Detective Chimp
Detective Chimp is an animal comic character who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Pre-Crisis
Bobo T. Chimpanzee
Years ago, Detective Chimp became a huge fan of Rex, the Wonder Dog, and started collecting memorabilia and assembling a scrapbook. Rex was performing at a local circus benefit, and Sheriff Case took Bobo to the show. Bobo was so excited that he inadvertently paid for his ticket with his lucky silver dollar. Case and Bobo watched the show, and realized Rex was definitely showing his age, as his tightrope act got botched. Case and Bobo met rex and Rex’s handler Danny Dennis backstage, and Rex gave Bobo a souvenir from one of his cases. Crooks robbed the circus, and Rex left in pursuit. Bobo remembered his silver dollar, and assumed his new friend was trying to get it back for him. They boarded a ship the crooks took off in, and arrived on Bimini island. Rex fended off local crocodiles, and was gravely injured. Bobo found a stream and brought him water, hich they both drank. The water was actually from the legendary Fountain of Youth that Ponce de Leon failed to find, and both animals found themselves restored to their prime. They took down the crooks, and alerted the coast guard. Detective Chimp continued to follow Rex, the Wonder Dog’s exploits, and was glued to the television when Rex became the first dog on the moon. (DC Comics Presents v1 #35)
Post-Crisis
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Bobo was a male chimpanzee who lived with his tribe in equatorial Africa until the summer of 1956 where he was captured by an animal trainer named Fred Thorpe. He was then taken to America to be the star of a travelling sideshow act where he was given the name of Bobo the Amazing Detective Chimp. In this time, he was promoted as a detective who made deductions which was used to attract customers though in reality this was a scam involving a combination of signals and trained responses made by reward and punishment system. One day, his circuit took him to rural Florida where he became acquainted with a dog who was a friend that accidentally led him to the Fountain of Youth. Drinking from its waters expanded Bobo's intellect and mind until he was able to speak where he became a genuine detective. However, the sideshow was ruined by him displaying human intelligence and actual investigative insight. (Day of Vengeance v1 #4)
One account claimed that his intelligence was the result of experimentation by a microscopic alien race. (Secret Origins v2 #40)
The Spectre was later driven insane by the manipulations of the Eclipso-possessed Jean Loring. This resulted in the Spirit of Vengeance looking to purge the world of magic which he deemed as being evil. Detective Chimp and several other mystical heroes gathered by Nightmaster gathered in opposition to the Spectre Force. In this time, Rook decided to make the group into a team of mystical superheroes to combat this threat. (Day of Vengeance v1 #2)
Bobo also helped clean up the demonic damage left from the Rock of Eternity's explosion over Gotham City. He captured Sloth of the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man which had possessed his long-time friend Rex the Wonder Dog. After the Rock is reformed, the sins re-imprisoned, and all magical influence cleaned out of Gotham, the dying Doctor Fate gives Detective Chimp the powerful Helmet of Fate. After finding it does not fit him, Detective Chimp convinces Captain Marvel to throw it to Earth, to let fate choose its next bearer. (Day of Vengeance: Infinite Crisis Special v1 #1)
When the helmet of Doctor Fate returns to Earth, Detective Chimp for a brief time bonds with it, granting him additional powers that he uses to assist the Gotham City police in apprehending the villain Trickster. After struggling against the temptation of the helmet, Bobo sends it on to another journey. (Helmet of Fate: Detective Chimp v1 #1)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
He was at the Oblivion Bar where they discussed the current state of the world as the establishment was filled with magical denizens fleeing for their lives. Traci 13 then came rushing inside to warn them that the Otherkind had come but she was too late the Upside-Down Man arrived at the scene. He stated that his and his kin had been feasting on magical beings but they wanted more and they began to attack the people at the bar. Several were killed before Etrigan managed to put up a fiery wall to keep them at bay whilst Bobo in desperation decided to use the Nightmaster's sword to open a doorway to Myrra. This was to allow everyone to flee there to safety and though they managed to escape the Otherkind they were confronted by the Lords of Order led by Nabu who were ready to enact their own scheme. (Justice League Dark v2 #8)
Overview
Personality and attributes
He was given the name Bobo by his animal trainer though stated that this was not his actual name but refused to divulge his true identity. (Day of Vengeance v1 #4)
Bobo occasionally assisted Batman in his cases by way of a chat room where they swap theories. The Riddler was also known to chat with them but was unaware of the identity of the other two people. (Detective Comics v1 #845)
Powers and abilities
Originally, Bob was an ordinary chimpanzee who grew old suffered the effects of age where he was unable to perform acts as he did when he was younger. This changed when he drank from the waters of the legendary Fountain of Youth that made him younger again. (DC Comics Presents v1 #35) The mystical waters were responsible for imparting immortality and linguistic capability to him. (Day of Vengeance v1 #2) It magically expanded his awareness beyond measure where he was able to speak to any animal in any language with this including humans. (Day of Vengeance v1 #4) He was shown to possess an Intelligence Quotient estimated to be higher than 98 percent of the adult (human) population, as evidenced by his Mensa membership and his ability to decode the Voynich manuscript which remained unsolved for over five hundred years. (Justice League Dark v1 #6)
He was once a member of the U.S. government's Bureau of Amplified Animals. (Green Lantern v3 #30)
Notes
- Detective Chimp was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino where he made his first appearance in Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog v1 #4 (July–August, 1952).
Alternate Versions
In other media
Television
- In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Detective Chimp appeared in the animated television series in the episode "The Golden Age of Justice!" where he was voiced by actor Kevin Michael Richardson. Detective Chimp was recently called in by Batman to help solve the theft of the Golden Skull on the Gatsby Estate. He examined Gatsby's beneficiaries and systematically unraveled their secrets. However, before he could get to Ms. Gatsby, she turned to be False Face. While trying to get away, he slipped on a banana peel left by Chimp. Together, he and Batman delivered the knockout blow to the villain. Batman and Chimp confronted Gorilla Grodd when they discovered he was poaching gorillas to build a new army. Disguised as a butler, he went ahead of Batman to infiltrate Grodd's compound but was caught and bound in the path of a laser beam along with Batman. Batman used his quick thinking and used Detective Chimp's magnifying glass to refract the laser to its cannon's base. While flirting with Vixen, Batman and B'Wana Beast formulated a plan to fuse Chimp with a bee to steal the keys to their cage at the Gotham Zoo. During the final battle, Chimp declined Grodd's offer to join him. He then used a Tibetan mind control resistance technique learned from Batman to stay free of Grodd's Mind Control Module. Chimp later used his martial arts knowledge to defeat Monsieur Mallah.
Films
Video games
Appearances
- Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog v1: (1952)
- Shadowpact v1:
- Helmet of Fate: Detective Chimp v1:
- Justice League Dark v2: (2018)
External Links
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