Doctor Bedlam is a DC Comics supervillain created by Jack Kirby as part of his Fourth World comic series of the 1970s. He is part of Darkseid's Elite on the planet Apokolips.[1]
| Doctor Bedlam | |
|---|---|
 Doctor Bedlam as depicted in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #6 (August 1985). Art by Jack Kirby and Mike Machlan. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Mister Miracle #2 (May–June 1971) |
| Created by | Jack Kirby |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Doctor Bedlam |
| Species | New God |
| Team affiliations | Darkseid's Elite |
| Notable aliases | Baron Bedlam, Macro-Man |
| Abilities |
|
His name comes from the Bethlem Royal Hospital insane asylum, and is a reference to his madness-inducing "paranoid pill".
Publication history
editDoctor Bedlam first appeared in Mister Miracle #3 (July–August 1971) and was created by Jack Kirby.[2]
Fictional character biography
editDoctor Bedlam's early life is unknown, save that he once possessed a physical body that was transformed into psychic energy. His primary foe is Mister Miracle, whom he has never defeated.[2]
Following the destruction of Apokolips and New Genesis, Bedlam relocates to Earth, where he attracts the second Mister Miracle's attention by becoming an escape artist under the name Baron Bedlam.
Bedlam is featured in the Underworld Unleashed tie-in one-shot Apokolips - Dark Uprising, where Granny Goodness attempts to kill him.
Doctor Bedlam makes a minor appearance in Death of the New Gods, where Infinity-Man damages one of his Animates while hunting the New Gods.[2]
In The New 52, Doctor Bedlam joins Steppenwolf's Hunger Dogs.[3]
Powers and abilities
editDoctor Bedlam exists as a being of psychic energy and commands powerful constructs that he can project into. Furthermore, he is a skilled scientist who specializes in inducing terror via mental manipulation.
In other media
edit- A Halloween costume of Doctor Bedlam appears in the Justice League episode "A Knight of Shadows".
- Doctor Bedlam and his Animates appear as character summons in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.[4]
- Doctor Bedlam appears in All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold #15.[5]
References
edit- ^ 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. 92. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
- ^ a b c Greenberger, Robert (2008), "Doctor Bedlam", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.), The DC Comics Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, p. 102, ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1, OCLC 213309017
- ^ Earth 2 #15 (October 2013)
- ^ Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold #15