Doctor Alchemy

Doctor Alchemy / Mr. Element
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance (Albert Desmond / Alvin Desmond)
Showcase #13
(as Mr. Element)
Showcase #14
(as Dr. Alchemy)
(Mr. Element II)
The Flash (vol.2) #202
(The Alchemist)
The Flash (vol.2) #71
Created by (Albert Desmond / Alvin Desmond)
John Broome
Carmine Infantino
(Mr. Element II)
Geoff Johns
Alberto Dose
(The Alchemist)
Mark Waid
Greg LaRocque
In-story information
Alter ego Alvin Desmond
(as Doctor Alchemy)
Albert Desmond
(as Mr. Element)
Alexander Petrov
(Mr. Element II)
Dr. Curtis Engstrom
(The Alchemist)

Doctor Alchemy and Mr. Element are names used by different supervillains in the DC universe.

Publication history

The character of Albert Desmond, created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, first appeared in Showcase #13 (April 1958) as Mister Element. His second, and more frequently used identity of Doctor Alchemy first appeared in Showcase #14 (June 1958).[1]

The character of Alexander Petrove made his first appearance in The Flash (vol.2) #202 and was created by Geoff Johns and Alberto Dose.

The Alchemist made his first appearance in The Flash (vol.2) #71 and was created by writer Mark Waid and artist Greg LaRocque.

Fictional character biography

Albert Desmond / Alvin Desmond

Albert Desmond is a chemist who suffers from a multiple personality disorder with one law-abiding personality and another criminally inclined one. Under his darker personality he applies his knowledge of chemistry to create the identity of Mister Element, creating elemental weapons such as bulletproof silicon to shield his cars, and discovered a new element, Elemento, a magnetic light, with which he sent the Flash into space.[1]

After being sent to jail as a result of his first encounter with the Flash, he learns of the Philosopher's Stone from his cellmate. He escapes, finds the Stone, and uses its power to transmute one element to another to restart his criminal career as Doctor Alchemy. Over time he switches between the two identities, showing a preference for "Doctor Alchemy". Eventually his good personality resurfaces and he quits crime and hides the Stone. Shortly after a new Doctor Alchemy appears and is revealed to be his identical twin brother Alvin Desmond with whom he shares a psychic link. This plot point was retconed in later stories to "Alvin" being a construct of the Stone created by Albert's criminal personality. When Albert confronts and defeats "Alvin" he resumes the role of Doctor Alchemy.[2] While he has alternated between incarceration and freedom, equipment for both of his costumed identities have be used by others. Curtis Engstrom used the Philosopher's Stone as The Alchemist and Alexander Petrov resurrect Mister Element.[1]

Mr. Element (Alexander Petrov)

Alexander Petrov, a lab assistant in the Keystone City Police crime lab, took on the mantle of Mr. Element in a scheme to promote himself in the crime lab.[3] Petrove stole the Mr. Element weapons from the police evidence lockers and then used them to kill his mentor by freezing him in ice. After this he was promoted to the head of the lab and he continued to kill police officers. Though he wore the costume of Mr. Element Petrov tried his best to frame his killings on the villain Captain Cold and was eventually confronted by Captain Cold and Flash as he was attempting to kill rogue profiler Ashley Zolomon. During the fight Cold froze the Flash in place and killed Petrov as an act of revenge for framing him.[4]

Alchemist (Dr. Curtis Engstrom)

After Desmond eliminated his personality as Dr. Alchemy, S.T.A.R. Labs acquired his Philosopher Stone with intentions of using one of its fragments in their microscopic medical computer.[5] The computer and fragment were then stolen by Dr. Curtis Engstrom, an advisor on the project. Engstrom was later arrested and after escaping from prison he donned a costume (similar to that of Dr. Alchemy's) and set out to retrieve the microchip that had been taken from him by his former cellmate where became the Alchemist. After being defeated, Engstron was never seen again.[6]

Powers and abilities

As Mister Element, Albert Desmond uses a weapon that can affect the structure of elements.

As Doctor Alchemy he possesses the Philosopher's Stone which once belonged to Merlin. By pressing the stone in various points it allows him to transmute any element into any other element (ie: Steel into rubber or healthy oxygen into deadly carbon monoxide) and also possesses the power to transform the human body, having once turned the Flash into a being of water vapor.[1] [7] Also, he can control the Stone from a distance with telekinesis.

In other media

Television

See slso

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Beatty, Scott (2008). "Doctor Alchemy". In Dougall, Alastair. The DC Comics Encyclopedia. London: Dorling Kindersley. p. 92. ISBN 0-7566-4119-5.
  2. ↑ Who's Who in the DC Universe #6 (Aug. 1985)
  3. ↑ The Flash (vol.2) #202-206
  4. ↑ Beatty, Scott (2008). "Captain Cold". In Dougall, Alastair. The DC Comics Encyclopedia. London: Dorling Kindersley. p. 59. ISBN 0-7566-4119-5.
  5. ↑ The Flash (vol.2) #71
  6. ↑ Vibber, Kelson (03 November 2003). "The Alchemist". The Flash: Those Who Ride The Lightning. Retrieved 10 August 2011. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ↑ Who's Who in the DC Universe #6 (Aug. 1985)

External links

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