Astonishing Adventures Profiles: Dr. Alchemy

Sometimes I forget that the primary purpose of this blog is not to show off what I'm working on, but as a place where I am forced to explain my concepts to other people in order to make the concept more stronger... particularly with feedback. Consequently, when I am struggling with a character, I'm hesitant to write about it for fear that people just won't get why I like it. The truth, more often than not, is that I'm not sure what I like about it. But when you have had a character in your mind long enough, you know that there is something worth keeping. Something you can work with.

This brings me to Dr. Alchemy (AKA The Alchemist AKA Smoke AKA whatever name I decide to give him next).

Dr. Alchemy (as I have now taken to calling him) is the dark side of superheroes. His motivation doesn't come from a hope that we can better ourselves like the Mechanic's. It comes from witnessing the evil of the world.

The archetype of the "dark knight" is a classic adventure adaptation of the anti-hero. He is often rich, sophisticated, and obsessive. This character type can be seen, most notably, in Zorro, the Shadow, and Batman. Both the Shadow and Batman (amongst numerous others) follow a tradition in comics that... well, urks me. That is, the white guy who goes to China, studies under some master or another, and becomes one of the best martial artists in the world. Consequently, the comic book universe ends up with a lot of white martial arts masters and very few Asian ones.

For that reason, my protagonist is Chinese, although a westernized aristocrat to some extent. I imagine him being very proper and uptight, wearing old fashioned, Victorian clothing as he sips tea with perfect posture and a penetrating stare that meticulously catalogs the flaws in every person he sees. He is terse, blunt, and uncompromising. He doesn't try to make friends because he doesn't trust many people, but he will make allies if it suits his purposes.

Despite his aristocratic demeanor, Wu-Chen Li (AKA Dr. Alchemy) was raised an orphan on the streets of Hong Kong and made a living by joining one of the tongs (Chinese mafia). His work brought him to the attention of the Hidden Triad, a network of spies and assassins descended from the personal intelligence operatives of an ancient and paranoid Chinese emperor.

Li was trained in their secret techniques including multiple forms of combat and espionage. He was trained to handle a variety of weapons from the latest guns to the most ancient swords, spears, and bows. He was also trained in both Western and Eastern medicine (after all, the best killer is an expert on anatomy). He has learned how to blend in with all walks of life from German aristocrats to Cuban cabañas, but he found a certain comfort in blending Victorian sensibilities with some native Chinese influences (although he wouldn't adopt this as his style until much later).

He soon became one of the top assassins and member of an elite fraternity with each member poised to take control at the death of the Hidden Khan. The Khan is an amalgamation of Fu Manchu, the Mandarin, Kaizen Gamorra (left), and every other meglomaniacal, long-fingernailed, long-mustachioed Asian villain stereotype. He is roughly one hundred fifty to two hundred years old, kept alive through ancient alchemical practices, but although he is still quite powerful, he is extremely close to death. He has long been in pursuit of the fabled "Divine Elixir" which is supposed to grant immortality.

One day, the Khan sent Li to an ancient temple hidden in the Himalayas which was rumored to hold the secret of the Divine Elixir. After killing the Buddhist priest, Li was shown to the elixir. Unable to help himself, he drank it for himself, but it was not the gift of immortality. Li felt a burning in his blood as his third eye was forced open. He saw himself burning at the 18th level of Naraka for killing an Arhat, an enlightened being.

Li descended into a great fever for weeks and was tended to by the peaceful monks whom he assaulted, yet it isn't until one of his fellow assassins arrives to find out what happened to him that Li makes his choice to defend these people against the Khan. After a furious battle, Li delivers the body of the assassin to the Triad with a warning that he will do everything in his power to stop them.

Originally, I wanted him to resemble the Shadow with his broad-rimmed hat, scarf pulled up to his nose, and big bulky jacket, but now I'm thinking more of a cowl that covers up all or most of his head. Instead, I've been looking to the Sandman (left), Dr. Mid-Nite (right), and the recent Spider-Man: Noir (top) for inspiration. Li takes his work very seriously, so his clothing and weapons tightly conform to his body without restricting movement.

Part of the charm of this character is that I easily find ways to incorporate ninjas, Nazis, and demons all into the same story. The character blends martial arts with gritty, street-level crimefighting and some minor mysticism (think excorism and charms of protection, not Gandalf and Harry Potter). Add to that, fairly steampunk-ish body armor, two long silver pistols, and an assortment of realistic period utilities including smoke bombs, grappel lines, acids, explosives, and anything else he might have a need for. One idea I had was that he uses a powerful inhalant to put himself into a death-like trance that grants him powerful strength and speed while making him mentally focused... sometimes with frightening results. I'm not certain if I will retain that idea.

One thing I am sure of is Dr. Alchemy's car: a 1938 Phantom Corsair. The moment I saw this car, I knew I had to work it into the story. This was a prototype design that never made it into mass production. It's a six-passenger coupe capable of speeds of up to 115 MPH... but maybe Rosie or the Mechanic can upgrade it with a nitro boost, oil slick, smoke screen, tire spikes... the usual stuff.

Also, Dr. Alchemy was going to be a San Francisco based superhero. Besides being a visually compelling place, this would enable me to structure stories around the Chinese immigrant community... however, I found out, much to my disappointment, that the height of the tong wars in San Francisco took place in the 1920s and 30s. Also, white police were actually instrumental in negotiating that peace by showing respect to the Chinese community. It didn't exactly support my cynical nature. I also wanted a featured hero at America's biggest cities to respond to historical events, but maybe I need to start letting go of a lot of big ideas and respond to the demands of the character... rather than making the characters respond to the demands of my ego.