Shrapnel

SHRAPNEL

Real Name: Mark (last name unrevealed)

Class: Altered human

Occupation: Professional assassin

Group Affiliation: The Society, formerly Suicide Squad

Known Relatives: Suze (ex-wife), Maddie (daughter), Meredith (daughter)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile

First Appearance: Doom Patrol II #7 (April, 1988)

Powers: Shrapnel's body consisted of hundreds of pieces of an organic-metallic substance that could be projected into explosive bursts. Each scale was a living organism controlled by Shrapnel's consciousness, so once fired they could be directed and recalled at will. Pieces lost by Shrapnel eventually died, but he could regenerate new ones. Shrapnel possessed superhuman strength, and his body needed neither food nor water to sustain itself.

History: (Doom Patrol vol. 2 #7)-Little has been revealed about Shrapnel’s past. At one time he was a normal human named Mark, and at some point he was transformed into the creature he is today. For his first professional case as a hitman, Shrapnel was hired to go to Kansas City to kill Walter Williamson; a man from his past. Shrapnel attempted to stay incognito, but failed miserably after deciding to slaughter anyone who caught a glimpse of him. Within hours there was a citywide manhunt for the unusual killer. During the hit he encountered the Doom Patrol, who were unable to foil his mission or prevent his escape.

(Green Lantern III #51, 52) - Shrapnel was among the meta-human prisoners freed from Slabside Island Penitentiary by Mongul.

(Superman: Our Worlds at War Secret Files #1)-After being imprisoned, Shrapnel is recruited for the Suicide Squad in order to deal with aliens known as the Imperiex.

(Adventures of Superman #593) - Shrapnel was released from Stryker's Island to be drafted into President Luthor's Suicide Squad, and they required a field test against a powerful superhuman. Manchester Black suggested Superman, and Luthor supported the choice. The Squad lured superman to Area 8, an abandoned military compound, and engaged him in combat. They were defeated by Superman, with Chemo being hurled into Earth's orbit. Luthor agreed with Manchester Black that they needed to recruit Mongul and free Doomsday to complete the Squad.

(Adventures of Superman #594) -President Luthor sent Shrapnel and the Suicide Squad to the JLA Watchtower on the moon, and with JLAer Steel's help they used JLA teleportation technology to free Doomsday. Doomsday decimated the entire Squad except for Black, who manipulated Doomsday's mind to replace his hatred of Superman with a hatred for Imperiex.

(DCU Holiday Bash #3) - Shrapnel escaped the Slab using Multi-Man’s escape tunnel and then being teleported away by his prison mate Houngan’s friend Warp. He visited his ex-wife Suze for Christmas, and looked in on his daughters, who were asleep and whom he didn’t want to see in his inhuman form. After a talk with Suze he surrendered to the D.E.O. and returned to the Slab.

(Villains United #1) - Shrapnel joined “Lex Luthor’s” Society.

Comments: Created by Erik Larsen.

Shrapnel received profiles in Who’s Who In The DC Universe #13 and Who's Who Update '88 #3.

Shrapnel had a flashback cameo in Teen Titans III #32.