vivid, brutal and realistic acts of violence in visual media such as literature, film, television, and video games...
of the character's criminal behavior was also toned down.
The character experienced a prolonged period of obscurity after 1997, lasting over ten years, until Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
chose to revamp the character for the concluding story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
of the Robin comic book series in the final months of 2008. With Nicieza's intention being to establish the character as an archenemy
Archenemy
An archenemy, archfoe, archvillain or archnemesis is the principal enemy of a character in a work of fiction, often described as the hero's worst enemy .- Etymology :The word archenemy or arch-enemy originated...
for Tim Drake
Tim Drake
Timothy "Tim" Drake is a superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media. The character was created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick. From 1989 to 2009, he was known as Robin in the Batman comics, becoming the third character to take up the identity...
, the General was once again characterized as a major threat in the "Batman Family" pantheon of villains. Recast as a new version of another obscure character, Anarky
Anarky
Anarky is a fictional character appearing in books published by DC Comics. Co-created by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle, he first appeared in Detective Comics No.608 , as an adversary of Batman...
, Armstrong was also re-characterized with a new "Anarky" themed costume.
Publication history
Creation and first appearance
The General was created by Chuck Dixon in 1992.Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong is a psychotic
Psychosis
Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
child with the mind of a military genius
Genius
Genius is something or someone embodying exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight....
. Bored with his life at a military school, he reads books about military history. Ulysses later escapes his school, burning down the school and killing everyone inside, acts of arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
and mass murder
Mass murder
Mass murder is the act of murdering a large number of people , typically at the same time or over a relatively short period of time. According to the FBI, mass murder is defined as four or more murders occurring during a particular event with no cooling-off period between the murders...
, to avoid alerting authorities to his escape. He goes to Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
to recruit small-time gang members into a makeshift "army". Utilizing military skills, Armstrong's reputation gains him the nickname "the General". Continuing a campaign to become a powerful crime boss
Crime boss
A crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has absolute or near-absolute control over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the...
of Gotham, the General conquers and absorbs enemy gangs into a sizable force. Laying siege to a police station with the intent of capturing the storage room full of guns and illegal drugs, with which to fund future activities, he is confronted by Batman. Once captured by Batman, the General's undisciplined army scatters in fear, and the General himself is sent to a youth detention center
Youth detention center
A youth detention center, also known as a juvenile detention center , juvenile hall or, more colloquially as juvie, is a secure residential facility for young people, often termed juvenile delinquents, awaiting court hearings and/or placement in long-term care facilities and programs...
.
Mid 1990s appearances in Robin
Between 1995 and 1997, the General appeared in a total of three story arcs in issues of the RobinRobin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
comic book series.
The General manipulated delusional homeless derelict, Julie Caesar, who believed himself to be the historical Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
.
The General teamed up with Toyman
Toyman
The Toyman is the name of three comic book supervillains and one adolescent superhero in the DC Comics universe. They mostly appear in Superman stories. The first Toyman appeared in Action Comics #64 . His real name is Winslow Schott.The Toyman uses toy-based or toy-themed devices and gimmicks in...
, but this partnership ended in mutual betrayal.
The General was given control as commander-in-chief of a country's military.
2008 revamp as "Anarky"
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
#177, "Search for a Hero" storyline that deals with the Batman R.I.P.
Batman R.I.P.
Batman R.I.P. is a comic book story arc published in Batman #676-681 by DC Comics. Written by Grant Morrison, penciled by Tony Daniel, and with covers by Alex Ross, the story pits the superhero Batman against the Black Glove organization as they attempt to destroy everything for which he stands...
aftermath, Battle for the Cowl. Within the storyline, he is revealed to disguised as Red Robin
Red Robin (comics)
Red Robin is a name that has been used by several fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe.On the alternate world of Kingdom Come, a middle-aged Dick Grayson reclaims the Robin mantle and becomes Red Robin. His uniform is closer to Batman's in design, rather than any previous Robin uniform...
.
After a very long absence, the General has returned to Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
, having aged several years, grown several feet and has become a more formidable hand-to-hand combatant. He physically appears closer in age to Robin and Spoiler. He has for reasons yet unknown been hired by Spoiler to gather information about the Gang Wars, and find a possible solution to them. He continues to hold a grudge against Robin and betrays Spoiler. Spoiler survives a gunshot to the shoulder, and then distracts him long enough to get the drop on him and escape.
He comes into possession of the Red Robin
Red Robin (comics)
Red Robin is a name that has been used by several fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe.On the alternate world of Kingdom Come, a middle-aged Dick Grayson reclaims the Robin mantle and becomes Red Robin. His uniform is closer to Batman's in design, rather than any previous Robin uniform...
costume worn by Jason Todd
Jason Todd
Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Jason first appeared in Batman #357 and became the second Robin, sidekick to the superhero Batman, when the previous Robin went on to star in The New Teen Titans under the moniker of Nightwing.Though...
, and uses it as part of a campaign of psychological warfare against Tim Drake
Tim Drake
Timothy "Tim" Drake is a superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media. The character was created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick. From 1989 to 2009, he was known as Robin in the Batman comics, becoming the third character to take up the identity...
. More formidable than ever, he's revealed to be holding Lonnie Machin
Anarky
Anarky is a fictional character appearing in books published by DC Comics. Co-created by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle, he first appeared in Detective Comics No.608 , as an adversary of Batman...
hostage and to have commandeered the latter's identity as Anarky. Where Machin's approach as Anarky had been to cause social change, Armstrong's approach bordered more on psychotic and meaningless acts of chaos and destruction.
Armstrong manages to catch Robin in his warehouse, yet Robin escapes through unknown means, but not without sustaining serious burns to his head. Soon after, a final confrontation ensues, where Anarky attempts to kill all of Gotham City's Gangs, so as to create more violence. The combined efforts of Robin, Spoiler, Commissioner Gordon, Officer Harper and the Gotham Gangs results in Armstrong's defeat. However, not without a price. In order to take the edge off of Armstrong, Robin asked Officer Harper to bring the Armstrong Family to confront Ulysses. While the action worked, Armstrong caused a bomb to explode, killing his brother and sister in the blast. Armstrong blames Robin for their deaths.
Skills and resources
Military strategy and deceptionThe General is a military and strategic genius. He has vast knowledge of military history
Military history
Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
, and his careful planning are what earned him the respect of his henchmen. Sometimes he fools adults into false senses of security in order to attack them. Sometimes he tricks adults into letting him control armies
Armed and unarmed combat
Growing up, he gains a muscular build and a lesser degree of martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
knowledge, not nearly enough to best seasoned fighters like Robin
Tim Drake
Timothy "Tim" Drake is a superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media. The character was created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick. From 1989 to 2009, he was known as Robin in the Batman comics, becoming the third character to take up the identity...
, but quite formidable nevertheless.
He retains his penchant for historical weapons, and in his brief stint as the Red Robin he's shown using a Mauser
Mauser
Mauser was a German arms manufacturer of a line of bolt-action rifles and pistols from the 1870s to 1995. Mauser designs were built for the German armed forces...
as his sidearm of preference.
Costumes
He likes to play dress up, changing several costumes and identities in his career. Starting from a simple military themed garb, he then adopted the Red Robin suit, discarded from a dimension hopping
Countdown to Final Crisis
Countdown, known as Countdown to Final Crisis for its last 24 issues based on the cover, was a comic book limited series published by DC Comics. It debuted on May 9, 2007, directly following the conclusion of the last issue of 52...
Jason Todd
Jason Todd
Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Jason first appeared in Batman #357 and became the second Robin, sidekick to the superhero Batman, when the previous Robin went on to star in The New Teen Titans under the moniker of Nightwing.Though...
, using the Bat-Family themed identity to pave off for his return as the new Anarchy.
As Anarchy he uses a modified version of the original Anarky suit, adapted to fit his broader and sturdier physical build and with an angrier mask
Explosives expertise
Both as Red Robin, both as Anarky, Adrian is shown able to create and set complex explosive traps, drawing Tim Drake in a mined warehouse and managing to wound him seriously. As Anarky he wears a special cane with remote controller trigger, making him able to detonate explosives carefully hidden through the battlefield.
Other versions
- Legends of the Dark KnightLegends of the Dark KnightBatman: Legends of the Dark Knight, commonly referred to as simply Legends of the Dark Knight is a DC comic book featuring Batman. It was launched in 1989 with the popularity of the Batman movie, following on from Frank Miller's Batman: Year One...
#55-57, set in the near-future, features an adult Ulysses Armstrong as one of a number of crime bosses contacted by Vigil, Inc., a corrupt private police force which is actually a protection racketProtection racketA protection racket is an extortion scheme whereby a criminal group or individual coerces a victim to pay money, supposedly for protection services against violence or property damage. Racketeers coerce reticent potential victims into buying "protection" by demonstrating what will happen if they...
for criminals. This adult version of the General wears modern military gear, rather than the historic costumes of his younger self, and surrounds himself with women who have general's stars tattooed on their foreheads.
See also
- List of Batman Family enemies
- List of comic book supervillains
- List of DC Comics characters
- List of superheroes and villains without superpowers
External links
- Continuity Catch-up: Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong – Part 1, a review of the General's first appearance. Hosted by Spacebooger.com.
- Continuity Catch-up: Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong – Part 2, a review of multiple appearances of the General in issues of Robin during the mid 90s. Hosted by Spacebooger.com.
Character indexes
- The General on the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe website.