Derek Powers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Blight | |
 Blight-Human and Radioactive form |
|
| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Batman Beyond "Rebirth" |
| Created by | Presumably Bruce Timm, Paul Dini |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Derek Powers |
| Team affiliations | Wayne-Powers |
| Abilities | Emits radiation and green light from body, is able to heat up objects on contact and also both project radiation and emit concentrated bubbles of nucleated radiation and energy. |
Derek Powers aka Blight is a supervillain in the animated series Batman Beyond, voiced by Sherman Howard. He is the corrupt leader of Wayne-Powers, having taken over Bruce Wayne's corporate empire. He's the arch-nemesis of Terry McGinnis' Batman, and the primary antagonist of the first season. He is also responsible for the death of McGinnis' father.
Contents |
[edit] Character history
His personal history before the events of Batman Beyond is largely unrevealed, except that he originally ran Powers Technology before the company merged with Wayne Enterprises, and then took advantage of Bruce Wayne's gradual withdrawal from public life in order to take control of his business as Wayne-Powers. Powers does not know that Bruce was once Gotham's legendary vigilante, Batman, and has always seen the elder man merely as an annoyance, as Powers repeatedly sends baskets of fruits to him on every Christmas to spite him. However, there are hints in early episodes that Bruce's alter-ego was an enemy of Powers before his retirement.
Eventually, Powers decided to go into the business of munitions, such as an extremely dangerous mutagenic nerve gas he intended to sell internationally. Terry McGinnis' father discovers this from a colleague who is fatally infected by the weapon, but Powers learns of this and has his personal assistant, Mr. Fixx, murder him and frame the Jokerz gang for the crime. Terry, already deeply aggrieved, finds records of the weapon and approaches Bruce Wayne to examine it.
When Wayne discovers the nature of the gas, he instructs McGinnis to take the evidence to Police Commissioner Barbara Gordon. Unfortunately, McGinnis is intercepted by Powers and although he manages to escape, Powers still recovers the evidence. Now desperate to stop Powers, McGinnis steals Wayne's last Batman suit and infiltrates Wayne-Powers to collect more evidence. In this quest, this new Batman is discovered and a furious chase and battle occurs that ends with the gas shipment being sunk and Powers fully exposed to a massive dose when one container ruptures. Powers is subjected to the only effective treatment, extreme radiation exposure to stay alive, but at the cost of becoming a hideously irradiated being. Powers is able to hide his state and contain his dangerous radiation with a special chemical covering, but it is only a stop-gap for his problem.
This engagement begins a season-spanning personal feud with Batman that is further bedeviled by a reinvigorated Bruce Wayne resuming control of his company. Additionally, Powers searches for a treatment for his condition through a variety of unorthodox means. For instance, he has a genetic reconstruction process tested on Mr. Freeze, but when the process fails, he orders Freeze killed in order to do an autopsy on him to find out why. Freeze escapes, then comes after Powers. Powers loses his cosmetic covering and begins fighting Freeze with the powers that stem from his mutation, particularly the ability to project radiation. Batman, who is hunting for Freeze, arrives and asks him who he is, to which he responds "Blight will do."
By the time of the season finale, "Ascension", Powers' condition deteriorates further with his radiation increasing, which both degrades the viability time of his coverings as well as his mental stability. When Batman interferes with his robberies to attain sufficient supplies to maintain his cover, Powers decides he must withdraw from public life. To that end, he summons his estranged son, Paxton, from abroad to Gotham City to run his business interests under his direction. Paxton Powers is just as callous and corrupt as his father, and that reputation follows himself home as environmental protesters personally confront both Powers with their grievances. During the confrontation, Derek Powers loses his composure, causing his covering to disintegrate and exposing himself as Blight to the world.
Although Derek Powers escapes the police and Batman, Paxton Powers refuses to help his father flee the city. Furthermore, Paxton is the one responsible for the exposure in the first place in order to seize total control from the father he loathed. To end the matter of his father's interference, Paxton Powers contacts Batman to ask him to find his father on the pretense of helping the stricken man get medical help. Batman agrees in order to have Derek Powers arrested as well and locates his hiding place, a permanently docked nuclear submarine. Together, Paxton and Batman confront Derek Powers, but Batman realizes Paxton wants to murder his father and refuses to cooperate. In the resulting battle, Derek Powers frees himself and goes berserk with massive radiation bursts that sinks the submarine with him inside while Paxton and Batman escape.
Although Batman knows Paxton has committed numerous crimes, he cannot testify against him without exposing his own secret identity. Instead, McGinnis satisfies himself with a veiled warning for Paxton that since his father's body was never found, there is always a chance he may come back for revenge.
[edit] Appearance
Before his transformation, Powers is over six feet tall with white hair. After his accident, he has the form of a black skeleton surrounded by bright green translucent flesh after his exposure to a mutating gas and radiation. Powers is able to hide his condition with a thin chemical covering over his skin that imitates his original appearance and contains his radioactivity, but it has a limited duration and tends to flake off when he is under stress or particularly angry.
[edit] Powers
Blight is able to shoot powerful blasts of radiation; his very touch could be lethal. At several different points in the series, he has also demonstrated some degree of superhuman strength and stamina. In issue 18 of the comic based on the show, Blight is shown to walk through a column of fire while suffering no ill effects.
[edit] Proposed Powers Family
[edit] Batman Adventures #15
While Paxton is the only family of Derek Powers shown, Batman Adventures #15 was originally going to introduce a character known as Warren Powers (Confirmed as the father of Derek Powers). To note, Powers Technology obtains the patents of Gothcorp. Due to a hidden clause, however, Ferris Boyle receives 77 million dollars on the deal.
The issue features the final fate of Mr. Freeze, setting up his appearance in Batman Beyond. The original ending further supports the idea by having Powers Technology taking the remains of Freeze (his head), because as Warren states it might come in handy some day. The secrets of immortality are locked inside that head. [1]
[edit] Other Appearances
Derek Powers/Blight would make a few appearances in the comic based on the show.
He appears in issue 3 of the miniseries attempting to steal radiation to destroy the city. His second appearance is in issue 18 where Stalker plotting ways of capturing him, including using Batman as bait.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batribute/backstage/15.php Original outline for Batman Adventures #15.
[edit] External links
- Derek Powers on the DC Animated Universe Wiki, a Wikia wiki
