Warning: contains spoilers for Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate #1!The Doom Patrol have a shocking new enemy, one even deadlier than Mister Nobody. Mister Nobody has been a perpetual thorn in the team’s side, but in the story 'Storm Damaged,' appearing in Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate #1, the team makes a new enemy, and it is not some bizarre threat from another dimension, or an alien invasion force. Instead, the team’s new opponent is none other than the United States government! This new villain is part of a new shocking status quo for the Doom Patrol.
The story is written by Dennis Culver, DRAWN by Chris Burnham, colored by Brian Reber and lettered by Steve Wands. In the story, Colonel Blanche calls in a favor with the Negative Man, asking him and the Doom Patrol to investigate a research base. The base has gone dark in the wake of the Lazarus Rain; one of the personnel has mutated into a metahuman monster, and Blanche wants the Doom Patrol to retrieve him. The Doom Patrol soon learns there is more going on under the surface, as the "monster" poses no real threat. The Doom Patrol try to escort the new metahuman out, but are confronted by General Blanche and armed guards. After taunting the team, he gets a hint of their raw power, and knowing he is outgunned, decides to retreat. Before he does, he asks them “how long do you think the U.S. will allow all you living weapons on our soil?”
The Doom Patrol Are Taking on America
Jane, the Doom Patrol’s new Chief, takes Blanche up on the threat, making it clear that if the government wants to make an enemy of the Doom Patrol, the team are more than ready to reply in kind.
Since their introduction 60 years ago, the Doom Patrol has lived up to the moniker of the "world’s strangest heroes," and their villains have been no exception. None is more bizarre, and more deadly, than Mister Nobody. Originally a nondescript member of the Brotherhood of Evil, he underwent experiments by a Nazi scientist, which turned him into the insane Mister Nobody. He retook command of the Brotherhood of Evil, turning it into the Brotherhood of Dada. As leader, Nobody launched a number of bizarre but horrifying and deadly schemes, each time thwarted by the Doom Patrol. Nobody even went as far as to run for President of the United States.
The Doom Patrol Has a New Type of Villain
But now, the Doom Patrol is heading into a bold new era which calls for a new type of villain. The story introduces a new tagline for the team: “the World’s Strangest Superheroes are saving the world by saving the monsters.” Indeed, they save a monster in this issue from a hellish fate and in the process incurs the wrath of the United States government - the ultimate symbol of the status quo that will never accept the Doom Patrol. Jane’s words to Blanche at the end almost guarantee a showdown is coming between the military and the Doom Patrol; for the first time, the American government (and perhaps others) are realizing what a potentially volatile weapon the Doom Patrol can be. The team’s mission represents a threat not only to national security but societal standards as well, making them something that must be dealt with.
This March, the Doom Patrol will return for a new, six-issue miniseries titled The Unstoppable Doom Patrol, which promises a new take on the venerable team, and as they head for a new era, they will have new villains. For now at least, it appears the Doom Patrol has swapped out bizarre villains like Mister Nobody for a shocking, and all-too-real foe: the United States government.
Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate #1 is on sale now from DC Comics!