Per Degaton (New Earth)

Real Name: Unrevealed Nicknames: None known Former Aliases: Agent Williams during the 1950s Other Current Aliases: No other known current aliases

Status
Occupation: Scientist; villain; time traveller Legal Status: (Pre-Crisis) citizen of an unspecified European nation with a criminal record in the United States on Classic Earth-Two (Post Crisis) undetermined It should be noted that many different incarnations of "Per Degaton" have been killed or eliminated as a time paradox Identity: Public Marital Status: Unknown Group Affiliation: Time Trust; The Injustice Society Earth-Two; Ally of Mekanique (robot); Ally of Earth-Three Crime Syndicate Base of Operations: Various as Per Degaton is usually depicted as time traveling or travelling through various other dimensions

Origin
Per Degaton was a brilliant criminal strategist who possessed time-traveling technology.

First Appearance: All-Star Comics 35 (1947) Place of Birth: Undisclosed locale on Classic Earth-Two

Pre-Crisis
Originally born in the Earth-Two reality, Per Degaton was a technically advanced technician and scientist who developed time travelling abilities as a result of his assocaition with the Time Trust, a group of scientists who were developing a time travel enabling machine. Nazis agents attempted to steal the prototype, but were foiled by the Justice Society of America. Per Degaton had hoped to steal the prototype from the Nazis but was defeated in that opportunity by the Justice Society. In a fit of jealousy, Per Degaton sabatoged the time machine and left the Time Trust soon after in his own attempts to create his own private working device. Frustrated with his own devices Per Degaton partially succeeded in developing time travel technology which he has used in many attempts to rule the world as well as fulfill his own sadistic indulgence such as watching various member of the JSA become injured or even die, such as when the Spectre stopped Atom-Smasher's heart.

Per Degaton arrived immediately after the USA "House on UnAmerican Activity Committee (HUAC)" has formally shut down the Justice Society. This was due to the JSA members unwillingness to publically reveal their private identities to the world at large and defend their private lives to the satisfaction as non Communistic supporters. Paradoxically, this was partly due to Per Detagon's own efforts under the alias of "Agent Williams" (see following).

As Agent Williams, Per Degaton was largely responsible for the JSA disbanding as he testified before HUAC, accusing the JSA of having ties to the communists. The HUAC forced the Justice Society to disband after the JSA refused to divulge their private identities.

This scheme was Per Degaton's most successful scheme as it lasted for over a decade for the most part, but not against Batman, Robin later Batman II, Superman and Wonder Woman and a few others who were able to operate despite the ban on costumed heroes. Per Degaton and several of his other incarnations would try to directly defeat the Justice Society such as when Per Degaton would directly use the Earth-Three Crime Syndicate as his shock troops to directly confront the Justice Society who by the 1980s who be allied with the Earth-One Justice League of America whose combined forces would overwhelm and defeat Per Degaton and the Crime Syndicate.

Post-Crisis
Due to the events of the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Per Degaton was reformated to the New Earth to be an almost immortal wrath-like being who is out of time sync who can see the future to a limited degree, but still seeks to rule the world despite his largely immaterial form.

Per Degaton is one of a few beings who is aware of the Multiverse before the Crisis on Infinite Earths and still refers to "other realities" in story.