Frankenstein (DC Comics)

Frankenstein, agent of S.H.A.D.E., is a DC Comics super-villain. He was created in 1948 by Edmond Hamilton and Bob Kane in Detective Comics #135, as a guest antagonist for Batman and Robin. A later reworking was developed by Len Wein as the Spawn of Frankenstein concept. The monster fell under the thrall of Count Dracula. They often battled against Superman, Batman, or the Phantom Stranger. Frankenstein's latest revamping was created by Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke in 2005 and is similar to Doc Frankenstein. He is one of the Seven Soldiers, and bears a resemblance to the creature as portrayed by Boris Karloff in the 1931 film directed by James Whale.

Appearances

• In the third issue of the series, Frankenstein meets an old acquaintance greatly resembling the "Bride" in James Whale's Bride of Frankenstein (1935), albeit with two extra arms grafted onto her by the Red Swami, a supervillain who brainwashed her into thinking she was the reincarnation of an assassin goddess. She is now an agent of the Super Human Advanced Defense Executive (S.H.A.D.E.), a secret government agency, which temporarily drafts Frankenstein as well. Of their previous relationship, she says, "It's nothing personal, but you were never my type."

• In the final issue, he stows away on a time-ship which brings him to the Sheeda realm in the distant future. There, he destroys their world-destroying fleet, kills the Sheeda-Queen's time-yacht's steersman, and hijacks her ship to the present. Once in the present, though, Klarion gains control of Frankenstein using a witch-brand and forces him to take the castle back to the future.

• He appears briefly in Infinite Crisis #7, which takes place one week after the Frankenstein miniseries. He is seen fighting against General Wade Eiling. Frankenstein is armed with a three-foot-long sword, which he claims once belonged to the Archangel Michael, and a large antique pistol, which he calls his 'steam-gun'.

• A character called Young Frankenstein has appeared in Teen Titans as a member of the team during the "Lost Year" covered by 52. Young Frankenstein is apparently killed by Black Adam during WWIII, but actually survives as shown in the Infinite Halloween Special and Countdown to Mystery #2.

• Frankenstein and S.H.A.D.E appear in Final Crisis #3, also written by Grant Morrison. He again appears two issues later, leading a squad of superheroes against Darkseid's forces, who are led by Kalibak. He is also seen in the final issue fighting in humanity's last stand before Superman gets the Miracle Machine working. Frankenstein is immune to Darkseid's weapon, the Anti-Life Equation, because he is already dead.

• Frankenstein confronts Solomon Grundy in the latter's current limited series, and again during the Blackest Night. Grundy, having been transformed into a Black Lantern, rips out Frankenstein's heart, but, due to having an extra one in his chest, Frankenstein survives this attack.

• As part of The New 52 (a 2011 reboot of the DC Comics universe), a new ongoing series Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. was released, based on the Seven Soldiers version of Frankenstein. It was initially written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Alberto Ponticelli. Matt Kindt replaced Lemire with issue 10 and stayed with the book until it was cancelled with issue 16.

• Frankenstein later joins the Justice League Dark.

• Frankenstein also appears in the DC Rebirth Superman series annual written by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason.