Chemical King
| Chemical King | |
|---|---|
.png) Chemical King as depicted in Secret Origins #47 (December 1989). Art by Eric Shanower and Dave Cockrum. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Adventure Comics #371 (August 1968) |
| Created by | Jim Shooter (writer) Curt Swan (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Condo Arlik |
| Species | Metahuman |
| Place of origin | Phlon (31st century) |
| Team affiliations | Legion of Super-Heroes |
| Abilities | Can alter the speed of chemical reactions |
Chemical King is the name of two characters in the DC Comics universe. The first was Mr. Lambert, who was murdered under the direction of Alfred Stryker in "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate", the feature story of Detective Comics #27. The second Chemical King is Condo Arlik, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century.
Fictional character biography
[edit]Chemical King was born Condo Arlik on the planet Phlon, the son of Darvon Arlik.[1][2] He is a mutant with the power to act as a human catalyst and manipulate the speed of chemical reactions.[3][4]
In Chemical King's debut (Adventure Comics #371), he is a member of the Legion Academy and works undercover to infiltrate the Legion of Super-Villains. He later graduates alongside Timber Wolf and becomes a full Legion member. In Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #228 (June 1977), he is killed while stopping Deregon, a Dark Circle agent and the governor of Australia, from starting World War VII.[3]
Mordru later temporarily resurrects Chemical King in a bid to conquer the universe.
Post Zero Hour
[edit]Condo Arlik appears in post-Zero Hour continuity as a civilian reporter.[3]
Post-Infinite Crisis
[edit]The events of Infinite Crisis restored an analogue of pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths Legion to continuity, leading Chemical King to be killed once more. As such, he is succeeded by Phlon native Hadru Jamik / Chemical Kid, who was genetically modified to replicate his abilities.[5][6][7]
Powers and abilities
[edit]Chemical King is a metahuman with the ability to manipulate the speed of chemical and energy reactions. He can speed up or slow down any chemical reaction; for example, he can cause iron to rapidly rust, or even burst into flames from rapid oxidation. His powers can affect the chemical reactions in the human body, rendering an opponent unconscious from shock, but take several seconds and can only focus on a single opponent at a time.
Equipment
[edit]As a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, he is provided a Legion Flight Ring, which allows him to fly and protects him from the vacuum of space and other dangerous environments.
In other media
[edit]- Chemical King makes a cameo appearance in the Legion of Super Heroes (2006) two-part series finale "Dark Victory".
- Chemical King appears in Legion of Super-Heroes (2023), voiced by Eric Lopez.[8][9] This version is a council member of the Legion Academy.
References
[edit]- ^ Superboy #205 (December 1974)
- ^ Batman #238 (January 1972)
- ^ a b c Wallace, Dan (2008), "Chemical King", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.), The DC Comics Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, p. 80, ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1, OCLC 213309017
- ^ Legion of Super-Heroes #300 (June 1983)
- ^ Adventure Comics #525 (April 2011)
- ^ Adventure Comics #526 (May 2011)
- ^ Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 7) #1 (September 2011)
- ^ Couch, Aaron (October 13, 2022). "DC's 'Legion of Super-Heroes' Sets Voice Cast With Meg Donnelly and Harry Shum Jr. to Star (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ "Chemical King Voice - Legion of Super-Heroes (Movie)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved April 3, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
External links
[edit]- Chemical King at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
- Chemical King at Legion of Super-Heroes fan site
- A Hero History Of Chemical King
- Gay League Profile: Condo Arlik
