Duke Nigel
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Real Identity: Duke Nigel Fortenberry
Appearances: Steam Lantern
Powers/Skills: Scientific Genius
Voiced By: Jeff Bennett
Duke Nigel was a leading scientist who made a devil's bargain with the Anti-Monitor. If the Anti-Monitor spared the planet he lived on, Nigel would invent a ray that would cut through to a new universe to conquer. The Anti-Monitor agreed to the deal. Nigel pushed his world on an industrial sprint and ruled it with an iron fist. On the scheduled date, Nigel fired his ray and the Anti-Monitor left for another universe. At the same time, the Steam Lantern attacked it. The people perceived Steam Lantern as the hero who saved the world and not Duke Nigel. Nigel became embittered at having his credit and glory stolen and branded the Lantern and Lady Catherine as rebels. Nigel promised his people they could continue to live happily if they obeyed him without question. As a result, Nigel's tyranny transformed the planet into an industrial nightmare.
Hal Jordan wound up on the planet and struck up a friendship with Steam Lantern and Lady Catherine. In an attempt to contact Jordan's universe, they infiltrated Nigel's observatory but were caught. They escaped and attempted to reopen the dimensional rift, but Duke Nigel attacked Berthilda. Steam Lantern agreed to admit to the world he was a fraud if Nigel spared Lady Catherine. However, the people still hailed Steam Lantern as a hero. Nigel realized the mistakes he had made and let the heroes go. However, the planet's sun had finally died and Nigel's failure was nearly complete - two trillion lives lost in two universes because of him. Duke Nigel agreed to help reopen the rift to send Hal Jordan home and drained energy from the world's power grid. Based on his research, Nigel targeted a suitable area to create a new rift. Hal Jordan succeeded in bringing the entire planet to his home universe. While Jordan celebrated victory with the Steam Lantern and Lady Catherine, Nigel made contact with Kilowog and forwarded him to the Berthilda.