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Outsiders (DC Comics)
Encyclopedia
The Outsiders are a fictional group of outcasts, comic book
characters published by DC Comics
. They debuted in 1st Issue Special #10, (January 1976), and were created by Joe Simon
and Jerry Grandenetti
.
The outsiders are a close knit group of humans with terrifying teratological
deformities, very few of which grant any beneficial superhuman
abilities. The team is first seen during the rescue of a mutant
boy named Billy from a club wielding xenophobic mob; after an overwhelming show of force, the Outsiders are able to rescue Billy. Back at their headquarters and engaging in a bit of metacommentary, the team addresses its origin story directly to the Reader, as if the Outsiders are somehow aware of the Fourth Wall
.
Lizard Johnny was found at sea during a storm by a fisherman named Ahab, Doctor Goodie saves Johnny from death at the hands of a colleague and raises the infant humanoid himself. Billy's father a poor tailor from the town of Lynville was murdered by burglars, his tailor's shop was burned down while the criminals and terrified citizens attempt to kill Billy who later jumps into a fountain
in order to douse his burning clothes. This incident dovetails with Billy's rescue by the Outsiders at the start of the story.
Doctor Goodie was a NASA
technician on a manned probe to the planet Venus
, the probe crashes on the planet and Doctor Goodie is rescued by Alien surgeons who repair his broken body transforming him into a cyborg
, but because the aliens had no idea what a terran looked like, they gave him alien features similar to their own, alien features which terrify humans. Later Doctor Goodie reveals that he has created elaborate prosthetic makeup
which allows him to pass as a normal human doctor at the Ronkite Medical Complex. Deep below the medical complex is the hidden hideout of the Outsiders.
The origins of the three remaining Outsiders were never told. At the end of the issue team members are seen wearing their battle uniforms, black uniforms with a red stylized "O" on the front and their names in red on the back.
#692 (November 2009) as detainees of Department 7734 in Project M.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
characters published by 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...
. They debuted in 1st Issue Special #10, (January 1976), and were created by Joe Simon
Joe Simon
Joseph Henry "Joe" Simon is an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s-1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the first editor of Timely Comics, the company that would evolve into Marvel Comics.With his...
and Jerry Grandenetti
Jerry Grandenetti
Charles J. "Jerry" Grandenetti was an American comic book artist and advertising art director, best known for his work with writer-artist Will Eisner on the celebrated comics feature "The Spirit", and for his decade-and-a-half run on many DC Comics war series...
.
Publication history
Teratology
Teratology is the study of abnormalities of physiological development. It is often thought of as the study of human birth defects, but it is much broader than that, taking in other non-birth developmental stages, including puberty; and other non-human life forms, including plants.- Etymology :The...
deformities, very few of which grant any beneficial superhuman
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
abilities. The team is first seen during the rescue of a mutant
Mutant (fictional)
The concept of a mutant is a common trope in comic books and science fiction. The new phenotypes that appear in fictional mutations generally go far beyond what is typically seen in biological mutants, and often result in the mutated life form exhibiting superhuman abilities or qualities.-Marvel...
boy named Billy from a club wielding xenophobic mob; after an overwhelming show of force, the Outsiders are able to rescue Billy. Back at their headquarters and engaging in a bit of metacommentary, the team addresses its origin story directly to the Reader, as if the Outsiders are somehow aware of the Fourth Wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
.
Lizard Johnny was found at sea during a storm by a fisherman named Ahab, Doctor Goodie saves Johnny from death at the hands of a colleague and raises the infant humanoid himself. Billy's father a poor tailor from the town of Lynville was murdered by burglars, his tailor's shop was burned down while the criminals and terrified citizens attempt to kill Billy who later jumps into a fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
in order to douse his burning clothes. This incident dovetails with Billy's rescue by the Outsiders at the start of the story.
Doctor Goodie was a NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
technician on a manned probe to the planet Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
, the probe crashes on the planet and Doctor Goodie is rescued by Alien surgeons who repair his broken body transforming him into a cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
, but because the aliens had no idea what a terran looked like, they gave him alien features similar to their own, alien features which terrify humans. Later Doctor Goodie reveals that he has created elaborate prosthetic makeup
Prosthetic makeup
Prosthetic makeup is the process of using prosthetic sculpting, molding and casting techniques to create advanced cosmetic effects...
which allows him to pass as a normal human doctor at the Ronkite Medical Complex. Deep below the medical complex is the hidden hideout of the Outsiders.
The origins of the three remaining Outsiders were never told. At the end of the issue team members are seen wearing their battle uniforms, black uniforms with a red stylized "O" on the front and their names in red on the back.
Current status
The original Outsiders re-appear in SupermanSuperman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
#692 (November 2009) as detainees of Department 7734 in Project M.
Membership
- Amazing Ronnie - Ronnie is a four armed cyclopeanCyclopsA cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
man with acrobatic combat skills. - Billy - Billy's hypercephalic skull appears to confer limited invulnerability.
- Doc Scary - Formerly Doctor Goodie, Doc Scary was remade as a hideous cyborg by extraterrestrial surgeonSurgeonIn medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
s in order to save his life. - Hairy Larry - Larry is a cybernetic centauroid, half man and half automobileAutomobileAn automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
and the team's primary source of transportion. - Lizard Johnny - Johnny is a lizardlike humanoid possibly of AtlanteanAtlantis (DC Comics)Atlantis is a fictional location in the DC Comics Universe. The very first DC Universe version of Atlantis debuted in Action Comics #18 , and was created by...
origin, with limited regenerative abilities. - Mighty Mary - Mary has scaled and flippered arms and legs, and possesses limited superhuman strength. The only female member, Mary, unlike the others, appears "normal" from the neck up and has a reasonably attractive face and hair.