Chronos I

CHRONOS I

Real Name: David Clinton

Class: Human technology-user

Occupation: Supervillain, watchmaker

Group Affiliation: formerly Injustice League I, Injustice Gang of America

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Ivy Town

First Appearance: Atom #3 (October-November, 1962)

Powers: Chronos was a brilliant inventor who used a series of time-themed weapons. These included a flying platform shaped like a sundial, a device that slowed time, exploding hourglasses and an hourglass that released a sandstorm when broken, and watches with razor-sharp hands.

History: (Atom #3) - Small-time crook David Clinton was repeatedly caught by the authorities and sent to jail. he decided that if he only took more time to plan his crimes he would have been successful. Inspired by his lifelong love of timepieces as well as the clockwork daily routine of prison life, he spent his sentence studying the workings of clocks. He used his knowledge to make an arsenal of time-themed weapons and took on the supervillain identity of Chronos and made a name for himself after a series of robberies.. He set up a watchmaker shop in Ivy Town as a front, using his skills to pass the time and offering historic timepieces for sale. Ray Palmer gave him a watch to repair and mentioned an atomic clock at his university lab. Clinton wanted the atomic clock and changed to Chronos. He stole the clock, but after an encounter with Atom at Ivy U he suspected Palmer was the Atom. After another battle with Atom he trapped the hero in a watch and placed it on his wrist, eager to have the hero watch him commit robberies before he exposed his secret identity. Atom shrank down further, changed into Ray Palmer, and knocked out Chronos. Chronos figured his assumption about Atom's identity were wrong when he saw Atom, who'd slipped back into his watch. Chronos was sentenced to 15 years in jail.

(Identity Crisis #2) - Chronos traveled into the future seconds before his death to attend one of the supervillain community's semi-regular gatherings at the Injustice Gang's old satellite headquarters.

(Identity Crisis #4) - Dr. Light told Deadshot that he was once mind-wiped by the Justice League of America. Deadshot spread Light’s story to his supervillain buddies, including Chronos.

(Identity Crisis #7) - Chronos and Shadow Thief hung out at Merlyn’s apartment. Chronos crowed over the revelation that Jean Loring had killed Sue Dibny, telling Merlyn he knew these events would be devastating for the superhero community.

(JLA #115-119) - Despero restored the memories of former Secret Society of Super-Villains members Wizard, Chronos, Felix Faust, Floronic Man, Matter Master and Star Sapphire, who’d been mind-wiped years ago by the JLA after learning the secret identities of the heroes. They sought vengeance on the JLA for tampering with their minds, first picking off Red Tornado in Happy Harbor and Ralph Dibny in Opal City. This got the JLA’s attention, and they defeated the JLA and then confronted Batman, presenting him with the unconscious bodies of the JLA. The JLA revived, and the villains chose to retreat. The JLA presumed that the former Society members who had their minds intact remembered their secret identities, and went to look in on their loved ones. The former Society members made an attack on the Daily Planet, trying to kill Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White. They planned to take out all the JLA’s loved ones. The JLA defeated them, and had to decide what to do with the villains. Hawkman was adamant about mindwiping them again, and called for a vote, but it was a draw. Zatanna told the team her past actions were an abuse of magic, and she refused to mindwipe anyone ever again. She told the JLA to take her off reserve status and and left for Themyscira. Zatanna talked with Wonder Woman, and had a change of heart. She considered the Society members her mess, and she once again mindwiped them, telling them they were getting off easy for what they tried to do to the JLA.

Comments: Created by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane & Murphy Anderson

Chronos received a profile in Who’s Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #5.

Chronos was pictured on the cover of Identity Crisis #6.