Joshua Clay
Encyclopedia
Joshua Clay is a fictional character
, a member of the superhero
team Doom Patrol
in comic books published by DC Comics
. Created by Paul Kupperberg
and Joe Staton
, he first appears as the hero Tempest in Showcase #94 (August 1977).
, Joshua Clay is the first DC Comics
hero to use the name Tempest. Along with Captain Comet
, he is one of the few DC Comics heroes initially identified as a mutant
.
Joshua Clay was born in the Brownsville
section of Brooklyn
, New York
, the youngest of five children. His parents struggled to keep their family together in the middle of what was at that time one of the worst slums
in the country. At sixteen, Joshua joined a street gang called the Stompers, and eventually, as a result, wound up being given a choice between prison and service in the United States military
. Joshua chose the army and was trained as a combat medic
and shipped off to Vietnam
.
Less than a month before the end of his tour, Joshua witnessed the attempted massacre of an entire village of Vietnamese non-combatant
s by his sergeant. Horrified, Joshua unconsciously triggered his powers, blasting the noncom
, apparently killing the man. The stress of this discovery led Clay to go AWOL
and fled the country, eventually returning to the U.S. Clay spent the next ten years living as a fugitive. The sergeant eventually becomes Reactron
, a repeated foe of the Doom Patrol.
tracks down Joshua Clay and enlists him as a member of the new Doom Patrol. Clay stays active within this incarnation of the Doom Patrol for a year before it disbands due to internal dissent. Swearing off superheroics, Clay uses his underworld connections secure a new identity for himself as Jonathan Carmichael, M.D. Due to years of private study and his previous military training, he easily passes his New York medical board examination. As Carmichael, using funds borrowed from a local loan shark
, he purchases a small Park Avenue
medical practice and lives a quiet, respectable life treating rich hypochondria
cs. Robotman
tracks Clay down. Due to Steele's threat to reveal Clay's true identity to the medical board, he reluctantly returns to superheroics. He again retires from active service during the Grant Morrison scripted period to become the team's physician.
Joshua Clay is murdered by a temporarily deranged Niles Caulder
(The Chief) in Doom Patrol (vol. 2) #55 (May 1992).. Dorothy Spinner, upon finding his body, allowed the demonic Candlemaker out into the real world on the condition it bring Joshua back to life. It does so, and then immediately kills him again.
in Doom Patrol (Vol. 5) #4, and attacks Elasti-Woman. His powers seem to have changed, as he is seen controlling the weather, creating tornados and lightning.
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...
, a member of the superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
team Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol
The Doom Patrol is a superhero team appearing in publications from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
in comic books published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. Created by Paul Kupperberg
Paul Kupperberg
Paul Kupperberg is a former editor for DC Comics, and a prolific writer of comic books and newspaper strips.-Biography:Kupperberg entered the comics field from comics fandom, as had his brother, writer/artist Alan Kupperberg...
and Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Joe Staton is an American illustrator and writer of comic books.-Career:Staton started his work with Charlton Comics in 1971 and gained notability as the artist of the super-hero book E-Man...
, he first appears as the hero Tempest in Showcase #94 (August 1977).
Early years
A member of the second Doom PatrolDoom Patrol
The Doom Patrol is a superhero team appearing in publications from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
, Joshua Clay is the first DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
hero to use the name Tempest. Along with Captain Comet
Captain Comet
Captain Comet is a fictional DC Comics superhero created by DC Comics Editor Julius Schwartz, writer John Broome, and artist Carmine Infantino....
, he is one of the few DC Comics heroes initially identified as a mutant
Mutant (fictional)
The concept of a mutant is a common trope in comic books and science fiction. The new phenotypes that appear in fictional mutations generally go far beyond what is typically seen in biological mutants, and often result in the mutated life form exhibiting superhuman abilities or qualities.-Marvel...
.
Joshua Clay was born in the Brownsville
Brownsville, Brooklyn
Brownsville is a residential neighborhood located in eastern Brooklyn, New York City.The total land area is one square mile, and the ZIP code for the neighborhood is 11212....
section of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the youngest of five children. His parents struggled to keep their family together in the middle of what was at that time one of the worst slums
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
in the country. At sixteen, Joshua joined a street gang called the Stompers, and eventually, as a result, wound up being given a choice between prison and service in the United States military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
. Joshua chose the army and was trained as a combat medic
Combat medic
Combat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury...
and shipped off to Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Less than a month before the end of his tour, Joshua witnessed the attempted massacre of an entire village of Vietnamese non-combatant
Non-combatant
Non-combatant is a term in the law of war describing civilians not taking a direct part in hostilities, as well as persons such as medical personnel and military chaplains who are regular soldiers but are protected because of their function as well as soldiers who are hors de combat ; that is, sick,...
s by his sergeant. Horrified, Joshua unconsciously triggered his powers, blasting the noncom
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
, apparently killing the man. The stress of this discovery led Clay to go AWOL
Desertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
and fled the country, eventually returning to the U.S. Clay spent the next ten years living as a fugitive. The sergeant eventually becomes Reactron
Reactron
Reactron is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics Universe, who has appeared in at least two versions. He originally appeared in The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #8 , in a story written by Paul Kupperberg and drawn by Carmine Infantino....
, a repeated foe of the Doom Patrol.
Hero
Arani CaulderCelsius (comics)
Celsius is the superhero alias of Arani Desai, a fictional character in the DC Comics series, Doom Patrol. She first appeared in Showcase #94 , and was created by Paul Kupperberg and Joe Staton...
tracks down Joshua Clay and enlists him as a member of the new Doom Patrol. Clay stays active within this incarnation of the Doom Patrol for a year before it disbands due to internal dissent. Swearing off superheroics, Clay uses his underworld connections secure a new identity for himself as Jonathan Carmichael, M.D. Due to years of private study and his previous military training, he easily passes his New York medical board examination. As Carmichael, using funds borrowed from a local loan shark
Loan shark
A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....
, he purchases a small Park Avenue
Park Avenue (Manhattan)
Park Avenue is a wide boulevard that carries north and southbound traffic in New York City borough of Manhattan. Through most of its length, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Avenue to the east....
medical practice and lives a quiet, respectable life treating rich hypochondria
Hypochondria
Hypochondriasis or hypochondria refers to excessive preoccupation or worry about having a serious illness. This debilitating condition is the result of an inaccurate perception of the body’s condition despite the absence of an actual medication condition...
cs. Robotman
Robotman (Cliff Steele)
Robotman is a fictional character, a cyborg superhero in the . Robotman first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80 and was created by Arnold Drake, Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani.-Fictional character biography:...
tracks Clay down. Due to Steele's threat to reveal Clay's true identity to the medical board, he reluctantly returns to superheroics. He again retires from active service during the Grant Morrison scripted period to become the team's physician.
Joshua Clay is murdered by a temporarily deranged Niles Caulder
Chief (comics)
The Chief is a fictional character from DC Comics and the leader of the Doom Patrol. He first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
(The Chief) in Doom Patrol (vol. 2) #55 (May 1992).. Dorothy Spinner, upon finding his body, allowed the demonic Candlemaker out into the real world on the condition it bring Joshua back to life. It does so, and then immediately kills him again.
Blackest Night
Joshua Clay was reanimated as a member of the Black Lantern CorpsBlack Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
in Doom Patrol (Vol. 5) #4, and attacks Elasti-Woman. His powers seem to have changed, as he is seen controlling the weather, creating tornados and lightning.
Note
- Two years after Joshua Clay's death, a man named Martin Ellis, who looks like the Steve LightleSteve LightleSteve Lightle is an American comic book artist, working primarily as a penciller.-Biography:Lightle was interested in comic book art at a young age....
rendition of Joshua Clay, wakes from a seven year coma with an active metageneMetahumanMetahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
. In combat with Captain AtomCaptain AtomCaptain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero that has existed in three basic incarnations. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33 . Captain Atom was created for Charlton Comics but was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for...
, Ellis exhibits the same powers as Joshua Clay. Ellis reunites with his wife Yvonne at the end of the story. This was his only appearance.
Powers and abilities
- Joshua Clay can generate and radiate powerful blasts from his hands, able to melt steelSteelSteel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
. - Tempest can control his blasts' volume and intensity to the extent that he can ignite the head of a matchMatchA match is a tool for starting a fire under controlled conditions. A typical modern match is made of a small wooden stick or stiff paper. One end is coated with a material that can be ignited by frictional heat generated by striking the match against a suitable surface...
from twenty feet away. - Properly focused and controlled, his energies allow Tempest to propel himself through the air at 90 miles per hour .
- Trained as a combat medic by the U.S. Army, he later becomes a licensed physician.