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Prometheus (DC Comics)

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For the Marvel Comics character, see Prometheus (Marvel Comics).

Prometheus is the name of three fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.

The first Prometheus debuted in New Teen Titans vol. 2, #24 (Oct. 1986) and was created by Marv Wolfman (writer) and Eduardo Barreto (pencils). The second version debuted in New Year's Evil: Prometheus (Feb. 1998), and was created by Grant Morrison (writer) and Arnie Jorgensen (pencils). The third and final version first appears in Batman: Gotham Knights #52 (June 2004), and was created by A.J. Lieberman (writer) and Al Barrionuevo (pencils).

In 2009, the second Prometheus was ranked as IGN's 80th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.[1]

Publication history

The original Prometheus, Curt Calhourn, debuted in Blue Beetle #3 (Aug. 1986), followed by appearances in issues #4 (Sept. 1986); #6 (Nov. 1986); #8-9 (Jan.-Feb. 1987) and #11-13 (April–June 1987). The character returned in New Teen Titans #34 (Aug. 1987), and was apparently referenced as being deceased in JSA #28 (Nov. 2001).

The second Prometheus debuted in New Year's Evil: Prometheus (Feb. 1998) and returned in JLA #16-17 (March–April 1998) and #36-41 (Dec. 1999 - May 2000). The character was then impersonated for a time by Chad Graham, but returned in Faces of Evil: Prometheus #1 (March 2009). Prometheus starred as the villain in the limited series Justice League: Cry for Justice #1-7 (Sept. 2009 – April 2010), and was apparently killed at the conclusion of the story.

Writer Mike Conroy noted "...with his technologically advanced armor and weapons arsenal, which can download the fighting techniques of the world's top martial artists...he (Prometheus) turned out to be a formidable foe, as the JLA found out."[2]

The third Prometheus, Chad Graham, debuted in Batman: Gotham Knights #52 (June 2004), being part of the "Pushback" storyline from issues #50-55 (April-Sept. 2004). The villain reappeared in Batman: Gotham Knights #66 (Aug. 2005); Villains United #1 - 6 (July-Sept. 2005); Infinite Crisis #1 - 7 (Dec. 2005 - June 2006); Birds of Prey #94 (June-Aug. 2006); Teen Titans vol. 3, #51 - 54 (Nov. 2007 - Feb. 2008) and Final Crisis #1-7 (July 2008 - March 2009) before being killed in Faces of Evil: Prometheus #1 (March 2009).

Fictional character biography

Curt Calhoun

Curt Calhoun is a small-time criminal working for supervillain Doctor Alchemy, and is hired to steal a quantity of the metal promethium from KORD Inc., an organization owned by Ted Kord (secretly the Blue Beetle). Although successful, both Calhoun and Dr. Alchemy are captured by Kord's alter ego, the Beetle. On release from prison, Calhoun aids the Blue Beetle against the villain the Calculator, and is offered a position as a foreman at KORD Inc. by Kord. While saving Kord from an industrial accident, Calhoun is covered with metals laced with promethium. En route to the hospital, Calhoun's ambulance is attacked by members of the supervillain team Hybrid. The leader Mento transformed the metal covering Calhoun into a permanent metallic shell. Assuming the alias "Prometheus", the relucant Calhoun fights alongside Hybrid in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat the New Teen Titans.[3]

Although Mento eventually directs Hybrid against the Titans once again, they rebel and Mento is apparently cured of his insanity by Titans member Raven.[4] Calhoun is never seen again, until superhero team the JSA learn that Hybrid died in the gladiatorial games staged by villainess Roulette.[5]

Prometheus

Prometheus
Prometheus: panel from New Year's Evil: Prometheus (Feb. 1998)
Art by Arnie Jorgensen.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceNew Year's Evil: Prometheus #1 (Feb. 1998)
Created byGrant Morrison (writer)
Arnie Jorgensen (pencils)
In-story information
Team affiliationsThe Society
Injustice Gang
Notable aliasesRetro, Shazam
AbilitiesGenius-level intellect; Skilled armed/unarmed combatant; cybernetic implants

The second Prometheus relates his origin to a young man who has won a competition - with the alias "Retro" and a matching costume - to be part of the JLA for a day. The unnamed son of two hippie criminals who committed murder and theft, Prometheus travelled across the United States with them until they were cornered and shot by local law enforcement. Prometheus' hair turns white from the traumatic experience, and he makes a silent vow to "annihilate the forces of justice" in revenge for the death of his parents.

Using his parents' hidden caches of money, Prometheus travels the world and develops his skills, becoming an underground pit-fighter in Brazil; a mercenary in Africa and joining terrorist groups in the Middle East. After avenging his parents' deaths by murdering the police officer who shot them, Prometheus went to college and ultimately located the Himalayan city of Shambhala, inhabited by a sect of evil monks. Prometheus discovers the monastery has been built on an alien spaceship, and the leader of the sect was one of the creatures from the vessel. He kills the alien and obtains the "Ghost Key", which opens a portal to the "Ghost Zone", a hyperspace void that allows interstellar travel.

Prometheus builds a house in the void as his headquarters, which is warped by the dimensional effects to become "crooked," and it is revealed that this is the setting for the story he now relates to Retro. Prometheus kills Retro, and courtesy of his advanced helmet copies the young man's mannerisms, intending to masquerade as Retro to gain access to the JLA Watchtower.[6]

Although the plan is successful and Prometheus temporarily defeats seven of the JLA (including Batman), he is caught off guard by the anti-hero Catwoman. Thanks to her efforts, the heroes manage to recover, and Prometheus retreats.[7]

Prometheus appears briefly during an encounter between the JLA and alternate universe superhero team the Avengers, and skirmishes with Captain America.[8]

Prometheus returns as a member of Lex Luthor's second Injustice Gang. During the confusion caused by the arrival of the weapon Mageddon, Prometheus is able to utilize a White Martian space vessel abandoned in the Ghost Zone to infiltrate the Justice League Watchtower and attack team aide Oracle. Oracle escapes, with Prometheus' helmet damaged in the process. The villain retrieves his original helmet (lost during the first battle with the JLA) and battles Batman once again. Prometheus is neutralized when Batman sabotages his helmet, loading it with the physical skills and coordination of Professor Stephen Hawking, who due to a motor neuron disease can barely move. Batman prevents fellow member Huntress from killing Prometheus, before firing her from the JLA.[9] Batman and Martian Manhunter took Prometheus into custody and arranged to reduce Prometheus' brain to a mentally disabled state in order to permanently end his threat. Upon Martian Manhunter's death at the hands of Libra, Prometheus' mind was restored and he began tracking down his would-be protege, culminating in him killing Graham and maiming/murdering members of the Blood Pack super-hero team.[10]

Cry for Justice

A spate of superhero deaths (Freedom Beast; Gloss and Tasmanian Devil) and attacks on others (Barry Allen; Batwoman and Crimson Avenger) is revealed to be the work of the true Prometheus. The villain impersonates Freddy Freeman, though it is not revealed how he gained superstrength and was able to fly. He gains access to the JLA satellite, which in turns allows Prometheus to place teleportation devices in the home cities of various heroes which will "strand" the city in various places in the past and future, as revenge for the years that he spent with his mind damaged. Prometheus also maims Roy Harper after he realizes his foe is not Freddy Freeman. While defeating the JLA and their allies the Teen Titans and the reformed villain Shade using files on them, though he does not kill any of them, Prometheus is captured by Donna Troy and beaten brutally, until she is stopped by Shade. The villain offers to reveal the location of the devices in exchanges for his release, after his devices malfunction and begin destroying the cities. With Star City suffering massive casualties, Prometheus' ultimatum is met and returns to his lair, but is killed by Green Arrow, who shoots an arrow through the villain's head.[11]

Impostor Prometheus

After Prometheus went into a mentally disabled state, an impostor took his mantle. Chad Graham, was taken in by Prometheus to serve as his evil sidekick, but Graham proved too impulsive and ended up (under unknown circumstances) leaving Prometheus and taking the identity once he went missing following his second battle with the Justice League. The villain appears in Star City, battling hero Green Arrow and local law enforcement. Although almost killed, Prometheus is saved by Hush. Hush forms an alliance with Prometheus but abandons him due to his apparent incompetence.[12] The daughter of warlord Ra's Al Ghul, Talia al Ghul, leads the evil Cobra Cult in search of Prometheus in a bid to secure his Ghost Key. Although Prometheus is found, he is again saved by Hush, having been poisoned by one of the creations of villainess Poison Ivy.[13] Prometheus is then recruited to join another version (numbering in the hundreds) of the Secret Society of Super Villains[14] and participates in a massive attack by the Society on the city of Metropolis. During the battle Prometheus kills the hero Peacemaker.[15]

This Prometheus also has an encounter with the superheroine group Birds of Prey, and defeats the mercenary Lady Shiva in seconds.[16] The villain eventually falls under the control of the alien Starro, and is used as a foot soldier. Prometheus, however, is defeated by an alternate future version of Robin, and freed once Starro is defeated.[17]

Graham is murdered when Prometheus regains his mind and kills him.

Powers and abilities

Curt Calhoun, the original Prometheus, possesses a metal epidermis, which confers superior strength and durability. Calhoun is also capable of raising the temperature of his armored form to several hundred degrees Celsius.

The second Prometheus possesses no superhuman abilities, but like the hero Batman has undergone intense physical and mental training and utilizes an extensive range of equipment and technology. Common tools include body armor; gauntlets that fire various projectiles; a tonfa with several technological features; and a helmet that in addition to emitting strobe lighting capable of disorientation and hypnotism, can via a compact disc allow a download of the knowledge and physical skills of others directly into his brain. Where Prometheus obtains this information is not known. The 'battlesuit'/helmet combination is also equipped with an Artificial Intelligence that can rapidly calculate and deploy a variety of strategies and countermeasures that have allowed Prometheus at various times to incapacitate entire groups of Justice Leaguers singlehandedly and simultaneously. Finally, the second Prometheus possesses the "Ghost Key," which allows the villain to teleport himself and other objects and persons to and from a dimension called the "Ghost Zone." It can also be used to inflict total molecular disintegration on a target, but Prometheus only employed this function once, when he eliminated an unsuspecting Retro.

The third Prometheus relies on the use of two pistols.

In other media

Video games

References

  1. ^ Prometheus is number 80, IGN. Retrieved 10-05-09.
  2. ^ Conroy, Mike. 500 Comicbook Villains, Collins & Brown, 2004.
  3. ^ Blue Beetle #4 (Sept. 1986); #6 (Nov. 1986); #8-9 (Jan.-Feb. 1987) and #11-13 (April–June 1987)
  4. ^ New Teen Titans #34 (Aug. 1987)
  5. ^ JSA #28 (Nov. 2001)
  6. ^ New Year's Evil: Prometheus (Feb. 1998)
  7. ^ JLA #16-17 (March–April 1998)
  8. ^ JLA/Avengers #1 - 4 (Sept. 2003 - May 2004)
  9. ^ JLA #36-41 (Dec. 1999 - May 2000)
  10. ^ Faces of Evil: Prometheus #1 (March 2009)
  11. ^ Justice League: Cry for Justice #1-7 (Sept. 2009 – April 2010)
  12. ^ Batman: Gotham Knights #50-55 (April-Sept. 2004)
  13. ^ Batman: Gotham Knights #66 (Aug. 2005)
  14. ^ Villains United #1 - 6 (July-Sept. 2005)
  15. ^ Infinite Crisis #1 - 7 (Dec. 2005 - June 2006)
  16. ^ Birds of Prey #94 (June-Aug. 2006)
  17. ^ Teen Titans vol. 3, #51 - 54 (Nov. 2007 - Feb. 2008)
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