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Doctor Alchemy / Mr. Element
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearance(Albert Desmond / Alvin Desmond)
Showcase #13 (April 1958)
(as Mr. Element)
Showcase #14 (June 1958)
(as Dr. Alchemy)
(The Alchemist)
The Flash (vol. 2) #71 (Feb. 1992)
(Mr. Element II)
The Flash (vol. 2) #202 (Nov. 2003)
Created by(Albert Desmond / Alvin Desmond)
John Broome
Carmine Infantino
(The Alchemist)
Mark Waid
Greg LaRocque
(Mr. Element II)
Geoff Johns
Alberto Dose
In-story information
Full nameAlvin Desmond
(as Doctor Alchemy)
Albert Desmond
(as Mr. Element)
Dr. Curtis Engstrom
(The Alchemist)
Alexander Petrov
(Mr. Element II)

Doctor Alchemy is a name used by different supervillains published by DC Comics. Most famously notable for characters such as Albert Desmond.

Publication history

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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]: 92  The Alchemist made his first appearance in The Flash (vol. 2) #71 (Feb. 1992) and was created by writer Mark Waid and artist Greg LaRocque. The character of Alexander Petrov made his first appearance in The Flash (vol. 2) #202 (Nov. 2003) and was created by Geoff Johns and Alberto Dose.

Character biography

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Albert Desmond / Alvin Desmond

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Albert Desmond is a chemist who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. Desmond has two disctinct personalities: 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. He creates elemental weapons such as bulletproof silicon to shield his cars, and discovers a new element, Elemento, a magnetic light, with which he sent the Flash into space.[1]: 92 

After being sent to jail as a result of his first encounter with the Flash, he learns of the Philosopher's Stone from his band mate. He escapes jail, finds the Stone, and uses its power to transmute elements to restart his criminal career as Doctor Alchemy. Eventually his good personality resurfaces, causing him to quit crime and hide 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. It was later revealed that Alvin was 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 incarcerated, both of his costumed identities were used by others: Curtis Engstrom using the Philosopher's Stone as the Alchemist and Alexander Petrov using the Mister Element identity.[1]: 92 

Alchemist (Dr. Curtis Engstrom)

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After Desmond eliminated his personality as Dr. Alchemy, S.T.A.R. Labs acquired the Philosopher Stone with intentions of using one of its fragments in their microscopic medical computer.[3] 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 he became the Alchemist. After being defeated, Engstrom was never seen again.

Mr. Element (Alexander Petrov)

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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.[4] Petrov stole the Mr. Element weapons from the police evidence lockers and then used them to kill his mentor by freezing him in ice. Afterward, he was promoted to the head of the lab and 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 both 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.[1]: 59 

Powers and abilities

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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, he has the ability to transmute any substance into any other substance (e.g., steel into rubber, or oxygen into carbon monoxide) and also possesses the power to transform the molecular structure of the human body, having once turned the Flash into a being of water vapor.[1][2] Desmond can also control the Stone from a distance via telekinesis. He can also restore abilities to other people from different timelines or worlds

In other media

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Television

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  • Both the Doctor Alchemy and Mister Element versions of the character had non-speaking cameos in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Flash and Substance." The villains can be seen in the bar where the Flash's enemies unwind.
  • Doctor Alchemy debuts on The Flash in Season 3 with Tobin Bell providing the uncredited voice work.[5] His precise motives and powers are unknown, but he has been shown manifesting from mirrors and has the ability to restore the powers of metahumans who existed in the alternate "Flashpoint" timeline created by Barry Allen when he saved his mother. Alchemy displays knowledge of the "Flashpoint" timeline even after Barry restores a variation of the original one.

Film

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In Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, Doctor Alchemy's costume can be seen in a display at Flash Museum during the fight between Flash and the Rogues.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Beatty, Scott (2008). The DC Comics Encyclopedia. New York: Dorling Kindersley Publishing. ISBN 0-7566-4119-5.
  2. ^ a b Who's Who in the DC Universe #6 (Aug. 1985)
  3. ^ The Flash (vol. 2) #71 (Feb. 1992)
  4. ^ The Flash (vol. 2) #202-206 (Nov. 2003 – March 2004)
  5. ^ Bucksbaum, Sydney (July 23, 2016). "Comic-Con: Flashpoint Debuts in First Trailer for 'The Flash' Season 3". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
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