Nemesis Kid
Encyclopedia
Nemesis Kid is the alias of Hart Druiter, a comic book
supervillain
in the DC Comics
universe
. He lives in the future
, comes from the planet Myar, and is an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes
. Created by Jim Shooter
, Nemesis Kid first appeared in Adventure Comics
#346 (July 1966).
, Karate Kid
, and Ferro Lad
. He identified himself as a native of the planet Myar, the "Alchemy Planet," and claimed he had created a mystical potion that gave him his powers. He was actually sent to infiltrate the Legion of Super-Heroes on behalf of the alien Khund
s. When his deception was revealed, he tried to frame Karate Kid
as the traitor; when that failed, he fled.
he later became a founding member of the Legion of Super-Villains
under Tarik the Mute. When a later incarnation of the group invaded the planet
Orando
under his leadership, Nemesis Kid engaged Karate Kid in single combat. Before the fight ended Karate Kid sacrificed himself to stop the Legion of Super-Villains' plans, dealing Nemesis Kid a final blow. Karate Kid's widow, Queen Projectra
, attacked Nemesis Kid using her power to generate illusion
s. Though he had adapted an immunity to her illusions, Projectra intimidated him with her noble fury over the death of her consort (thus immobilizing him from counterattacking and/or preventing him from concentrating to gain a new adaptation) then she broke his neck, executing him as her royal privilege as ruler of Orando.
At least five years later, Nemesis Kid was resurrected by Mordru
, along with every other corpse in the 30th century, as part of the sorcerer's scheme to take over the universe. His reanimated corpse retained his powers, but he was defeated and his body was incinerated, presumably disposing of him for good.
In his original Pre Crisis appearances, Nemesis Kid only suffered three defeats in single combat. Duo Damsel defeated him since his power would not work on her two bodies. Projectra intimidated him from using his power thus freeing her to execute him ("Look into my eyes, churl!"). As a resurrected corpse, he proved immune to Projectra's illusions but she turned his strength against him and threw him into a fire, incinerating his corpse.
Nemesis Kid did not appear in the reboot Legion
. In the "threeboot" continuity
he appeared in Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes #22 as a member of a group later identified as Mekt Ranzz's Wanderers
. Other than a talent for computer hacking, possibly metahuman-enhanced, he displayed no super-human abilities.
ability to spontaneously develop the powers appropriate to defeat any single opponent for the duration of the battle, though against more than one opponent his powers would either work against only one target, allow him to escape the situation via teleportation, or fail to work at all. In one recorded instance (Karate Kid #1), he displayed the ability to choose adaptations but his choices were less than successful. In all other cases, his power somehow "sensed" what would be most effective against a given opponent and generated an adaptation automatically.
Nemesis Kid never manifested any but the most basic and direct power to counter an opponent. Thus, against Superboy or Supergirl he would gain superior strength and resistance to damage, rather than the ability to emit kryptonite radiation. Against Karate Kid he gained superior fighting skill, and against Projectra he gained the ability to see through her illusions. His power only gave him the relative minimum necessary to defeat a designated opponent. Thus, while gaining Superman's strength would certainly give him the power to defeat Princess Projectra with only human-level strength, instead Nemesis Kid's power would simply give him the ability to ignore her illusions. Thus he sought out the most powerful opponent whenever possible. Nemesis Kid's powers didn't or couldn't give him complete immunity to physical harm caused by an opponent. Thus, both Superboy and Karate Kid could injure him, and Projectra was able to kill him. His power simply seemed to assure that, all things being equal and if he maintained his power, he would inevitably win.
It is not known what the upper limits of his power were, or if they could generate an adaptation powerful enough to match cosmic menaces such as the Anti-Monitor
, the Monarch
, Imperiex
, or Mordru
. While Nemesis Kid could adapt to defeat robots, it was never shown if he could adapt to defeat passive barriers such as a prison cell, spaceships and vehicle-mounted weaponry firing upon him, or an opponent at anything other than a physical level (such as defeating them at chess or outhacking them on a computer). However, despite his villainous nature, he somehow passed the Legion's customary (and undepicted) test of a candidate's good character.
Nemesis Kid was purportedly a skilled alchemist, and magic is a recognized power in the 30th century. However, he has never displayed any ability and/or interest in creating other mystical potions, or replicating the potion that gave him his abilities, so the claim may have been a cover story to disguise his power's true origin (whatever that might be). He has a passing knowledge of 30th century technology and a basic understanding of tactics and strategy.
episode "The Karate Kid" voiced by Keith Ferguson
. Unlike his original comic book incarnation, he had the inherent ability to temporarily nullify anyone else's superpowers, and was a member of a special unit of the Science Police
. The origin and extent of his abilities is not revealed. He joined the Legion and assisted in taking down Grimbor
. Grimbor uses a weapon that he claims is inspired by Nemesis Kid's power and it appears to be identical in effect, but whether there is some closer connection between the two is not revealed. Presumably there is an upper limit to his nullification ability, as the Legion have not used Nemesis Kid in subsequent anticipated encounters against either Imperiex or Validus
.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
in the 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...
universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. He lives in the future
Future
The future is the indefinite time period after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the nature of the reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist is temporary and will come...
, comes from the planet Myar, and is an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
. Created by Jim Shooter
Jim Shooter
James Shooter is an American writer, occasional fill-in artist, editor, and publisher for various comic books. Although he started professionally in the medium at the extraordinarily young age of 14, he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comics' ninth...
, Nemesis Kid first appeared in Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
#346 (July 1966).
Fictional character biography
In his first appearance, Hart Druiter applied to the Legion as a member, along with Princess ProjectraPrincess Projectra
This page discusses the humanoid version of the character. For the post-Zero Hour/pre-Threeboot version, see Sensor.Princess Projectra is a fictional character, a superheroine in the DC Comics universe. She lives in the 30th and 31st centuries, and is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
, Karate Kid
Karate Kid (comics)
Karate Kid is a fictional character, a superhero in the future of the DC Comics universe, and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. He is a master of every form of martial arts to have been developed by the 31st century...
, and Ferro Lad
Ferro Lad
Ferro Lad is a fictional character, a comic book superhero and member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century of the . He is Andrew Nolan of Earth...
. He identified himself as a native of the planet Myar, the "Alchemy Planet," and claimed he had created a mystical potion that gave him his powers. He was actually sent to infiltrate the Legion of Super-Heroes on behalf of the alien Khund
Khund
The Khunds are a fictional alien race in the DC Universe, notable for extreme violence. They first appeared in Adventure Comics #346 , as enemies of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century.-Fictional history:...
s. When his deception was revealed, he tried to frame Karate Kid
Karate Kid (comics)
Karate Kid is a fictional character, a superhero in the future of the DC Comics universe, and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. He is a master of every form of martial arts to have been developed by the 31st century...
as the traitor; when that failed, he fled.
he later became a founding member of the Legion of Super-Villains
Legion of Super-Villains
The Legion of Super-Villains is a team of fictional supervillains that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. They are adversaries of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the future...
under Tarik the Mute. When a later incarnation of the group invaded the planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
Orando
Orando
Orando is a fictional planet in the DC Universe. It is the home planet of Princess Projectra of the Legion of Super-Heroes.-Fictional history:...
under his leadership, Nemesis Kid engaged Karate Kid in single combat. Before the fight ended Karate Kid sacrificed himself to stop the Legion of Super-Villains' plans, dealing Nemesis Kid a final blow. Karate Kid's widow, Queen Projectra
Princess Projectra
This page discusses the humanoid version of the character. For the post-Zero Hour/pre-Threeboot version, see Sensor.Princess Projectra is a fictional character, a superheroine in the DC Comics universe. She lives in the 30th and 31st centuries, and is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
, attacked Nemesis Kid using her power to generate illusion
Illusion
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people....
s. Though he had adapted an immunity to her illusions, Projectra intimidated him with her noble fury over the death of her consort (thus immobilizing him from counterattacking and/or preventing him from concentrating to gain a new adaptation) then she broke his neck, executing him as her royal privilege as ruler of Orando.
At least five years later, Nemesis Kid was resurrected by Mordru
Mordru
Mordru is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics' main shared universe.Mordru is the most prominent Lord of Chaos who is fated to survive even after the end of the universe, although he is usually shown as a powerful wizard...
, along with every other corpse in the 30th century, as part of the sorcerer's scheme to take over the universe. His reanimated corpse retained his powers, but he was defeated and his body was incinerated, presumably disposing of him for good.
In his original Pre Crisis appearances, Nemesis Kid only suffered three defeats in single combat. Duo Damsel defeated him since his power would not work on her two bodies. Projectra intimidated him from using his power thus freeing her to execute him ("Look into my eyes, churl!"). As a resurrected corpse, he proved immune to Projectra's illusions but she turned his strength against him and threw him into a fire, incinerating his corpse.
Nemesis Kid did not appear in the reboot Legion
Legion of Super-Heroes (1994 team)
The 1994 version of the Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 31st century of the DC Universe. The team is the second major incarnation of the Legion of Super-Heroes after the 1958 version and followed by the 2004 version. It first appears in Legion of Super-Heroes The 1994...
. In the "threeboot" continuity
Legion of Super-Heroes (2004 team)
The 2004 version of the Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 31st century of the . The team is the third major incarnation of the Legion of Super-Heroes after the 1958 and 1994 versions...
he appeared in Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes #22 as a member of a group later identified as Mekt Ranzz's Wanderers
Wanderers (comics)
The Wanderers are a fictional group of superheroes appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They first appeared as allies of the Legion of Super-Heroes in Adventure Comics #375 written by Jim Shooter, illustrated by Win Mortimer with a cover by Neal Adams...
. Other than a talent for computer hacking, possibly metahuman-enhanced, he displayed no super-human abilities.
Powers and abilities
Nemesis Kid possessed the superhumanSuperhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
ability to spontaneously develop the powers appropriate to defeat any single opponent for the duration of the battle, though against more than one opponent his powers would either work against only one target, allow him to escape the situation via teleportation, or fail to work at all. In one recorded instance (Karate Kid #1), he displayed the ability to choose adaptations but his choices were less than successful. In all other cases, his power somehow "sensed" what would be most effective against a given opponent and generated an adaptation automatically.
Nemesis Kid never manifested any but the most basic and direct power to counter an opponent. Thus, against Superboy or Supergirl he would gain superior strength and resistance to damage, rather than the ability to emit kryptonite radiation. Against Karate Kid he gained superior fighting skill, and against Projectra he gained the ability to see through her illusions. His power only gave him the relative minimum necessary to defeat a designated opponent. Thus, while gaining Superman's strength would certainly give him the power to defeat Princess Projectra with only human-level strength, instead Nemesis Kid's power would simply give him the ability to ignore her illusions. Thus he sought out the most powerful opponent whenever possible. Nemesis Kid's powers didn't or couldn't give him complete immunity to physical harm caused by an opponent. Thus, both Superboy and Karate Kid could injure him, and Projectra was able to kill him. His power simply seemed to assure that, all things being equal and if he maintained his power, he would inevitably win.
It is not known what the upper limits of his power were, or if they could generate an adaptation powerful enough to match cosmic menaces such as the Anti-Monitor
Anti-Monitor
The Anti-Monitor is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain and the antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths. He first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 , and was destroyed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, only to return after a long absence in Green...
, the Monarch
Monarch (comics)
Monarch is the name of three fictional DC Comics supervillains. The first Monarch is Hank Hall, formerly Hawk, who later renames himself Extant for the Zero Hour crossover. The second Monarch is Nathaniel Adam, a U.S. Army Captain. The third Monarch is Captain Atom, a former superhero...
, Imperiex
Imperiex
Imperiex is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman #153 , and was created by Jeph Loeb and Ian Churchill...
, or Mordru
Mordru
Mordru is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics' main shared universe.Mordru is the most prominent Lord of Chaos who is fated to survive even after the end of the universe, although he is usually shown as a powerful wizard...
. While Nemesis Kid could adapt to defeat robots, it was never shown if he could adapt to defeat passive barriers such as a prison cell, spaceships and vehicle-mounted weaponry firing upon him, or an opponent at anything other than a physical level (such as defeating them at chess or outhacking them on a computer). However, despite his villainous nature, he somehow passed the Legion's customary (and undepicted) test of a candidate's good character.
Nemesis Kid was purportedly a skilled alchemist, and magic is a recognized power in the 30th century. However, he has never displayed any ability and/or interest in creating other mystical potions, or replicating the potion that gave him his abilities, so the claim may have been a cover story to disguise his power's true origin (whatever that might be). He has a passing knowledge of 30th century technology and a basic understanding of tactics and strategy.
In other media
Nemesis Kid appeared in the Legion of Super HeroesLegion of Super Heroes (TV series)
Legion of Super Heroes is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation that debuted on September 23, 2006, based on characters appearing in the DC Comics comic book series. The series centers on the young Superman's adventures in the 31st century, fighting alongside a...
episode "The Karate Kid" voiced by Keith Ferguson
Keith Ferguson
Keith James Ferguson is an American voice actor, well known as the voice of Blooregard Q. Kazoo on the Cartoon Network animated series Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends...
. Unlike his original comic book incarnation, he had the inherent ability to temporarily nullify anyone else's superpowers, and was a member of a special unit of the Science Police
Science Police
Science Police is a fictional law enforcement agency in the . They were referred to as "World-Wide Police" in their first appearance in the 30th century. They were featured in a four issue limited series titled Legion Science Police. In the 30th and 31st centuries, the Science Police serves the...
. The origin and extent of his abilities is not revealed. He joined the Legion and assisted in taking down Grimbor
Grimbor the Chainsman
Grimbor the Chainsman is a DC Comics supervillain featured in the pages of Legion of Super-Heroes. Grimbor first appeared in Superboy #221 .-Pre-Crisis:Grimbor is a master craftsman able to create confining devices that didn't fail...
. Grimbor uses a weapon that he claims is inspired by Nemesis Kid's power and it appears to be identical in effect, but whether there is some closer connection between the two is not revealed. Presumably there is an upper limit to his nullification ability, as the Legion have not used Nemesis Kid in subsequent anticipated encounters against either Imperiex or Validus
Validus
Validus is a fictional DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes and a member of the Fatal Five.-Fictional character biography:...
.