Project Cadmus

Project Cadmus is a government research project that features in DC Comics.

History

Pre-Crisis

The first D.N.Alien grew rapidly and turned hostile forcing the Project to stop it when it reached adolescence. It contained such power that it damaged the facility cutting off communications with the rest of the world and led to tremors that affected the surface but the creature burnt itself out with it dying in the process. From this incident, the Project managed to learn how to keep future D.N.Alien alive and prevent them from dying in this manner. (Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen v1 #143)

Post-Crisis

The Cadmus Project was originally a program tasked with unravelling the mysteries of genetics and had been a secret government experiment. (Superman Annual v2 #2)

Secretly, the Apokoliptian known as Sleez subverted the entire scientific facility with his mental powers to accomplish his own warped desires. (Superman Annual v2 #2)

A super-powered clone of Jimmy Olsen made a countermeasure against Superman if he ever went rogue was accidentally released and attempted to escape Cadmus. This led to a battle with Guardian and the Newsboy Legion who successfully defeated the rampaging experiment. (Superman v2 #54)

After the death of Superman at the hands of Doomsday, the heads of the D.N.A. Project authorised efforts at creating a clone of the Man of Steel. Under the supervision of Director Westfield, Dr. Carl Packard was tasked with supervising Experiment 13 that resulted in the creation of a clone Superboy. However, before safeguards could be implanted in the subject, he was freed from Lab 13 by the Newsboy Legion who believed that he deserved to be free rather than locked away in a laboratory for experiments. (Adventures of Superman v1 #500)

An organization known as the Agenda established itself as a success to Cadmus looking to take the project's genetic research work even further. To achieve that end, they captured Superboy and through a study of his genetics created what they believed was a superior version in Match. (Superboy v4 #35)

A revitalised Project Cadmus was formed with it recruiting Professor Ivo into their ranks who operated from one of their cloaked facilities in Vietnam. (Power Girl v2 19)

Following the arrival of a fleet of alien ships to Earth, Chloe Sullivan travelled to the Project Cadmus Extraterrestrial Research Division for answers. (Jimmy Olsen v1 #1)

Post-Flashpoint

Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.

Overview

It was also known as the D.N.A. Project. (Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen v1 #143) It was based in an old aqueduct system located far beneath Metropolis. (Superman Annual v2 #2)

The essence of the Project was studying the secret of life that was hidden in the DNA molecule so that it could be extracted for mankind's benefit. Genetic experiments were divided into three categories including the normals, the step-ups and the aliens. These were the products of the human cell being subjected to a wide range of conditions that yielded some strange developments. (Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen v1 #136)

Within in special tanks, life was grown that could be designed for special tasks. (Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen v1 #136)

Other creations of Cadmus included:

• B.A.D. Box : Brainwave Activity Detection Box was designed to detect the unique and unusual brainwave patterns inherent in clones. (Superman v2 #54)
• G.E.L.F. : Genetically Engineered Life Forms were products of new Cadmus with them being creations of Professor Ivo with them resembling a combination of different creatures. (Power Girl v2 #19)
• Hyperion 1.0 : an ambient tech product of Project Cadmus in association with Cadmus Business Solutions that took a humanoid form and programming which became known as Mr. Minos. (Nightwing v4 #30)

A piece of equipment were standard issue Cadmus translator packs that were used to communicate with other species. (JLA v1 #42)

As an underground facility, the only source of light was generated artificially. (Superman Annual v2 #2) Within the main Cadmus facility, a particular section present was Monster Alley that was used as a containment site for a number of D.N.Aliens that had been created and gone on the rampage. The subjects were referred to as the Sleeping Monsters due to the fact that all were in vegetative states or in comas. (Martian Manhunter v2 #3) In Salem, the organization maintained a the Cadmus Facility Delta as one of its places of operations. (Adventure Comics Special Featuring Guardian v1 #1) It maintained a half-way house in Suicide Slum in Metropolis with this being the Hobbsview Manor. (Adventures of Superman v1 #539)

Members

• Paul Westfield :
• Dabney Donovan :
• Mickey Cannon :
• Serling Roquette :
• Adam Winterbourne :
• Carl Packard :
• Shino Kurosawa :
• Jim Harper :
• Dubbilex :
• Angry Charlie :
• Floyd Barstow : a male clone of notorious criminal ‘Bullets’ Barstow who served as a security guard but the cloning process led to him gaining the power to adopt the properties of any substance he touched. This combined with his mental crisis over having murderous tendencies like his clone-source caused him to become the supervillain Anomaly. (Adventures of Superman v1 #539)
• Gwendoline Harper : a young female child clone of Jim Harper who was rescued by the first clone of him and raised as his daughter. (Adventure Comics Special Featuring Guardian v1 #1)
• Catherine Devereux : a black female research scientist who specialised in advanced genetics and bio-engineering. (Superman v5 #60)
• Bette Noir : a female D.N.Alien that existed as an immobile mass of flesh but had powerful psionic abilities allowing her to manifest a physical form by launching telepathic energy from those around her. In this form, she was free to roam the world until Martian Manhunter severed her abilities leaving her trapped within her body. (Martian Manhunter v2 #3)
• X.X.X. : a younger male clone of Dubbilex with this version having Kryptonian DNA added into his genetic makeup whilst his age was accelerated along with his education being implanted. He was raised and catalogued by the ‘father system’ with him deprived of a normal upbringing. Catherine Devereux attempted to bond with him though X.X.X. grew resentful of his creators and rebelled were he took the name ‘Alex’ with him coming into conflict with Supergirl. (Supergirl v5 #63)
• Tekka : a young red haired female member of the Hairies who was regarded as a prodigy and was under the tutelage of the Gadget Genius. (Superboy v4 #60)

Notes

• The Project was created by Jack Kirby where it made its first appearance in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen v1 #133 (October, 1970).

Alternate versions

• In All-Star Superman v1 (2006), the Cadmus Division was part of the United States Army before it changed into the DNA P.R.O.J.E.C.T. It was stated that Leo Quintum was responsible for resurrecting the organization and directed it towards engineering new human forms. Among their creations were photosynthetic Bizarro worker drones, giant blue-skinned Voyager Titans anaerobic meganthropes able to survive unaided deep-space exploration and genetically engineered Nanonauts that explored the mysteries of the cell.

In other media

Television

• In Justice League Unlimited, Project Cadmus appeared in the setting of the animated television series set in the DC Animated Universe. They were a secret division within the U.S. government that was tasked with neutralising the perceived threat posed by the Justice League.
• In Supergirl, Project Cadmus made an appearance as an antagonist in the episode "Manhunter". It was a genetic engineering facility that dissected aliens to weaponise alien abilities for military purposes with no one knowing its location. After J'onn J'onzz and Alex Danvers were arrested by the military, they were ready for transportation to Project Cadmus. Cadmus was responsible for taking the mortally wounded John Corben and transforming him into Metallo.
• In Titans, Cadmus Labs appeared in the live-action television series in the episode "Dick Grayson" where it was shown to exist in Metropolis. An incident emerged where an experimental test subject broke himself out and a captive dog before departing the area. It was shown as being a subsidiary of LexCorp where they were responsible for creating clones of Superman to serve as weapons. To create a successful subject, geneticist Eve Watson suggested bridging the gap with human DNA with Lex Luthors genetic material being used as part of the process. B-13 was the only successful creation who awoke after hearing the experiments on Krypto and he escaped Cadmus Labs with the dog.

Films

• In All-Star Superman, the DNA P.R.O.J.E.C.T. made an appearance in the animated film that was based on the comic story. It was headed by Dr. Leo Quintum that were involved in genetic research.
• In Green Lantern, Cadmus was referenced in the background of the live-action film. It appeared in the background as a sign stating "Cadmus" when Amanda Waller and Hector Hammond entered the top-secret D.E.O. facility.
• In The Death of Superman, Cadmus was referenced in the setting of the 2018 animated film. Lex Luthor was in charge of the program and wanted the deceased remains of Doomsday shipped to him for study but Jenet Klyburn refused with her instead intending to send the creatures corpse launched into space.

Video Games

• In DC Universe Online, Project Cadmus was mentioned as one faction supporting the Justice League by offering equipment to players. One event for players took them to Area 51 that was a Cadmus facility funded by the government in the study of Kryptonite and its effects which came under attack from Brainiac's forces.

Appearances

• Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen v1: (1970)
• Superboy v2:
• All-Star Superman v1:
• Power Girl v1:
• Supergirl:

External Links

• Comicvine Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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