Project Cadmus
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| Project Cadmus | |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133 (October 1970) |
| Created by | Jack Kirby |
| In story information | |
| Type of organization | Genetic reserch |
| Base(s) | Metropolis |
Project Cadmus is a fictional government genetic engineering project in the DC Comics Universe. It was created by Jack Kirby as the DNA Project in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133 (October 1970), and was run by the former Newsboy Legion. Its notable creations included the Golden Guardian (a clone of the original Guardian) and Dubbilex, a DNAlien telepath who resembles a tall grey alien with horns.
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[edit] Fictional history
Dabney Donovan was a "mad scientist" who was ultimately fired from the Project because he felt there should never be limits in understanding the potential of the genetic code. Donovan had largely been accredited for the non-human creations of the Project, referred to as "DNAliens" (human beings cloned then genetically altered to discover superhuman potential while also giving them a more "alien" appearance), various normal clones, monsters based on Donovan's favorite horror films (who lived on a small artificial planet on Earth called Transilvane). There are also step-ups who call themselves "the Hairies," super hippies who have developed an evolved knowledge-base, and developed transport and defense technology beyond the understanding of modern day humans. The Hairies live outside the direct control of Cadmus, living inside a mobile "Mountain of Judgement," that constantly keeps them hidden from the affairs of both Cadmus and society in general. Prior to moving to the mountain, the Hairies lived in a forest of living tree-houses called the Habitat, which is right outside some of Cadmus' main facillities.
The Project has an "opposite number" in the form of the Evil Factory, a monster-creating project set up by Darkseid as part of Intergang and run by two of his servants called Simyan and Mokkari. They were originally created at Project Cadmus, but due to the cruelty of the experimentation they experienced at the hands of Dr. Dabney Donovan, they develop a great deal of hatred towards all humanity. They form a scientific enclave called "Brigadoom" as a means of pleasing Darkseid by creating an army of monstrous genetic constructs. They are constantly creating entities to assist Darkseid in mastering the Anti-Life Equation, clues of which exist in on Earth. This would allow Darkseid and his lackeys like Simyan and Mokkari to rule over their surroundings.
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Project was reintroduced as Project Cadmus, named after the Greek legend of Cadmus, who created warriors from the teeth of a dragon.
Before creating the DNA Project, Kirby had written a cloning story called The Cadmus Seed in Alarming Tales.
The Post-Crisis version made its first appearance in Superman Annual #2 (1988). It was responsible for the creation of the new Superboy, cloned from genetic material obtained from both Superman and Lex Luthor (originally, the human DNA was identified as that of Project director Paul Westfield). Superboy is subsequently freed by the clones of the Newsboy Legion, who now, as adults, are all working for Cadmus. A clone of Guardian, another long-time hero, works at the facillity. Another prominent staff member is Dubbilex, a 'D.N.Alien' with telepathic powers.
Cadmus is run for a time by Director Westfield. After Superman's death at the hands of Doomsday, Westfield had Superman's body worked upon by the scientists of Cadmus "The Legacy of Superman" #1, 1993.. After the nearest appropiximation of his DNA is created, Westfield has a Guardian clone named Auron assault the Newsboy Legion clones and their adult 'fathers' in an effort to acquire it. Auron almost kills the clones, causing them to crash land in the Habitat, before his Guardian memories come to the forefront. He takes the only copy of the DNA into space. The adult Legion then openly defy Westfield and ponder quitting Cadmus.
Dabney Donovan, still insane, returns multiple times to plague Cadmus, such as capturing the adult Legion and subjecting them to various torments. He would also ally himself with forces from Apokolips.
Cadmus goes to war with the forces of Lex Luthor in a Superman story called The Fall of Metropolis. This story features a 'clone plague' with many clones becoming sick and even dying. Soon, Cadmus is seemingly destroyed entirely. However, the Project had simply taken advantage of this to go underground.
[edit] New management
In Superboy #57, the Project was put under new management, following the Newsboys' retirement. The new project head is Mickey "the Mechanic" Cannon, a former Suicide Slum resident with a reputation for being able to "fix" anything, a car or a country. The new head of genetics is Dr. Serling Roquette, a teenaged genius with a crush on the Guardian and Superboy. Dabney Donovan is also brought back, under armed guard. Cannon made Cadmus more open to the public.
Shortly after this the Project temporarily came under the control of the Evil Factory, now revealed to be part of an organisation called The Agenda. This is run by Lex Luthor's ex-wife, the Contessa. The Agenda concerns itself with cloning for its own purposes. One of its operatives, Amanda Spence murders Superboy's girlfriend, Tana Moon. The Agenda suffers setbacks at the hands of multitudes of superheros, including mutinous superpowered beings from within their own ranks.
[edit] Endings
When Luthor becomes President of the United States, Cannon and the Guardian became uncomfortable with the amount of government pressure on the Project. Following the Imperiex War, the entire project vanishes.
The abandoned facillities, three miles below Metropolis, are shown in Outsiders #25, (July, 05). Lex Luthor (no longer president) and several of his associates have appropiated the buildings for their own uses.
It is shown in the comic series 52 that Project Cadmus is still in existence.[citation needed]
[edit] Countdown
It wasn't until Countdown Week 33 that the Project actually resurfaces, and it is still led by Mickey Cannon. He chases down Jimmy Olsen, eventually offering the boy a chance to work with Cadmus to help Olsen discover the mysteries of his new superpowers.
Upon arrival at The Project, Olsen is greeted by Dubbilex and Serling Roquette. Roquette takes Jimmy aside to help him learn about his powers. This story is still ongoing.
[edit] Alternate versions
[edit] All Star Superman
In the non-continuity book All Star Superman, Grant Morrison's modern take on the Silver Age includes the D.N.A. P.R.O.J.E.C.T. which was resurrected by a scientist named Leo Quintum. Under Quintum, the P.R.O.J.E.C.T. is dedicated to "the engineering of new human forms" including Bizarro worker drones, giants who can travel through space under their own power, and microscopic "nanonauts" unlocking the mysteries of the sub-atomic world. The P.R.O.J.E.C.T.'s ultimate goal is to create a replacement Superman, in case something happens to the original.
In All Star Superman #4, it is revealed that the P.R.O.J.E.C.T. created a formula to bestow Superman-level strength and durability on a normal person, but all of their test subjects ultimately burned out. Marked with "Do Not Open Until Doomsday", Jimmy Olsen drinks the formula and transforms into a hulking, gray skinned figure with bony protrusions. Jimmy succeeds in stopping a black-kryptonite-affected Superman. Both come through their ordeal, shaken but healthy.
[edit] Cadmus One Million
The name 'Project Cadmus' has survived to the 853rd century. They have a position of authority over this era's Superboy, who is the one millionth clone of the original. He takes two assignments for them; hunting down the JLA Bizzaro Clone Terrorist and searching for the traces of 20th Century DNA Cadmus had detected. Though Cadmus believed the DNA was in the arctic region on Earth, it was found floating in the Solar System's asteroid belt. It was a humanoid being in a stasis chamber. It is later implied the humanoid is Slobo.
[edit] Other media
Project Cadmus was featured as an adversary of the Justice League in the animated series Justice League Unlimited. This version is a combination of the comics version of Cadmus, the Suicide Squad (which appeared in the series as Task Force X, its real name in the comics), and Checkmate.
In the series, Cadmus is a government project designed to take precautions against the League going rogue. The project was started when Superman was brainwashed by Darkseid into invading Earth at the end of Superman: The Animated Series where the project was designed to deal with the Man of Steel if he were to attack the Earth again. The project's goals extended to the Justice League as well after the Justice Lords incident.
Members of this version of Cadmus include Amanda Waller, Professor Hamilton, Tala, General Wade Eiling, Professor Milo, Maxwell Lord, Hugo Strange, and Doctor Moon. In addition, they also had Task Force X, which is the official name for the organization known in DC Comics as the Suicide Squad, for use in risky field missions.
Cadmus was later shown to be backed by Lex Luthor, who only financed the project in a grab for superpowers of his own. After taking what he needed from Cadmus, Luthor attempted to destroy it by hacking into an immense laser built into the League's Watchtower, but failed. It was then revealed that Brainiac was living inside him at the time, improving upon his physical health and strength while "subtly influencing [his] actions". After both of them were defeated, Cadmus ceased operations and the Justice League announced the establishment of a planetside base to improve their public relations.
They were responsible for creating Galatea (a clone of Supergirl who resembles Power Girl), the Royal Flush Gang, Volcana, the Ultimen (a team of genetically engineered heroes who are a pastiche of several heroes created for the Super Friends series) and ultimately Terry McGinnis (Batman II).
When the Joker took the Royal Flush Gang from Cadmus, he also stole the technology he used to overwrite his DNA into Tim Drake during Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker as explained in Epilogue.
The television series Smallville referenced a company called "Cadmus Labs," which Lex Luthor bought. This Cadmus, however, was just being used by Luthor as part of a larger plan; after it was taken from him in a hostile takeover by a woman pretending to love him and her father, it turned out that the project was a feint. The company was in major financial and legal trouble and so the "lover" and her father were financially crippled.
Cadmus Labs is involved with Superman Returns: The Video Game. During an interview, the game's executive producer mentioned that among the game's various enemies were "Bizarro's minions escaped from Cadmus Labs".[1]
