Doctor Psycho
Jackson Alpert
Imperiex
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Real Identity: Unknown
Affiliations: C.I.A., Project MKUltra, The Hairies, and Eternity Institute
Appearances (Comic): The Dream, Genesis Part One, Part Two, and Part Three
Powers/Skills: Mind Control, Cryokinesis, Construct Generation, Enhanced Vision, Enhanced Strength, Near Invulnerability, Flight, Genius, Business, and Knowledge of Biochemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Philosophy, Medicine, and Technology
Voiced By: Not Applicable
Doctor Psycho was a brilliant and passionate man. A scientist working for the C.I.A.'s mind control program, Project MKUltra, he eventually clashed with the notion of experimenting on people with psychotropic drugs without their permission or knowledge. He rejected the project's goal to control people and aimed to set them free then usher them to the next level of evolution, godhood. His superiors tried to stop him but he retaliated and there was blood. He went on the run and operated as an underground chemist.
Doctor Psycho eventually joined up with Guitar Joe, leader of a group of idealists who took on the nickname, the Hairies, and lived on a commune named The Farm a hundred miles north of New York City. They had a shared vision of a future where people of all races were equals and lived in a virtual utopia. Psycho made it his job to make sure none of the other Hairies took the drugs people were overdosing on. He created chemical elixirs pure enough to alter human consciousness and transform from within. Psycho believed the key to revolution was to change the person then change the world. Volunteers signed up to take his experimental drugs to enhance their minds. Something went wrong and they were changed into rabid animals. Psycho locked his "burnouts" in a basement as he continued his trials. In May 1967, Bekka met Joe and Psycho after she saved their friend Suzie Sunshine from a bad acid trip during a concert.
Bekka didn't agree with Psycho's methods to use chemicals to expand consciousness. The more time she spent around Psycho, the more he made her skin crawl. In 1968, Bekka eventually discovered his burnouts and came to blows with Joe and Psycho. Psycho exposed Bekka to an elixir but Suzie managed to shake her out of her hallucination of New Genesis and Apokolips. The community fractured over the incident. While a large group of Hairies left The Farm with Bekka, a small loyal group stayed behind. Their minds were poisoned by Joe and Psycho. Psycho cleared out his lab and moved his burnouts outside of the commune into a cave. He refused to cooperate with Bekka. She promised a reckoning and left to start a new commune. Psycho discovered one of the crystals created by Mother Box to help expand people's consciousness was left behind. Exposed to it, Psycho's mind was opened and he began to experiment on his burnouts with the crystal. He set out realize his evolutionary goals. Unconcerned with the pain he inflicted or deaths he racked up, Psycho pressed on.
A few months later, Guitar Joe realized what was going on and objected to the experiments but Psycho knocked him out with a wrench. Since Joe was a leader to the Hairies, Psycho integrated him into the experiment. Joe and the burnouts were transformed into winged monsters. Psycho embedded the crystal into Joe's chest and released his creations to destroy Bekka and her paradise. Psycho packed up his lab and fled the cave. After Bekka saved everyone, Joe led her back to the cave but only the bodies of those who died in Psycho's experiments were left behind. Bekka came to realize she could not stay hidden away from society. She had to be the bridge for the gap between ideals and reality and set out again. Psycho assumed the identity of Jackson Alpert, one of the Hairies who died on the Farm.
As Jackson Alpert, he went on to become a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, mathematician, philosopher and notorious recluse. Despite all the extraordinary advances in science, medicine, and technology -- Alpert was never seen in public and avoided the media at all costs. He believed mankind had too brief a lifespan, were given fragile bodies, were threatened by the harshness of the elements, vulnerable to disease, and prone to violence, greed, and intolerance. Alpert thought of this would be solved by restructuring the human genome and speeding up human evolution. The result would be a world of equality. Every person would be at their mental and physical peak, have flawless health, have extended lifespans, and have enhanced abilities. Free of limitations, these people would create a better world for all to live in harmony. They would be called the Forever People. Alpert dedicated more than 40 years to achieving his dream.
Naturally, Alpert was a constant topic in the academic field. When he was at Gotham University, Kirk Langstrom observed people thought Alpert was either a visionary or a lunatic but everyone was a little jealous of his genius. Alpert learned he was part of a small group of people born with a genetic abnormality that prevented them from being upgraded by the Forevertech. He didn't pity himself and took it as an honor to offer others the opportunity that nature refused him. Alpert saw the realization of his dream as the single most important moment in human history. An international press conference, live streamed across the planet, was held at the Eternity Institute's global headquarters in Switzerland to announce the Forever People and Forevertech. Rather than appear in person, Alpert appeared to the guests with a holographic golem of his ideal self and introduced the first three Forever People. He promised the upgrade process would be available to everyone in time. Critics theorized Alpert was driven to create te Forever Process in reaction to the existence of beings like Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. An inevitable envy drove him to realize his greatest work and go insane. Others believed Alpert was already insane.
In the days to follow, Alpert opened Transformation Centers in Paris, London, Mumbai, Moscow, and Hong Kong. However, Anti-Forever People movements sprang up across the planet. Some factions wanted the upgrade process available to the masses immediately while others thought the whole thing was an affront to God and mankind. Alpert sought to prove his benign intentions and through a Holo-Golem went with a band of Forever People to put down the violence peacefully. Creating Forever People was just the beginning. He saw the world was sick and dying. It needed a radical treatment to heal. Superman was drawn to the Forever People but sought out Batman's help with looking into Alpert. Wonder Woman was curious, as well, and was welcomed to stay at the Eternity Institute. Several days later, Superman arrived. Alpert sent Wonder Woman, Serifan, Dreamer and Moonrider outside to test his motives. Superman plowed through them and surrendered. Alpert welcomed him in as a friend.
Over a meal, Alpert hinted at the possibility his Forevertech could even transcend Superman and Wonder Woman. He insisted his project was about equality and not superiority. He dissolved his Holo-Golem and revealed his true appearance -- old, infirm, and crippled -- then gave Superman and Wonder Woman a grand tour of the facility. At a slip of the tongue, he even offered the two to be the generals of his armies. Wonder Woman was experienced in lofty speeches concealing darker agendas but wanted to believe Alpert was sincere. Alpert gave them the night to think over his offer to upgrade. Meanwhile, Batman left Gotham City and was sighted in six cities. Batman went to San Francisco and interrogated a former hippie and member of the Hairies, Howard Barrison, about Jackson Alpert and Doctor Psycho. Only Superman underwent the upgrade process the next day but suffered agony. Alpert insisted the process could be uncomfortable and he could handle it. Wonder Woman demanded he be released but Alpert mused it was too late for that.
Batman went back to Gotham City, infiltrated Gotham University, and sought out Dr. Lex Luthor's help. Luthor inquired whey he would want to stop a man who promised humanity an eternal god-like existence and wipe out disease, poverty, and war. Batman replied Alpert was a fraud and was really Doctor Psycho, whose experiments left dozens dead and others worse than dead. Luthor pointed out those accusations were never substantiated and it was believed Psycho died in 1967. Batman snapped and insisted he had new evidence to prove his claims but Luthor tasered him with his modified walking cane and stated he thought Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman were the real threats. Back at the Eternity Institute, Wonder Woman broke Superman free from the Forevertech chamber. He was in an altered state and lashed out at her in anger. Superman recounted feeling the energy growing in him and flooding his cells. Alpert simply summarized it was an intoxicating experience. While Wonder Woman and Dreamer took Superman to his room to recuperate, Alpert eyed the broken chamber and mused he only needed a little more time.
One of the Forever People, Fastback, was looked over by Alpert. He determined she needed a renewal of the Forever Process and take the next level of upgrade or her genes would turn toxic and she would suffer a gruesome death. Fastback was not pleased as she already spent millions on two upgrades. Alpert mused she could find more money prompting Fastback to threaten his life. Alpert reiterated only he knew every phase of the process. He watched as Fastback suffered a seizure and collapsed. Considering her last question, Alpert contemplated the answer as he asked himself it many times -- his motivation. He wondered if it was the sheer intellectual thrill, or if he truly believed the Forever People served the greater good, or if humanity was meant to transcend their limitations and become gods, or just primal human greed, or a combination of them all.
Four days later, Alpert visited with Superman and Wonder Woman. He relayed a diagnosis from his medical team that Superman only needed a few more days to completely recover then told Superman's alien physiology was incompatible with his genetic compounds. Alpert asked Superman and Wonder Woman if they would volunteer to be teachers for the Forever People. Wonder Woman replied she wuld ponder it but Superman outright declined and declared he had enough of Alpert and the institute.
Wonder Woman took Superman to an area of the institute where Batman was hiding and hacking the computers for information. He shared his findings on Doctor Psycho's history which Wonder Woman corroborated. A Holo-Golem of Alpert appeared with a group of creations he called the Never People. These monsters were too powerful and took out the trio. Unconscious for days, Alpert kept them in containment chambers. He gathered Superman's cell samples from the failed upgrade, extracted DNA samples from Batman and Wonder Woman, and combined all three to his Forever Formula. Adding Superman's DNA allowed Alpert's body to overcome its natural resistance to the upgrade process. He emerged a young man again. His cells continued regenerating as his form and consciousness further evolved into something he believed would be beyond the Forever People. Alpert admitted he had grown bored by the Forever People but was amused at their own civil war as he would still be needed and thus, in control.
Fastback, barely alive, sneaked up on Alpert and killed him. She freed Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman and implored them to stop the Forever People. Fastback dragged Alpert's body to another room and was content dying after she ended him and his sick dream. Alpert was still alive and killed her. He declared humanity's time was over and a new age was about to begin. While Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman defeated the Forever People with an antidote to the Forever Formula, Alpert left the institute before an international task force arrived and occupied it. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman imprisoned the former Forever People in chambers for the task force to monitor and study. Exchanging warnings with Luthor, the trio left the institute. Concerned with Alpert's missing body, Wonder Woman speculated Luthor's team took him for study without telling them. Alpert suddenly arose from the mountain below them in a newly evolved form and renamed himself Imperiex.
Imperiex insisted that violence was unnecessary. Now a god, his goal was still to bring peace and order toe the world and usher in a golden age. Wonder Woman didn't believe a word he said. He had no qualms about killing them and nailed Wonder Woman. Superman knocked Imperiex off the mountain but he halted his descent in mid-air. He was pressed to remold the world and decided to start with them. They were powerful symbols of hope and fear that he could use as a distraction. He encased them in energy spheres and revealed his plan was to download his consciousness into every man and woman on Earth with his mind and unify all nations. It was a chance at the future for humanity in place of an inevitable and very ugly collapse. Imperiex invaded Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman's minds and made them extensions of his will. Imperiex strode to Zurich and caused a mass panic. While Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman fought off the police and military, Imperiex began to feed the tendrils of his consciousness into the minds of everyone in the city.
Mother Box freed Wonder Woman's consciousness. She turned and knocked Imperiex on his back. Batman and Superman attacked her but Mother Box interceded and freed them, too. At Superman's inquiry, Mother Box materialized to try and free the people of Zurich. However, Imperiex grabbed her and crushed her to pieces. Wonder Woman and Mother Box both let out screams of pain. Suddenly, a giant Boom Tube formed in the sky and teleported them to Pripyat, an abandoned city in Ukraine. Imperiex recovered and blasted Wonder Woman. Batman took her away to recover while Superman fought Imperiex alone. They used heat vision at the same time and caused a massive explosion. He continued to pound Superman then froze him until he got the chance to embed his consciousness again. He set off to find Batman and Wonder Woman but Superman broke free. Wonder Woman realized they still had a connection to Imperiex and they could use it against him. Just as Imperiex was about to step on Superman, Batman returned to the battle and began plunging the single shard of the Mother Box into his head.
Acting as "psychic fangs," Batman was able to assault Imperiex from within and drain his god-energy. Imperiex fought back and Batman risked having his mind devoured by the villain's psyche. Wonder Woman found strength, will, and focus and battered Imperiex -- distracting him from Batman. Imperiex's grip on Batman loosened as Superman joined Wonder Woman's assault. Batman dug deeper. Wonder Woman summoned her sword. The Mother Box fragment channeled their three minds and fused their collective will into the blade. Together, they stabbed Imperiex in the chest and invaded his psyche. They collapsed the walls of his consciousness and reversed the upward flow of his evolution. Imperiex was changed back to the elder Jackson Alpert. Alpert congratulated them but reiterated his enhanced Forever Formula was strong enough to regenerate him and in minutes, he would be Imperiex again. He felt his cells repairing and the very atoms of his body transforming. Wonder Woman sliced his head off. Superman used his heat vision and incinerated his body and head into ash.
President Waller, Colonel Trevor, and Dr. Luthor approached Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman for a much needed discussion for the sake of the world. Luthor believed Alpert would never have threatened the world nor the Forever People if it weren't for their existence. It was inevitable that there would be misguided attempts to equal or surpass their abilities. Even Batman contested they should be locked away. The Justice League was formed as a result of the meeting. The offical government reports included a cover story about what happened to Jackson Alpert. It claimed he was de-powered and taken into custody. Lois Lane was skeptical of the story since there was no trial conducted nor was Alpert ever seen again.