Derek Powers
Encyclopedia
Derek Powers, also called Blight, is a fictional character
that appears in the Batman Beyond
(1999–2001) animated series, voiced by Sherman Howard
. He served as the principal antagonist of the series' first season.
who managed to gain control over Wayne Enterprises
(now called Wayne-Powers) due to an elderly Bruce Wayne's poor health. When Powers develops a lethal mutagenic nerve gas and intends to sell it as weapon, one of his employees, Warren McGinnis, discovers evidence of the gas, and Powers has him murdered, causing the vengeful son Terry McGinnis
to become Batman, who stops Powers' plans and exposes him to the gas; Powers is subjected to extreme radiation
exposure to save his life, but as a side effect
, his entire body becomes radioactive, rendering him translucent. He is able to hide his state and contain his radiation with a special cosmetic
skin that, over time, flakes off. The cosmetic skin begins to last less as his temper becomes more and more uncontrolled and his radiation levels keep rising.
. A scientist working for Powers, by the name of Dr. Stephanie Lake, had the idea that, by using Powers' baseline DNA, she could create a new body for him unaffected by his condition, then transfer his mind into that new body. To see if the procedure would fully work, Mr. Freeze was used as a test subject, because, like Powers, his DNA had been corrupted by a condition. At first, the procedure seemed like a success, until his condition started to resurface. Powers believed a biopsy of his organs would show why the procedure failed, and ordered Doctor Lake (who had been feigning romantic feelings for Freeze) to kill Freeze, but he escaped and later returned to Wayne-Powers, wearing a suit he had "kept in cold storage", ultimately freezing Powers and Lake. Powers survives the attack by melting off his skin and the ice before attacking Batman and Freeze. When asked by Batman who he is, he identified himself as "Blight", because his powers make him a walking plague. After a fierce struggle, Freeze eventually succeeds in jettisoning him away from the battle.
) betrayed his father during a televised business meeting, by hiring a group of actors to pretend to be fishermen (which was perfect, as a very large group of protesters had gathered outside protesting Powers dumping toxic waste in their rivers), who threw mutated fish in front of the share holders and claimed that Paxton had killed their rivers by dumping poison in the waters. As his anger grew, Powers' artificial skin started to crack and flake off, allowing all of the shareholders and everyone watching the TV broadcast to see, and exposing him to the world as Blight. To avoid being tracked down and captured, Powers hid himself inside a nuclear submarine
, but was discovered by Batman (who was asked by Paxton to find his father with the supposed offer of curing his condition). Paxton used a device called a "Pinch Cell" to drain Powers' radiation and nearly succeeded in killing him, until Batman intervened. Upon freeing himself of the Pinch Cell, Powers went berserk with massive radiation bursts that sank the submarine with him inside. An exchange between Batman and Paxton hinted that Powers may have survived.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
that appears in the Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
(1999–2001) animated series, voiced by Sherman Howard
Sherman Howard
Howard Lee Sherman is an American actor.-Theatre:In 1989 he appeared at the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. He played the title role in Hamlet and Malvolio in Twelfth Night...
. He served as the principal antagonist of the series' first season.
Derek Powers
Derek Powers is a corrupt businessmanBusiness magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
who managed to gain control over Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises is a company in the DC Universe, owned by Bruce Wayne and run by his business manager, Lucius Fox. It was founded by merchant ancestors of the Wayne family in the 17th century as a merchant house, although the company changed when the heir of Judge Solomon Wayne, Alan, utilized...
(now called Wayne-Powers) due to an elderly Bruce Wayne's poor health. When Powers develops a lethal mutagenic nerve gas and intends to sell it as weapon, one of his employees, Warren McGinnis, discovers evidence of the gas, and Powers has him murdered, causing the vengeful son Terry McGinnis
Terry McGinnis
Batman is a fictional superhero in comics published by DC Comics as well as the main protagonist of the animated television series Batman Beyond , in which he has succeeded Bruce Wayne as the protector of Gotham City. He was voiced by Will Friedle...
to become Batman, who stops Powers' plans and exposes him to the gas; Powers is subjected to extreme radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
exposure to save his life, but as a side effect
Adverse effect
In medicine, an adverse effect is a harmful and undesired effect resulting from a medication or other intervention such as surgery.An adverse effect may be termed a "side effect", when judged to be secondary to a main or therapeutic effect. If it results from an unsuitable or incorrect dosage or...
, his entire body becomes radioactive, rendering him translucent. He is able to hide his state and contain his radiation with a special cosmetic
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...
skin that, over time, flakes off. The cosmetic skin begins to last less as his temper becomes more and more uncontrolled and his radiation levels keep rising.
Blight
He first introduces himself as Blight when he attacks Mr. FreezeMr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze, real name Dr. Victor Fries , is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman. Created by Bob Kane, he first appeared in Batman #121 ....
. A scientist working for Powers, by the name of Dr. Stephanie Lake, had the idea that, by using Powers' baseline DNA, she could create a new body for him unaffected by his condition, then transfer his mind into that new body. To see if the procedure would fully work, Mr. Freeze was used as a test subject, because, like Powers, his DNA had been corrupted by a condition. At first, the procedure seemed like a success, until his condition started to resurface. Powers believed a biopsy of his organs would show why the procedure failed, and ordered Doctor Lake (who had been feigning romantic feelings for Freeze) to kill Freeze, but he escaped and later returned to Wayne-Powers, wearing a suit he had "kept in cold storage", ultimately freezing Powers and Lake. Powers survives the attack by melting off his skin and the ice before attacking Batman and Freeze. When asked by Batman who he is, he identified himself as "Blight", because his powers make him a walking plague. After a fierce struggle, Freeze eventually succeeds in jettisoning him away from the battle.
Paxton Powers
Over time, Powers discovered that his condition was worsening rapidly, to the point that his artificial skin is no longer effective to maintain his facade and slowly driving him toward insanity. He decided to withdraw from public life and focus on finding a cure, but not before summoning his estranged son, Paxton, to run the company under his own direction. However, Paxton Powers (voiced by Cary ElwesCary Elwes
Ivan Simon Cary Elwes , known professionally as Cary Elwes, is an English actor. The son of Dominick Elwes and Tessa Georgina Kennedy, Elwes acted in off-Broadway plays during college and moved to the United States in the early 1980s. He is known for his role as Westley in the cult classic The...
) betrayed his father during a televised business meeting, by hiring a group of actors to pretend to be fishermen (which was perfect, as a very large group of protesters had gathered outside protesting Powers dumping toxic waste in their rivers), who threw mutated fish in front of the share holders and claimed that Paxton had killed their rivers by dumping poison in the waters. As his anger grew, Powers' artificial skin started to crack and flake off, allowing all of the shareholders and everyone watching the TV broadcast to see, and exposing him to the world as Blight. To avoid being tracked down and captured, Powers hid himself inside a nuclear submarine
Nuclear submarine
A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor . The performance advantages of nuclear submarines over "conventional" submarines are considerable: nuclear propulsion, being completely independent of air, frees the submarine from the need to surface frequently, as is necessary for...
, but was discovered by Batman (who was asked by Paxton to find his father with the supposed offer of curing his condition). Paxton used a device called a "Pinch Cell" to drain Powers' radiation and nearly succeeded in killing him, until Batman intervened. Upon freeing himself of the Pinch Cell, Powers went berserk with massive radiation bursts that sank the submarine with him inside. An exchange between Batman and Paxton hinted that Powers may have survived.