Project Cadmus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Project Cadmus is a fictional government genetic engineering project in the DC Comics Universe. It was created by Jack Kirby as the DNA Project in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133 (October 1970), and was run by the former Newsboy Legion. Its notable creations included the Golden Guardian (a clone of the original Guardian) and Dubbilex, a DNAlien telepath who resembled a tall grey alien with horns.
Dabney Donovan was a "mad scientist" who was ultimately fired from the Project because he felt there should never be limits in understanding the potential of the genetic code. Donovan had largely been accredited for the non-human creations of the Project were referred to as "DNAliens," (human beings cloned then genetically altered to discover superhuman potential while also giving them a more "alien" appearance), various normal clones, monsters based on Donovan's favorite horror films (who lived on a small artificial planet on Earth called Transilvane), and step-ups who called themselves "the Hairies," super hippies who had developed an evolved knowledge, and developed transport and defense technology beyond the understanding of modern day humans. The Hairies live outside the direct control of Cadmus, living inside a mobile "Mountain of Judgement," that constantly keeps them hidden from the affairs of both Cadmus and of society being aware that they exist. Prior to moving to the mountain, the Hairies lived in a forest of living tree-houses called the Habitat. It was later occupied by a biker gang called the Outsiders.
The Project had an "opposite number" in the form of the Evil Factory, a monster-creating project set up by Darkseid as part of Intergang and run by two of his servants called Simyan and Mokkari. They were originally created at Project Cadmus, but due to the cruelty of the experimentation they experienced at the hands of Dr. Dabney Donovan, they developed a great deal of hatred towards all humanity. They formed a scientific enclave called "Brigadoom" as a means of pleasing Darkseid by creating an army of monstrous genetic constructs they are constantly creating to assist Darkseid in his quest of causing terror and destruction to the people of earth until Darkseid masters the Anti-Life Equation, which would allow Darkseid and his cohorts like Simyan and Mokkari rule over their surroundings as opposed to humanity ruling over them and looking down on them as their creator once had.
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths the Project was reintroduced as Project Cadmus, named after the Greek legend of Cadmus, who created warriors from the teeth of a dragon (before creating the DNA Project Kirby had written a cloning story called The Cadmus Seed in Alarming Tales). The Post-Crisis version made its first appearance in Superman Annual #2 (1988). It was responsible for the creation of the new Superboy, cloned from genetic material obtained from both Superman and Lex Luthor. Dubbilex subsequently became a supporting character in the Kid's own title, set in Hawaii, then later back at Cadmus headquarters.
Cadmus was supposedly destroyed in a Superman story called The Fall of Metropolis, which featured a "clone plague". However, the Project had simply taken advantage of this to go underground.
In Superboy #57, the Project was put under new management, following the Newsboys' retirement. The new project head was Mickey "the Mechanic" Cannon, a former Suicide Slum resident with a reputation for being able to "fix" anything, a car or a country. The new head of genetics was Dr Sterling Roquette, a teenaged genius with a crush on the Guardian and Superboy. Dabney Donovan was also brought back, under armed guard. Cannon made Cadmus more open to the public.
Shortly after this the Project temporarily came under the control of the Evil Factory, now revealed to be part of an organisation called The Agenda, run by Lex Luthor's ex-wife, the Contessa.
When Luthor became President, Cannon and the Guardian became uncomfortable with the amount of government pressure on the Project. Following the Imperiex War, the entire project disappeared.
Its replacement was the OMAC Project, part of the spy group called Checkmate.[citation needed] This project used nanotech to convert otherwise ordinary (and unknowing) individuals into superhumans called OMACs, controlled by a satellite called Brother Eye. The role to of the OMACs was to control and conquer anyone on Earth Checkmate considered a threat.
Bruce Wayne had helped found this Project, but realised just how out of control the Project had become after he discovered heroes like Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) had been killed by OMACs. Wayne as Batman eventually stopped the Project. It is shown in the comic series 52 that the Project is once again known as Project Cadmus.[citation needed]
[edit] All-Star Superman
In the non-continuity book All-Star Superman Grant Morrison's modern take on the Silver Age includes the D.N.A. P.R.O.J.E.C.T. which was resurrected by a scientist named Leo Quintum. Under Quintum, the P.R.O.J.E.C.T. is dedicated to "the engineering of new human forms" including Bizarro worker drones, giants who can travel through space under their own power and microscopic "nanonauts" unlocking the mysteries of the sub-atomic world. The P.R.O.J.E.C.T.'s ultimate goal is to create a replacement Superman, in case something happens to the original.
In All-Star Superman #4, it is revealed that the P.R.O.J.E.C.T. created a formula to bestow Superman-level strength and durability on a normal person, but all of their test subjects ultimately burned out. Marked with "Do Not Open Until Doomsday", Jimmy Olsen drinks the formula and transforms into a hulking, gray skinned figure with bony protrusions. Jimmy succeeds in stopping a black kryptonite afflicted Superman and transforms back to normal before the formula kills him.
[edit] Other media
Project Cadmus has featured as an adversary of the Justice League in the animated series Justice League Unlimited. This version is a combination of the comics version of Cadmus, the Suicide Squad (which appeared in the series as Task Force X, its real name in the comics) and Checkmate.
In the series Cadmus is a government project designed to take precautions against the League going rogue. The project was started when Superman was brainwashed by Darkseid into invading Earth at the end of Superman: The Animated Series where the project was designed to deal with the Man of Steel if he were to attack the Earth again. The project's goals extended to the Justice League as well after the Justice Lords incident.
Members of this version of Cadmus include Amanda Waller, Professor Emil Hamilton, Tala, General Wade Eiling, Dr. Achilles Milo, Maxwell Lord, Hugo Strange and Dr. Moon. In addition, they also had Task Force X, which is the official name for the organization known in DC Comics as the Suicide Squad, for use in risky field missions.
Cadmus was later shown to be backed by Lex Luthor, who only financed the project in a grab for superpowers of his own. After taking what he needed from Cadmus, Luthor attempted to destroy it by hacking into an immense laser built into the League's Watchtower, but failed. It was then revealed that Brainiac was living inside him at the time, improving upon his physical health and strength while "subtly influencing [his] actions". After both of them were defeated, Cadmus ceased operations and the Justice League announced the establishment of a planetside base to improve their public relations.
They were responsible for creating Doomsday (a clone of Superman), Galatea (a clone of Supergirl who resembles Power Girl), the Royal Flush Gang, Volcana, the Ultimen (a team of genetically engineered heroes who are a pastiche of several heroes created for the Superfriends series) and ultimately Terry McGinnis (Batman II).
When the Joker took the Royal Flush Gang from Cadmus, he also stole the technology he used to overwrite his DNA into Tim Drake during Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker as explained in Epilogue.[citation needed]
The television series Smallville referenced a company called "Cadmus Labs," which Lex Luthor bought. This Cadmus, however, was just being used by Luthor as part of a larger plan; after it was taken from him in a hostile takeover by a woman pretending to love him and her father, it turned out that the project was a feint. The company was in major financial and legal trouble and so the "lover" and her father were financially crippled.
Cadmus Labs will somehow be involved with the upcoming Superman Returns: The Video Game. During an interview [1], the game's executive producer mentioned that among the game's various enemies were "Bizarro's minions escaped from Cadmus Labs".
[edit] Relevant links
- See also: List of government agencies in comics
