Doctor Polaris
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[edit] Character history
Once a researcher working for the betterment of mankind, Neal Emerson became one of the deadliest metahumans on Earth.
By Polaris' account, he and his brother John were raised by an abusive father. This apparently drove Neal Emerson within himself and led to the creation of the personification of his own dark side.
Even as a medical student, Neal Emerson had a fanatical interest in magnets. While his fellow students harassed him about it, he believed that some day he would prove his superiority to them.
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 the years went by, Emerson convinced himself exposure to magnetic fields would give him more energy. His daily regime involved standing between two powerful electromagnets. Emerson plunged deeper into the secrets of magnetism, vowing to keep the results of his studies in secret until he had become absolute master of the subject. Working on his own, Emerson far surpassed modern science in the usage of magnetic power.
When Emerson was finally ready to show the world his work, he held crowd-drawing lectures on "Health via Magnetism." Due to his medical background and belief in magnetism, Emerson adopted the name "Doctor Polaris" after the North Star, Polaris, to which all magnets point.
His vibrant personality and good will won many supporters. Doctor Polaris visited shut-ins and invalids and spoke with people on the street. His mere touch seemed to improve his patients' health.
His lectures were well received and he extolled the virtues of his magnetism program. He told his listeners they should place their beds so the magnetic lines of force in the Earth would travel along their bodies from head to toe, rather than in a crosswise manner which he believed caused disorderly activity in the body cells. He advised which metals to avoid, metals which draw harmful forms of magnetism to them.
While his success was great, there were still those that scoffed at his work, pointing to the work of medicine as a curative to ailments. A subject's strong belief in magnetism, they said, could have a powerful effect on himself, creating the illusion of health. Despite their dismissal of his work, even his skeptics would have difficulty believing he had evil intentions.
[edit] Doctor Polaris is born
Emerson believed he had absorbed too much magnetic energy. Looking in a mirror, he believed a look of evil had settled on his face. He could feel changes inside of him, the drive for power and wealth only for himself. Emerson tried to fight it, tried to drain off the excess magna-energy inside him by reversing the magnets he had exposed himself to for so long. The treatments could not help him, however.
Polaris felt the need to design a costume and mask which he would wear while performing on stage at a charity show. Emerson hoped to make a public appeal to Green Lantern Hal Jordan, believing Green Lantern's power ring could counteract the evil force that had seized hold of him.
Putting on the costume, Doctor Polaris twisted the purpose of his attendance at the charity show. Instead of performing, Doctor Polaris robbed the box office of the proceeds and disappeared.
Polaris tried to draw a magnetic gun on Green Lantern, but the ring wielder's energy beam struck first. Polaris fell and hit his head, rendering himself unconscious.
Later, at the hospital, Green Lantern tried to probe Polaris' mind, but found great resistance. Using the power ring, the Emerald Crusader and the police learned of Emerson's evil side. At a press conference, Green Lantern relayed the events that led to Emerson becoming Doctor Polaris.
Back in the hospital room, Polaris recovered and escaped after attacking his guard. Green Lantern was searching for Polaris when the criminal struck from hiding, increasing the magnetic field around the hero. Green Lantern was apparently overcome by metal girders and other objects attracted to him. To finish off the job, Polaris came out of hiding to fire a fatal burst of "ultra-magnetism" at the downed hero. Green Lantern had anticipated an attack by Doctor Polaris and had in fact let the villain believe he was defeated to draw him out into the open. Doctor Polaris was remanded to police custody; during that time, his "good self" resurfaced.
It appeared Doctor Polaris had returned to battle Green Lantern and the Justice League alongside Killer Moth, Dagon, the Mask and the Pied Piper, but it was later revealed the demons Abnegazar, Rath and Ghast had created magical duplicates of the villains. The League even had to battle the villains' costumes before ultimately defeating the demons three.
Apparently, Doctor Polaris was released from imprisonment during one of his "good" periods. When he next appeared, he wore a new costume to reflect his desire for the dark side of his nature to completely take over Emerson's body.
Power hunger drove Doctor Polaris to discover the source of Green Lantern's energy. With that knowledge, Polaris believed he would become the most powerful man who ever lived. A study of news clippings and photos of Green Lantern's exploits showed a common denominator. One man appeared in numerous stories of the hero. It was Tom Kalmaku.
Using a device powered by an unexplained form of "concentrated ultra-magnetism," Doctor Polaris was able to abduct Kalmaku and take the information from Kalmaku's mind. Unfortunately, the device proved harmful to Kalmaku, and Green Lantern's friend was dying. From the device, Polaris learned Green Lantern's power battery was hidden at Ferris Aircraft and was able to put a magnetic barrier around it.
As Doctor Polaris had surmised, Green Lantern returned to the battery and believed he had charged the power ring. The hero tracked Kalmaku to Polaris' lair as his power ring ran out of energy. Green Lantern's tremendous will enabled him to use the power ring's emergency reserve energy that would have saved his life to enclose Kalmaku in a protective sheath of green energy. Polaris turned his weapon on the helpless Green Lantern, apparently killing him. The emerald gladiator's body disappeared. Still, the matter of the green glow surrounding Kalmaku was yet to be solved. Polaris intended to retrieve any and all information regarding Green Lantern before Kalmaku died.
What Doctor Polaris did not know was that the ring wielder 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. Even their advanced devices were unable to detect a faint glimmer of life in their servant. To complicate matters further, Jordan was taken into the 58th Century where he battled a threat to the Earth in the ficitonal identity of Pol Manning, space explorer.
Returning to the 20th Century, Green Lantern headed straight to Earth and 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.
Emerson later renewed his research by challenging himself to calculate the direction and angle of drift of the Earth's magnetic North pole. He believed he could learn the location before the shift occurred.
Emerson was roughly one thousand miles away from the geographic North Pole when he reached the point where the lines of magnetic force converged. A sudden quake plunged him into a deep crevice. At the bottom of the crevice lay a glowing blue blob possibly of extraterrestrial origin. The strange radiation from the blue blob somehow altered Emerson's perceptions. He somehow understood the threat the blue blob meant to Earth. Unless action was taken, the blue blob would eventually dehydrate the entire Earth. As he laid there, Emerson could feel the effect as the blob drew off the water in his body.
Though weak, Emerson was able to subconciously influence Hal Jordan into becoming Green Lantern, but he was not strong enough to bring the ring wielder to his side. In pain, Emerson used the power of the magnetic North Pole coupled with the glowing glob to create a mental duplicate of his evil alter ego.
Doctor Polaris took advantage of the situation by fighting Green Lantern, rather than enlisting his assistance. A magnetic barrier around Green Lantern's power ring easily brought down the emerald hero.
Doctor Polaris planned to destroy all life on Earth and create a new race in his image by using his vast mental powers. While in Earth's orbit, Polaris sought 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 and bring the battle to his foe. Predicting another barrier would be placed around his power ring, the Emerald Warrior gathered micrometeorites and formed a solid iron mask around Polaris' head, blocking of his vision. Green Lantern then used a magnet of his own to capture his enemy.
Back on Earth, Emerson was able to use telepathy to warn Green Lantern of the threat of planetary dehydration. Once Green Lantern disintegrated the alien substance, the mental image of the evil Doctor Polaris faded away.
Years later, Emerson's dark side returned. Returning to his old costume, Polaris took the guise of Baxter Timmons and moved to Metropolis' Suicide Slum. From his apartment, Polaris stole advanced technology from warehouses throughout the city. Polaris integrated the revolutionary new magnetic circuits into his costume, claiming his powers were now virtually inseparable from himself and the costume. Once his upgrades were completed, Doctor Polaris planned to gain revenge on Green Lantern.
Before he could fight the ring wielder, a confrontation ensued between Doctor Polaris and Black Lightning. The villain's magnetic field reacted with Black Lightning's electrical field, allowing Doctor Polaris to escape.
Jackie Parrish, the nephew of the real Baxter Timmons, appeared at Timmons' doorstep. Jackie had run away from home, trying to escape his abusive father, Timmons' brother-in-law, Harry Parrish. Timmons allowed the boy to stay with him on the condition he stayed out of his way.
Black Lightning was prepared for his next encounter with Doctor Polaris. By throwing thin metal strips at the magnetic villain, Doctor Polaris was tightly wrapped by the twisting metal. Black Lightning believed he had bested his foe but the villain crashed a fire escape upon the hero. Talking later with the police, Black Lightning learned Polaris was behind the rash of warehouse thefts.
Jackie Parrish stumbled on to his "uncle's" secret identity as Doctor Polaris, but was too late to tell anyone what he'd learned. He managed to throw a lamp through a window before Polaris caught him. Attempting to escape in a van with Jackie as a hostage, Doctor Polaris once again crossed paths with Black Lightning. A third fight with Black Lightning culminated in an auto junkyard. Doctor Polaris had been toying with the hero before he would kill him, but a diversion created by Jackie gave Black Lightning the opening to throw one knockout punch.
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 attacked Steel at his home in Washington D.C., seeking a weapon called the Annihilator that Steel had built. Polaris was not satisfied when Steel told him he had destroyed it, reasoning that Steel could easily build him another one. During the battle, Steel's grandmother attacked Polaris and was killed. Polaris was only driven away because the Parasite had turned up and attacked him. Parasite, afraid of absorbing Polaris's mind and not just his power, let him go before killing him. Polaris fled to Keystone City.
Some time after that, Polaris showed up at Poseidonis when that city was on the surface. Polaris attempted to seize control of the city, prompting a battle against Aquaman and his allies. At that same time, Maxima was in the city trying to force Aquaman to marry her. Using her powerful mental abilities, Maxima compelled Polaris into believing that his alternate personality had reemerged, forcing him into a nearly catatonic state.
In 2001, Polaris emerged during the Joker's Last Laugh crisis attempting to take control of the magnetic south pole itself, forcing a battle against the Justice League.
A member of 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 Human Bomb watched his allies be beaten to death, especially when Phantom Lady was impaled by Deathstroke, he became enraged. Dr. Polaris, unfortunately, made the mistake of taunting the living bomb, and was thus blown into pieces by the Human Bomb's explosive rage.
[edit] Other media
In Justice League Unlimited, Dr. Polaris (wearing his original costume) is seen as a member of the new Legion of Doom led by Gorilla Grodd. He and Key rescued Lex Luthor from the pursuing cops and brought him to Grodd. He, Lex Luthor, and Key raided the Blackhawks old base and battled Hawkgirl, Flash, Fire and a retired Blackhawk and were able to get away by putting the base on self-destruct which was aborted.
Here, he is portrayed as one of the Legion's most powerful members. In 'The Great Brain Robbery' he attempts to wrest control of the organization from Lex Luthor, but Luthor reveals that when he augmented Polaris' powers, he installed failsafes to let him override him. What this will mean for Doctor Polaris remains to be seen.
He is portrayed by Michael Rosenbaum, the series' Flash.
[edit] Triva
- Despite the similarity in powers and appearance to Marvel Comics famous supervillain Magneto, Dr. Polaris actually debuted about a year before the X-Men foe.
[edit] Resources
Most of the character history was taken from Dr. Polaris' profile found in The Book of OA
