My Greatest Adventure #80 is an issue of the series My Greatest Adventure (Volume 1) with a cover date of June, 1963.
Synopsis for "The Doom Patrol"
An aging wheelchair bound scientist known only as the Chief gathers together three super-powered outcasts: Robotman, Elasti-Girl and Negative Man. As the heroes greet one another, they learn of the personal circumstances that brought them all together.
Robotman was once Cliff Steele, an international sportsman and daredevil whose body was burned to a cinder after a deadly racecar crash. The Chief's scientific genius transferred Steele's brain into a new robot body.
Larry Trainor was once a civilian test pilot – until the fateful day when he flew an experimental suborbital aircraft into a stratospheric belt of radiation. Now he exists as a living mummy, forced to wear special bandages to contain the radiation that has disfigured his body. As a side effect of the incident, Larry can now summon a dark energy being from his body, which he calls the Negative Man.
Rita Farr was a Hollywood starlet, and Olympic level swimmer. During filming of one of her movies, Rita was exposed to strange vapors that granted he the ability to alter her size at will. Her career in ruins, due to her mutation, she now fights alongside the Doom Patrol as Elasti-Girl.
The Chief discovers a strange alien spacecraft that has crash landed on Earth. He believes that mankind's testing of atomic weapons is what attracted the aliens attention, and the unidentified ship was designed to monitor the planet's technological advancements. The Chief sends the Doom Patrol to recover a secret weapon reputedly located inside the drone ship.
Another individual learns of the ship's existence and embarks upon a plan to recover the weapon. This is the immortal mastermind, General Immortus – an old foe of the Chief's. Immortus has spy cameras set up in the Doom Patrol headquarters and is privy to many of their secrets. Immortus attempts to retrieve the weapon and encounters the Doom Patrol. During the ensuing struggle, the alien drone ship explodes and Immortus seemingly dies in the explosion.
Appearing in "The Doom Patrol"
Featured Characters:
- Doom Patrol (First appearance)
- Chief (First appearance)
- Elasti-Girl (First appearance)
- Negative Man (First appearance)
- Robotman (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Dan Salem (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- General Immortus (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Doctor Hoskins (Single appearance)
- Doctor Leroy (Single appearance)
- Mitch (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- X-19 suborbital aircraft
Notes
- 1st appearance of the original Doom Patrol. Brief mini-biographies are provided for each of the main characters. All four appear again next issue.
- This issue is divided into three chapters:
- Chapter 1: The Doom Patrol
- Chapter 2: The Challenge of the Timeless Commander
- Chapter 3: The Deadly Duel with General Immortus
- General Immortus appears next in My Greatest Adventure #84. A chronologically earlier appearance of Immortus takes place in flashback in Doom Patrol #88.
- The original Doom Patrol costumes for Elast-Girl and Negative Man were plain green utility suits. They don't begin to wear the more familiar-looking red and white uniforms until Doom Patrol #89.
- Dr. Leroy and Dr. Hoskins appear next in the second story in Doom Patrol #100.
- Dan Salem is a television news reporter. He appears next in My Greatest Adventure #81.
- This issue is reprinted in Batman #238, DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #19, Doom Patrol Archives Vol. 1, Showcase Presents: The Doom Patrol Vol. 1, Doom Patrol: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 1, Doom Patrol: The Silver Age Vol. 1 and Facsimile Edition: My Greatest Adventure #80.