Doctor Megala

Heinrich Megala
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Captain Atom Vol.1 #1 (March, 1987)
Created by	Cary Bates Pat Broderick
In-story information
Supporting character of	Captain Atom

Doctor Heinrich Megala is a scientist who is responsible for the creation of one of the universe's most powerful forces, Captain Atom, as well as his close confidante and ally. Possessing a genius level intellect, he has a deeper understanding of the Quantum Field than anyone else and the understanding of many other highly advanced forms of science that he's managed to turn to practical application. He is also responsible for creating the X-Ionizer technology capable of cutting Captain Atom's skin and the skin of most invulnerable metahumans. ^[1]

Fictional character biography

Doctor Megala was part of Project Atom, a secret government funded group that used new experimental machines to harness powerful energies, which is led by General Wade Eiling. Megala was employed by the United States Air Force as part on an expedition seeking to take samples from an alien known as the Silver Shield. In the process of getting a sample with a X-Ionizer knife that Megala created himself, one of his colleagues was killed by the Silver Shield. Megala was behind him so he did not get much damage although the radiation gave Megala a permanent disease, and his health continued to deteriorate throughout his life. He eventually lost any sight in his right eye and could no longer walk. Megala raised Robert Long, the bereaved son of his late colleague following the events of the Silver Shield, who would eventually become his bodyguard/servant and go by Babylon as an alias.

He used his samples to work on a super-soldier program, along with General Wade Eiling. Their project led to the creation of Captain Atom and Major Force. He helped to create an elaborate cover story for Atom. When Captain Atom resurfaced from the Quantum Field, Megala was in a customized wheelchair that he created. He no longer could use his arms and need robotic arms attached to the wheelchair. Despite his condition, he helped Captain Atom learn about the Quantum Field as well as about his powers.

The disease would bad enough that he asked Captain Atom for help (Captain Atom #39). He attempted to use Captain Atom's atomic energy to stop the disease which worked successfully but at a price: Megala became blind. Fearing that Eiling would eventually turn on him, Megala set up a contingency plan which would make public all secrets of the project once his heart ceased functioning. His heart did stop when Megala was killed while fighting Ghost/Alec Rois. His plan proved to be a mere bluff but Captain Atom decided to become the actual whistleblower of the product and confessed the truth on national television.

Despite Megala's fear of Eiling betraying him, Eiling had a great amount of respect of Megala as he was the first one to kneel down next to Megala when he died.

New 52

In the New 52 continuity Doctor Megala would once again oversee the experiment which leads to the creation of Captain Atom, this time being a manned flight into another dimension. The New 52 version of Megala appears to suffer from ALS, a muscle deteriorating condition that leaves him unable to move, or even speak without some kind of aid, whereas in the previous continuity it was his encounter with the Silver Shield that caused a similar condition that eventually killed him.

Megala is the chief scientist of the Continuum, a research facility where the government keeps Captain Atom, helping him understand his vast powers while researching him. Though Megala doesn't see eye to eye with everyone on the base or even amongst his closest colleagues, he believes in Captain Atom being the key to new scientific discoveries. After Captain Atom discovered his own potential to heal injuries, diseases and physical defects, he approaches Megala regarding his condition, but is brushed off as Megala feels he is just fine as long as he can think and that the human body and its needs would otherwise distract him from that.

During the end of the series, Captain Atom, unknowingly starts to bring the wishes of people to life around them. Bringing the deceased mother of one of the scientists back to life. Megala however goes on an abstract journey with Atom to the edge of space, where the explosive wave of the Big Bang is still in progress, the experience changes Megala as it does many others at the Continuum.

Megala is later revealed to have created special operatives to be used as espionage super spies. Because of the earlier journey he took with Captain Atom, who exiled himself afterwards, Megala in an misguided attempt set his sights on harnessing Firestorm's superhuman abilities in order to relive that dream. DataXen, one of his personal operatives, is sent to capture and contain Firestorm. He uses a mind transfer through technological methods which he has developed. The mind transfer gives Megala control of Firestorm while pushing Ronnie and Jason into a corner of their collective mind, Megala's being more powerful than theirs. The Megala controlled Firestorm eventually battles Captain Atom after the Captain becomes aware of Megala's actions due to his vastly enhanced senses. Eventually Ronnie and Jason are able to reassert control over the Firestorm Matrix as it grows unstable during the fight with Captain Atom, sending Megala back into his own body.

References

1. First Appears in Captain Atom vol. 3 #1, 1983