Hybrid (DC Comics)
Encyclopedia
The Hybrid are a fictional group of supervillains appearing in DC Comics
. Their first appearance as a group was in New Teen Titans vol. 2, #24, which was marketed in October 1986. The issue was written by Marv Wolfman
and illustrated by Eduardo Barreto
, with inks by Romeo Tanghal
.
, Mento
believed it was his destiny to recreate his old team, the Doom Patrol
. Gathering people who'd suffered bizarre accidents—some possibly caused by him—Mento experimented on them with the artificial compound Promethium
, turning many of them into superhuman freaks. Under Mento's influence, the Hybrid were set to fight the New Teen Titans, in order to kill Mento's adopted son Changeling
, a fellow surviving Patroller whom Mento blamed for the death of the original team. Eventually dissuaded after several conflicts, they left Mento to fight alone. After his defeat at the hands of the Titan Raven
, Hybrid took him with them as they harbored at his estate.
The Hybrid were briefly seen much later in issue 87 of the New Teen Titans, shown still living on the Dayton estate, Harpi moping about having to isolate themselves from normal society. This was supposed to be the beginning of a storyline that would have led to the Hybrid having a spin-off
series in 1993; however, matters such as questions on royalties appeared before too much was planned, and the proposed series was shelved.
Later, members of the group joined battles at "The House", a fight club organized by Roulette
, where all but Pteradon seem to have died, as only he is not displayed on the wall commemorating "Fallen Players of the House." One month after this issue was released however Touch-n-Go and Scirocco showed up in Wonder Woman
Vol. 2, issue 175 as two of many female villains causing mayhem in New York City. The chronological reading order of these two issues is not certain.
Since this last appearance, the history of the Doom patrol was retcon
ned by the events of The Infinite Crisis, resurrecting the original Doom Patrol and largely restoring them to their original forms and mentalities, including Mento. How or if this affects the Hybrid has not yet been shown.
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...
. Their first appearance as a group was in New Teen Titans vol. 2, #24, which was marketed in October 1986. The issue was written by Marv Wolfman
Marv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
and illustrated by Eduardo Barreto
Eduardo Barreto
-References:...
, with inks by Romeo Tanghal
Romeo Tanghal
Romeo Tanghal is a Filipino comic book artist who has worked primarily as an inker. He became well known in the industry in the 1980s for his work on DC Comics' The New Teen Titans.-Career:...
.
Fictional group history
Left insane by the events of the 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...
, Mento
Mento (comics)
Mento is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Doom Patrol #91 , and was created by Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani.-Fictional character biography:...
believed it was his destiny to recreate his old team, the Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol
The Doom Patrol is a superhero team appearing in publications from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
. Gathering people who'd suffered bizarre accidents—some possibly caused by him—Mento experimented on them with the artificial compound Promethium
Promethium
Promethium is a chemical element with the symbol Pm and atomic number 61. It is notable for being the only exclusively radioactive element besides technetium that is followed by chemical elements with stable isotopes.- Prediction :...
, turning many of them into superhuman freaks. Under Mento's influence, the Hybrid were set to fight the New Teen Titans, in order to kill Mento's adopted son Changeling
Beast Boy
Garfield Mark "Gar" Logan, known as Beast Boy or Changeling, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics...
, a fellow surviving Patroller whom Mento blamed for the death of the original team. Eventually dissuaded after several conflicts, they left Mento to fight alone. After his defeat at the hands of the Titan Raven
Raven (comics)
Raven is a fictional superheroine who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26 , and was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez...
, Hybrid took him with them as they harbored at his estate.
The Hybrid were briefly seen much later in issue 87 of the New Teen Titans, shown still living on the Dayton estate, Harpi moping about having to isolate themselves from normal society. This was supposed to be the beginning of a storyline that would have led to the Hybrid having a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series in 1993; however, matters such as questions on royalties appeared before too much was planned, and the proposed series was shelved.
Later, members of the group joined battles at "The House", a fight club organized by Roulette
Roulette (DC Comics)
Roulette is a supervillainess in the DC Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Roulette's grandmother was a Golden Age villain of the same name, who ran a conventional casino and fought Mister Terrific . The current Roulette believes Terry Sloane to be her grandfather, but it is indicated...
, where all but Pteradon seem to have died, as only he is not displayed on the wall commemorating "Fallen Players of the House." One month after this issue was released however Touch-n-Go and Scirocco showed up in 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....
Vol. 2, issue 175 as two of many female villains causing mayhem in New York City. The chronological reading order of these two issues is not certain.
Since this last appearance, the history of the Doom patrol was retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
ned by the events of The Infinite Crisis, resurrecting the original Doom Patrol and largely restoring them to their original forms and mentalities, including Mento. How or if this affects the Hybrid has not yet been shown.
Membership
- Behemoth - Born a mutant, Taro Raiden grew to abnormal size and became a Sumo wrestler until he was recruited by agents of Mento. Undergoing Promethium experiments voluntarily, he gained super-strength and denser-than-human skin. He was one of the two members of the Hybrid actually loyal to Mento's schemes.
- Gorgon - GreekGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
archaeologistArchaeologyArchaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
Andonis Bal and his wife were on an excavation at the base of Mount OlympusMount OlympusMount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
when a statue of MedusaMedusaIn Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
they'd found came to life and attacked them. Blinded by the attack, Mento's experiments changed Andonis' hair into tresses of snakes, so he was able to see in all directions. These snakes were also capable of firing beams which temporarily turned anyone caught in their path into stone. - Harpi - The wife of Andonis Bal, Angelika was at the same excavation site, and also mortally wounded by the Medusa statue. Infused with Promethium, she did not respond well to the treatment—her body was constantly wracked with pain, slowly driving her mad, but like her husband served Mento solely out of fear. After curing Mento, the Titan Raven used her empathic powers to cure Harpi of her pain. Harpi was able to fly, fire powerful force-bolts from her hands, and possessed razor-sharp talons on her fingertips, capable of slashing through brick or steel.
- MentoMento (comics)Mento is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Doom Patrol #91 , and was created by Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani.-Fictional character biography:...
- President of Dayton Industries and one of the world's richest men, Steve Dayton invented a cybernetic helmet which amplified his latent psychicPsychicA psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
powers. As the super-hero Mento, he became an unofficial member of the Doom PatrolDoom PatrolThe Doom Patrol is a superhero team appearing in publications from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
, from which he married Elasti-GirlElasti-GirlElasti-Girl is a fictional character, a superhero of the DC Comics universe and a member of the Doom Patrol.-Fictional character biography:...
and adopted Beast BoyBeast BoyGarfield Mark "Gar" Logan, known as Beast Boy or Changeling, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics...
. This family ended tragically when the adult Patrollers were apparently all killed by old enemies of the Patrol's leader, the ChiefChief (comics)The Chief is a fictional character from DC Comics and the leader of the Doom Patrol. He first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
. Years later, Mento joined a gathering of mystics and psychics to help the Swamp ThingSwamp ThingSwamp Thing, a fictional character, is a plant elemental in the created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson. He first appeared in House of Secrets #92 in a stand-alone horror story set in the early 20th century . The Swamp Thing then returned in his own series, set in the contemporary world and in...
prevent an ancient evilEvilEvil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
from taking advantage of the original CrisisCrisis on Infinite EarthsCrisis 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...
, only for his helmet to overload, leaving him in a vegetative state. Mento later recovered to a degree, but was left insane as well as psychosomatically paraplegicSomatoform disorderIn psychology, a somatoform disorder is a mental disorder characterized by physical symptoms that suggest physical illness or injury - symptoms that cannot be explained fully by a general medical condition, direct effect of a substance, or attributable to another mental disorder . The symptoms that...
. Taking his new wheelchairWheelchairA wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
-bound state as a sign that he was destined to be the new Chief, Mento resolved to recreate the Doom Patrol, assembling people turned into superhuman freaks as The Hybrid. After several encounters with the Teen Titans, he is apparently cured by RavenRaven (comics)Raven is a fictional superheroine who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26 , and was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez...
, although long-term use of his Mento helmet continued to cause bouts of paranoiaParanoiaParanoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
and dementiaDementiaDementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
, during which he would engage in ruthless and manipulative behavior. While naturally psychic, Mento needed the cyberneticCyberneticsCybernetics is the interdisciplinary study of the structure of regulatory systems. Cybernetics is closely related to information theory, control theory and systems theory, at least in its first-order form...
devices to fully utilize them, and was capable of telepathyTelepathyTelepathy , 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...
, psychokinesisPsychokinesisThe term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...
, and limited mind controlMind controlMind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
. - Prometheus - Curt Calhoun was the foreman of the metallurgyMetallurgyMetallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
lab at Kord Omniversal Research and Development, Inc. Curt Calhoun was covered in a molten alloy of titaniumTitaniumTitanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
and vanadiumVanadiumVanadium is a chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a hard, silvery gray, ductile and malleable transition metal. The formation of an oxide layer stabilizes the metal against oxidation. The element is found only in chemically combined form in nature...
laced with Promethium when he pushed his employer Ted KordBlue 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...
, out of the way of an industrial accident. Taken to the hospital, Calhoun's ambulance was attacked by members of the Hybrid. While the Blue Beetle was fighting them, Mento transformed the molten metal covering Calhoun into a permanent metallic shell. As the easy-going TexanTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Prometheus did not wish to fight the Titans, but did so under Mento's duress. Aside from the invulnerability his "skin" provided him, he possessed great super-strength, and was capable of raising the temperature of his armored form to several hundred degrees Celsius, easily capable of melting most other metals. - Pteradon - Capt. Israel Harel was an IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i commando who led the rescue of a jumbo jet which had been forcibly landed at a QuracQuracQurac is a fictional country in the DC universe. It is a tiny Middle Eastern country on the Persian Gulf, wedged between Iraq and Kuwait. Qurac is often used when DC has need of a terrorist state in the Middle East.-History:...
airport, during which he was shot in the back and dropped into the ocean. Recovered by Dayton's agents and subjected to Promethium, Harel became a human pterodactylPterosaurPterosaurs were flying reptiles of the clade or order Pterosauria. They existed from the late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous Period . Pterosaurs are the earliest vertebrates known to have evolved powered flight...
. Possessing claws and the ability to fly at supersonicSupersonicSupersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
speeds, Pteradon combined his powers with tactical knowledge. - Sirocco - Cassandra Sharp was an amateur geologistGeologyGeology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
until she was smothered by a sandstorm in the heart of Death ValleyDeath ValleyDeath Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
. Barely alive when she was rescued, Promethium transformed her into the "Mistress of the Desert Winds," able to generate both blasts of sand and hurricane-force winds, by which she could fly. Combining her sand-blasts and wind-blasts, Sirocco could cause enormous damage. - Touch-N-Go - A young street thief living in ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Amelinda Lopez was struck by a truck while committing a robbery, and was more dead than alive until she was subjected to Promethium. As far as she was concerned, Mento had saved her life and so, along with Behemoth, Touch-N-Go was the only Hybrid member honestly loyal to him. Touch-N-Go was able to temporarily steal the kinetic energyKinetic energyThe kinetic energy of an object is the energy which it possesses due to its motion.It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy unless its speed changes...
of anyone she touched, thus adding their strength, speed, and skill to her own.