TheThinker is the name of fivesupervillains appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics.
The first incarnation,Clifford DeVoe, is an enemy ofJay Garrick. The second,Clifford Carmichael, is an enemy ofFirestorm. The third,Desmond Carter, is an enemy ofBatman. The fourth, anA.I. version of the Thinker, is an enemy of theJustice Society of America. An unidentified incarnation of Thinker, introduced in theNew 52, is an enemy of theSuicide Squad.
The character has been adapted from the comics into various forms of media, including television series and feature films. DeVoe made his live-action debut inThe Flash, portrayed primarily byNeil Sandilands. In theDCEU,Peter Capaldi portrayedGaius Grieves, an original variation of the Thinker inThe Suicide Squad (2021)
The Clifford DeVoe incarnation of Thinker first appeared inAll-Flash #12 (Fall 1943) and was created byGardner Fox and Everett E. Hibbard.[1]
In October 1947, the Thinker was one of the six original members of the Injustice Society, who began battling theJustice Society of America inAll Star Comics #37 (Oct 1947).[2]
The Cliff Carmichael incarnation of Thinker first appeared inFirestorm #1 (1978) and was created byGerry Conway andAl Milgrom.[3]
Conway recounted, "My original notion onFirestorm was to do a book that would be DC's complement toSpider-Man, in a sense. We would have a young adolescent male who gets superpowers and doesn't know quite what to do with them. My flip on it was that rather than being the science geek who was being picked upon by the jock, my hero would actually be the jock who was picked on by the geek, and that was going to be Cliff Carmichael's role."[3]
InThe Fury of Firestorm the Nuclear Man #50, the strap onRonnie Raymond's football helmet is cut, and in the following issues Carmichael is suspected of the crime. Though Conway later said that he must have intended to ultimately reveal someone else as the culprit,John Ostrander took over as the series' writer and had Carmichael confess to cutting the strap.[3] InFirestorm #99, Carmichael became the Thinker as part of a genre-wide trend in which civilian cast members were almost eliminated from superhero comics.[3]
| Thinker | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | All-Flash #12 (September 1943) |
| Created by | Gardner Fox Everett E. Hibbard |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Clifford DeVoe |
| Species | Humancyborg |
| Team affiliations | Injustice Society Suicide Squad |
| Abilities | Technologically derivedtelekinesis andmind control |
Clifford DeVoe is a failedlawyer who bitterly ended his career in 1933. Realizing that many of the criminals he had encounter have the skills but not the brains to ruleGotham City's underworld, he starts a new career as the brain behind small-time villains. As the Thinker, he is defeated by the originalFlash/Jay Garrick, his most recurrent foe. DeVore wields the "Thinking Cap", a metal hat that can project mental force.
The Thinker is a member of theInjustice Society, leading an army of prison escapees like the other members.[4] In Plateau City, the police nab a shabbily dressed man who is trying to shoot the governor. They discover that this man is a dead ringer for the governor and also claims to be the real governor. The Flash arrives on the scene to overhear this, but moves on to confront the hoodlums attacking the city. The Thinker appears on the scene, firing a ray at the Crimson Comet, causing him to gain weight and crash through a roof. Recovering, the Flash speeds over to the governor's mansion, only to overhear the governor ordering all police forces to surrender. Flash enters his office and discovers the governor to be a dummy/machine, which flees through an open door. Flash attempts to warn the police that a phony governor put out the message, but the Thinker shows up and tells the Flash that he is speaking into a dead mic, then snares him with invisible wires.
The Thinker appears as a judge in the 'trial' of the JSA, but is revealed asGreen Lantern in disguise, having captured the real Thinker after escapingBrain Wave. This leads to the Injustice Society's defeat. Together with theFiddler and theShade, the Thinker is the man behind the decades-long "abduction" ofKeystone City and the original Flash.[5] His "suspended animation-time" in Keystone keeps the Thinker young over the years, and he continues his criminal career in modern times.
DeVoe accepts a mission withTask Force X in exchange for a full pardon.[6] Although he is seemingly killed byWeasel during this mission, he turned up alive soon after, only to be dying from cancer due to the cap.[7]
In 2016, DC Comics implemented a relaunch of its books called "DC Rebirth" which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52" reboot. Thinker is depicted as a former district attorney.[8]
| Thinker | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | As Cliff Carmichael: Firestorm #1 (March 1978) As the Thinker: Firestorm (vol. 2) #99 (July 1990) |
| Created by | Gerry Conway Al Milgrom |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Cliff Carmichael |
| Species | Humancyborg |
| Team affiliations | Suicide Squad Secret Society of Super Villains |
| Abilities | Technologically derived telekinesis and mind control |
Clifford Carmichael is an intellectual bully and the rival ofRonnie Raymond (one half ofFirestorm) at Bradley High and later at Vandemeer University. Cliff viewed Ronnie as a rival due to his popularity. He torments Ronnie throughout his high school career and later at Vandemeer University. It was at Vandemeer that Cliff's pranks turned sinister as he cut the helmet strap on Ronnie's football helmet, hoping to get him injured. Cliff's cousin Hugo Hammer accidentally takes Ronnie's helmet, causing his neck to be broken during a football game.[9]
Wracked with guilt after accidentally paralyzing Hugo, Cliff is admitted into amental institution. He is used as a test subject for experiments with the original Thinker's Thinking Cap and uses the cap to analyze the device and improve on its design. Implanting microchip versions of the helmet into his brain, Cliff becomes a "cyberpunk maniac" withmetahuman powers. As the new Thinker, he is drafted into theSuicide Squad after attempting to killAmanda Waller.[10] After several missions, he betrays the group for the villainous Cabal.[11]
The Thinker later appears as a foe ofJason Rusch, the second Firestorm. WhenKiller Frost discovers that the consciousness of Ronnie Raymond still exists within the Firestorm matrix following his death duringIdentity Crisis, Thinker exploits a new opportunity to antagonize an old foe.[12] Technologically dominating the minds ofMultiplex andTyphoon, he battles Firestorm, ultimately destroying Ronnie's consciousness. Jason dissolves the enhancements in the Thinker's brain, leaving him comatose.
InInfinite Crisis, Cliff joinsAlexander Luthor Jr.'sSecret Society of Super Villains.
WithJohn Ostrander's revival of the Suicide Squad in a 2007-2008 miniseries, Cliff was once again associated with the Suicide Squad under Amanda Waller's direction.[13] It was revealed that although Firestorm had removed the enhancements in Cliff's brain, he made a full recovery and continued to serve as a technical support staffer and lackey to Waller in her operations of the Squad. Cliff betrays the Squad under the direction of theGeneral, but is shot and killed byKing Faraday.[14] Cliff is resurrected followingThe New 52 continuity reboot.[15]
| Thinker | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Batman: Shadow of the Bat #67 (October 1997) |
| Created by | Alan Grant Norm Breyfogle |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Desmond Connor |
| Species | Humancyborg |
| Abilities |
|
Des Connor was a villain who also used the name "the Thinker" and facedBatman inGotham City. Possessingtelepathic abilities enabling him to amplify the fears of others, Connor began a partnership withhypnotist Marlon Dall. Their combined illusions caused the city's most prominent citizens to commit various criminal acts which they used as a distraction for their own heist. The Thinker is swiftly beaten by Batman, who is immune to his powers.[16]
| Thinker | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | JSA #9 (April 2000) |
| Created by | David S. Goyer Geoff Johns Stephen Sadowski |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Artificial intelligence |
| Team affiliations | Injustice Society Secret Society of Super Villains Legion of Zoom Checkmate |
| Notable aliases | White King's Bishop |
| Abilities | Binary intelligence capable of integrating into and controlling computerized and electronics systems |
When the re-formed JSA moves into theNew York City building formerly owned byWesley Dodds,Mister Terrific designs a computer system based on the original Thinker's "Thinking Cap" technology and modeled after his brain patterns. The system gains anartificial intelligence and a holographic body. As the Thinker, it joinsJohnny Sorrow's modern Injustice Society, provides the villains with information about the JSA members, and turns the heroes' headquarters against them. The Thinker is defeated by theStar-Spangled Kid and disappears into cyberspace.[17]
The Thinker A.I. resurfaces inKeystone City to battleWally West, in an attempt to control every brain in Keystone to increase his power. Defeated byCyborg, he retreats to cyberspace again.[18] He has since appeared briefly in some other books, such asJSA Classified #5, joining theInjustice Society alongside former teammates.[19]
In the seriesCheckmate, Mister Terrific succeedsAlan Scott to become the second White King of Checkmate. He repairs the A.I. Thinker's corruption by creating preventative failsafes within his intelligence and promotes him to become the second White King's Bishop.[20]
InDC Rebirth, the Thinker appears as a member of theLegion of Zoom.
| Thinker | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Suicide Squad (vol. 4) #24 (December 2013) |
| Created by | Matt Kindt Patrick Zircher |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Humancyborg |
| Team affiliations | Secret Society of Super Villains |
| Abilities | Superintelligence |
During the 2013–2014Forever Evil storyline, which took place during "The New 52" era, an unidentified Thinker uses his intellect to predict the arrival of theCrime Syndicate of America and is incarcerated inBelle Reve. Thinker's brain drains energy from the rest of his body and prematurely ages him. When the Crime Syndicate arrive, Thinker is among the villains who swear allegiance to them, intending to claim the body ofOMAC (Kevin Kho) for himself.[21] He succeeds, only for Kevin to reclaim his body. As Thinker's original body is nowhere to be found, Amanda Waller suspects that Thinker is alive.[22]
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An original incarnation of the Thinker appears inThe Suicide Squad, portrayed byPeter Capaldi.[30][31] This version is Dr.Gaius Grieves, aScottish,sociopathic metahuman geneticist who was employed byCorto Maltese's dictatorship and the U.S. government for the secretive "Project Starfish". Over the course of 30 years, he studied and experimented on the alienStarro within theNazi-era research facility Jötunheim, using the Corto Maltesean government's enemies as test subjects. After an anti-American dictatorship takes over the Corto Maltesean government and kills his scientific staff with the intention of weaponizing Starro in the present, Grieves sides with them to save himself by claiming that only he can control the creature. However, he is captured by the Suicide Squad, whomAmanda Waller sent to destroy Project Starfish and bury its U.S. ties, and forced to help them infiltrate Jötunheim until they accidentally release Starro, who kills Grieves in retaliation for experimenting on it.
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