Saturday, February 14, 2009

Characters I Want to Write: MR. ELEMENT!


There's a real dirth of information on Mr. Element.








I mean, Dr. Alchemy (who is Albert Desmond, who is also Mr. Element) sure. But unless you've read the original Fox/Infantino THE FLASH, you will find it hard to find stuff online about Mr. Element.




Not that that's gonna stop me from being in love with the character and wanting to write him.






I think the one cool aspect of Mr. Element is that he's a "Science Villain" for a "Science Hero" in the The Flash. Both characters operate under physical laws, but those laws found in comic books. Which isn't to say the physics aren't accurate, but someone far more intelligent can and probably has argued the point.




Albert Desmond was a chemist (like Barry Allen aka the Flash) who suffers a split personality.
His dark half becomes the criminal Mr. Element, who develops technology to use elements as a weapon. He's an enemy of the Flash for a while, and then he finds DC Comics' version of "the Philosopher's Stone." This is a supernatural stone which can transmute alchemically. Thus, does the Science Villain become the Druid of Crime, Dr. Alchemy. This, in fact, turns out to be Al Desmond's third persona. So much so that using the Philosopher's Stone, the mad Desmond creates an identical twin of himself to carry on as Dr. Alchemy, named "Alvin."




After that, Albert becomes Mr. Element to combat "himself," as Dr. Alchemy. The two are obviously natural enemies. Soon, the "second" Desmond is destroyed, and Albert once again became Dr. Alchemy. Or something like that.












Mr. Element, proper, is a pro heist man who uses the elements to pull off crimes and make his getaways. I'd love a shot to turn Mr. Element into the "Parker" of the DC Universe, a hardcore and dangerous criminal with his own moral barometer. An anti-hero with a very strict and vicious code, uncompromising and all business.







And Albert Desmond himself? Well, Al surrendered to the Mr. Element persona completely. But Dr. Alchemy is still out there, still muddying the waters with his "magician's tricks" as Mr. Element would put it. So who is this Dr. Alchemy? Is that the construct from the Philosopher's Stone? Or is it Albert himself, still playing both sides?



Well, dig it, I don't know where this could all play out, but I know you readers would appreciate it. Just imagine the man-bro crush between Metamorpho the Element Man and Mr. Element! There's two guys with a lot to talk about.









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