Flashback Friday: The Toxic Doctor Poison

While the DC Comic universe is no stranger to creating powerful female heroines, they are equally adept at introducing readers to diabolical female supervillains. One such villain is now celebrating her 80th anniversary in comics.

Japanese Princess Maru, aka Doctor Poison, made her first appearance in Sensation Comics #2 (February 1942). Created by William Moulton Marston and Harry G. Peter, Doctor Poison is a scientific genius in the fields of chemistry and biology, as well as the engineering of pathogens, poisons, toxins, plagues, and chemical-based weapons. She initially served as the chief of the poison division for a Nazi spy band and was instrumental in creating the “Reverso” drug. Under this regime, Doctor Poison planned on contaminating the United States Army’s water with a drug that compels whoever drinks it to do the opposite of what they are told. 

After capturing General Steve Trevor, Doctor Poison drew the attention of Wonder Woman. While Wonder Woman managed to aid Trevor, she was forced to flee following a long battle with Doctor Poison. Elsewhere, the “Reverso” drug was succeeding in turning an army of American soldiers against their superiors. Eventually, Wonder Woman succeeded in imprisoning Doctor Poison, who she now knew to be the Japanese Princess, Maru. Later on, Doctor Poison escaped prison and disguised herself as a worker in a Chinese nightclub. Later on, another altercation between Wonder Woman resulted in Doctor Poison being sentenced to Transformation Island. 

This Amazonian penal colony was reserved for helping female criminals reform their evil ways. Rather than reform, Doctor Poison and seven other women banded together to form the supervillain group – Villainy Inc. Chaos ensued as the villains attempted to defeat Wonder Woman and Hippolyta, in order to escape. Unfortunately, despite putting up one heck of a fight, Doctor Poison was defeated by Wonder Woman once again.

SENSATIONAL WONDER WOMAN SPECIAL #1 CVR A ORTEGA

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(W) Various (A) Various (CA) Belen Ortega

Wonder Woman stars in three sensational stories that will push her to her limits. Will the Amazon Princess come out on top after battling the likes of Circe, Blue Snowman, and the Threnn of Doom? Join us in this celebration of all things Wonder Woman for International Women's Day!

In Shops: Mar 29, 2022

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This article originally appeared in Gemstone Publishing’s e-newsletter Scoop.

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Amanda Sheriff is Gemstone Publishing’s Associate Editor, serving as the writer/editor of the e-newsletter, Scoop. She is the author of The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Movie Posters, The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Concert Posters, and The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Horror, and co-author of The Overstreet Price Guide to Star Wars Collectibles and The Overstreet Price Guide to Batman.