| General Immortus | |
|---|---|
 General Immortus as depicted inFinal Crisis Aftermath: Run! #2 (August 2009). Art by Kako. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | My Greatest Adventure #80 (June 1963) |
| Created by | Arnold Drake Bob Haney Bruno Premiani Murray Boltinoff |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Human |
| Place of origin | Earth |
| Team affiliations | Brotherhood of Evil |
| Notable aliases | The Baron |
| Abilities | Longevity Alchemy Expert in theoccult Centuries of knowledge Criminal genius |
General Immortus is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics. He has also been called "The Forever Soldier" or "The Forever General".[1]
Immortus debuted inMy Greatest Adventure #80 alongside theDoom Patrol, and was created byArnold Drake,Bob Haney,Bruno Premiani, andMurray Boltinoff.[2]
General Immortus is perhaps centuries old, and his origins are shrouded in mystery.[3] At some points, it has even been implied that Immortus' origins lie in ancient history, having claimed on at least one occasion to have been alive at "the Dawn of Man". He once owned a diamond mine, the source of much of his current-day wealth, and he killed many of the slave workers to keep the location a secret,[4] which even remains today. However, little beyond this information has ever been revealed about Immortus' past. His real name has never been revealed, nor his country of origin, although it is implied to be somewhere in Europe.
Until coming into contact with theDoom Patrol, Immortus had sustained his unnatural long life indefinitely with a life-extendingalchemicalpotion, but Immortus eventually lost the formula and was unable to reproduce it. As his previous stocks began to run out he began to once again age, this time rapidly. Immortus hired scientistNiles Caulder to recreate the potion. When Caulder discovered Immortus's identity and plan, he sabotaged the "life extending ray" that he had been developing.[1] Caulder, as "The Chief", formed theDoom Patrol specifically to combat one of Immortus' later schemes.[5]
Most of Immortus' schemes involve him sustaining his longevity by finding a substitute for theelixir of life he had lost. He founds and leads a secretive criminal syndicate to steal ancient tomes and mystical artifacts and sustain his life. This syndicate is militaristic, hence Immortus' title of "general", and not unlike theThule Society in its philosophy and dabbling in the occult.
InSalvation Run, Immortus is killed byParademons. However, he resurfaces inFinal Crisis. He is now recruiting followers into his Army of the Endangered. Immortus hasProfessor Milo operate upon them to give them powers, including established non-powered villainsSportsmaster,Polka-Dot Man,Condiment King and theHuman Flame as well as new villains Brown Recluse, Miss Army Knife, N-Emy, Phoney Baloney, and Seductress. He ensures that use of these abilities causes pain until the villains have proved themselves unconditionally.[6] The Human Flame overcomes both the pain and an additional failsafe installed by Milo to disable his powers if necessary. He grievously burns Immortus and kills all of his new followers, save for his lover Seductress, who stays at his side.[7]
In theDawn of DC seriesUnstoppable Doom Patrol, Immortus fuses with the Candlemaker and becomes theEternal Flame beforeQuiz transports him to the Bleed, the space between realities.[8][9]
General Immortus is a cunning criminal mastermind and has lived for centuries as a result of his life-extending potion. As the Eternal Flame, he can generate fire.[8]
General Immortus appears as a character summon inScribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.[12]
