Doppelganger (comics)

Doppelganger
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Infinity War #1 (July 1992)
Created by	Jim Starlin Ron Lim Al Milgrom
In-story information
Partnerships	Shriek Carnage Demogoblin Carrion
Notable aliases	Spider-Doppelganger
Abilities	Superhuman strength, agility, stamina, reflexes and speed Ability to adhere to solid surfaces Ability to produce razor-sharp organic webbing Hardened talons

The Doppelganger, also called the Spider-Doppelganger, is a fictional character and supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Publication history

Doppelganger first appeared in The Infinity War #1 and was created by Jim Starlin, Ron Lim, and Al Milgrom.

Fictional character biography

Doppelganger is an evil, near-mindless duplicate of Spider-Man that was created by Magus during the battle known as the Infinity War. The eight-limbed creature was one of many doppelgängers created by Magus during this conflict. The Doppelganger possesses Spider-Man's strength, speed, wall-climbing abilities, and spider-sense, and also has six arms, claws, fangs, and the ability to produce its own razor-edged webbing. It acts like an animal, and growls and hisses rather than speaks.

The Doppelganger began life as a living fractal, a geometric pattern in the Dimension of Manifestations, able to assume the forms and attributes of any being, real or abstract. When a mysterious Magus sets out to obtain the vast power of the Infinity Gauntlet, he contracts the ruling fractal, Prime Manifester Anthropomorpho, to transform several young fractals into monstrous versions of Earth's super heroes; the Doppelganger is one such creation, based upon Spider-Man. It and its brethren are sent to Earth to attack the heroes in the so-called Infinity War. The Doppelganger interrupts a fight between Spider-Man and Hobgoblin, who impales the creature upon a fence. Though most of the fractal doubles were completely destroyed upon being defeated, the Doppelganger is retrieved by the demonic Demogoblin, who infuses it with supernatural energy, enabling it to remain in the Earth dimension even following Magus' defeat. Demogoblin directs the Doppelganger in a grudge against Hobgoblin, whom the altruistic Spider-Man protects. The foursome's fight joins another battle where the supernatural Ghost Rider and Blaze are fighting a group of demonic Deathspawn and Spider-Man's murderous nemesis Venom. Both the Doppelganger and Demogoblin are subsequently pulled underground by the Deathspawn, with two Deathspawn briefly taking up silent residence within the Doppelganger's body.

Maximum Carnage

Doppelganger returns in Carnage #1. Art by Clayton Crain.

After being separated from the Demogoblin, the disoriented Doppelganger wanders around New York for some time. By the beginning of the Maximum Carnage storyline, it is attacked by the psychotic Carnage, who mistakes the creature as his mortal enemy, Spider-Man. However, Carnage's companion, the equally insane Shriek, takes a liking to the Doppelganger, and the deranged couple introduces their new "son" to the "pleasure" of random murder. During their spree, the three are joined by Demogoblin and Carrion; they also fight Spider-Man, Black Cat, Cloak and Dagger, Venom, Firestar, Morbius, and others. The Doppelganger becomes devoted to Shriek; when Carnage attacks her for rebellious behavior, it springs to her defense, but Carnage guts it and kicks it to the street several stories below, supposedly killing it. Carnage and the others were defeated shortly afterwards.^[1]

Doppelganger reappears, with a new physical configuration, trying to rescue Shriek (who he is implied to have been covertly visiting at Ravencroft) from an armored truck, but he is shot in half in the process. Doppelganger is collected by Hall Industries, revives on the autopsy table, and joins Shriek in causing havoc in New York. When Doppelganger attempts to save Shriek from the new symbiote Scorn, he is knocked aside, and forced to flee with Carnage.^[2] When Carnage overtakes a Colorado town, the Mercury Team is able to locate him by attacking and following Doppelganger, who is referred to as "that creepy thing that looks like Spider-Man". Doppelganger later helps Carnage fight the Mercury Team, and is shown escaping after Carnage is captured, and a portion of the town is firebombed by the military.^[3]

Doppelganger is later shown among the Spider-Totems assembled to help combat Morlun and the other Inheritors in Spider-Verse.^[4]

Powers and abilities

The Doppelganger's abilities are very similar to Spider-Man's, including superhuman strength (able to lift 65 tons), agility, stamina, reflexes, and speed. It can also stick to walls and shoot razor-sharp webbing from the palms of its hands. It has two extra sets of arms, each hand possessing hardened talons that can tear through human tissue. The Spider-Doppelganger is physically stronger than Spider-Man, though the exact limit of his strength is unknown. It is noticeably unintelligent, seemingly limited to animal instinct, although it was capable of following instructions from its 'mother' Shriek, and was capable of rudimentary speech in its reappearance. Its body was also somewhat malleable and could form different shapes, although this attribute was not seen in its appearances in Maximum Carnage. According to scientists who were briefly able to study him after an apparent death, Doppelganger is "inorganic and may not have been legally alive to begin with".

In other media

Television

• In the 1994 Spider-Man episode "The Wedding", a mentally-unstable Harry Osborn is depicted as suffering from nightmares in which he envisions Spider-Man as a beast identical to Doppelganger.

Video games

• Doppelganger is a recurring boss in the video game Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage.

References

External links

• Doppelganger at Marvel.com
• Spider-Man (Doppelganger) (Earth-616) Doppelganger at Marvel Wiki
• Profile at Spiderfan.org