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Nemesis (DC Comics)

For other comic characters with the same name, see Nemesis (disambiguation) § Fictional entities.


Nemesis is the name of two fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. Thomas Andrew Tresser first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #166 (September 1980) and was created by Cary Burkett and Dan Spiegle. Soseh Mykros first appeared in JSA Annual #1 (October 2000) and was created by David S. Goyer and Uriel Caton.

Creation

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Editor Paul Levitz instructed Burkett to created a new character for the Brave and the Bold anthology series as a back up Burkett recalled the process

"His instructions were for me to create a character who was a 'non- costumed' hero, one who would fit well into a Batman-themed book … with some general similarities, but strong differences"

Burkett explained the genesis of the design of the character

"Paul had Dan Spiegle in mind as the artist before the character was created, I think. I figured that costume-wise, Nemesis would operate in basic black, but Paul added the touch that he would have a patch of the Scales of Justice on his costume. It was the right touch, I think—the symbol was important to the character."[1]

As for the story aspect Burkett spoke on the inspiration for the storyline of the character

"The story I based his back-ground on was that of Edwin Booth, famous American actor in the 1860s and brother of the assassin John Wilkes Booth. After John Wilkes Booth killed President Abraham Lincoln, Edwin Booth's reputation was destroyed as well for many years. He carried around the disgrace of the Booth name for years after the assassination. I crafted the origin of Nemesis around a similar situation."

Publication history

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The Thomas Tresser character was created by writer Cary Burkett in 1979 and named for an actor with whom Burkett was rooming in New Hampshire.[2] The character debuted in an eight-page backup story in The Brave and the Bold #166 (September 1980) written by Burkett and drawn by Dan Spiegle.[3]

The character was featured in one of the Final Crisis Aftermath limited series Escape, written by Ivan Brandon with art by Marco Rudy.[4][5] In 2010, he was the eponymous character in the mini-series Nemesis: The Impostors.[6]

Fictional character biography

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Thomas Andrew Tresser

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Nemesis
 
Agent Tresser in Wonder Woman.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceThe Brave and the Bold #166 (September 1980)
Created byCary Burkett
Dan Spiegle
In-story information
Alter egoThomas Andrew Tresser
Team affiliationsShadow Fighters
Suicide Squad
Onslaught
Global Peace Agency
Justice League
Notable aliasesMany, among others Sarge Steel
AbilitiesMaster of disguise; uses disposable masks made of a fine, highly malleable material which could be instantly dissolved with a special spray in his collar

Thomas Andrew Tresser is a vigilante turned operative for the U.S. government and a master of disguise. His default costume is a black turtleneck sweater with a balance as a chest symbol and a chest holster.

He was an applicant to an unnamed government agency whose brother Craig was an undercover agent infiltrating a criminal syndicate called "the Council". Craig was brainwashed into killing their family friend Ben Marshall and was subsequently killed in self-defense by fellow agents. Tom thus became "Nemesis", preferring to use an alias instead of his dishonored family name. With the assistance of the Batman, he cleared his brother's name and saw the men responsible for his brother's death dead.

This was covered in a backup series in The Brave and the Bold #166 through 192,[3] with team-ups with the Batman in #170[7] and #193.[8]

Nemesis was apparently killed in the helicopter crash that killed the council's leader, though he was later revealed to have survived, thanks to Amanda Waller and Rick Flag. He then became one of the few non-criminal members of the Suicide Squad as a means of paying off what he perceived as a debt. Nemesis became an occasional member of the Suicide Squad, assisting them from time to time, and fell in love with one of their members, Nightshade.

During a mission in Moscow with the Suicide Squad, the team tried to rescue Zoya Trigorin. The mission was a failure, as she died in his arms, and he was taken into custody. Rick Flag and Nightshade set up a rescue mission for their teammate, and came into conflict with the Justice League because of it. Eventually, the two teams worked out their differences, and Nemesis was allowed to escape by the Justice League. He continued to work alongside the Squad, but left the team after conflicts with Amanda Waller. He later returned only shortly to help retrieve Flag's kidnapped son and to assist in trying to uncover a secret government cabal. This plot-point was never resolved.

Tresser was drafted into the Shadow Fighters to battle the villain Eclipso. He was originally the sole survivor of the Eclipso massacre that claimed the lives of the rest of the Shadow Fighters.[9] He continued the fight against Eclipso in a smaller recon-team that also included Nightshade and the matter-manipulator Chunk. Nemesis and Chunk were saved from a nuclear bomb attack by Nightshade's powers.

 
Nemesis threatens Amanda Waller.

After his involvement with the Suicide Squad and the Shadow Fighters ended, he apparently met his end - again - in the pages of Catwoman.[10] In Superman Secret Files 2004, Nemesis was revealed to be alive and well, impersonating Sarge Steel and apparently working for a shadowy Cabal. Furthermore, in the last issue of the second volume of Suicide Squad the then-current team's erstwhile leader Sgt. Rock is revealed to have been an impostor. Given the events of the Superman Secret Files, "Rock" may well have been Nemesis for some or all of his appearances with the Squad. The story of what happened to Nemesis between his 'death' in Catwoman and subsequent reappearance in Superman Secret Files has not yet been told.

One Year Later after the events of Infinite Crisis, Nemesis is seen aiding government agent Diana Prince, Wonder Woman in disguise, in the rescue of Donna Troy from several of the Amazon's villains. Nemesis is part of the newly re-opened Department of Metahuman Affairs under Sarge Steel.

Around this time, Nemesis assists in saving the life of the second Maxi-Man.[11] Shortly before the events of the Amazons Attack limited series, Nemesis questions the detainment of Wonder Woman by the D.M.A. and defies orders to rescue her.[12] He uncovers a plot by the villain Circe to trick the U.S. government into destroying Themyscira under false pretenses. During the Amazon counterattack, he is stung by several gigantic Stygian Killer Hornets, native to the Amazon Nation. Wonder Woman risks her life by traveling to Themyscira for an antidote and revives Nemesis back into health.

Shortly thereafter, Nemesis is again wounded in battle. While he is recovering in the hospital, Wonder Woman begins courting Tresser, in the traditional Amazon manner. After formally meeting her mother Hippolyta, he is inducted as an Amazon despite being a male. He is given the title of Sir Thomas of Cleveland and given the ranking of Guardsman.[13] Tom ends any potential relationship aside of friendship with Diana once he discovers that she does not truly love him but instead wanted to use him to create a family.[14]

In the Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape storyline, Tresser is kidnapped and "reprogrammed" by the Global Peace Agency.[15] He then appears in Nemesis: The Imposters, battling false versions of the DC Universe.[16]

During the Heroes in Crisis storyline, Nemesis checked into Sanctuary to deal with the stress of his vigilante work. It is unknown if Nemesis was killed in the unexpected attack or not.[17]

Soseh Mykros

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Nemesis
 
Nemesis on the restless cover of JSA Annual #1 (October 2000).
Art by Buzz.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceJSA Annual #1 (October 2000)
Created byDavid S. Goyer
Uriel Caton
In-story information
Alter egoSoseh Mykros
Team affiliationsJustice Society of America
The Council
AbilitiesSuperhuman strength, speed, and agility
Highly skilled sword fighter
A second Nemesis debuted in JSA Annual #1 (October 2000),[18] which had no connection with the original and was a completely different character. Soseh Mykros was the genetically engineered daughter of the leader of the council (not to be confused with the above-mentioned Council), a terrorist group that had once used the hero Paul Kirk, Manhunter. She originally operated as an ally of the Justice Society and assisted the team during a few adventures.[19] She soon departed for other causes to her interest. Eventually, she found herself teaming up with Black Adam's group of loose cannon heroes,[20] a group that—while altruistic—had no compunctions about killing or blurring the lines of legitimacy with their respective goals. She soon became romantically involved with her teammate Alexander Montez, a man who had managed to bind the demon Eclipso to himself, and for a time they were happy with one another.[21] Of course, as with many such tragic romances, this was not meant to last for long. At some point in the series, Alex finally lost control of his body, allowing Eclipso to kill Soseh when her guard was down. Alex regained control, but it was too late. He committed suicide in remorse.[22]

DC Rebirth: Pennyworth clone

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Nemesis
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceAll-Star Batman #11 (August 2017)
Created byScott Snyder
Rafael Albuquerque
In-story information
Notable aliasesDark Knight
AbilitiesHighly skilled fighter
During Alfred Pennyworth's time in the military, he was mentored by a man named Briar, who enrolled him in a program to become the Nemesis, a Batman-like figure. Frustrated with many failed pupils and Pennyworth's unwillingness to kill, Briar would create a perfect young clone as the new Nemesis. Having reduced aging, he would survive to encounter Batman and Alfred in Miami. Eventually, Nemesis killed his master, and was allowed by Alfred and Batman to retreat into the wilderness.[23]

Relationship of Tresser and Mykros

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In DC Comics continuity, Mykros does not seem to have any connection to Tresser except for the fact that they both battled organizations named "the Council" and as a result Tresser was killed for Mykros to debut in JSA. When asked in an interview what happened to Nemesis (Tom Tresser), why he was killed in Catwoman #62,[10] and was it true that his death was editorially mandated, Catwoman writer Devin Grayson explained:

I was actually hoping to use Nemesis for the role in which I ended up using Trickster – cheerful foil and potential romance. But yes, I was told that he was scheduled to be eighty-sixed – an editor liked his name, but didn't like the character, and had plans, I guess, for a 'new' Nemesis. He wasn't slated to die in Catwoman, but I figured that if he was on his way out, his death might as well be handled by someone who liked and respected him – I tried really hard to show what a great character he was before I killed him in such a way as to ensure that should anyone change their mind, they could bring him back without too much trouble.[24]

In other media

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Nemesis as he appears in Justice League Unlimited.

Television

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References

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  1. ^ Eury, Michael. "Back Issue!". Two Morrows (64): 69–70.
  2. ^ Isaacs, Deanna (December 23, 2004). "Nemesis vs. Politics as Usual - Gadfly, former actor, and superhero model Tom Tresser is back, calling on the creative class to claim their piece of the pie". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved January 22, 2012. Tom Tresser, the square-jawed, blond comic-book hero, was created in 1979, when Tom Tresser, the meeker, balder actor, was working at the Merrimack Valley Theatre in Manchester, New Hampshire, and rooming with writer Cary Burkett. Burkett got an assignment from DC Comics to create a new character and came up with Nemesis, a master of martial arts and disguise, who needed a daytime alias. Burkett's Tom Tresser became a mild-mannered, Shakespeare-quoting former FBI agent.
  3. ^ a b Trumbull, John (May 2013). "Nemesis Balancing the Scales". Back Issue! (#64). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 69–75.
  4. ^ Brady, Matt (March 13, 2009). "Getting Away from Electric City: Ivan Brandon on Escape". Newsarama. Archived from the original on June 19, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  5. ^ Renaud, Jeffrey (March 13, 2009). "Ivan Brandon Siphons Secrets in Escape". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on March 18, 2009. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
  6. ^ Nemesis: The Imposters at the Grand Comics Database
  7. ^ Burkett, Cary (w), Aparo, Jim (p), Aparo, Jim (i). "...If Justice Be Blind" The Brave and the Bold, no. 170 (January 1981).
  8. ^ Burkett, Cary (w), Aparo, Jim (p), Aparo, Jim (i). "Those Who Live by the Sword..." The Brave and the Bold, no. 193 (December 1982).
  9. ^ Fleming, Robert Loren (w), Newman, Audwynn Jermaine (p), Kryssing, Ray (i). "Hour of Darkness" Eclipso, no. 13 (November 1993).
  10. ^ a b Grayson, Devin (w), Balent, Jim (p), Stanisci, John (i). "Dog New Tricks" Catwoman, vol. 2, no. 62 (October 1998).
  11. ^ Picoult, Jodi (w), Johnson, Drew (p), Snyder, Ray (i). "Love and Murder, Part 1" Wonder Woman, vol. 3, no. 6 (Late May 2007).
  12. ^ Picoult, Jodi (w), Dodson, Terry (p), Dodson, Rachel (i). "Love and Murder, Part 3" Wonder Woman, vol. 3, no. 8 (Late June 2007).
  13. ^ Greenberger, Robert (2010). Wonder Woman: Amazon. Hero. Icon. Milan, Italy: Rizzoli Universe Promotional Books. p. 140. ISBN 978-0789324160. [Wonder Woman's] next long-term romance was a most unlikely one with former spy-turned-operative for the Department of Metahuman Affairs, Tom Tresser. He was brash, cocky, and seemingly ill-suited for a princess, but he continually showed Wonder Woman his remarkable courage.
  14. ^ Simone, Gail (w), Lopresti, Aaron (p), Ryan, Matt (i). "Warkiller, Part 1 of 4: Heart of Fire" Wonder Woman, vol. 3, no. 36 (November 2009).
  15. ^ Brandon, Ivan; Rudy, Marco (2010). Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape. DC Comics. p. 144. ISBN 978-1401226084.
  16. ^ Brandon, Ivan (w), Richards, Cliff (p), Richards (i). "Part 1: Close Your Eyes" Nemesis: The Imposters, no. 1 (May 2010).
    Brandon, Ivan (w), Richards, Cliff (p), Richards (i). "Part 2: Almost Right" Nemesis: The Imposters, no. 2 (June 2010).
    Brandon, Ivan (w), Richards, Cliff (p), Richards (i). "Part 3: Something Small Enough to Break" Nemesis: The Imposters, no. 3 (July 2010).
    Brandon, Ivan (w), Richards, Cliff (p), Richards (i). "Part 4: Here We Go" Nemesis: The Imposters, no. 4 (August 2010).
  17. ^ King, Tom (w), Mann, Clay; Weeks, Lee (p), Mann, Clay; Weeks, Lee (i). "Heroes in Crisis Part 3: Master of the Lagoon" Heroes in Crisis, no. 3 (January 2019).
  18. ^ Goyer, David S. (w), Caton, Uriel (p), Von Grawbadger, Wade (i). "Genesis" JSA Annual, no. 1 (October 2000).
  19. ^ JSA #49-51. DC Comics.
  20. ^ JSA #43. DC Comics.
  21. ^ JSA #57. DC Comics.
  22. ^ JSA #58. DC Comics.
  23. ^ All-Star Batman #10-14 (2017)
  24. ^ Hutchison, Michael (1999). "Devin Grayson: The Interview". Fanzing.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  25. ^ Berkowitz, Stan (writer); Dos Santos, Joaquim (director) (July 31, 2004). Justice League Unlimited: "Initiation" (episode). Cartoon Network.
  26. ^ Ellis, Warren (writer); Riba, Dan (director) (December 11, 2004). Justice League Unlimited: "Dark Heart" (episode). Cartoon Network.
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