Stephen Forrest Lee (New Earth)

Stephen Forrest Lee was born somewhere in the American South. He has the ability to morph his appearance (muscle and bone) to make him look and sound like anyone he wishes. If he loses concentration, however, his features run and his face looks like putty. As such, it is likely Lee no longer recalls his original appearance. At some point in history he chose to use his powers to become an assassin in the Far East, using the name Dumas. He developed a code that requires him to complete a contract once accepted, no matter what. He also developed a passion for kabuki masks.^[1]^[2]

It was revealed that one of the other identities that Lee maintained was that of an American woman named Olivia Vancroft. A woman who was "famous for being famous", Vancroft was beautiful, rich and the talk of New York high society in the 1930s. In 1950 she built a home (called Cliff House) in southwestern Wisconsin where she became a recluse amidst rumors of having lost a child.^[3]^[4]

Lee was killed in a fight with the Manhunter (Mark Shaw) while attempting to fulfill a self-assigned contract (Lee (as Vancroft) hired Lee (as Dumas) to take the Manhunter's mask).^[4] His body was abducted by ex-CIA agents who were trying to duplicate his powers. During their examination, the lead scientist Rankin stated, "These platelets...incredible! They look like cancerous chromosomes--the gene must unlock and rebuild the spiral according to the mutant DNA encoding!" In other words, Lee's powers were likely genetic. Rankin was able to create a serum capable of transferring the powers to someone else, which ultimately were bestowed on one of Dumas' followers, who became the second Dumas.^[5]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Shapeshifting

Abilities

Weaponry

Other Characteristics

Dissociative identity disorder^[4]
Monstrous Appearance
Power Instability: Must concentrate or his appearance begins to "melt."

Notes

Due to a retcon presented in issue #13 of the third volume of Manhunter, Mark Shaw was purportedly brainwashed into having a second hidden personality known as Dumas. It is unclear if there was ever a real Dumas, if Shaw always unknowingly acted as Dumas, and/or if his "encounters" with Dumas were all imagined or hallucinated; thus, certain aspects of Dumas' history may not actually be canon.

Trivia

As Olivia Vancroft, Dumas totally assumes a feminine identity to the point of seeing herself as a being separated from his masculine identity, although living in the same moldable body.^[4]

Stephen Forrest Lee (New Earth)

Contents

History