Dr. Weerd

DR. WEERD

Real Name: Professor James Stanton

Class: Human mutate

Occupation: Scientist, criminal

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: NYC, New York, WWII era

First Appearance: Star Spangled Comics I #1 (October, 1941)

Powers: By drinking a potion Prof. Stanton transformed from his mild-mannered self into the deformed murderous beast Dr. Weerd. Weerd was an inventive genius, and had a giant robot, bolt-guns, a remote illusion projector, a flying buzz-saw, a paralysis ray, a deterioration ray that reduced metal's stability and ray-vessels that discharged tornadoes at his disposal.

History: (Star Spangled Comics I #1) - Professor James Stanton as a respected scientist who invented a serum that transformed him into a hideous criminal mastermind. His alter ego was named Dr. Weerd, and after assembling a gang he invented a giant robot that robbed the Whitmore Savings Bank. The Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy tried to stop the robot, but ere foiled. Weerd turned back into Prof. Stanton to join a group of his colleagues in interviewing boy genius Sylvester Pemberton. Pemberton calmly answered their questions and proved his brilliance, but he insulted Stanton, who asked him if his mental talents were inherited or acquired. Sylvester told him he should go back to school if he didn't know the answer. Stanton stormed off, and changed into Weerd, planning on kidnapping Pemberton when he left his residence. Pemberton's secret identity was the Star-Spangled Kid, and when he emerged from the Pemberton house Weerd decided to have revenge on the hero that as interfering in his schemes, and kidnapped him. Once at his hq, Weerd locked the Kid in a room with his robot, and ordered the machine to kill him. Stripesy followed the Kid, and helped him escape, but the robot went on a rampage through the city. The Kid whipped up a potion that destroyed the robot's inner mechanisms. Weerd tried to shoot the Kid, but Stripesy stopped him. The heroes pursued him, but he was able to duck out of sight, and transformed back into Stanton, telling the duo Weerd had locked him in a closet. The villain vowed to destroy the heroes the next time he met them.

(Star Spangled Comics I #2) - Dr. Weerd was heavily invested in low-income tenements, so when the government started housing projects in the city he invented ray-vessels piloted by subhumans to discharge tornadoes to destroy the buildings. The destruction of one building was witnessed by Sylvester Pemberton, and when Prof. Stanton stopped by his manor to study hat made the imbecile different from the genius he overheard Pemberton's suspicions that the vortices were made by science. He didn't want his plans undone, so as Dr. Weerd he had his goons kidnap Sylvester, who blew his special whistle and was rescued by Stripsey. They used the star-racer to keep Dr. Weerd's ray-vessels from destroying any more government housing projects. The heroes confronted the villain, and sent him to jail, but he promised to return to torment them again.

(Star Spangled Comics I #3) - Dr. Weerd tunneled out of prison, and built an illusion projector, using it to cause a number of seeming suicides, fooling motorists into thinking cliffs were roadways and so on. The Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy investigated, and realized Weerd was the culprit. They interrogated one of Weerd's goons and found that his current hideout was Stephen's Tower. Weerd was furious at his henchman for betraying him, and sent an illusion of daggers after him, and the panicked crook ran right into traffic and under an oncoming car. The Kid and Stripesy confronted the villain, and after a brief scuffle they crashed the star-rocket-racer into his hideout, seemingly killing him. After the heroes left Weerd emerged from the rubble and promised revenge.

(Star Spangled Comics I #4) - Dr. Weerd invented a ray that turned silver and gold into lead using ionic radiation. He debuted his device during a radio quiz show starring Sylvester Pemberton, turning his winnings into lead, and humiliating the thorn in his side. Weerd made a radio broadcast threatening to destroy all of America’s wealth. The Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy discovered the tower where his ray emanated from, and after a fierce battle with the villain he was forced to flee. The American Avengers destroyed the tower, restoring the precious metals Weerd had devalued. Weerd cursed his opponents, but immediately set upon building his new invention, a flying buzz-saw. He piloted the buzz-saw on a destructive flight to the city, but the Kid flew his star-rocket racer into the skies and boarded Weerd. Weerd told him he’d walked into a trap, the buzz-saw was set for a course with a munitions plant, and the controls were electrified. He abandoned the buzz-saw, and mocked his foe, but the Kid used his silk costume to shield himself from the electricity and safely land the buzz-saw. Pemberton would later attend Prof. Stanton’s lecture on multiple personality disorders.

(Star Spangled Comics I #5) - Dr. Weerd invented a deterioration ray that made steel rumble, he hoped to corner the market on steel and make a fortune. He tested his device on the Hi-Span Bridge, resulting in hundreds of deaths. Weerd, as Stanton, dropped by the Pemberton residence to examine Sylvester Pemberton, hoping that testing the reflexes of a genius would teach him something. Sylvester revealed that his father's company, the Pemberton Steel Mill, built the Hi-Span, and the public blamed him for the collapse. He intended to investigate, and suspected a futuristic weapon was used. Stanton changed into Dr. Weerd, and ordered his goons to kill Sylvester, because he didn't want him to uncover his plot. Weerd's goons followed Sylvester's limo, but were shocked when they shook the crooks and changed into the American Avengers. The heroes engaged Weerd in an air battle when he flew around the city destroying steel structures. Weerd attacked the Pemberton Steel Mill, and when he left his plane the heroes engaged him in the remains of the mill. After a hair-raising battle they managed to defeat him, sending him to jail, and clearing Sylvester's dad of any wrongdoing.

(Star Spangled Comics I #6) - Professor Stanton visited the Pemberton’s to ask Sylvester his opinion of his latest scientific theories, and Sylvester tore them to shreds by pointing out several fallacies. Stanton was furious, but he made the most of the situation when he recognized Breezy as a lad who had a huge inheritance coming to him after the death of his wealthy relatives, and came up with a scheme to steal it from him. Stanton changed into Dr. Weerd, chloroformed Breezy, and framed him as a pick pocket. The judge assigned him to Marvin Dudley’s Sunnydale home for juveniles even though the Pemertons begged to have him released into their custody. Sylvester tried to investigate, but was not allowed on Sunnydale’s premises. He went into action as the Star-Spangled Kid, and he and Stripesy learned that Dudley was running a labor camp, and was trying to get Breezy to sign a legal document that would hand over his money to Dudley and Weerd. Weerd threatened to kill the American Avengers if Breezy didn’t sign, but Breezy used the pen to squirt ink in Weerd’s face, forcing him to flee. The heroes exposed Dudley’s malfeasance, and Sylvester’s father opened up a new home for wayward youths in its stead.

Comments: Created by Jerry Siegel & Hal Sherman.

In the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths DC Universe Dr. Weerd lived on Earth-2.