Frankenstein: DC Comics Superhero
Part of a series celebrating all the different versions of Frankenstein’s Monster.
Created by Mary Shelley in her landmark novel Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus (1818), the creature the Frankenstein’s Monster has been reworked by numerous comic book publishers over the decades. Frankenstein’s history in comic books goes as far back as the 1940s. Mary Shelley’s patchwork monster has been repurposed by Marvel Comics, as well as two versions of Frankenstein by Dick Briefer from Prize Comics, Doc Frankenstein by Matrix creators the Wachowskis from Burlyman Entertainment, Frankenstein Mobster from Image Comics, plus iterations from so many more.
DC's Frankenstein #1
The Frankenstein Monster first came to the world of DC Comics in Detective Comics #135 (1948). This version was credited to Edmond Hamilton and Bob Kane. In a story that promises to reveal the “True Story of Frankenstein,” a time traveling professor enlists the help of Batman and Robin when the gigantic assistant of Dr. Frankenstein is being exploited to commit a murder.
DC's Frankenstein #2
A second version of the creature was developed in the 1970s by Swamp Thing co-creator Len Wein. Under the thrall of Count Dracula, the creature fought against the likes of Superman, Batman, Phantom Stranger, and Doctor Thirteen.
DC's Frankenstein #3
A third Frankenstein Monster appeared with Dracula in Superman #344 (1980). These both came from "The World of Nightmare" to battle Superman, the Phantom Stranger, and Cassandra Craft. This appearance is memorialized in my free download Dracula's 13 Weirdest Fights.
DC's Frankenstein Today
In 2005, the current iteration of DC's Frankenstein was created by Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke as part of the ambitious, sprawling, interlocking project Seven Soldiers of Victory. They borrowed a number of elements from the Universal Monsters version of the creature, introduced in the 1931 film and originally portrayed by Boris Karloff. In addition to the Seven Soldiers, DC's Frankenstein has been a member of Creature Commandos, S.H.A.D.E., and Justice League Dark, and Gotham City Monsters.
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ABOUT MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818)
It’s crazy to think that one of the most influential and important books in all of western literature was written when the author was still a teenager. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, written when the author was only 16 years old, is a novel full of grief and longing and the struggle with isolation, as well as the hubris of climbing the ladder of science without regard for morality or the ramifications (and responsibility) of unexpected success.
Shelley’s “Frankenstein” has survived 200 years of creative adaptations and intellectual discussions. The version of the monster in the original novel is quite different from what we often see in adaptations—he is articulate, conflicted, and actually looks quite different than we’ve been trained to assume.
Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein was written to meet a challenge to “write a ghost story.” When she and a group of friends gathered at a mansion near Lake Geneva in Switzerland--a gathering that included Lord Byron, the poet Percy Shelley, and Lord Byron’s personal physician, John Polidori--inclement weather forced them to spend their holiday indoors.
The novel Frankenstein has endured more than 200 years because it represents so much to so many. Considered the first work of science fiction, Frankenstein has been recounted, remixed, retread, rebooted, and repurposed in books, films, television, cartoons, comics, audio dramas, stage productions, theme park attractions, and more.
As the themes of the novel continue to resonate into the future, it will no doubt appear in newer and still-to-be invented formats.