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As a result of the New 52 in 2011, the entire line of DC characters was relaunched, incorporating properties belonging to the company's imprints: Wildstorm, Milestone, and Vertigo. As such, elements of this character's history have been altered in some way from the previous incarnation. For a complete list of all versions of this character, see our disambiguation page. |
Niles Caulder, also known as the Chief, was a member of the Ravagers and leader of the Doom Patrol before being fired from the team.
History
Early Doom Patrol
Caulder, in order to create his own team of superheroes, orchestrated the freak accidents that gave Cliff Steele, Larry Trainor, and Rita Farr their powers without their knowledge. Upon their transformations, Caulder swooped in and offered them spots on a new team he was creating called "the Doom Patrol."
Eventually, after saving the world together, the Doom Patrol's roster was shaken up, with Caulder now leading a team consisting of Robotman, Rebis, and Crazy Jane.
Over time, the team splintered and went their separate ways.
Doom Patrol vs. the Justice League
When the Crime Syndicate invaded Earth and apparently killed all the world's heroes, Caulder stepped up and initiated his new version of the Doom Patrol, recruiting young and inexperienced heroes to save the world. However, his plan backfired, and multiple of its members were murdered by the Syndicate. Unable to save the world this time, the Chief went back to the drawing board, recruiting a new team.
Eventually, the day was saved by Lex Luthor and his Injustice League.
The Crime Syndicate member Power Ring was killed in battle, and his evil Ring of Volthoom travelled around the world to find its new host. Caulder, tracking the ring's energy, located its newest wielder - Jessica Cruz - and dispatched his new Doom Patrol to her location to recruit her to their team.
However, upon finding Cruz, the Doom Patrol clashed with the Justice League, who wanted to negotiate with Cruz themselves. Caulder ordered the Doom Patrol, consisting of Robotman, Negative Man, Elasti-Woman, and Element Woman, to fend off the League. During the fight though, Lex Luthor revealed to the Doom Patrol Caulder's biggest secret - that the Chief himself had caused their accidents. Demoralized, the Doom Patrol conceded and disbanded, allowing Power Ring to be taken by the League.
Fired From the Doom Patrol
The Doom Patrol reformed, but this time without Caulder. Though Negative Man had grown to forgive Caulder, Robotman harbored an intense resentment for the man for ruining his original human body. Caulder continued to keep an eye on his old team until he eventually reached out to them, asking to rejoin as their leader.
Against Robotman's wishes, Negative Man and Casey Brinke agreed, and the Chief immediately began making changes to the team. The Chief altered all their outfits and allegedly improved Robotman's body and Negative Man's radioactive-retardant bandages. The team went on a few missions together until they realized that the Chief was just using them again to fulfill his own selfish goals, at which point they fired him yet again. [1]
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
- Genius Level Intellect
- Biology: Chief is an expert biology who has a deep understanding of the workings of a human body, specifically the nerve system and the brain.[2]
- Surgery: Niles is an expert surgeon who is able to perform procedures few others can. He was able to transfer the brain of race car driver Cliff Steele into the body of an android.[3]
- Leadership: Niles Caulder is the founder and leader of the Doom Patrol. He has lead the team on multiple field operations as well from the seat of his wheel chair. The team is incredibly loyal to the Chief as long as their orders are moral ones.[3]
- Marksmanship: During field missions with the Doom Patrol, Niles often carried a pistol for self-defense.[3]
Other Characteristics
- Restricted Mobility: After becoming disabled, Chief began to use a wheelchair to move around.
Notes
- Niles Caulder (Chief) was created by Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani, first appearing in My Greatest Adventure #80. However, in the Prime Earth continuity, Niles Caulder (Chief) first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in Ravagers #4 by Howard Mackie, Daniel Sampere, and Stefano Martino.
Related
- 37 Appearances of Niles Caulder (Prime Earth)
- 15 Images featuring Niles Caulder (Prime Earth)
- 2 Quotations by or about Niles Caulder (Prime Earth)
- Character Gallery: Niles Caulder (Prime Earth)
Footnotes
Doom Patrol member |