Ventor was a mentally unstable ventriloquist who suffered a nervous breakdown upon learning of his brother Bruno Caine's death while incarcerated for criminal activities. Blaming Superman for having put Bruno away, Ventor collaborated with Lex Luthor to infect Superman with the virulent Kryptonian pathogen Virus X.
History
Ventor's plan involved kidnapping Superman's "friend" Clark Kent and bringing Clark to his secret lair to be brainwashed by a machine constructed from the cannibalized electronic innards of a deactivated Superman Robot. Clark allowed himself to be taken by Ventor and his gang of goons to get to the bottom of their plans for Superman, but Clark came to regret this decision when Ventor revealed his desire to brainwash Clark into hating Superman with a homicidal passion. Since Clark, unbeknownst to Ventor, was Superman, the procedure used to brainwash Clark merely erased his memory instead. However, Clark unwittingly turned super-hypnosis upon himself when Ventor tried to persuade him to hate Superman, thereby completing the process. The procedure being a success, Ventor ordered Clark to carry a vial containing a Virus X sample (reverse-engineered from Earth-endemic bovine viruses by Luthor in a prison lab) upon his person and to infect Superman with it at first opportunity. In spite of not realizing at the time that he was Superman, Clark was ultimately successful in completing his objective, whereupon his mental programming broke and he suddenly became hit with the magnitude of the realization of what he had inflicted upon himself and the rest of the planet. Although Superman became convinced for several days that he was dying and had to be immolated in the hottest sun in the universe for the good of all living things, his life was unexpectedly saved by White Kryptonite crystals, which emitted radiations that destroyed the Virus X particles. It is unknown if Ventor was ever tracked down and captured.[1]
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
Other Characteristics
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- A ventriloquist-dummy in the image of his late brother Bruno, which Ventor insisted actually was a still-living Bruno
- A brainwashing machine built from the parts of a Superman Robot
- A Virus X sample
Transportation
- A car
Related
- 2 Appearances of Ventor Caine (Earth-One)
- 1 Images featuring Ventor Caine (Earth-One)
- 1 Quotations by or about Ventor Caine (Earth-One)
- Character Gallery: Ventor Caine (Earth-One)
Footnotes
  This character has been primarily an enemy of Superman in any of his various incarnations, or members of the Superman Family. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Superman Villains category." |