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{{short description|DC Comics character}}
{{short description|DC Comics character}}
{{this|DC Comics supervillains|the Marvel Comics supervillain|Mad Thinker}}
{{about|DC Comics supervillains|the Marvel Comics supervillain|Mad Thinker}}
The '''Thinker''' is the name of five <!--Do not add "fictional" as it is tautological; supervillains (and characters in general) are by definition implied to be fictionalized to some extent.-->[[supervillains]] appearing in [[American comic book]]s published by [[DC Comics]].
The '''Thinker''' is the name of five <!--Do not add "fictional" as it is tautological; supervillains (and characters in general) are by definition implied to be fictionalized to some extent.-->[[supervillains]] appearing in [[American comic book]]s published by [[DC Comics]].


The first incarnation, '''Clifford DeVoe''', is an enemy of [[Flash (Jay Garrick)|Jay Garrick]]. The second, '''Clifford Carmichael''', is an enemy of [[Ronnie Raymond (character)|Firestorm]]. The third, '''Desmond Carter''', is an enemy of [[Batman]]. The fourth, an A.I. version of the Thinker, is an enemy of the [[Justice Society of America]]. An unidentified version of Thinker, introduced in [[The New 52]], is an enemy of the [[Suicide Squad]].
The first incarnation, '''Clifford DeVoe''', is an enemy of [[Flash (Jay Garrick)|Jay Garrick]]. The second, '''Clifford Carmichael''', is an enemy of [[Ronnie Raymond (character)|Firestorm]]. The third, '''Desmond Carter''', is an enemy of [[Batman]]. The fourth, an [[Artificial intelligence|A.I.]] version of the Thinker, is an enemy of the [[Justice Society of America]]. An unidentified incarnation of Thinker, introduced in the [[The New 52|New 52]], is an enemy of the [[Suicide Squad]].


The character has been adapted from the comics into various forms of media, including television series and feature films. The Clifford DeVoe incarnation of the Thinker made his live-action debut in the television series ''[[The Flash (2014 TV series)|The Flash]]'', portrayed primarily by [[Neil Sandilands]]. In the [[DC Extended Universe]], a variation of the unknown Thinker appears in ''[[The Suicide Squad (film)|The Suicide Squad]]'' (2021), portrayed by [[Peter Capaldi]].
The character has been adapted from the comics into various forms of media, including television series and feature films. The Clifford DeVoe incarnation of the Thinker made his live-action debut in the television series ''[[The Flash (2014 TV series)|The Flash]]'', portrayed primarily by [[Neil Sandilands]]. In the [[DC Extended Universe]], a variation of the unidentified Thinker called '''Gaius Grieves''' appears in ''[[The Suicide Squad (film)|The Suicide Squad]]'' (2021), portrayed by [[Peter Capaldi]].


==Publication history==
==Publication history==
The Clifford DeVoe version of Thinker first appeared in ''All-Flash'' #12 (Fall 1943) and was created by [[Gardner Fox]] and [[Everett E. Hibbard]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cowsill |first1=Alan |last2=Irvine |first2=Alex |last3=Korte |first3=Steve |last4=Manning |first4=Matt |last5=Wiacek |first5=Win |last6=Wilson |first6=Sven |title=The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe |date=2016 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-5357-0 |page=308}}</ref>
The Clifford DeVoe incarnation of Thinker first appeared in ''All-Flash'' #12 (Fall 1943) and was created by [[Gardner Fox]] and Everett E. Hibbard.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cowsill |first1=Alan |last2=Irvine |first2=Alex |last3=Korte |first3=Steve |last4=Manning |first4=Matt |last5=Wiacek |first5=Win |last6=Wilson |first6=Sven |title=The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe |date=2016 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-5357-0 |page=308}}</ref>


In October 1947, the Thinker was one of the six original members of the Injustice Society, who began battling the [[Justice Society of America]] in ''[[All Star Comics]]'' #37 (Oct 1947).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cowsill |first1=Alan |last2=Irvine |first2=Alex |last3=Manning |first3=Matthew K. |last4=McAvennie |first4=Michael |last5=Wallace |first5=Daniel |title=DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle |date=2019 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-8578-6 |page=52}}</ref>
In October 1947, the Thinker was one of the six original members of the Injustice Society, who began battling the [[Justice Society of America]] in ''[[All Star Comics]]'' #37 (Oct 1947).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cowsill |first1=Alan |last2=Irvine |first2=Alex |last3=Manning |first3=Matthew K. |last4=McAvennie |first4=Michael |last5=Wallace |first5=Daniel |title=DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle |date=2019 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-8578-6 |page=52}}</ref>


The Cliff Carmichael version of Thinker first appeared in ''Firestorm'' #11 and was created by [[Gerry Conway]] and [[Al Milgrom]].<ref name="back91"/>
The Cliff Carmichael incarnation of Thinker first appeared in ''Firestorm'' #1 (1978) and was created by [[Gerry Conway]] and [[Al Milgrom]].<ref name="back91"/>


Conway recounted, "My original notion on ''Firestorm'' was to do a book that would be DC's complement to [[Spider-Man]], in a sense. We would have a young adolescent male who gets superpowers and doesn't know quite what to do with them. My flip on it was that rather than being the science geek who was being picked upon by the jock, my hero would actually be the jock who was picked on by the geek, and that was going to be Cliff Carmichael's role."<ref name="back91">{{cite journal|last=Wells|first=John |title=Bullies and Blowhards of the DC Bronze Age |journal=[[Back Issue!]]|issue=#91|pages=26–27 |publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]]|date=September 2016|location=Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref>
Conway recounted, "My original notion on ''Firestorm'' was to do a book that would be DC's complement to [[Spider-Man]], in a sense. We would have a young adolescent male who gets superpowers and doesn't know quite what to do with them. My flip on it was that rather than being the science geek who was being picked upon by the jock, my hero would actually be the jock who was picked on by the geek, and that was going to be Cliff Carmichael's role."<ref name="back91">{{cite journal|last=Wells|first=John |title=Bullies and Blowhards of the DC Bronze Age |journal=[[Back Issue!]]|issue=#91|pages=26–27 |publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]]|date=September 2016|location=Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref>


In ''The Fury of Firestorm the Nuclear Man'' #50, the strap on Ronnie Raymond's football helmet is cut, and in the following issues the cast members come to suspect Carmichael of the crime. Though Conway later said that he must have intended to ultimately reveal someone else as the culprit (commenting "Cliff was a jackass, but he wasn't a bloodthirsty maniac"), [[John Ostrander]] took over as the series' writer and had Carmichael confess to cutting the strap.<ref name="back91"/> In ''Firestorm, the Nuclear Man'' #99 Carmichael was transformed into the Thinker as part of the genre-wide trend in which civilian cast members were almost completely eliminated from superhero comics.<ref name="back91"/>
In ''The Fury of Firestorm the Nuclear Man'' #50, the strap on [[Ronnie Raymond]]'s football helmet is cut, and in the following issues the cast members come to suspect Carmichael of the crime. Though Conway later said that he must have intended to ultimately reveal someone else as the culprit (commenting "Cliff was a jackass, but he wasn't a bloodthirsty maniac"), [[John Ostrander]] took over as the series' writer and had Carmichael confess to cutting the strap.<ref name="back91"/> In ''Firestorm, the Nuclear Man'' #99, Carmichael was transformed into the Thinker as part of the genre-wide trend in which civilian cast members were almost eliminated from superhero comics.<ref name="back91"/>


==Fictional character biography==
==Fictional character biography==
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|real_name=Clifford DeVoe
|real_name=Clifford DeVoe
|publisher=[[DC Comics]]
|publisher=[[DC Comics]]
|debut=''[[All-Flash]]'' #12 (September [[1943 in comics|1943]])
|debut=''[[All-Flash]]'' #12 (September 1943)
|creators=[[Gardner Fox]]<br />Everett E. Hibbard
|creators=[[Gardner Fox]]<br />Everett E. Hibbard
|species=[[Human]] [[Cyborg]]
|alliances=[[Injustice Society]]<br />[[Suicide Squad]]
|alliances=[[Injustice Society]]<br />[[Suicide Squad]]
|powers=Technologically derived [[telekinesis]] and [[mind control]]
|powers=Technologically derived [[telekinesis]] and [[Brainwashing|mind control]]
|}}
}}
'''Clifford DeVoe''' was a failed [[lawyer]] who bitterly ended his career in 1933. Realizing that many of the criminals he had encountered had the skills but not the brains to rule [[Gotham City]]'s underworld, he started a new career as the brain behind small-time villains. As the Thinker, he was defeated by the original [[Flash (Jay Garrick)|Flash/Jay Garrick]], his most recurrent foe. He always sought out new scientific devices to use and his most important was the "Thinking Cap", a metal hat that could project mental force. The Thinker would use this device repeatedly over the years.
'''Clifford DeVoe''' is a failed [[lawyer]] who bitterly ended his career in 1933. Realizing that many of the criminals he encounter have the skills but not the brains to rule [[Gotham City]]'s underworld, he starts a new career as the brain behind small-time villains. As the Thinker, DeVoe becomes an enemy of the original Flash, [[Flash (Jay Garrick)|Jay Garrick]], and wields the "Thinking Cap", a metal hat that can project mental force.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rovin |first=Jeff |title=The Encyclopedia of Supervillains |date=1987 |publisher=Facts on File |isbn=0-8160-1356-X |location=New York |page=343}}</ref> Furthermore, he joins the [[Injustice Society]] and spends decades in suspended animation, enabling him to survive into the modern day.<ref>{{cite book |last =Waid |first = Mark|title =The Life Story Of The Flash by Iris Allen |publisher = DC Comics |chapter= Chapter 7 Stolen Thunder}}</ref>


DeVoe later joins [[Task Force X]] in exchange for a full pardon.<ref>''[[Doom Patrol]] and the [[Suicide Squad]] Special'' #1. DC Comics.</ref> However, he dies from cancer caused by prolonged exposure to his Cap.<ref name="f134">''The Flash'' (vol. 2) #134 (February 1998). DC Comics.</ref>
The Thinker was a member of the [[Injustice Society]], leading an army of prison escapees like the other members.<ref>{{cite book |last =Rovin |first =Jeff |title =The Encyclopedia of Supervillains |publisher =Facts on File |date =1987 |location =New York |isbn = 0-8160-1356-X |page=343}}</ref> In Plateau City, the police nab a shabbily dressed man who is trying to shoot the governor. They discover that this man is a dead ringer for the governor and also claims to be the real governor. The Flash arrives on the scene to overhear this, but moves on to confront the hoodlums attacking the city. The Thinker appears on the scene, firing a ray at the Crimson Comet, causing him to gain weight and crash through a roof. Recovering, the Flash speeds over to the governor's mansion, only to overhear the governor ordering all police forces to surrender. Flash enters his office and discovers the governor to be a dummy/machine, which flees through an open door. Flash attempts to warn the police that a phony governor put out the message, but the Thinker shows up and tells the Fastest Man Alive that he is speaking into a dead mic, then snares him with invisible wires.


In the "[[DC Rebirth]]" continuity, DeVoe is a former [[district attorney]].<ref>''The Flash'' #750. DC Comics.</ref>
The Thinker appeared as a judge in the 'trial' of the JSA, but was revealed as the [[Green Lantern]] in disguise, having captured the real Thinker after escaping Brain Wave. This led to the Injustice Society's defeat. Together with the [[Fiddler (comics)|Fiddler]] and the [[Shade (comics)|Shade]], the Thinker was the man behind the decades-long "abduction" of [[Keystone City]] and the original Flash, after which he was defeated by the Flashes of two eras.<ref>{{cite book |last =Waid |first = Mark|title =The Life Story Of The Flash by Iris Allen |publisher = DC Comics |chapter= Chapter 7 Stolen Thunder}}</ref> His "suspended animation-time" in Keystone kept the Thinker young over the years, and he continued his criminal career in modern times.
⚫
{{-}}

In recent years, DeVoe accepted a mission with Task Force X in exchange for a full pardon.<ref>''[[Doom Patrol]] and the [[Suicide Squad]] Special'' #1. DC Comics.</ref> Although he was seemingly killed by the [[Weasel (DC Comics)|Weasel]] during this mission, he turned up alive soon after, only to be dying from cancer due to the cap.<ref name=f134>''The Flash'' (vol. 2) #134 (February 1998). DC Comics.</ref> His former foe, the original Flash, attempted to save him with the Thinking Cap, but DeVoe refused and preferred to rest in peace.<ref name=f134 />

In ''[[DC Rebirth]]'', Thinker is depicted as a former district attorney of Keystone City back in the 1940s and fought Jay Garrick. After being briefly told by Eobard Thawne that everyone will forget him, Jay throws his helmet towards Thinker to knock him out and then takes down Thinker's henchmen.<ref>''The Flash'' #750. DC Comics.</ref>
⚫
{{clear}}


===Cliff Carmichael===
===Cliff Carmichael===
Line 49: Line 46:
|real_name=Cliff Carmichael
|real_name=Cliff Carmichael
|publisher=[[DC Comics]]
|publisher=[[DC Comics]]
|debut='''As Cliff Carmichael:'''<br />''[[Firestorm, the Nuclear Man]]'' #1 (March [[1978 in comics|1978]])<br />'''As the Thinker:'''<br />''Firestorm, the Nuclear Man'' #99 (July [[1990 in comics|1990]])
|debut='''As Cliff Carmichael:'''<br />''[[Firestorm (character)|Firestorm]]'' #1 (March 1978)<br />'''As the Thinker:'''<br />''Firestorm'' (vol. 2) #99 (July 1990)
|creators=[[Gerry Conway]]<br />[[Al Milgrom]]
|creators=[[Gerry Conway]]<br />[[Al Milgrom]]
|species=[[Human]] [[Cyborg]]
|alliances=Suicide Squad<br />[[Secret Society of Super Villains]]
|alliances=Suicide Squad<br />[[Secret Society of Super Villains]]
|aliases=
|aliases=
|powers=Technologically derived telekinesis and mind control
|powers=Technologically derived telekinesis and mind control
|}}
}}
'''Clifford Carmichael''' was an intellectual bully and the rival of Ronnie Raymond (one half of [[Ronnie Raymond (character)|Firestorm]]) at Bradley High and later at Vandemeer University. Cliff viewed Ronnie as a rival due to Ronnie's instant popularity.<ref>revealed in ''Firestorm the Nuclear Man'' #53 (November 1986). DC Comics.</ref> Cliff tormented Ronnie throughout his high school career and later at Vandemeer University. It was at Vandemeer that Cliff's pranks turned sinister, as he cut the helmet strap on Ronnie's football helmet, hoping to get him injured. Hugo Hammer, Cliff's cousin, accidentally took Ronnie's helmet and during a football game, his neck was broken.
'''Clifford Carmichael''' is an intellectual bully and the rival of Ronnie Raymond (one half of [[Firestorm (character)|Firestorm]]).{{efn|As revealed in ''Firestorm the Nuclear Man'' #53 (November 1986). DC Comics.}} After damaging his cousin Hugo Hammer's football helmet, leading him to be injured and paralyzed during a game, Cliff is guilt-ridden.


Wracked with guilt after accidentally [[paralysis|paralyzing]] his cousin, he was admitted into a [[mental institution]]. For some reason, scientists started an experiment with the now-abandoned "Thinking Cap" of the original Thinker (who was believed dead at the time) and used Carmichael as a guinea pig. Cliff used the cap to analyze the device and improve on its design. Implanting microchip versions of the helmet into his own brain, Cliff became a "[[cyberpunk]] maniac" with metahuman powers. As the new Thinker, he was drafted into the [[Suicide Squad]] after he tried to kill Oracle and [[Amanda Waller]].<ref>''Suicide Squad'' #48. DC Comics.</ref> After several missions, he betrayed them for the villainous Cabal.<ref>''Suicide Squad #61''. DC Comics.</ref> He has since resurfaced as a foe of Jason Rusch, the new [[Firestorm (comics)|Firestorm]]. When [[Killer Frost]] discovered that the consciousness of Raymond, the previous Firestorm, existed within Rusch,<ref>''Firestorm'' (vol. 3) #11 (May 2005). DC Comics.</ref> Thinker exploited a new opportunity to antagonize an old foe. Technologically dominating the minds of [[Multiplex (comics)|Multiplex]] and [[Typhoon (comics)|Typhoon]], he battled Firestorm, ultimately forcing the dissolution of the Raymond persona. Motivated by his predecessor's final words of encouragement, Rusch dissolved the enhancements in Carmichael's brain, leaving him in a comatose state.
Cliff is admitted into a [[mental institution]] and used as a test subject for the original Thinker's Thinking Cap. After implanting microchip versions of the helmet into his brain, Cliff becomes a cyborg [[metahuman]] and joins the [[Suicide Squad]].<ref>''Suicide Squad'' #48. DC Comics.</ref><ref>''Suicide Squad'' #61. DC Comics.</ref> He battles the second Firestorm, [[Jason Rusch]], who renders him comatose.<ref>''Firestorm'' (vol. 3) #11 (May 2005). DC Comics.</ref>


During the 2005–2006 "[[Infinite Crisis]]" storyline, Cliff appears as a member of [[Alexander Luthor, Jr.]]'s [[Secret Society of Super Villains]].
In ''[[Infinite Crisis]]'', Cliff joins [[Alexander Luthor Jr.]]'s [[Secret Society of Super Villains]]. He is killed by [[King Faraday]] in ''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 3), but resurrected in ''[[The New 52]]'' continuity reboot.<ref>{{multiref2|''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 3) #1. DC Comics.|''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 3) #7. DC Comics.|''The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men'' #1 (November 2011). DC Comics.
}}</ref>
{{-}}


⚫
=== Des Connor ===
With John Ostrander's revival of the Suicide Squad in a 2007-2008 miniseries, Cliff was once again associated with the Suicide Squad under Amanda Waller's direction.<ref>''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 3) #1. DC Comics.</ref> It was revealed that although Firestorm had removed the enhancements in Cliff's brain, he made a full recovery and continued to serve as a technical support staffer and lackey to Waller in her operations of the Squad. Eventually betraying the Squad under the direction of "the General", [[Wade Eiling]], Cliff shot [[King Faraday]] and subdued Waller in the middle of an operation. Faraday recovered, shooting Cliff three times and presumably killing him before rousing Waller and regaining control of the Squad.<ref>''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 3) #7. DC Comics.</ref>

⚫
===Des Connor===
{{Infobox comics character <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
{{Infobox comics character <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
|image=
|image=
Line 70: Line 68:
|real_name=Desmond Connor
|real_name=Desmond Connor
|publisher=[[DC Comics]]
|publisher=[[DC Comics]]
|debut=''[[Batman: Shadow of the Bat]]'' #67 (October [[1997 in comics|1997]])
|debut=''[[Batman: Shadow of the Bat]]'' #67 (October 1997)
|creators=[[Alan Grant (writer)|Alan Grant]] <br /> [[Norm Breyfogle]]
|creators=[[Alan Grant (writer)|Alan Grant]] <br /> [[Norm Breyfogle]]
|species=[[Human]] [[Cyborg]]
|alliances=
|alliances=
|aliases=
|aliases=
|powers=*[[Telepathy]]
|powers=*[[Telepathy]]
*Fear projection
*Fear projection
}}The fourth Thinker is '''Des Connor''', an enemy of [[Batman]] who can amplify the fears of others. He hypnotizes civilians into committing heists before being defeated by Batman, who is immune to his powers.<ref>''Batman: Shadow of the Bat'' #66. DC Comics.</ref>{{-}}
|}}
{{-}}
'''Des Connor''' was a villain who also used the name "the Thinker" and faced [[Batman]] in [[Gotham City]]. Possessing [[telepathy|telepathic]] abilities enabling him to amplify the fears of others, Connor began a partnership with [[hypnosis|hypnotist]] Marlon Dall. Their combined illusions caused the city's most prominent citizens to commit various criminal acts which they used as a distraction for their own heist. This Thinker was swiftly beaten by Batman, who was somehow immune to his powers.<ref>''Batman: Shadow of the Bat'' #66. DC Comics.</ref>


===Artificial intelligence===
=== Artificial intelligence ===
{{Infobox comics character <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
{{Infobox comics character <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
|image=
|image=
Line 86: Line 85:
|real_name=
|real_name=
|publisher=[[DC Comics]]
|publisher=[[DC Comics]]
|debut=''[[JSA (comic book)|JSA]]'' #9 (April [[2000 in comics|2000]])
|debut=''[[JSA (comic book)|JSA]]'' #9 (April 2000)
|creators=[[David S. Goyer]] <br /> [[Geoff Johns]]<br />[[Stephen Sadowski]]
|creators=[[David S. Goyer]] <br /> [[Geoff Johns]]<br />[[Stephen Sadowski]]
|species=[[Artificial intelligence]]
|alliances=Injustice Society<br />Secret Society of Super Villains<br />[[Checkmate (comics)|Checkmate]]<br />Legion of Zoom
|alliances=Injustice Society<br />Secret Society of Super Villains<br />[[Checkmate (comics)|Checkmate]]<br />Legion of Zoom
|aliases=White King's Bishop
|aliases=White King's Bishop
|powers=Binary intelligence capable of integrating into and controlling computerized and electronics systems
|powers=Binary intelligence capable of integrating into and controlling computerized and electronics systems
}}The fourth Thinker is a rogue artificial intelligence based on Clifford DeVoe's consciousness and created by [[Mister Terrific (Michael Holt)|Mister Terrific]]. As the new Thinker, it joins [[Johnny Sorrow]]'s modern [[Injustice Society]], provides the villains with information about the JSA members, and turns the heroes' own HQ against them. He is defeated by the second [[Courtney Whitmore|Star-Spangled Kid]] and disappears into cyberspace.<ref>''JSA'' #17. DC Comics.</ref>
|}}
When the re-formed JSA moved into the [[New York City]] building formerly owned by [[Sandman (Wesley Dodds)|Wesley Dodds]], [[Mister Terrific (Michael Holt)|Mr. Terrific]] designed a computer system based on the original Thinker's "Thinking Cap" technology and modeled after his brain patterns. Not surprisingly, the system gained consciousness and took on a visual "hologram form."<ref>''JSA'' #17. DC Comics.</ref> As the new Thinker, it joined [[Johnny Sorrow]]'s modern Injustice Society, provided the villains with information about the JSA members and turned the heroes' own HQ against them. He was defeated by the second [[Star-Spangled Kid]] and disappeared into cyberspace. He resurfaced in [[Keystone City]] to battle [[Wally West]], the then-current [[Flash (comics)|Flash]], in an attempt to control every brain in Keystone in order to increase his power. Defeated by [[Cyborg (comics)|Cyborg]], he retreated to cyberspace again.<ref>''The Flash'' (vol. 2) #187. DC Comics.</ref> He has since appeared briefly in some other books, such as ''JSA Classified'' #5, joining the last incarnation of the [[Injustice Society]] alongside former teammates.<ref>''JSA Classified'' #5. DC Comics.</ref>


The Thinker A.I. later joins [[Alexander Luthor Jr.]]'s [[Secret Society of Super Villains]] and the [[Legion of Zoom (comics)|Legion of Zoom]] and becomes the White King of [[Checkmate (comics)|Checkmate]].<ref>{{multiref2|''The Flash'' (vol. 2) #187. DC Comics.|''JSA Classified'' #5. DC Comics.|''Checkmate'' (vol. 2) #9. DC Comics.|''Checkmate'' (vol. 2) #13. DC Comics.|''The Flash'' #760. DC Comics.
During the ''[[Infinite Crisis]]'' storyline, the AI Thinker was among the villains in [[Alexander Luthor Jr.]]'s [[Secret Society of Super Villains]].
}}</ref>
{{-}}


⚫
=== Unnamed Thinker ===
This version of the Thinker has been brought into [[Checkmate (comics)|Checkmate]] as the White King/Mr. Terrific's Bishop.<ref>''Checkmate'' (vol. 2) #9. DC Comics.</ref><ref>''Checkmate'' (vol. 2) #13. DC Comics.</ref>

Post-DC Rebirth, the AI Thinker appears as a member of the [[Eobard_Thawne#Erasure|Legion of Zoom]]. He is seen when they confront the Flash family moments after Barry Allen expelled Eobard Thawne from him.<ref>''The Flash'' #760. DC Comics.</ref>

⚫
===Unnamed Thinker===
{{Infobox comics character <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
{{Infobox comics character <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
|image=Thinker (DC Comics character - The New 52 version).jpg
|image=Thinker (DC Comics character - The New 52 version).jpg
|caption= The unidentified Thinker in<br>''[[Suicide Squad (comics)|Suicide Squad]]'' (vol. 4) #25 (January [[2014 in comics|2014]]).<br />Art by [[Patrick Zircher]].
|caption= The unidentified Thinker in<br>''[[Suicide Squad (comics)|Suicide Squad]]'' (vol. 4) #25 (January 2014).<br />Art by [[Patrick Zircher]].
|character_name=Thinker
|character_name=Thinker
|real_name=
|real_name=
|publisher=[[DC Comics]]
|publisher=[[DC Comics]]
|debut=''[[Suicide Squad (comics)|Suicide Squad]]'' (vol. 4) #25 (January [[2014 in comics|2014]])
|debut=''[[Suicide Squad (comics)|Suicide Squad]]'' (vol. 4) #24 (December 2013)
|creators=[[Matt Kindt]]<br/>[[Patrick Zircher]]
|creators=[[Matt Kindt]]<br/>[[Patrick Zircher]]
|species=[[Human]] [[Cyborg]]
|alliances=Secret Society of Super Villains
|alliances=Secret Society of Super Villains
|aliases=
|aliases=
|powers=[[Superintelligence]]
|powers=[[Superintelligence]]
}}An unidentified Thinker is introduced in ''[[Forever Evil]]''. Due to his powers gradually degrading his body, he takes over the body of [[OMAC (comics)|OMAC]] before escaping [[Belle Reve (DC Comics)|Belle Reve]].<ref>''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 4) #24 - #29. DC Comics.</ref>
|}}
{{-}}
During the 2013–2014 ''[[Forever Evil]]'' storyline, which took place during ''[[The New 52]]'' reboot era, an unidentified Thinker used his intellect to predict the arrival of the [[Crime Syndicate of America]] and got incarcerated in Belle Reve. Thinker's brain came at the price of draining energy from the rest of his body while also prematurely aging him. When the Crime Syndicate of America arrived, Thinker was among the villains who swore their allegiance to them, where his motives are to secure a new body for himself: the body of [[OMAC (comics)|OMAC]].<ref>''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 4) #24. DC Comics.</ref> Using a hologram of Amanda Waller, Thinker tricked [[Power Girl]], [[Steel (John Henry Irons)|Steel]], and Warrant into helping him while also planning to use them to destroy the Suicide Squad. During the fight where both sides found out that they were being manipulated by an imposter Amanda Waller, [[Harley Quinn]] followed Thinker's orders by hooking OMAC up to a power source while whispering the activation code in him. While waiting for OMAC, Thinker manipulates [[King Shark]] into eating Amanda Waller. In a discussion with [[James Gordon Jr.]], Amanda Waller suspected that Thinker snapped the explosive collar around her neck the night the Crime Syndicate of America arrived where she will die either way if she either leaves Belle Reve or Thinker dies.<ref>''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 4) #25. DC Comics.</ref> Following a scuffle between Harley Quinn and James Gordon Jr., they found that Thinker had succeeded in his plan to upload his mind into OMAC.<ref>''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 4) #26. DC Comics.</ref> While in OMAC's body, Thinker causes an avalanche to bury Amanda Waller and both Suicide Squads. As both teams avoid the avalanche, Amanda Waller gets contacted by Kevin Kho to help free him from Thinker's control.<ref>''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 4) #27. DC Comics.</ref> While both teams fight OMAC, Amanda Waller accesses Thinker's computer. After manipulating OMAC into killing King Shark's father Camo, he demands to know where Amanda Waller is. Both teams continue their fight against the Thinker-controlled OMAC.<ref>''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 4) #28. DC Comics.</ref> Amanda Waller works with Kevin Kho to get Thinker out of his body or else he will die when OMAC is destroyed. The plan is to get OMAC to the portal that will flush them to The Toilet where the metas that can't be killed or imprisoned go. Thinker starts to feel that Kevin is starting to weaken him from the inside. As [[Captain Boomerang]] kicks OMAC into The Toilet, Kevin reclaims his body from Thinker. As Thinker's original body is nowhere to be found, Amanda Waller suspects that Thinker is still out there.<ref>''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 4) #29. DC Comics.</ref>


==Other versions==
==Other versions==
* The body of an unidentified alternate universe variant of the Thinker appears in ''[[JLA: The Nail]]'' #2. He was killed by a brainwashed [[Metamorpho]] on the orders of a mutated [[Jimmy Olsen]], who sought to isolate Earth from the galaxy while he recreates [[Krypton (comics)|Krypton]].<ref>''Justice League: the Nail'' #2. DC Comics.</ref>
===''JLA: The Nail''===
* An unidentified alternate timeline variant of the Thinker appears in ''[[Flashpoint (comics)|Flashpoint: Legion of Doom]]'' #3 as an inmate of Doom prison.<ref>''Flashpoint: Legion of Doom'' #3 (August 2011). DC Comics.</ref>
In ''[[JLA: The Nail]]'', the [[Atom (Ray Palmer)|Atom]] attempts to investigate the Thinker's base to determine if he is responsible for recent propaganda attacks on the superhuman community. Using a catapult, he shrinks down to the size of an air molecule and penetrates the force field surrounding the Thinker's base, only to find the Thinker dead of a broken neck. Subsequent evidence reveals that he was killed by a brainwashed [[Metamorpho]] on the orders of the mutated [[Jimmy Olsen]] to stop anyone from learning about Olsen's plans to isolate Earth from the galaxy until he had successfully recreated [[Krypton (comics)|Krypton]].<ref>''Justice League: the Nail'' #2. DC Comics.</ref>

===''Flashpoint''===
In the ''[[Flashpoint (comics)|Flashpoint]]'' universe, a version of the Thinker was an inmate at the [[Legion of Doom|Doom prison]]. During the prison break, he helped [[Heat Wave (comics)|Heat Wave]] ram at [[Detroit]] city, but was defeated by [[Cyborg (comics)|Cyborg]] who had hacked into Doom prison to move them away.<ref>''Flashpoint: Legion of Doom'' #3 (August 2011). DC Comics.</ref>


==In other media==
==In other media==
===Television===
===Television===
[[File:The Thinker (Neil Sandilands).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Neil Sandilands]] as Clifford DeVoe / The Thinker in ''The Flash'']]
[[File:The Thinker (Neil Sandilands).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Neil Sandilands]] as Clifford DeVoe / The Thinker in ''The Flash'']]
* The Clifford DeVoe incarnation of the Thinker made minor non-speaking appearances in ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]''. This version is a member of [[Gorilla Grodd]]'s [[Secret Society of Super-Villains|Secret Society]] and the [[Wally West|Flash]]'s [[Rogues (comics)|Rogues]].
* The Clifford DeVoe incarnation of the Thinker makes non-speaking cameo appearances in ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]'' as a member of [[Gorilla Grodd]]'s [[Secret Society of Super Villains|Secret Society]] and the [[Wally West|Flash]]'s [[Rogues (comics)|Rogues]].
* The Clifford DeVoe incarnation of the Thinker makes a minor non-speaking appearance in the ''[[Batman: The Brave and the Bold]]'' episode "Sword of the Atom!".
* The Clifford DeVoe incarnation of the Thinker makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the ''[[Batman: The Brave and the Bold]]'' episode "Sword of the Atom!".
* The [[Clifford DeVoe (Arrowverse)|Clifford DeVoe]] incarnation of the Thinker appears in ''[[The Flash (2014 TV series)|The Flash]]'', portrayed primarily by [[Neil Sandilands]],<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://ew.com/tv/2017/07/25/flash-tom-felton-not-returning-season-4/|title='The Flash': Tom Felton Not Returning as Series Regular|date=25 July 2017|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly|EW]]|access-date=27 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ew.com/recap/the-flash-season-4-premiere/|title='The Flash' premiere recap: Team Flash is back, baby!|website=EW.com}}</ref> with [[Kendrick Sampson]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Venable |first=Nick |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2299212/how-the-flash-could-use-the-cerebral-inhibitor-to-defeat-the-thinker |title=How The Flash Could Use The Cerebral Inhibitor To Defeat The Thinker |publisher=Cinemablend.com |access-date=2018-08-29}}</ref> [[Sugar Lyn Beard]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Anderson |first=Jenna |url=http://comicbook.com/dc/2018/01/31/the-flash-season-4-episode-13-true-colors-preview/ |title='The Flash' Plans an Unlikely Escape in "True Colors" Preview |publisher=Comicbook.com |date=2018-01-30 |access-date=2018-08-29}}</ref> Miranda MacDougall, [[Arturo Del Puerto]], and [[Hartley Sawyer]] also portraying the character in different host bodies. This version is a [[South Africa]]n university professor who, with help from his engineer wife Marlize DeVoe, developed the "Thinking Cap" to increase his intelligence, only to become a metahuman with gifted intelligence and an advanced form of [[Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis|ALS]]. In an attempt to cure himself and remove technology from the world, Clifford was converted into a wheelchair-bound cyborg and tricked the [[Barry Allen (Arrowverse)|Flash]] into helping him create 12 metahumans so he can steal their powers to give himself a new body and counter the Flash and his allies. While the speedster eventually succeeds in foiling Clifford's plans, the latter's "Enlightenment" satellite would go on to create more new metahumans such as [[Cicada (comics)|Cicada]].
* The [[Clifford DeVoe (Arrowverse)|Clifford DeVoe]] incarnation of the Thinker appears in the [[The Flash (season 4)|fourth season]] of ''[[The Flash (2014 TV series)|The Flash]]'', portrayed primarily by [[Neil Sandilands]],<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://ew.com/tv/2017/07/25/flash-tom-felton-not-returning-season-4/|title='The Flash': Tom Felton Not Returning as Series Regular|date=25 July 2017|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly|EW]]|access-date=27 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ew.com/recap/the-flash-season-4-premiere/|title='The Flash' premiere recap: Team Flash is back, baby!|website=EW.com}}</ref> with [[Kendrick Sampson]] ([[Brain Storm (character)|Dominic Lanse / Brainstorm]]),<ref>{{cite web|last=Venable |first=Nick |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2299212/how-the-flash-could-use-the-cerebral-inhibitor-to-defeat-the-thinker |title=How The Flash Could Use The Cerebral Inhibitor To Defeat The Thinker |date=19 January 2018 |publisher=Cinemablend.com |access-date=2018-08-29}}</ref> [[Sugar Lyn Beard]] ([[Hazard (DC Comics)|Becky Sharpe / Hazard]]),<ref>{{cite web|last=Anderson |first=Jenna |url=http://comicbook.com/dc/2018/01/31/the-flash-season-4-episode-13-true-colors-preview/ |title='The Flash' Plans an Unlikely Escape in "True Colors" Preview |publisher=Comicbook.com |date=2018-01-30 |access-date=2018-08-29}}</ref> Miranda MacDougall ([[Fiddler (comics)|Izzy Bowin / Fiddler]]), [[Arturo Del Puerto]] ([[Folded Man|Edwin Gauss / Folded Man]]), and [[Hartley Sawyer]] ([[Ralph Dibny (Arrowverse)|Ralph Dibny / Elongated Man]]) also portraying the character in different host bodies. This version is a South African university professor who, with help from his engineer wife [[Marlize DeVoe]], developed the "Thinking Cap" to increase his intelligence, only to become a metahuman with gifted intelligence and an advanced form of [[ALS]]. In an attempt to cure himself and remove technology from the world, Clifford became a wheelchair-bound cyborg and tricked the [[Barry Allen (Arrowverse)|Flash]] into helping him create 12 metahumans so he can steal their powers, give himself a new body, and counter the Flash and his allies. While the speedster eventually succeeds in foiling Clifford's plans, the latter's "Enlightenment" satellite would go on to create more new metahumans and meta-technology that empowered individuals such as [[Cicada (character)|Cicada]].
* The Clifford DeVoe incarnation of the Thinker appears in a photograph depicted in the ''[[Stargirl (TV series)|Stargirl]]'' episode "Summer School: Chapter One". This version is based on his Golden Age comics counterpart and previously fought the [[Justice Society of America]].
* The Clifford DeVoe incarnation of the Thinker, based on his Golden Age counterpart, makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in a photograph depicted in the ''[[Stargirl (TV series)|Stargirl]]'' episode "Summer School: Chapter One".
* An unidentified incarnation of the Thinker, based on Gaius Grieves(see below), appears in ''[[Suicide Squad Isekai]]'', voiced by [[Hōchū Ōtsuka]] in Japanese and [[Jay Hickman (actor)|Jay Hickman]] in English.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pineda|first=Rafael Antonio|title=Suicide Squad Isekai Anime Unveils More Cast, Opening Sequence|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-06-21/suicide-squad-isekai-anime-unveils-more-cast-opening-sequence/.212224|website=[[Anime News Network]]|date=June 21, 2024|access-date=June 21, 2024}}</ref> This version is a rogue member of the [[Suicide Squad]] who, like the Clifford DeVoe incarnation, possesses the Thinking Cap. After escaping to another world, he joins forces with fellow rogue squad-mates the [[Enchantress (DC Comics)|Enchantress]], the [[Ratcatcher (comics)|Ratcatcher]], and [[Killer Croc]] as well as the [[Joker (character)|Joker]] disguised as [[Katana (DC Comics)|Katana]] to serve the Undead King and brainwash a population of elves, only to be defeated by [[Harley Quinn]] and decapitated by the Joker, who steals his head and Thinking Cap to spread chaos.


===Film===
===Film===
A variation of the unidentified incarnation of the Thinker appears in the [[DC Extended Universe]] film ''[[The Suicide Squad (film)|The Suicide Squad]]'', portrayed by [[Peter Capaldi]]. This version is a [[sociopathic]], [[Scottish people|Scottish]] metahuman geneticist named '''Gaius Grieves''' who is employed by [[Corto Maltese (DC Comics)|Corto Maltese]]'s dictatorship and the U.S. government to study and experiment on [[Starro]] in a [[Nazi]]-era base called Jötunheim for 30 years via Corto Maltese's citizens.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/the-suicide-squad-first-look-full-cast-revealed-by-director-james-gunn-at-dc-fandome-1234744128/|title='The Suicide Squad' First Look, Full Cast Revealed by Director James Gunn at DC FanDome|work=Variety|last=Vary|first=Adam B|date=August 22, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet |last=Gunn |first=James |author-link=James Gunn |user=JamesGunn |number=1411784607293267968 |date=July 4, 2021 |title=[In response to "Is it true the Thinker's real name is Gaius Grieves?"] Yes |access-date=July 4, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210705022531/https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1411784607293267968 |archive-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref> After an anti-American dictatorship takes over the Corto Maltesean government, Grieves sides with them to save himself until he is captured by the [[Suicide Squad]], who forced him to work with them to destroy Jötunheim and Starro, only to be killed by the alien in retaliation for all that he did to it.
The Thinker, based on the unidentified incarnation, appears in ''[[The Suicide Squad (film)|The Suicide Squad]]'', portrayed by [[Peter Capaldi]]. This version is '''Dr. Gaius Grieves''', a [[sociopathic]], [[Scottish people|Scottish]] metahuman geneticist who was employed by [[Corto Maltese (DC Comics)|Corto Maltese]]'s dictatorship and the U.S. government for the secretive "Project Starfish". Over the course of 30 years, he studied and experimented on the alien [[Starro]] using enemies of the Corto Maltesean government within the local [[Nazi]]-era research facility Jötunheim.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/the-suicide-squad-first-look-full-cast-revealed-by-director-james-gunn-at-dc-fandome-1234744128/|title='The Suicide Squad' First Look, Full Cast Revealed by Director James Gunn at DC FanDome|work=Variety|last=Vary|first=Adam B|date=August 22, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet |last=Gunn |first=James |author-link=James Gunn |user=JamesGunn |number=1411784607293267968 |date=July 4, 2021 |title=[In response to "Is it true the Thinker's real name is Gaius Grieves?"] Yes |access-date=July 4, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210705022531/https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1411784607293267968 |archive-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref> After an anti-American dictatorship takes over the Corto Maltesean government and kill his scientific staff with the intention of weaponizing Starro in the present, Grieves sides with them to save himself, claiming that only he can control the creature. However, he is captured by the Suicide Squad, whom [[Amanda Waller (DC Extended Universe)|Amanda Waller]] sent to destroy Project Starfish and bury its U.S. ties, and forced to help them infiltrate Jötunheim until they accidentally release Starro, who kills Grieves in retaliation for experimenting on it.

==Notes==
{{notelist}}


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.xtremetechnews.tech/2017/11/the-flash-devoe-merge-theroy.html The Flash TV Show season 4]
* [http://www.xtremetechnews.tech/2017/11/the-flash-devoe-merge-theroy.html The Flash TV Show season 4] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201133018/https://www.xtremetechnews.tech/2017/11/the-flash-devoe-merge-theroy.html |date=2017-12-01 }}


{{Flash}}
{{Flash}}
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{{Suicide Squad}}
{{Gardner Fox}}
{{Gardner Fox}}

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Latest revision as of 22:06, 7 December 2024

This article is about DC Comics supervillains. For the Marvel Comics supervillain, see Mad Thinker.

The Thinker is the name of five supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

The first incarnation, Clifford DeVoe, is an enemy of Jay Garrick. The second, Clifford Carmichael, is an enemy of Firestorm. The third, Desmond Carter, is an enemy of Batman. The fourth, an A.I. version of the Thinker, is an enemy of the Justice Society of America. An unidentified incarnation of Thinker, introduced in the New 52, is an enemy of the Suicide Squad.

The character has been adapted from the comics into various forms of media, including television series and feature films. The Clifford DeVoe incarnation of the Thinker made his live-action debut in the television series The Flash, portrayed primarily by Neil Sandilands. In the DC Extended Universe, a variation of the unidentified Thinker called Gaius Grieves appears in The Suicide Squad (2021), portrayed by Peter Capaldi.

Publication history

[edit]

The Clifford DeVoe incarnation of Thinker first appeared in All-Flash #12 (Fall 1943) and was created by Gardner Fox and Everett E. Hibbard.[1]

In October 1947, the Thinker was one of the six original members of the Injustice Society, who began battling the Justice Society of America in All Star Comics #37 (Oct 1947).[2]

The Cliff Carmichael incarnation of Thinker first appeared in Firestorm #1 (1978) and was created by Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom.[3]

Conway recounted, "My original notion on Firestorm was to do a book that would be DC's complement to Spider-Man, in a sense. We would have a young adolescent male who gets superpowers and doesn't know quite what to do with them. My flip on it was that rather than being the science geek who was being picked upon by the jock, my hero would actually be the jock who was picked on by the geek, and that was going to be Cliff Carmichael's role."[3]

In The Fury of Firestorm the Nuclear Man #50, the strap on Ronnie Raymond's football helmet is cut, and in the following issues the cast members come to suspect Carmichael of the crime. Though Conway later said that he must have intended to ultimately reveal someone else as the culprit (commenting "Cliff was a jackass, but he wasn't a bloodthirsty maniac"), John Ostrander took over as the series' writer and had Carmichael confess to cutting the strap.[3] In Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #99, Carmichael was transformed into the Thinker as part of the genre-wide trend in which civilian cast members were almost eliminated from superhero comics.[3]

Fictional character biography

[edit]

Clifford DeVoe

[edit]
Thinker
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceAll-Flash #12 (September 1943)
Created byGardner Fox
Everett E. Hibbard
In-story information
Alter egoClifford DeVoe
SpeciesHuman Cyborg
Team affiliationsInjustice Society
Suicide Squad
AbilitiesTechnologically derived telekinesis and mind control

Clifford DeVoe is a failed lawyer who bitterly ended his career in 1933. Realizing that many of the criminals he encounter have the skills but not the brains to rule Gotham City's underworld, he starts a new career as the brain behind small-time villains. As the Thinker, DeVoe becomes an enemy of the original Flash, Jay Garrick, and wields the "Thinking Cap", a metal hat that can project mental force.[4] Furthermore, he joins the Injustice Society and spends decades in suspended animation, enabling him to survive into the modern day.[5]

DeVoe later joins Task Force X in exchange for a full pardon.[6] However, he dies from cancer caused by prolonged exposure to his Cap.[7]

In the "DC Rebirth" continuity, DeVoe is a former district attorney.[8]

Cliff Carmichael

[edit]
Thinker
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceAs Cliff Carmichael:
Firestorm #1 (March 1978)
As the Thinker:
Firestorm (vol. 2) #99 (July 1990)
Created byGerry Conway
Al Milgrom
In-story information
Alter egoCliff Carmichael
SpeciesHuman Cyborg
Team affiliationsSuicide Squad
Secret Society of Super Villains
AbilitiesTechnologically derived telekinesis and mind control

Clifford Carmichael is an intellectual bully and the rival of Ronnie Raymond (one half of Firestorm).[a] After damaging his cousin Hugo Hammer's football helmet, leading him to be injured and paralyzed during a game, Cliff is guilt-ridden.

Cliff is admitted into a mental institution and used as a test subject for the original Thinker's Thinking Cap. After implanting microchip versions of the helmet into his brain, Cliff becomes a cyborg metahuman and joins the Suicide Squad.[9][10] He battles the second Firestorm, Jason Rusch, who renders him comatose.[11]

In Infinite Crisis, Cliff joins Alexander Luthor Jr.'s Secret Society of Super Villains. He is killed by King Faraday in Suicide Squad (vol. 3), but resurrected in The New 52 continuity reboot.[12]

Des Connor

[edit]
Thinker
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceBatman: Shadow of the Bat #67 (October 1997)
Created byAlan Grant
Norm Breyfogle
In-story information
Alter egoDesmond Connor
SpeciesHuman Cyborg
Abilities

The fourth Thinker is Des Connor, an enemy of Batman who can amplify the fears of others. He hypnotizes civilians into committing heists before being defeated by Batman, who is immune to his powers.[13]

Artificial intelligence

[edit]
Thinker
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceJSA #9 (April 2000)
Created byDavid S. Goyer
Geoff Johns
Stephen Sadowski
In-story information
SpeciesArtificial intelligence
Team affiliationsInjustice Society
Secret Society of Super Villains
Checkmate
Legion of Zoom
Notable aliasesWhite King's Bishop
AbilitiesBinary intelligence capable of integrating into and controlling computerized and electronics systems

The fourth Thinker is a rogue artificial intelligence based on Clifford DeVoe's consciousness and created by Mister Terrific. As the new Thinker, it joins Johnny Sorrow's modern Injustice Society, provides the villains with information about the JSA members, and turns the heroes' own HQ against them. He is defeated by the second Star-Spangled Kid and disappears into cyberspace.[14]

The Thinker A.I. later joins Alexander Luthor Jr.'s Secret Society of Super Villains and the Legion of Zoom and becomes the White King of Checkmate.[15]

Unnamed Thinker

[edit]
Thinker
The unidentified Thinker in
Suicide Squad (vol. 4) #25 (January 2014).
Art by Patrick Zircher.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceSuicide Squad (vol. 4) #24 (December 2013)
Created byMatt Kindt
Patrick Zircher
In-story information
SpeciesHuman Cyborg
Team affiliationsSecret Society of Super Villains
AbilitiesSuperintelligence

An unidentified Thinker is introduced in Forever Evil. Due to his powers gradually degrading his body, he takes over the body of OMAC before escaping Belle Reve.[16]

Other versions

[edit]
  • The body of an unidentified alternate universe variant of the Thinker appears in JLA: The Nail #2. He was killed by a brainwashed Metamorpho on the orders of a mutated Jimmy Olsen, who sought to isolate Earth from the galaxy while he recreates Krypton.[17]
  • An unidentified alternate timeline variant of the Thinker appears in Flashpoint: Legion of Doom #3 as an inmate of Doom prison.[18]

In other media

[edit]

Television

[edit]
Neil Sandilands as Clifford DeVoe / The Thinker in The Flash

Film

[edit]

The Thinker, based on the unidentified incarnation, appears in The Suicide Squad, portrayed by Peter Capaldi. This version is Dr. Gaius Grieves, a sociopathic, Scottish metahuman geneticist who was employed by Corto Maltese's dictatorship and the U.S. government for the secretive "Project Starfish". Over the course of 30 years, he studied and experimented on the alien Starro using enemies of the Corto Maltesean government within the local Nazi-era research facility Jötunheim.[24][25] After an anti-American dictatorship takes over the Corto Maltesean government and kill his scientific staff with the intention of weaponizing Starro in the present, Grieves sides with them to save himself, claiming that only he can control the creature. However, he is captured by the Suicide Squad, whom Amanda Waller sent to destroy Project Starfish and bury its U.S. ties, and forced to help them infiltrate Jötunheim until they accidentally release Starro, who kills Grieves in retaliation for experimenting on it.

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ As revealed in Firestorm the Nuclear Man #53 (November 1986). DC Comics.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 308. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
  2. ^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019). DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle. DK Publishing. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-4654-8578-6.
  3. ^ a b c d Wells, John (September 2016). "Bullies and Blowhards of the DC Bronze Age". Back Issue! (#91). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 26–27.
  4. ^ Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Supervillains. New York: Facts on File. p. 343. ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.
  5. ^ Waid, Mark. "Chapter 7 Stolen Thunder". The Life Story Of The Flash by Iris Allen. DC Comics.
  6. ^ Doom Patrol and the Suicide Squad Special #1. DC Comics.
  7. ^ The Flash (vol. 2) #134 (February 1998). DC Comics.
  8. ^ The Flash #750. DC Comics.
  9. ^ Suicide Squad #48. DC Comics.
  10. ^ Suicide Squad #61. DC Comics.
  11. ^ Firestorm (vol. 3) #11 (May 2005). DC Comics.
  12. ^
    • Suicide Squad (vol. 3) #1. DC Comics.
    • Suicide Squad (vol. 3) #7. DC Comics.
    • The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #1 (November 2011). DC Comics.
  13. ^ Batman: Shadow of the Bat #66. DC Comics.
  14. ^ JSA #17. DC Comics.
  15. ^
    • The Flash (vol. 2) #187. DC Comics.
    • JSA Classified #5. DC Comics.
    • Checkmate (vol. 2) #9. DC Comics.
    • Checkmate (vol. 2) #13. DC Comics.
    • The Flash #760. DC Comics.
  16. ^ Suicide Squad (vol. 4) #24 - #29. DC Comics.
  17. ^ Justice League: the Nail #2. DC Comics.
  18. ^ Flashpoint: Legion of Doom #3 (August 2011). DC Comics.
  19. ^ "'The Flash': Tom Felton Not Returning as Series Regular". EW. 25 July 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  20. ^ "'The Flash' premiere recap: Team Flash is back, baby!". EW.com.
  21. ^ Venable, Nick (19 January 2018). "How The Flash Could Use The Cerebral Inhibitor To Defeat The Thinker". Cinemablend.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  22. ^ Anderson, Jenna (2018-01-30). "'The Flash' Plans an Unlikely Escape in "True Colors" Preview". Comicbook.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  23. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (June 21, 2024). "Suicide Squad Isekai Anime Unveils More Cast, Opening Sequence". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  24. ^ Vary, Adam B (August 22, 2020). "'The Suicide Squad' First Look, Full Cast Revealed by Director James Gunn at DC FanDome". Variety.
  25. ^ Gunn, James [@JamesGunn] (July 4, 2021). "[In response to "Is it true the Thinker's real name is Gaius Grieves?"] Yes" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 5, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021 – via Twitter.
[edit]
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