SKULL (DC)
SKULL is an organization that features in DC Comics.
Contents |
History
SKULL
They actively recruited discredited geniuses and rogue super-scientists at the behest of Albert Michaels, the first Atomic Skull. Their criminal agenda often brought them into conflict with the terrorist organization known as Kobra. They later expanded their criminal empire to the West Coast. Albert Michaels was one of the sleeper agents of rogue SKULL scientist Alysia Damalis.
It was seemingly inactive until Simon Pons revitalized the group.
After securing their foothold, SKULL rapidly acquired access to the latest in high technology applications, due to their connections to Dr. Albert Michaels, the Chief Administrator of the Metropolis branch of S.T.A.R. Labs. Unbeknownst to Michaels's cohorts, he was afflicted with a seizure disorder that would eventually cause him to convulse to death, and only scientists in the employ of SKULL had an experimental cure in the form of a Radium-powered brain implant. SKULL offered to extend their services to Michaels in exchange for his clandestine support of their endeavors. (Superman v1 #323) At one point, SKULL raided an excavation site of the Kobra Cult to steal an alien matter-transporter ray they had uncovered. To sequester the device for further use, SKULL placed the matter-transporter ray in Michaels's custody, to be kept under wraps with the cover excuse of a secret S.T.A.R. R&D project. (Superman v1 #327) Eventually, SKULL inducted Roger Corben, the brother of the late Kryptonite-powered cyborg villain Metallo, into their ranks. Roger joined SKULL for a chance to get back at Superman, though SKULL's leaders had other ideas in mind once they learned from Michaels that various synthetic elements stored at S.T.A.R. Labs could be combined together into an artificial Kryptonite power source. During the consequent SKULL raid on S.T.A.R., Roger was deliberately crushed beneath a pile of falling debris by a laser-blast sent from his comrades. SKULL rebuilt Roger into a second Metallo, energized by their newly synthesized artificial Kryptonite, and kidnapped Steve Lombard to draw Metallo and Superman into a fight at a sports arena. Although at a disadvantage, Superman defeated Metallo, and Metallo activated a suicide button that seemingly deactivated his internal mechanics. (Superman v1 #310)
SKULL initiated another scheme to use a phoney meditation center as a front to brainwash Metropolis's political and economic elite into serving their purposes. Lois Lane stumbled onto this plot entirely by accident, while covering a more innocuous angle of the story for Morgan Edge, but quickly connected the SKULL brainwashing ring to the recent assassination of Metropolis's District Attorney. SKULL brainwashed Lois into searching out Clark Kent for assassination, but Clark switched in and out of his Superman alter ego at super-speed in order to confuse and break her mental programming at a subliminal level. (Superman Family v1 #184) Far from discouraged by past failures, SKULL had obtained intelligence that new Kryptonite samples had begun to find their way to Earth from space and launched an operation to recover these, codenamed "The Kryptonite Pipeline." Superman learned of the existence of the Pipeline while revisiting a site near a Central City ski resort where he had discovered Kryptonite embedded in the Earth's crust hours earlier. This was Superman's first indication that traces of Kryptonite crystals strewn throughout the underground had managed to avoid the iron-transmutation chain-reaction that destroyed the majority of Kryptonite on Earth a few years before. (Superman v1 #315)
The group was suffering from near collapse following Superman's capture of the Atomic Skull. Simon Pons rebuilt the organization as an international crime cartel that sought to forcibly recruit millionaires such as Earl J. Dukeston, prominent scientists like Helga Jace, and even Kobra himself. Pons blackmails Kobra using a cloned replica of his dead brother Jason Burr, which was genetically engineered by Doctor Chaysten. Pons threatens to kill the clone if Kobra does not work for SKULL. Kobra eventually joins with the Outsiders in order to defeat Pons and later escapes. Simon Pons and Doctor Chaysten were later captured by the Outsiders.
At one point, SKULL attempts to kidnap Metamorpho and use him to create plutonium.
Overview
Members
- Albert Michaels :
- Alysia Damalis :
- Doctor Chaysten :
- Duke of Oil :
- Major Disaster :
- Simon Pons :
Notes
- SKULL was created by Gerry Conway and Curt Swan where it made its first appearance in Superman v1 #301 (July, 1976).
Appearances
- Superman v1: (1976)
External Links
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