Doctor Nemesis is the name of two characters appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics andAce Magazines. The first isJames Bradley, a superhero and associate of theX-Men, while the second isMichael Stockton, a supervillain and enemy ofAnt-Man.
The first version (James Bradley) was a derivative version of the eponymousGolden Age character, who originally appeared inAce Magazines'Lightning Comics.[1] He is a co-creator of the originalHuman Torch android, and appears inUncanny X-Men as a member of theX-Club. Doctor Nemesis appeared inCable and X-Force, a series by writerDennis Hopeless and artistSalvador Larroca that debuted in December 2012.[2]
The second version (Michael Stockton) was unidentified inMarvel Feature #4, but officially debuted inMarvel Feature #9 and was created byMike Friedrich and Craig Russell.
| Doctor Nemesis | |
|---|---|
 Doctor Nemesis as depicted inUncanny X-Men #511. Art byGreg Land. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Ace Magazines,Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Lightning Comics #6 (April 1941; historic) The Invaders vol. 2 #1 (May 1993; Marvel Universe) |
| Created by | The creators of the version published byAce Magazines are unknown. TheMarvel Comics version of the character was co-created byRoy Thomas (writer) andDave Hoover. |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | James Bradley |
| Species | Human mutant |
| Team affiliations | X-Men X-Club Battle-Axis X-Force Agents of Wakanda |
| Notable aliases | Doctor Death |
| Abilities | Accomplished investigator and hand to hand combatant "Self-evolved" intellect Enhanced immune system and eyesight Prolonged longevity |
James Bradley was born in San Francisco in 1906. Although primarily trained as a medical physician, he began working withPhineas Horton in developing the original androidHuman Torch during the late 1930s. A design flaw causes the android to burst into flames upon exposure to oxygen, which Horton refuses to fix. During a display, the android catches on fire and is labeled a menace. Bradley breaks off his partnership with Horton shortly afterward, taking his unfinished second android with him.[3]
Sometime before 1941, Bradley completed his work and the second android acted as the superhero Volton, the Human Generator, from late 1941 to early 1942. Bradley led Volton to believe it was a scientist named Guy Newton who had discovered how to utilize his body's power to generatestatic electricity. Around this time, Bradley also decided to become a masked crimefighter, too. While working by day at Mercy Hospital in New York City, he would don a surgical mask to fight corruption and crime as Doctor Nemesis.[4]
According toJess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes, Bradley "uses his fighting ability and hypodermic needle full of truth serum to fight gangs and costumed madmen like the hypnotic Swami, the Surgeon (who unleashes plague-bearing rats on the city), and Dr. Quartz, the comic book version of the sociopathic vivisector who wasNick Carter's arch-enemy in the dime novels."[5]
After a number of adventures, Doctor Nemesis is approached by agents of theThird Reich to form a group of costumed beings. Signifying a change in tactics, Bradley becomes known as Doctor Death and recruits Human Meteor, Spider Queen, Strongman, and Volton for the group Battle-Axis, which took extreme efforts to force the United States out of participating inWorld War II. After the war, Bradley reassumes the Doctor Nemesis persona and moves toSantiago del Estero,Argentina to hunt downNazi refugees.[6]
Many years later, Bradley is approached byBeast andAngel to help assist in undoing the effects ofM-Day, when mostmutants lost their powers.[7] The group is later joined byMadison Jeffries andKavita Rao.[8][9] They time travel to turn-of-the-century San Francisco in order to obtain genetic samples. It is revealed that Doctor Nemesis is a mutant who possesses a "self-evolved intellect", which allowed him to greatly extend his longevity through serums of his creations. Doctor Nemesis' father, also an inventor, is killed when he helps the X-Club stop theHellfire Club'sSentinel from ravaging across San Francisco. Nemesis' mother later dies in childbirth, as she is already in a weakened condition from the trauma of losing her spouse. Unknown to the rest of the X-Men, Doctor Nemesis assisted his mother with his own birth. The X-Club are ultimately unable to obtain the couple's genetic samples; they have apparently been stopped by theDreaming Celestial as part of some grand cosmic plan.[10]
After rescuing Beast andProfessor X fromNorman Osborn's prison, Doctor Nemesis and the rest of the X-Club join the X-Men on the risenAsteroid M, renamed Utopia, where they mourn the death of Yuriko Takiguchi shortly afterward.[11] When the arrival ofHope Summers leads to an attack byBastion, Nemesis and the rest of the X-Club are led to a trap that takes them out of Utopia, where Bastion creates an energy sphere blocking San Francisco from the outside world, despite help from theAvengers, they are unable to breach the barrier.[12]
After Avengers vs X-Men, Dr. Nemesis is rescued from prison and joinsX-Force.[13]
Doctor Nemesis later appears as a member of theAgents of Wakanda.[14]
He becomes a citizen ofKrakoa during theKrakoan Age.[15]
During the "Empyre" storyline, Doctor Nemesis accompaniesVision to Central Park to deal with the plant creatures attacking there.Luke Cage and Doctor Nemesis mistake the creatures for theCotati, but soon learn that they are creations ofPlantman. Doctor Nemesis, Cage, and Vision manage to defeat Plantman, but are unable to contactBlack Panther.[16]
| Doctor Nemesis | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Marvel Feature #4 (July 1972, unofficial),Marvel Feature #9 (May 1973, official) |
| Created by | The early appearance inMarvel Feature #4 was co-written byRoy Thomas andMike Friedrich, and the artwork was byHerb Trimpe. His reintroduction inMarvel Feature #9 was written byMike Friedrich and drawn byP. Craig Russell. |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Michael Stockton |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | A.I.M |
| Abilities | Size manipulation via device in costume |
Michael Stockton was a scientist who was inventing a way to look into and study the subatomic worlds. He succeeded and stumbled onto one that was ruled by the monstrous tyrantTim Boo Ba.[17]
Stockton becomes associated withA.I.M and stationed in a laboratory nearHank Pym's home. He plots to steal Pym's technology and involves himself in the plot of criminal M'Sieu Tete. Ant-Man andSpider-Man battle Tete's gang until Tete injects the two with a virus to gain their cooperation. Ant-Man and Spider-Man retrieve an antidote for the virus, but Ant-Man is left in a shrunken state. Meanwhile, Stockton invades Hank Pym's lab and steals his technology.[18]
Stockton returns Ant-Man to his normal size, but putsWasp in a weakened state that will kill her unless she receives further treatment. Doctor Nemesis forces Ant-Man to take him toAvengers Mansion, plotting to steal the scientific research held there, but is ultimately defeated by Ant-Man.[19]
Stockton heads the development of the M.A.U. (Mass Acquisition Unit), withBill Foster and Edward Hawkins assisting him. The M.A.U. overloads and causes everything in the area to grow to giant size until Foster shuts it down. Foster discusses the M.A.U. with Hawkins, who states that it is too dangerous and would act as awarhead. Stockton attempts to weaponize the M.A.U., but Foster destroys the device and Stockton is sent to prison.[20]
When the Creatures from Kosmos attacks Earth, Doctor Nemesis shrinks himself to microscopic size and ends up on Tim Boo Ba's world. He is captured and tortured by Tim Boo Ba and his minions before returning to normal size and escaping. Doctor Nemesis is later incarcerated at theBig House, a prison where all inmates are shrunken using Pym Particles to lessen the chances of them escaping. He attempts to warn his cellmates of Tim Boo Ba, but none of them believe him.[17]
The James Bradley incarnation of Doctor Nemesis is a mutant with a self-described "self-evolved" intellect, making him an instinctively-intuitive scientific and technological genius. He has delayed his own aging and enhanced his own immune system, leading to a prolonged lifespan. He has also enhanced his eyesight, allowing him to see genetic anomalies, including the Nazi clones he primarily hunted before joining the X-Club, over a distance of 200 m (660 ft).[7] Additionally, Nemesis is a polymath who has made major advances in handheld weaponry, medicine, chemistry, genetics, interdimensional travel, computer programming, and robotics.[volume & issue needed] He arms himself with twin handguns that fire hypodermic projectiles containing dangerous narcotics. The projectiles were tailored to pierce body armor. He developed a sedating truth serum for use as an investigator. He created androids, including the sentient superhuman android Volton. He is an accomplished investigator and hand-to-hand combatant.
The Michael Stockton incarnation of Doctor Nemesis can manipulate his size usingPym Particles.
An alternate universe version of James Bradley appears inAge of X.[21]
During the "Secret Wars" storyline, several versions of James Bradley / Doctor Nemesis appear as residents ofBattleworld: