Coagula

Coagula
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Doom Patrol vol. 2, #70 (September 1993)
Created by Rachel Pollack
In-story information
Alter ego Kate Godwin
Team affiliations Doom Patrol
Abilities Solidify liquids and dissolve solids.

Coagula (real name Kate Godwin) is a fictional character and former member of DC Comic's Doom Patrol. Kate is a transwoman, one of the first transgender characters in comics, and remains one of the only transgender superheroines.[1] The character was created by transgender science fiction writer Rachel Pollack. According to the Comics Journal, Rachel Pollack based the character's civilian name on two friends of hers. The friends in question are transgender writer and actress Kate Bornstein and the transsexual activist Chelsea Goodwin.[2] Rachel wanted to create a positive portrayal of a lesbian transgender lady.

Fictional character biography

Kate gains her powers while working as a prostitute. One of her customers is Rebis, a radioactive intersex person; after Kate has sex with them, she discovers she can coagulate liquids and dissolve solids at will. She first tries out for the Justice League, but is rejected by them. She meets the Doom Patrol while battling a villain called the Codpiece, who has devices such as a gun, a drill, and a spring-loaded boxing glove built into a special codpiece he designed and built. Coagula dissolves the device.[3][4]

Early on Kate is identified as a lesbian, but as the series progresses it becomes clear she is bisexual. She begins a romance with Robotman.[1]

The name Coagula comes from the alchemical term "Solve et Coagula", meaning "dissolve and coagulate".[5]

A while after the Doom Patrol split, Kate and Cliff take teammate Dorothy Spinner on a camping trip with the intention of telling her she is adopted. However, after hearing this, Dorothy suffers a mental breakdown. This causes her to generate a powerful psychic explosion, killing Kate and supposedly killing Cliff. Following this, Dorothy falls into a coma.[6]

Powers and abilities

After having sexual contact with Rebis (Larry Trainor + Elanor Poole), Coagula gained the power to turn solids into liquids, and to coagulate liquids into solid. She needs to be in touch with the object to make the change occur.

References

  1. 1 2 Irvine, Alex (2008). "Doom Patrol". In Dougall, Alastair. The Vertigo Encyclopedia. New York: Dorling Kindersley. pp. 61–63. ISBN 0-7566-4122-5. OCLC 213309015.
  2. ↑ "The Heroines of My Life: Interview with Rachel Pollack". The Heroines of My Life. Retrieved 2014-12-29.
  3. ↑ Doom Patrol v2, 70 ((Sept 1993)), DC Comics
  4. ↑ "Comic Book Crap... The Codpiece of Terror!!!". headinjurytheater.com. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
  5. ↑ Davis, Erik. "The Gods of the Funny Books: An Interview with Neil Gaiman and Rachel Pollack". Gnosis (magazine). Techgnosis (reprint from Summer 1994 issue). Archived from the original on 2012-05-29. Retrieved 2007-02-04.
  6. ↑ Revealed in Doom Patrol vol. 3 #9
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