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#all this soap opera drama that comics live for and al still isn't back in flash comics
kamamo1 · 3 years
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A good superhero comic example of villainous superpowered evil side trope is Mr Element/Dr. Alchemy, one of the first villains of the Silver Age Flash. The first few appearances of Al Desmond was his caper as Mr Element before fighting Flash and then becoming Dr Alchemy with the Philosopher Stone, before pulling a heel-face turn and serving his time.
Al goes straight as a law abiding citizen, getting engaged to a childhood sweetheart and becoming best friends with Barry Allen. However, he soon developed a split personality/complex between his good/bad sides of himself. Alot of Flash issues with Al shows him struggling with this, while Flash tries to do everything to help. Al not being able to use the Stone/come up with chemical miracles when he's in his 'good' personality as Al Desmond for one thing, also not really remembering what happens when his bad side as Element/ Alchemy takes over, which other Rogues use to their advantage to pin crimes on him.
What's interesting that during one issue when Al's evil side takes over, it's the presence of BARRY that is the reason why Al makes himself snap out of it, not his fiance or the Flash identity. Al not feeling alone to deal with his darker/evil side through Barry's friendship helps him over come himself, and Al is eventually helped to get on with his life for the better.
Then Barry dies in Crisis on Infinite Earths, and the next we see of Al he's back as the Dr Alchemy persona with no mention to what happened to his wife and 100% more dangerous/murderous than he ever was before.
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