Doctor Polaris
From Superhero Wiki Encyclopedia
 Home Books Clothing DVDs Posters Toys Video Games |
Boards Comic Book News Comic Conventions Clips and Trailers |
Gallery Features Link to us Online Comic Books |
Resources Store Superhero Wiki Wallpaper |
Doctor Polaris is a DC Comics supervillain who is chiefly an enemy of Green Lantern. He first appeared in Green Lantern #21 (June 1962), in the story "The Man Who Mastered Magnetism."
Contents |
character biography
Neal Emerson and his brother John were raised by an abusive father (although a later flashback shows him raised by an abusive aunt). This apparently drove Neal Emerson within himself and led to the creation of the personification of his own dark side. Emerson left the United States for a year and returned to find he was an uncle. His brother John and sister-in-law Katherine had adopted a baby and named him Grant. Emerson was not around much for his nephew over the years, but he was quite fond of the boy.
As a medical student, Neal Emerson develops a fanatical interest in magnets, despite the teasings of his classmates. Emerson is convinced exposure to magnetic fields will give him more energy. He later holds crowd-drawing lectures on "Health via Magnetism." Due to his medical background and belief in magnetism, Emerson adopts the name "Doctor Polaris." He even designs a special costume and mask to wear for his public appearances.
After time Emerson came to believe he had absorbed too much magnetic energy, and unsuccessfully tries to drain off the excess energy. In desperation, Emerson tries to make a public appeal at a charity event to Green Lantern, believing Green Lantern's power ring can help him. Unfortunately, putting on the costume causes the evil persona of Doctor Polaris to take over Emerson, and he robs the box office of the proceeds instead. Polaris tries to draw a magnetic gun on Green Lantern, but is knocked unconscious by the Latern instead. At the hospital, Green Lantern probes Polaris' mind, and learns of Emerson's evil side. Shortly thereafter, Polaris recovers and attacks Green Lantern from hiding with girders and other metal objects. The Green Lantern manages to draw Polaris out into the open and defeat him. Doctor Polaris is remanded to police custody; during that time, his "good self" resurfaces.
Doctor Polaris apparently returns to battle Green Lantern and the Justice League alongside Killer Moth, Dagon, the Mask and the Pied Piper, but it is later revealed the demons Abnegazar, Rath and Ghast had created magical duplicates of the villains. The League even has to battle the villains' costumes before ultimately defeating the demons three.
Doctor Polaris was later released from imprisonment during one of his "good" periods. He attempted to discover the source of Green Lantern's power by kidnapping his friend, Tom Kalmaku. Polaris learned Green Lantern's power battery was hidden at Ferris Aircraft and was able to put a magnetic barrier around it, which prevented Green Lantern from fully charging his ring. The hero tracked Kalmaku to Polaris' lair as his power ring ran out of energy. Polaris turned his weapon on the Green Lantern, apparently killing him. The emerald gladiator's body disappeared.
What Doctor Polaris did not know was that Green Lantern was taken to Oa, home of the Guardians of the Universe, the masters of the Green Lantern Corps. Due to the magnetic effect of Polaris' weapon, they believed Jordan was dead. To complicate matters further, Jordan was taken into the 58th Century where he battled a threat to the Earth in the identity of Pol Manning, space explorer. Returning to the 20th Century, Green Lantern defeated a surprised Doctor Polaris. After reviving him, Jordan revealed to Kalmaku the "good" nature of Neal Emerson had lessened the effect of Doctor Polaris' weapon, thereby saving the ring wielder.
A reformed Emerson travelled to the Earth's magnetic North pole to study it. Emerson was at the point where the lines of magnetic force converge when an earthquake plunged him into a deep crevice. At the bottom of the crevice lay a glowing blue blob. The radiation from the blob altered Emerson's perceptions, allowing him to understand the blob's intentions to dehydrate the entire Earth. Though weak, Emerson was able to subconsciously influence Hal Jordan into becoming Green Lantern, but was unable to bring the Lantern to the North Pole. In desperation, Emerson created a mental duplicate of his evil alter ego. Doctor Polaris took advantage of the situation and attacked Green Lantern by blocking his power battery with a magnetic barrier. Doctor Polaris flew into Earth's orbit in order to increase the solar radiation reaching the planet. As he left the Earth's magnetic field, the barrier around the power ring faded, allowing Green Lantern to recover. Green Lantern managed to use micrometeorites to form an iron mask around Polaris' head, blocking off his vision. Back on Earth, Emerson was able to use telepathy to warn Green Lantern of the alien threat. Once Green Lantern disintegrated the blob, the mental image of the evil Doctor Polaris faded away.
Years later, Emerson's dark side returns. Returning to his old costume, Polaris takes the name of Baxter Timmons and moves to Metropolis' Suicide Slum, where he steals advanced technology from warehouses throughout the city. Polaris integrates the new magnetic circuits into his costume, as part of an attempt to gain revenge on Green Lantern. Polaris' plans are stopped through the efforts of the superhero Black Lightning.
Over the years, the Polaris and Emerson personalities fought for dominance, until Polaris was approached by the demon Neron. Polaris sold Neron Emerson's soul in exchange for greater power and being rid of the other, restraining side of his personality. Polaris was one of Neron's lieutenants before being betrayed by Lex Luthor and the Joker.
Polaris later attacks Steel in Washington D.C., seeking a weapon called the Annihilator that Steel had built. During the battle, Steel's grandmother attacks Polaris and is killed. Polaris is driven away after the Parasite attacks him. Parasite, afraid of absorbing Polaris's mind and not just his power, lets him go before killing him. Polaris flees to Keystone City.
Some time after that, Polaris shows up at Poseidonis in an attempt to seize control of the city, prompting a battle against Aquaman and his allies. At that same time, Maxima is in the city trying to force Aquaman to marry her. Using her powerful mental abilities, Maxima compells Polaris into believing that his alternate personality has reemerged, forcing him into a nearly catatonic state.
Under unknown circumstances, the catatonic Polaris ends being held in Iraq, but he is rescued by Hatchet, Heat Wave and Sonar. The trio planned to carry him in the Aurora Borealis to the magnetic North Pole for recharge, thinking that he would be thankful with them and would lead them. They fought The Flash, Green Arrow and Green Lantern. When Polaris recovered, the Flash gave him a bit of his speed, which had the same effect as applying kinetic energy to a magnet; Doctor Polaris' body attracted the remains of the sunken Aurora Borealis, which contained him. (Green Lantern #96, Green Arrow #130 and Flash #135)
In 2001, Polaris emerges during the Joker's Last Laugh crisis attempting to take control of the magnetic south pole itself, forcing a battle against the Justice League. At the end of Last Laugh, the Slab metahuman prison is moved to Antarctica, as Polaris now is the magnetic pole, and cannot be moved.
Infinite Crisis
Shortly before Infinite Crisis, Dr Polaris appears in Metropolis, seeking Superman's help in battling a more powerful and ruthless magnetism manipulator who calls herself Repulse. It eventually transpires that this is a new manifestation of his personality disorder; Polaris is hallucinating Repulse (who looks like the aunt who hated him), and performs her actions himself. Eventually, Superman forces him to accept she is not real.
After recovering from this breakdown, Polaris was recruited by Lex Luthor's Secret Society of Super Villains in Villains United. Dr. Polaris was one of the villains waiting to ambush the Freedom Fighters in a warehouse south of Metropolis in the beginning of Infinite Crisis. As the Human Bomb watched his allies be beaten to death, especially when Phantom Lady was impaled by Deathstroke, he became enraged. After Dr. Polaris taunted the living bomb, he was blown into pieces by the Human Bomb's explosive rage.Infinite Crisis #1 In Justice League of America #11, a Dr. Polaris is mentioned, having fought League members Red Arrow and Vixen. The battle occurred off-panel, but he appeared in a panel in Justice League of America #17. It is uncertain if this is Emerson, somehow resurrected, or a new Dr. Polaris.
In Justice League of America #21, someone that looks like Dr. Polaris can be seen among the recruits of Libra's new Secret Society.
A new Doctor Polaris appears in Blue Beetle #32.
Powers and abilities
Doctor Polaris is capable of manipulating and channelling magnetic fields. He can manipulate iron and iron-based alloys to his whim. He can explode most metal constructs, manipulate ferrous materials and also fly using his power.
Dr. Polaris has been known to lose his powers many times when around extreme heat because heat makes objects lose their magnetism. Another one of his weaknessess is attacks by telepathy, due to his fragile psyche.
Other media
In Justice League Unlimited, Dr. Polaris (wearing his original costume and voiced by Michael Rosenbaum) is seen as a member of the new Secret Society led by Gorilla Grodd. He and the Key rescue Lex Luthor from the pursuing cops and brought him to Grodd. He, Lex Luthor, and Key raid the Blackhawks old base and battle Hawkgirl, Flash, Fire and a retired Blackhawk and are able to get away by putting the base on self-destruct which is aborted. Here, he is portrayed as one of the Legion's most powerful members.
Dr. Polaris returns in the episode "The Great Brain Robbery", in which he attempts to wrest control of the organization from Lex Luthor. Luthor reveals that when he augmented Polaris' powers, he installed failsafes that allow him override Polaris' powers.
