Warning: contains spoilers for The Unstoppable Doom Patrol #2!The Doom Patrol has just received a new upgrade, and it makes them more like the X-Men than ever. The two teams have often been compared to each other, and in The Unstoppable Doom Patrol, the Doom Patrol have developed their own version of Cerebro. This upgrade is a boon to the Doom Patrol, who have undertaken a new mission to save misfit metahumans from prejudice and abuse that teams like the Justice League ignore – essentially giving DC its own mutants and X-Men.
In Doom Patrol #1 (written by Dennis Culver, drawn by Chris Burnham, colored by Brian Reber and lettered by Pat Brosseau), the Doom Patrol have arrived in Gotham City, searching for a new metahuman whose powers were unlocked by the recent Lazarus Rains. To their surprise, they are attacked by a swarm of monsters. Robotman is puzzled – they came to retrieve only one metahuman. Jane, the Doom Patrol’s new Chief, replies that “Mento is usually more accurate than this despite his current…limitations.” The team learns that there was indeed only one metahuman, and the monsters they fought were mere offshoots of their powers.
The Doom Patrol Get Their Own Cerebro
While Mento is never mentioned again in the issue, longtime Doom Patrol fans will recognize the name. Mento is Steve Dayton, one of the richest men in the DC Universe. First appearing in 1964’s Doom Patrol #91, Mento, as the name implies, has fantastic mental powers – all thanks to a special helmet he has created to impress Rita Farr, AKA Elasti-Girl. This brought him into contact with the Doom Patrol, and he has been associated with the team ever since. Recently, the Doom Patrol has undergone an overhaul, assuming a more proactive stance. Led by Jane, the Doom Patrol is out to help metahumans that do not fit into society, with the Chief describing them as a vulnerable class, similar to Marvel’s mutants. It seems that like Cerebro, Mento will help the team identify and locate metahumans who need their help.
The Doom Patrol Have Their Own Xavier School
In Doom Patrol #2, it’s revealed that rescued metahumans are taken to a gigantic secret base called ‘the Shelter,’ where they’re given room and board, and trained by Flex Mentallo, echoing the X-Men’s secretive school and iconic Danger Room. Following the Lazarus Rains, more metahumans are now developing powers across the world, and the Doom Patrol are acting as a first-response team to help them out and stop them being victimized by those who hate and fear them.
X-Men & Doom Patrol Have Always Been Linked
However, while the Doom Patrol may be more like the X-Men than ever before, this may be a case of turnabout being fair play. Comic fans have long suspected that elements of Doom Patrol were stolen by Stan Lee when creating the X-Men, even down to the core idea of a group united by bizarre powers being distrusted by regular society. There is undoubtedly room for both to exist, especially since Doom Patrol has become iconic for its experimental, often surreal stories, while X-Men leans heavily into conventional superhero tropes. The Doom Patrol may have new similarities to the X-Men, but no-one could ever accuse the World’s Strangest Heroes of being anything but unique.
The Unstoppable Doom Patrol #2 is available now from DC Comics.
