The Elements of Doom
Roll Call: The originals were just Vanadium, Carbon, Phosphorus, Chlorine, Radium and Cobalt. The new generation's improved versions consisted of all these and lots more, though only thirty-seven were identified out of "all one hundred and nine!" (There may be a hundred and eleven elements, but who's counting?)
First Appearances: Avengers 188 for the original sextet. Their successors popped up all throughout Thunderbolts 6, 7 and 8.
What's Their Problem? Their Soviet-born creator, Dr. Vasily Khandruvitch, probably wondered the same thing when his original experiments took over a nuclear power plant and gave the state's army so much trouble that some visiting Americans had to save the day. After fleeing an ungrateful Mother Russia for the United States underworld, the doctor literally made an army from scratch but later found them to be just as rebellious and with a major anti-humanity agenda to boot; as their de facto leader Europium put it, "We Elements compose the entirety of the world -- and thus, it is only right that we rule all!" Tamper in God's domain, get more would-be gods... same-old, same-old.
Abilities: Be they atomically rearranged humans or actual elements with crystalline cerebral matrixes, the Elements each had the attributes of the one element they were made of, such as the occasional malleability, conductivity, toxicity, heat or radioactivity. Even if say, one of your basic hulking metallic muscle-boys went through heavy physical abuse, you can bet it will reform itself in a matter of minutes. A noticeable difference between the two generations is that the originals stayed in humanoid form even when changing their element's state whereas many of the recent horde could at least stretch their arms or grow wings for flight. On the plus side, that whole bunch could make large citadels in record time and they were really into recycling.
Favorite Quote: "We have no reason to hide our origins, human -- all you needed to do was ask us!" (Thunderbolts 6.) Phosphorus agrees with Sodium's analysis of their enemies as "pathetic." This is in keeping with the general Elemental attitude, thinking just 'coz everything's composed of them they're hot stuff. (Which he was, but that's phosphorus for you...)
Heroes They Keep Running Into: Their first encounter with the first Elements a wash, the Avengers (mainly the Beast and Ms. Marvel) returned to swipe a fusion reactor with a laser cannon and fatally douse the Soviet six-pack with white-hot nuclear plasma. (Can you say "overkill"?) The main opposition against the Periodic Table come to life were the Thunderbolts, although the artificial army's final assault was met by Big Apple heroes ranging from Spider-Man and Daredevil to the New Warriors and the newer Heroes for Hire.
People Who Think They're Not So Bad: They got along fairly well with themselves but were extremely hostile to everyone else. The only known exception was Khandruvitch, who was told to help transform humanity into elemental drones or be first in line. He instead picked option number three: helping the T-Bolts make slag out of 'em. And for the record, they have NO connection whatsoever with Victor Von Doom, so quit asking.
Most Despicable Act: The first chemistry set didn't get past expanding their ranks by converting a technician into Cobalt, and it wasn't clear if they were the ones who destroyed a Soviet MIG jet from afar. The more recent invasion of Elements en masse had a far busier day; the near-crashing of a 747 full of people into New York as well as the attack on Madison Square Garden, from which at least seven people died out of the dozens of humans and dogs that were poisoned. Later the lumbering Element Iron murdered the pseudo-hero Techno, but the Thunderbolt didn't seem to mind that much at all.
Speaking of the Elements of Doom: Jeanne the editor here. The real Elements of Doom are on display at Chemical Comics. It's the entire periodic table, demonstrated by comic books characters in a site put together by honest-to-gosh chemists! Go have a look! (Hey, never let it be said we aren't an educational site...)
by Ray Schaff
