The Cadmus Project
Biblography
- First Appearance:
- Created by:
- Appearing In: SUPERBOY
History
Project Cadmus was founded by now adult former members of the original Newsboy Legion as the premier genetic research facility on Earth. They perfected cloning and genetic manipulation to order long before the technology was publicly known. The project itself is based in an underground fortress just outside of Metropolis. For a time rogue scientist Dabney Donovan worked for Cadmus and created the DNAliens (including Dubbilex) before faking his own death. Later Cadmus would be responsible for the creation of Superboy under the directorship of Paul Westfield.
An entire series of secret scandals over the ethics and policies of the Cadmus authorities forced the Whitehouse to replace the directors of the project with Micky Cannon and a smaller group of section heads. During the recent Hourman Virus incident the Project decided to go public and try to make itself more open. Superboy (himself a clone of former director Westfield) currently serves as the Project's field agent.
Glossary
DNAliens
Seemingly alien beings created from human DNA by Dabney Donovan and the early workers at the Cadmus Project. They include Dubbilex and the Haries.
Donovan, Dabney
Dabney Donovan was one of the earliest geneticists working for Cadmus Project. His insane genius with genetics led him to create an entire menagerie of monsters and creatures that have plagued Metropolis and the Project. His illegal research also led to the creation of the DNAliens. When discovered he went underground using clones of himself to foil his trackers. During his period he was hired by Lex Luthor to create a new body for Lex's brain to be implanted in. Afterwards Luthor tired to kill him in order to cover his tracks, but only succeeded in killing one of Donovan's clones. Donovan later claimed revenge by helping the Contessa create a Bizarro and send it against Luthor. Donovan is perhaps the world's leading authority on genetic engineering, but his insanity combined with his willingness to work with anybody that will tolerate him, make him one of the most wanted men on the planet.
Dubbilex
Dubbilex is a Supergirl created from human DNA by Project Cadmus is their exploration of the human genome. He is humanoid with a rocklike grey skin and small horns. He has become a high ranking member of the Project in the capacity as Head of Genetics, it is his job as a telepath to monitor the Project and watch for the hidden research that has caused problems for the Project in the past. For a time he acted as Superboy's guardian while he was based in Hawaii.
Guardian
Jim Harper was a police man during 1930s and 1940s in the Suicide Slum area of Metropolis. His best friend had turned to a life of crime and was gunned down before Harper's eyes. Shortly afterwards the rookie police cadet was attacked and severely beaten by a gang. Determined to fight back but feeling constrained by law he created the identity of the Guardian by using his skills as a protege of Joe Morgan (the same boxer who trained Atom I and Wildcat I). The Guardian was a success and became a fixture in Metropolis and in the All-Star Squadron. As Jim Harper he was responsible for keeping the Newsboy Legion out of trouble and became their legal guardian. After the war the Guardian retired and Harper became a detective.
Years later the children who had been the Newsboy Legion had become the leaders in each of their respective fields and banded together once more to create the super-secret Cadmus Project. When Harper was fatality wounded by a gunman they decided to try and save him. They cloned his body and transplanted his memories into it. In gratitude Harper took up the identity of the Guardian again and became head of security for Cadmus. Harper with the telepath Dubbilex has become the moral watchdog of Cadmus and one of the people charged with watching over Superboy.
Misa
Misa is the thrill seeking daughter of Jude, leader of the DNAliens Haries. She escaped the Haries home of the Judgement Mountain in the Zoomways and sought to explore beyond the Wild Area that surrounds the Cadmus Project. Along the way she had run-ins with Superman and even joined a team of villains assembled by Morgan Edge called the Superman Revenge Squad for the thrill of it. Later she relinquished her life of crime and helped Jimmy Olsen escape the clutches of Intergang. The two are now an item.
Newsboy Legion
The original Newsboy Legion were four youths living in Metropolis's Suicide Slum. They were Tommy, Big Words, Scraper and Gabby. They often got into trouble and after appearing before a judge were released into the care of Policeman Jim Harper, secretly the Guardian. His guidance saw the boys stay on the straight and narrow and eventually gain a university education. Years later as internationally recognised scientists they became the first directors of the Cadmus Project. An incident at the Project resulted in the cloning of the directors resulting in the creation of a new Newsboy Legion (plus a new member Flip). After they directors were replaced the Newsboy Legion II and their "parents" moved back to Metropolis.
Westfield, Paul (Earth-Zero)
Westfield was appointed Director of the Cadmus Project by Washington in an effort to try and put a lid on some of the more unusual experiments that had been allowed to go on under the previous administration. However he proved to be more manipulative and underhand that his predecessors. When Superman was killed by Doomsday Westfield enacted his legal right to claim the bodies of any dead aliens for study. This provoked an outcry among the backrooms and Washington receded this authority. Unperturbed Westfield had the body stolen from its tomb and brought back to Cadmus for study. He wanted to create his own, Superman, a clone of the original who would answer to his orders.
When Kryptonian DNA proved too complex to crack he proceeded with a fall back plan. Using his own DNA as a template he had his scientists genetically engineer a lifeform that would reproduce the powers, abilities and appearance of the Man of Steel. The sample was aged rapidly to adulthood. However the Newsboy Legion, discovered the plot and freed the project before it was fully grown. This apparently teenage "clone" of Superman escaped Cadmus and became the hero known as Superboy. Westfield was later killed and shortly afterwards all his Hypertime duplicates were killed by an accident with Hyperium.
[Return to Team Superman and the Superman Dynasty]
The Captain's Unofficial JLA Homepage X. December 2000. WEBMASTER: Jason Kirk (jmkprime@yahoo.co.uk). The Justice League, the Justice Society, related icons and images are copyright DC Comics or their original creators/artists and are used without permission. This site is non-profit making and in no way exists to defraud the original artist/writers/owners of the discussed material - it is a work in homage and it is hoped that it is seen as such. Displayed on a reusable monitor.