Gas Gang
Encyclopedia
The Gas Gang were a group of short-lived fictional robots created in the Metal Men
universe, from the Metal Men story "The Day Doc Turned Robot!" ("Metal Men" #6, DC Comics
, February–March 1964).
, Dr. William "Will" Magnus
had his spacesuit perforated by cosmic rays. The effect was that during their return trip to Earth, "Doc" Magnus became a robot himself, displaying none of the actual human and humane feelings toward his Metal Men or anything, even to the point of denying the Metal Men the opportunity to rescue another rocketship in distress. After they disobeyed orders and rescued the ship, Doc Magnus threatened to melt down his creations. For his own protection, after landing the Metal Men locked him in his lab and began experimenting on ways to make him human again.
However, while they were busy with one failed experiment after another, the lab door burst open and Doc Magnus introduced his new robots, the Gas Gang. Unlike the Metal Men (each of whom was based on a different metal), these were based on (and named for) the gases Oxygen
, Helium
, Chloroform
, Carbon Monoxide
, and Carbon Dioxide
.
Whereas the Metal Men were approximately the same size as Doctor Magnus, the Gas Gang were anywhere from one-third to twice his size.
On Chloroform's initial attack, it caused the Metal Men to break out in fits of hysteria ala Nitrous Oxide
(Laughing Gas
) which Doc Magnus said was chloroform's initial effect. Before Lead
could wall them off, Mercury
literally "broke up laughing", opening Oxygen to attack and causing the Metal Men to begin to rust. During the chase Carbon Monoxide (called "CM" by Carbon Dioxide) attempted to poison them with fumes, while Carbon Dioxide (called "CD" by Carbon Monoxide) attempted to freeze them. The chase ended in one of the labs where Gold
was attempting heat conduction on the others as a possible cure for their creator. As Helium expanded and cornered the Metal Men, Platinum got Gold to repeat the experiment, stretching and transforming himself into a large cage and trapping the Gas Gang. When he connected himself to the high-voltage conductors he melted the Gas Gang and converted them all to steam. That was when they discovered Doctor Magnus had been trapped in there with them, and as it turned out is what cured him and made him human again.
Metal Men
The Metal Men are fictional characters that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. The characters first appeared in Showcase #37 and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and penciller Ross Andru...
universe, from the Metal Men story "The Day Doc Turned Robot!" ("Metal Men" #6, DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, February–March 1964).
Fictional history
The story begins where the previous story "Menace of the Mammoth Robots!" left off. After dislodging a meteor from his ship's hull and rescuing the lone female robot PlatinumPlatinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
, Dr. William "Will" Magnus
Will Magnus
Doctor Will Magnus is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Showcase #37 alongside his creations, the Metal Men; he was created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru.-Fictional character biography:...
had his spacesuit perforated by cosmic rays. The effect was that during their return trip to Earth, "Doc" Magnus became a robot himself, displaying none of the actual human and humane feelings toward his Metal Men or anything, even to the point of denying the Metal Men the opportunity to rescue another rocketship in distress. After they disobeyed orders and rescued the ship, Doc Magnus threatened to melt down his creations. For his own protection, after landing the Metal Men locked him in his lab and began experimenting on ways to make him human again.
However, while they were busy with one failed experiment after another, the lab door burst open and Doc Magnus introduced his new robots, the Gas Gang. Unlike the Metal Men (each of whom was based on a different metal), these were based on (and named for) the gases Oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
, Helium
Helium
Helium is the chemical element with atomic number 2 and an atomic weight of 4.002602, which is represented by the symbol He. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas that heads the noble gas group in the periodic table...
, Chloroform
Chloroform
Chloroform is an organic compound with formula CHCl3. It is one of the four chloromethanes. The colorless, sweet-smelling, dense liquid is a trihalomethane, and is considered somewhat hazardous...
, Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
, and Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
.
Whereas the Metal Men were approximately the same size as Doctor Magnus, the Gas Gang were anywhere from one-third to twice his size.
On Chloroform's initial attack, it caused the Metal Men to break out in fits of hysteria ala Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or sweet air, is a chemical compound with the formula . It is an oxide of nitrogen. At room temperature, it is a colorless non-flammable gas, with a slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic...
(Laughing Gas
Laughing gas
Laughing gas is a common name of Nitrous oxide, particularly when used as an anestheticLaughing gas may also refer to:* Laughing Gas , a 1936 comic novel by P. G...
) which Doc Magnus said was chloroform's initial effect. Before Lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
could wall them off, Mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
literally "broke up laughing", opening Oxygen to attack and causing the Metal Men to begin to rust. During the chase Carbon Monoxide (called "CM" by Carbon Dioxide) attempted to poison them with fumes, while Carbon Dioxide (called "CD" by Carbon Monoxide) attempted to freeze them. The chase ended in one of the labs where Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
was attempting heat conduction on the others as a possible cure for their creator. As Helium expanded and cornered the Metal Men, Platinum got Gold to repeat the experiment, stretching and transforming himself into a large cage and trapping the Gas Gang. When he connected himself to the high-voltage conductors he melted the Gas Gang and converted them all to steam. That was when they discovered Doctor Magnus had been trapped in there with them, and as it turned out is what cured him and made him human again.
Members
- OxygenOxygenOxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
- A Gas Gang member in the form of a walking oxygen tank. - HeliumHeliumHelium is the chemical element with atomic number 2 and an atomic weight of 4.002602, which is represented by the symbol He. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas that heads the noble gas group in the periodic table...
- A Gas Gang member in the form of a rubberized container that could expand. - Carbon MonoxideCarbon monoxideCarbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
- A Gas Gang member in the form of a walking lit Bunsen BurnerBunsen burnerA Bunsen burner, named after Robert Bunsen, is a common piece of laboratory equipment that produces a single open gas flame, which is used for heating, sterilization, and combustion.- Operation:...
. - ChloroformChloroformChloroform is an organic compound with formula CHCl3. It is one of the four chloromethanes. The colorless, sweet-smelling, dense liquid is a trihalomethane, and is considered somewhat hazardous...
- A Gas Gang member in the form of a walking cylindrical tank perforated with holes from which it emitted its gas. - Carbon DioxideCarbon dioxideCarbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
- A Gas Gang member that resembles an anthropomorphic dry iceDry iceDry ice, sometimes referred to as "Cardice" or as "card ice" , is the solid form of carbon dioxide. It is used primarily as a cooling agent. Its advantages include lower temperature than that of water ice and not leaving any residue...
crystal.
Television
- The Gas Gang appeared in the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode "Clash of the Metal Men" with Oxygen voiced by Brian BloomBrian BloomBrian Keith Bloom is an American actor, voice actor, and screenwriter.Bloom was born in Merrick, New York, the brother of producer/actor Scott Bloom and musician Mike Bloom....
, Carbon Dioxide voiced by Hynden WalchHynden WalchHeidi Hynden Walch , known professionally as Hynden Walch, is an American actress.One of her most known roles is Starfire in Teen Titans. She also voiced Penny Sanchez on the Nickelodeon show ChalkZone and Elsie on the Disney Channel show Stanley...
, Hydrogen voiced by Lex LangLex LangWalter Alexis "Lex" Lang is a two-time Emmy Award–winning American voice actor, producer and entrepreneur. He is the cofounder of The Love Planet Foundation, a non-profit organization which creates educational materials for children on the importance of recycling, world water awareness, and the...
, Helium voiced by Bill FagerbakkeBill FagerbakkeWilliam Mark "Bill" Fagerbakke is an American actor and voice actor. He is well-known for his long-running-roles as Patrick Star in the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants and "Dauber" Dybinski on the sitcom Coach....
, and Chloroform and Nitrogen having no dialogue. This version of the team is altered somewhat from the original: Hydrogen (an explosive gas) is added, Carbon Dioxide is renamed Nitrogen, and Carbon Monoxide is renamed Carbon Dioxide (leaving Carbon Monoxide out of the team altogether). This version of the Gas Gang are Dr. Magnus' fellow scientists who were turned into gaseous forms following a lab accident trying to use the experiment for themselves and then develop the right gas to cause volcanoes to erupt causing mass destruction. They kidnap Dr. Will Magnus in order to form robotic bodies to store their fading bodies. They fought BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
and the Metal Men and ended up defeating them. Dr. Magnus reluctantly made them robotic bodies to store their gaseous forms when they tricked him into believing that he was responsible for their condition. They then strapped a chemical container to Dr. Magnus and slowly lowered him into a volcano so that the heat can trigger the chemical container and set off the volcano. When their powers were too much for the Metal Men, they formed around Batman to form an armor. After taking a beating, the Gas Gang also combined and turned the tide against Batman and the Metal Men. Batman threw a torch at the combined Gas Gang exploding their robotic bodies and combined their gas forms into a deadly gas cloud. While Batman went after the Gas Gang, the Metal Men saved Dr. Magnus. Batman set his Batplane to self-destruct destroying the Gas Gang.