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SKULL (DC Comics)
Encyclopedia
The SKULL group is a fictional DC Comics
criminal organization, introduced in 1976's Superman
issue #301. They were created by Gerry Conway
and Curt Swan
.
. Their criminal agenda often brought them into conflict with the terrorist organization known as Kobra
. They later expanded their criminal empire to the West Coast. Albert Michaels was one of the sleeper agents of rogue SKULL scientist Alysia Damalis.
vol. 1 #6, but does not take an active role until Outsiders vol. 1 Anuual #1 in a story entitled "The Skull..., The Serpent... and the Outsiders". In this story, Simon Pons rebuilds SKULL and renews their long-standing feud with Kobra.
The group was suffering from near collapse following Superman's
capture of the Atomic Skull. Simon Pons rebuilt the organization as an international crime cartel
that sought to forcibly recruit millionaires such as Earl Dukeston, prominent scientists like Helga Jace, and even Kobra
himself. Pons blackmails Kobra using a cloned replica of his dead brother Jason Burr, which was genetically engineered by Doctor Chaysten. Pons threatens to kill the clone if Kobra does not work for SKULL. Kobra eventually joins with the Outsiders in order to defeat Pons and later escapes. Simon Pons and Doctor Chaysten were later captured by the Outsiders.
At one point, the SKULL attempt to kidnap Metamorpho
and use him to create Plutonium. SKULL's last recorded recent modern appearance was in Outsiders vol. 1 #25 from November (1987).
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...
criminal organization, introduced in 1976's Superman
Superman
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...
issue #301. They were created by Gerry Conway
Gerry Conway
Gerard F. "Gerry" Conway is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man...
and Curt Swan
Curt Swan
Douglas Curtis Swan was an American comic book artist. The artist most associated with Superman during the period fans and historians call the Silver Age of comic books, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 1950s through the 1980s.-Early life and career:Curt Swan, whose Swedish...
.
Bronze Age
The SKULL organization actively recruited discredited geniuses and rogue super-scientists at the behest of Albert Michaels, the first Atomic SkullAtomic Skull
Atomic Skull is the name of two different DC Comics supervillains.-Albert Michaels:Albert Michaels was a brilliant but distinctly unfriendly scientist-administrator at S.T.A.R. Labs with a rare nervous system disorder that short-circuited the electrical impulses in his brain, creating painful and...
. Their criminal agenda often brought them into conflict with the terrorist organization known as Kobra
Kobra (comics)
Kobra is the name used by two fictional supervillains published by DC Comics. The Jeffrey Burr Kobra first appeared in Kobra #1 , and was created by Martin Pasko, Steve Sherman, Jack Kirby, and Pablo Marcos...
. They later expanded their criminal empire to the West Coast. Albert Michaels was one of the sleeper agents of rogue SKULL scientist Alysia Damalis.
Modern Age
SKULL was seemingly inactive until Simon Pons revitalized the group. Pons first appears in OutsidersOutsiders (comics)
The Outsiders are a fictional DC Comics superhero team. As its name suggests, the team consists of superheroes who allegedly do not fit the norms of the mainstream superhero community, namely the Justice League....
vol. 1 #6, but does not take an active role until Outsiders vol. 1 Anuual #1 in a story entitled "The Skull..., The Serpent... and the Outsiders". In this story, Simon Pons rebuilds SKULL and renews their long-standing feud with Kobra.
The group was suffering from near collapse following Superman's
Superman
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...
capture of the Atomic Skull. Simon Pons rebuilt the organization as an international crime cartel
Cartel
A cartel is a formal agreement among competing firms. It is a formal organization of producers and manufacturers that agree to fix prices, marketing, and production. Cartels usually occur in an oligopolistic industry, where there is a small number of sellers and usually involve homogeneous products...
that sought to forcibly recruit millionaires such as Earl Dukeston, prominent scientists like Helga Jace, and even Kobra
Kobra (comics)
Kobra is the name used by two fictional supervillains published by DC Comics. The Jeffrey Burr Kobra first appeared in Kobra #1 , and was created by Martin Pasko, Steve Sherman, Jack Kirby, and Pablo Marcos...
himself. Pons blackmails Kobra using a cloned replica of his dead brother Jason Burr, which was genetically engineered by Doctor Chaysten. Pons threatens to kill the clone if Kobra does not work for SKULL. Kobra eventually joins with the Outsiders in order to defeat Pons and later escapes. Simon Pons and Doctor Chaysten were later captured by the Outsiders.
At one point, the SKULL attempt to kidnap Metamorpho
Metamorpho
Metamorpho is a fictional character, a superhero in the . He is a founding member of the Outsiders, and has also joined multiple incarnations of the Justice League.-Publication history:...
and use him to create Plutonium. SKULL's last recorded recent modern appearance was in Outsiders vol. 1 #25 from November (1987).
Members of Note
- Atomic SkullAtomic SkullAtomic Skull is the name of two different DC Comics supervillains.-Albert Michaels:Albert Michaels was a brilliant but distinctly unfriendly scientist-administrator at S.T.A.R. Labs with a rare nervous system disorder that short-circuited the electrical impulses in his brain, creating painful and...
- Albert Michaels, the original Atomic Skull couldn't control his metahuman powers without enhancements created by the SKULL organization. With his powers under control, he eventually came to lead the organization. - Alysia Damalis - Alysia was the rogue scientist and SKULL operative who recruited Albert Michaels.
- Doctor Chaysten - Head researcher and geneticist for SKULL under Simon Pons.
- Earl DukestonDuke of OilThe Duke of Oil is a fictional cyborg supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Outsiders #6 , and was created by Mike W...
- Also known as the Duke of Oil, a criminal cyborg recruited by Simon Pons. He most recently appeared in Green ArrowGreen ArrowGreen Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
as a member of the SocietySecret Society of Super VillainsThe Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
. - Major DisasterMajor DisasterMajor Disaster is a former DC Comics supervillain and reluctant amoral superhero. He debuted in Green Lantern # 43.-Fictional character biography:Paul Booker was nothing more than a cheap crook...
- SKULL operative under Simon Pons. - Simon Pons - Current leader of SKULL, revitalized the group for a modern era.