Comics character
Nemesis
is the name of two fictional characters in the
DC Comics
universe
.
Thomas Andrew Tresser
first appeared in
The Brave and the Bold
#166 (September 1980) and was created by
Cary Burkett
and
Dan Spiegle
.
Soseh Mykros
first appeared in
JSA Annual
#1 (October 2000) and was created by
David S. Goyer
and Uriel Caton.
Publication history
[
edit
]
The Thomas Tresser character was created by writer
Cary Burkett
in 1979 and named for an actor with whom Burkett was rooming in New Hampshire.
[1]
The character debuted in an eight-page backup story in
The Brave and the Bold
#166 (September 1980) written by Burkett and drawn by
Dan Spiegle
.
[2]
The character was featured in one of the
Final Crisis Aftermath
limited series
Escape
, written by
Ivan Brandon
with art by Marco Rudy.
[3]
[4]
In 2010, he was the eponymous character in the mini-series
Nemesis: The Impostors.
[5]
Fictional character biography
[
edit
]
Thomas Andrew Tresser
[
edit
]
Thomas Andrew Tresser
is a vigilante turned operative for the U.S. government and a master of
disguise
. His default costume is a black turtleneck sweater with a
balance
as a chest symbol and a chest holster.
He was an applicant to an unnamed government agency whose brother Craig was an undercover agent infiltrating a criminal syndicate called "the Council". Craig was brainwashed into killing their family friend Ben Marshall and was subsequently killed in self-defense by fellow agents. Tom thus became "Nemesis", preferring to use an alias instead of his dishonored family name. With the assistance of the
Batman
, he cleared his brother's name and saw the men responsible for his brother's death dead.
This was covered in a backup series in
The Brave and the Bold
#166 through 192,
[2]
with team-ups with the Batman in #170
[6]
and #193.
[7]
Nemesis was apparently killed in the helicopter crash that killed the council's leader, though he was later revealed to have survived, thanks to
Amanda Waller
and
Rick Flag
. He then became one of the few non-criminal members of the
Suicide Squad
as a means of paying off what he perceived as a debt. Nemesis became an occasional member of the Suicide Squad, assisting them from time to time, and fell in love with one of their members,
Nightshade
.
During a mission in Moscow with the Suicide Squad, the team tried to rescue Zoya Trigorin. The mission was a failure, as she died in his arms, and he was taken into custody. Rick Flag and Nightshade set up a rescue mission for their teammate, and came into conflict with the
Justice League
because of it. Eventually, the two teams worked out their differences, and Nemesis was allowed to escape by the Justice League. He continued to work alongside the Squad, but left the team after conflicts with Amanda Waller. He later returned only shortly to help retrieve Flag's kidnapped son and to assist in trying to uncover a secret government cabal. This plot-point was never resolved.
Tresser was drafted into the
Shadow Fighters
to battle the villain
Eclipso
. He was originally the sole survivor of the Eclipso massacre that claimed the lives of the rest of the Shadow Fighters.
[8]
He continued the fight against Eclipso in a smaller recon-team that also included Nightshade and the matter-manipulator
Chunk
. Nemesis and Chunk were saved from a nuclear bomb attack by Nightshade's powers.
Nemesis threatens Amanda Waller.
After his involvement with the Suicide Squad and the Shadow Fighters ended, he apparently met his end - again - in the pages of
Catwoman
.
[9]
In
Superman
Secret Files 2004
,
Nemesis was revealed to be alive and well, impersonating
Sarge Steel
and apparently working for a shadowy Cabal. Furthermore, in the last issue of the second volume of
Suicide Squad
the then-current team's erstwhile leader
Sgt. Rock
is revealed to have been an impostor. Given the events of the
Superman Secret Files
, "Rock" may well have been Nemesis for some or all of his appearances with the Squad. The story of what happened to Nemesis between his 'death' in
Catwoman
and subsequent reappearance in
Superman Secret Files
has not yet been told.
One Year Later
after the events of
Infinite Crisis
, Nemesis is seen aiding government agent Diana Prince,
Wonder Woman
in disguise, in the rescue of
Donna Troy
from several of the Amazon's villains. Nemesis is part of the newly re-opened
Department of Metahuman Affairs
under
Sarge Steel
.
Around this time, Nemesis assists in saving the life of the second
Maxi-Man
.
[10]
Shortly before the events of the
Amazons Attack
limited series, Nemesis questions the detainment of Wonder Woman by the D.M.A. and defies orders to rescue her.
[11]
He uncovers a plot by the villain
Circe
to trick the U.S. government into destroying
Themyscira
under false pretenses. During the Amazon counterattack, he is stung by several gigantic Stygian Killer Hornets, native to the Amazon Nation. Wonder Woman risks her life by traveling to Themyscira for an antidote and revives Nemesis back into health.
Shortly thereafter, Nemesis is again wounded in battle. While he is recovering in the hospital, Wonder Woman begins courting Tresser, in the traditional Amazon manner. After formally meeting her mother
Hippolyta
, he is inducted as an Amazon despite being a male. He is given the title of
Sir Thomas of Cleveland
and given the ranking of Guardsman.
[12]
Tom ends any potential relationship aside of friendship with Diana once he discovers that she does not truly love him but instead wanted to use him to create a family.
[13]
In the
Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape
storyline, Tresser is kidnapped and "reprogrammed" by the
Global Peace Agency
.
[14]
He then appears in
Nemesis: The Imposters
, battling false versions of the DC Universe.
[15]
During the
Heroes in Crisis
storyline, Nemesis checked into Sanctuary to deal with the stress of his vigilante work. It is unknown if Nemesis was killed in the unexpected attack or not.
[16]
Soseh Mykros
[
edit
]
Nemesis from
JSA Annual
#1.
A second Nemesis debuted in
JSA Annual
#1 (October 2000),
[17]
which had no connection with the original and was a completely different character.
Soseh Mykros
was the genetically engineered daughter of the leader of the council (not to be confused with the above-mentioned Council), a terrorist group that had once used the hero Paul Kirk,
Manhunter
. She originally operated as an ally of the
Justice Society
and assisted the team during a few adventures.
[18]
She soon departed for other causes to her interest.
Eventually, she found herself teaming up with
Black Adam
's group of loose cannon heroes,
[19]
a group that?while altruistic?had no compunctions about killing or blurring the lines of legitimacy with their respective goals. She soon became romantically involved with her teammate Alexander Montez, a man who had managed to bind the demon
Eclipso
to himself, and for a time they were happy with one another.
[20]
Of course, as with many such tragic romances, this was not meant to last for long. At some point in the series, Alex finally lost control of his body, allowing Eclipso to kill Soseh when her guard was down. Alex regained control, but it was too late. He committed suicide in remorse.
[21]
DC Rebirth: Pennyworth clone
[
edit
]
During
Alfred Pennyworth
's time in the military, he was mentored by a man named Briar, who enrolled him in a program to become the nemesis, a Batman-like figure. Frustrated with many failed pupils and Pennyworth's unwillingness to kill, Briar would create a perfect young clone as the new Nemesis. Having reduced aging, he would survive to encounter Batman and Alfred in Miami. Eventually, Nemesis killed his master, and was allowed by Alfred and Batman to retreat into the wilderness.
[22]
Relationship of Tresser and Mykros
[
edit
]
In DC Comics continuity, Mykros does not seem to have any connection to Tresser except for the fact that they both battled organizations named "the Council" and as a result Tresser was killed for Mykros to debut in
JSA
. When asked in an interview what happened to Nemesis (Tom Tresser), why he was killed in
Catwoman
#62,
[9]
and was it true that his death was editorially mandated,
Catwoman
writer
Devin Grayson
explained:
I was actually hoping to use Nemesis for the role in which I ended up using Trickster ? cheerful foil and potential romance. But yes, I was told that he was scheduled to be eighty-sixed ? an editor liked his name, but didn't like the character, and had plans, I guess, for a 'new' Nemesis. He wasn't slated to die in
Catwoman
, but I figured that if he was on his way out, his death might as well be handled by someone who liked and respected him ? I tried really hard to show what a great character he was before I killed him in such a way as to ensure that should anyone change their mind, they could bring him back without too much trouble.
[23]
In other media
[
edit
]
Nemesis as he appears in
Justice League Unlimited
.
The Thomas Tresser incarnation of Nemesis makes non-speaking appearances in
Justice League Unlimited
as part of the expanded Justice League.
[24]
[25]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Isaacs, Deanna (December 23, 2004).
"Nemesis vs. Politics as Usual - Gadfly, former actor, and superhero model Tom Tresser is back, calling on the creative class to claim their piece of the pie"
.
Chicago Reader
. Archived from
the original
on December 8, 2015
. Retrieved
January 22,
2012
.
Tom Tresser, the square-jawed, blond comic-book hero, was created in 1979, when Tom Tresser, the meeker, balder actor, was working at the Merrimack Valley Theatre in Manchester, New Hampshire, and rooming with writer Cary Burkett. Burkett got an assignment from DC Comics to create a new character and came up with Nemesis, a master of martial arts and disguise, who needed a daytime alias. Burkett's Tom Tresser became a mild-mannered, Shakespeare-quoting former FBI agent.
- ^
a
b
Trumbull, John (May 2013). "Nemesis Balancing the Scales".
Back Issue!
(#64). Raleigh, North Carolina:
TwoMorrows Publishing
: 69?75.
- ^
Brady, Matt (March 13, 2009).
"Getting Away from Electric City: Ivan Brandon on
Escape
"
.
Newsarama
.
Archived
from the original on June 19, 2013
. Retrieved
March 14,
2009
.
- ^
Renaud, Jeffrey (March 13, 2009).
"Ivan Brandon Siphons Secrets in
Escape
"
.
Comic Book Resources
.
Archived
from the original on March 18, 2009
. Retrieved
January 7,
2010
.
- ^
Nemesis: The Imposters
at the
Grand Comics Database
- ^
Burkett, Cary
(
w
),
Aparo, Jim
(
p
), Aparo, Jim (
i
). "...If Justice Be Blind"
The Brave and the Bold
, no. 170 (January 1981).
- ^
Burkett, Cary (
w
), Aparo, Jim (
p
), Aparo, Jim (
i
). "Those Who Live by the Sword..."
The Brave and the Bold
, no. 193 (December 1982).
- ^
Fleming, Robert Loren
(
w
), Newman, Audwynn Jermaine (
p
),
Kryssing, Ray
(
i
). "Hour of Darkness"
Eclipso
, no. 13 (November 1993).
- ^
a
b
Grayson, Devin
(
w
),
Balent, Jim
(
p
),
Stanisci, John
(
i
). "Dog New Tricks"
Catwoman
, vol. 2, no. 62 (October 1998).
- ^
Picoult, Jodi
(
w
),
Johnson, Drew
(
p
),
Snyder, Ray
(
i
). "Love and Murder, Part 1"
Wonder Woman
, vol. 3, no. 6 (Late May 2007).
- ^
Picoult, Jodi (
w
),
Dodson, Terry
(
p
),
Dodson, Rachel
(
i
). "Love and Murder, Part 3"
Wonder Woman
, vol. 3, no. 8 (Late June 2007).
- ^
Greenberger, Robert
(2010).
Wonder Woman: Amazon. Hero. Icon
. Milan, Italy:
Rizzoli Universe Promotional Books
. p. 140.
ISBN
978-0789324160
.
[Wonder Woman's] next long-term romance was a most unlikely one with former spy-turned-operative for the Department of Metahuman Affairs, Tom Tresser. He was brash, cocky, and seemingly ill-suited for a princess, but he continually showed Wonder Woman his remarkable courage.
- ^
Simone, Gail
(
w
),
Lopresti, Aaron
(
p
),
Ryan, Matt
(
i
). "Warkiller, Part 1 of 4: Heart of Fire"
Wonder Woman
, vol. 3, no. 36 (November 2009).
- ^
Brandon, Ivan
; Rudy, Marco (2010).
Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape
. DC Comics. p. 144.
ISBN
978-1401226084
.
- ^
Brandon, Ivan (
w
), Richards, Cliff (
p
), Richards (
i
). "Part 1: Close Your Eyes"
Nemesis: The Imposters
, no. 1 (May 2010).
Brandon, Ivan (
w
), Richards, Cliff (
p
), Richards (
i
). "Part 2: Almost Right"
Nemesis: The Imposters
, no. 2 (June 2010).
Brandon, Ivan (
w
), Richards, Cliff (
p
), Richards (
i
). "Part 3: Something Small Enough to Break"
Nemesis: The Imposters
, no. 3 (July 2010).
Brandon, Ivan (
w
), Richards, Cliff (
p
), Richards (
i
). "Part 4: Here We Go"
Nemesis: The Imposters
, no. 4 (August 2010).
- ^
King, Tom
(
w
),
Mann, Clay
;
Weeks, Lee
(
p
), Mann, Clay; Weeks, Lee (
i
). "Heroes in Crisis Part 3: Master of the Lagoon"
Heroes in Crisis
, no. 3 (January 2019).
- ^
Goyer, David S.
(
w
), Caton, Uriel (
p
),
Von Grawbadger, Wade
(
i
). "Genesis"
JSA Annual
, no. 1 (October 2000).
- ^
JSA
#49-51. DC Comics.
- ^
JSA
#43. DC Comics.
- ^
JSA
#57. DC Comics.
- ^
JSA
#58. DC Comics.
- ^
All-Star Batman
#10-14 (2017)
- ^
Hutchison, Michael (1999).
"Devin Grayson: The Interview"
.
Fanzing.com
.
Archived
from the original on September 24, 2012
. Retrieved
June 18,
2013
.
- ^
Berkowitz, Stan (writer);
Dos Santos, Joaquim
(director) (July 31, 2004).
Justice League Unlimited
:
"Initiation" (episode)
.
Cartoon Network
.
- ^
Ellis, Warren
(writer);
Riba, Dan
(director) (December 11, 2004).
Justice League Unlimited:
"Dark Heart" (episode)
. Cartoon Network.
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