Doctor Nemesis

Latest revision as of 04:44, 4 September 2023

Doctor Nemesis in X-Club v1 #4.

Doctor Nemesis is a male comic character who features in Marvel Comics.

Biography

Origin

James Bradley was a male Mutant born in 1906 in San Francisco, California as the son of Dr. Nicola Bradley and Catherine Bradley. His parents were unaware the doctor performing the delivery was in fact the future grown-up version of James Bradley who'd traveled to the past to honor a promise he'd made to his mother. James' mother Catherine died during childbirth because of blood loss incurred by placenta previa. With his father gone too, James was raised by his grandparents John and Mary Price. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #512)

Before 1941, Bradley completed his work and the second android acted as the superhero Volton, the Human Generator. Unaware of its artificial origins, Bradley led Volton to believe it was a scientist named Guy Newton who had discovered how to utilize his body's power to generate static electricity. Around this time, Bradley also decided to become a masked crimefighter, too. While working by day at Mercy Hospital in New York City, he would don a surgical mask to fight corruption and crime as Doctor Nemesis. Called to the scene of a train wreck with Mary and other medical personnel, Bradley used his costumed identity to clear passenger Mack Keller of wrongful murder charges, exposing the true criminal, Bumps Burke. (Lightning Comics v1 #6)

Doctor Nemesis exposed the criminal practices of contractors McNulty and Mirch. (Lightning Comics v2 #1) Doctor Nemesis prevented a trio of foreign agents from attacking an important government official at Mercy Hospital. (Lightning Comics v2 #2) Doctor Nemesis stopped Blackie West and his gang from committing crimes with a knockout gas formula stolen from the murderered professor Forte. (Lightning Comics v2 #3) Doctor Nemesis exposed an automobile insurance scam managed by an insurance executive and his accomplices. (Lightning Comics v2 #4) Doctor Nemesis uncovered an extortion operation run by Dr. Conn of Mercy Hospital. (Lightning Comics v2 #5) While treating a malady at Camp Williams alongside several other doctors, Bradley discovered that the disease was being spread by the Nazi bacteriologist Dr. Riek. As Doctor Nemesis, he defeated Riek and his henchmen. (Lightning Comics v2 #6) While working at City Hospital on a cure for a 'black plague' with Dr. Lionell, Bradley discovered that the criminal called the Surgeon was spreading the plague throughout the city via trained rats. Doctor Nemesis defeated the Surgeon and exposed him as Dr. Blackston, the superintendent of City Hospital. (Lightning Comics v3 #1)

Some time after the incident, Bradley was approached by agents of the Third Reich who wanted to recruit him to their cause. Disillusioned by his life and feeling that his talents were underappreciated, Bradley agreed. Under their orders, he organized the Battle-Axis, a team made up of other disillusioned superheroes. At this point, he started calling himself Doctor Death and adapted a decisively more malevolent demeanor. (Invaders v2 #1) The Battle Axis embarked on a complex scheme that would force the USA to withdraw from the war. Known as Project Mojave, it revolved around the oscillotron, a device that Bradley invented. It was designed to cause a severe earthquake on the west coast that would destroy war industry plants and release poison gas from underground storage. (Invaders v2 #2) The idea was that the USA would have to leave the war to deal with the resulting crisis. Knowing the Invaders might be able to stop them, Battle Axis tried to neutralize the heroes first. (Invaders v2 #3) Doctor Death explained his plans to the captive Invaders, but when he departed to tend to his plans, the Invaders managed to escape and again engaged the Battle-Axis in battle. During the melee, Death managed to activate the oscillotron, only to be struck down by Volton and left for dead. The fighting continued until Namor destroyed the oscillotron, while the Vision, deciding against further alliance with Battle-Axis, teleported the poison gas away with him. (Invaders v2 #4)

After the war many Nazi superscientists wound up in Argentina and would continue their experiments. Determined to hunt them down Doctor Nemesis moved to Argentina. During one of his Nazi hunts, Dr Nemesis stopped Herr Nachtersteller who created dozens of tube-grown supernazis who were part of the Futurfuhrer's Genetikorps. Dr Nemesis drove his thumbs into his eyes, possibly killing the Nazi scientist. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #504) Among his fights, he was known to had battled Nazi dolphins. (X-Men: Blind Science v1 #1) He was also involved in the slaughter of Nazi Dinosaurs, reverse engineering Aryan Influenza, sabotaging the SS clonelabs of Peru and outplayed the Kosmic Kommandant at Quantum Chess. (X-Men: Curse of the Mutants - Smoke & Blood v1 #1)

X-Men

Bradley was later operating from Buenos Aires, Argentina when he was tracked down by Warren Worthington III and Hank McCoy who wanted to recruit him to undo the spell that had shut down the X-Gene. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #504) He though had no interest in helping them as he was busy hunting test tube Nazis and super scientists. However, after defeating two Super Nazis, he agreed to join McCoy's science team. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #506) They also gathered Madison Jeffries and Yuriko Takiguchi before returning to San Francisco to meet with Kavita Rao and discuss ways to save mutantkind. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #507) Nemesis admitted that he might have joined the X-Men out of nostalgia because they were settled in San Francisco, his place of birth. The first step was to look at pre-mutant DNA from Namor's era to discover what caused an evolutionary leap, and it was revealed by McCoy and Bradley that his parents were the best candidates of study on that subject, as he was born in 1906. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #508)

The X-Club succeeded in sending a machine to the future. Bradley's prickly personality did not make him too popular on Utopia. He mocked Madison Jeffries when the quirky technopath told him he'd had an interesting talk with Forge's coffeemaker. Dr. Kavita Rao commented that it had to be hard to be so difficult all the time, wondering if Nemesis never worried he'd end up all alone and unloved knowing so many of his former colleagues would use his grave for a toilet. Before Bradley could react Beast entered their lab. Jeffries told everyone about the machine they'd sent into the future, wondering if they could also send it to the past, sometime before Scarlet Witch's reality altering spell. Rao and Takiguchi picked up on Jeffries train of thought and decided it best to study the parents of a first generation mutant to see what genetic indicators and eccentricities made such an evolutionary leap possible. Takiguchi noted if anybody knew a couple about to give birth to a first-generation mutant a century ago, prompting Beast to look at Nemesis. Bradley then revealed he was born in 1906 and was a first-generation mutant himself. He had been using an aggressive array of bizarre narcotics of his own invention to keep himself young and vital. Bradley revealed he was born in San Francisco and would continue to aid the X-Club in finding a resolution. The X-Club agreed to their plan and prepared a ways to travel to the past. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #509) Bradley and the X-Club were quarantined to the vault when the X-Men came under attack from the Sisterhood of Mutants. When they were released from quarantine Bradley met up with the other X-Men and had a slight altercation with Wolverine. However, Cyclops stopped the two from bickering and explained why the X-Club had been quarantined, deeming them valuable assets he didn't want to be endangered by combat. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #510)

Beast called a meeting of the X-Club, to further discuss their plan to travel back to 1906 and study the parents of a first generation mutant to discover a way to reverse the mutant decimation event. During the meeting, Beast revealed that the machine they'd previously used to travel forward could be modified to go back as well, allowing them 32 hours in the past. Moments later, Angel arrived with Psylocke, announcing she'd be joining the X-Club on their trip to the past. Ready to go, Bradley revealed just why they were going back to 1906: they were going after his parents Nicola and Catherine Bradley. By studying their genetic material, they could determine what genetic match caused the creation of homo superior. Bradley and the X-Club successfully used the time machine to travel back to 1906. In San Francisco's Mission District, they quickly located the Bradley family home. Somewhat afraid to face a mother he had never met since she died giving birth to him, Bradley chose to stay behind while the X-Club went up to the Bradley residence. Psylocke used her telepathy to make the group appear like plainclothes civilians of the era, nevertheless Catherine Bradley answered the door by pulling two guns on them. She made it clear they weren't interested in whatever the travelers came to do, disappointed the X-Club returned to their base to discuss their plan. With only fifteen hours left it was decided the group would split up and approach one of the Bradley's independently; Takiguchi, Rao and Angel would go after Catherine while Beast, Jeffries and Psylocke would find Nicola. Nemesis explained he would ghost both teams, but preferred to stay out of it and handed both teams vials for them to collect their blood. The X-Club was unaware Nicola Bradley was in the middle of creating a generator-battery which would supply San Francisco with clean and free wireless electricity. His creation also attracted the attention of Cornelius Shaw and Lord Molyneux, leader of the Hellfire Club who wanted to use his invention as a power source for their mechanical creation, the Sentinel. Much later that night Nemesis was contacted by Takiguchi, Rao and Angel who'd just rescued Catherine from a group of Hellfire Club goons who wished to kidnap her. Although the goons were defeated Catherine collapsed and started losing blood. Nemesis was called to rescue his own mother. Catherine was placed in her bed while Nemesis examined the unconscious woman and discovered she suffered from placenta previa. Nemesis nevertheless took a sample of Catherine's blood for later study. Nemesis sat beside his mother when she regained consciousness, after he explained what had transpired he revealed she was suffering from placenta previa and had to be confined to bed as her life depended on it. When she asked about her baby's health Nemesis told her his heartbeat sounded strong, meaning he was a fighter. Surprised, the weary Catherine asked how on earth a doctor could determine the sex from the sounds of a heartbeat, prompting Nemesis to call it a hunch. He then promised to stay with her during the pregnancy. Nemesis quietly left the room to talk to Takiguchi, Rao and Angel, revealing his mother would die in childbirth. However, before they could do something they witnessed Nicola and their friends being chased by a giant Sentinel. Shaw had succeeded in stealing Nicola's power source and now planned to use his Sentinel to kill the mutants. The X-Club joined forces and successfully destroyed the Sentinel. When it was destroyed, one of the machine's steel blades fatally injured Nicola. Catherine had witnessed the fight and although having promised to remain in bed ran to her husband's side. While Nicola lay dying Nemesis remembered his mission and quickly took a blood sample of Nicola's after which the man asked for his name. Nemesis revealed he was called James, prompting Nicola to reply that was a fine name for a boy. As the X-Club's time was running out he quickly handed the samples to Catherine ordering her to bury them in the Golden Gate Park after which the X-Club were transported to their own time. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #512)

Afterwards, he began to operate from a well-defended laboratory where he performed his experiments in seclusion. This facility was later broken into by Cable who had recently lost his telepathic abilities and wanted to recruit Bradley to be part of a new X-Force. Doctor Nemesis came to accept the offer and joined the team where he joined Domino, Hope, and Forge all of whom were helping Cable in his new mission. (Cable and X-Force v1 #1)

He was approached by the Black Panther T'Challa who asked to Doctor Nemesis to become one of his Agents of Wakanda that were part of an active support staff to assist the Avengers. Bradley accepted and he was stationed at their new headquarters situated at Avengers Mountain. (Avengers v8 #12) During the War of the Realms, he participated in the fight against the Dark Council whilst treating the wounded at the Avenger's mountain headquarters. (Avengers v8 #19)

House of X

After the establishment of Krakoa, the living island came to be considered the homeland of a new Mutant nation where all of their kind were invited to it.

It was revealed that Doctor Nemesis came to be assigned to the science division where he was instrumental in deriving the pharmaceuticals called the Flowers of Krakoa that came to be the island's primary export. (Way of X v1 #1)

During the Cotati invasion, he accompanied the Vision to Central Park when the pair were informed by Luke Cage about the plant life seeded in the area by the alien invaders. (Empyre: Avengers v1 #1)

He was later recruited by Nightcrawler to investigate the disappearance of Legion where they found David Haller at an Orchis facility. Doctor Nemesis determined that the organization had used Legion's brain to help project the collapse of Krakoa and a means of accelerating it. Legion's brain was then killed by Nightcrawler whereupon he came to resurrect himself on Krakoa. (Way of X v1 #2)

Overview

Personality and attributes

As a supervillain, he came to operate under the name of Dr. Death. (Invaders v2 #1)

It was noted that he did not believe in magic and was a man of science. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #504)

Bradley came to be regarded as the world's leading super-Nazi hunter. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #504)

He was the son of Dr. Nicola Bradley who was a noted scientist and inventor with his mother being Catherine Bradley who was held as her husband's better half. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #512)

Powers and abilities

He made eyes of his own design that were capable of seeking out genetic aberrant. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #504)

He was able to see muscles and organs below the skin level along with the capacity to see invisible beings. (X-Men: Blind Science v1 #1)

The gun fired hypos loaded with dangerous narcotics of his own invention that were capable of bringing down all kinds of genetic aberrants. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #504)

Bradley was easily augment the physiological structures of both himself and others. (Cable and X-Force v1 #16)

With his oscillotron device, he was capable of triggering major earthquakes.

Notes

• Doctor Nemesis was created by Roy Thomas and Dave Hoover where he made his first appearance in Invaders v2 #1 (May, 1993).

Alternate Versions

• In Age of Apocalypse v2 #1 (2015), an alternate version of Doctor Nemesis where he appeared on Battleworld in the Domain of Apocalypse on Earth-51518.

Appearances

• Invaders v2: (1993)
• X-Club v1:
• X-Force:
• Cable and the X-Force v1:
• Avengers v8:
• Way of X v1:

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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