DR. AGONY
Real Name: Conrad Meer
Identity/Class: Human technology user (German, WWII era)
Occupation: Nazi scientist and torturer
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Third Reich (Germany), Tula (pet panther)
Enemies: Allied forces (WWII), Bucky (James Buchanon Barnes), Captain America (Steve Rogers)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Secret laboratory in Allied territory, Europe (WWII era)
First Appearance: Captain America Comics#37/1 (April, 1944)
Powers/Abilities: Dr. Agony had no superhuman powers but was an accomplished scientist in the field of animal science and chemistry. He was also very proficient in the ways of administering pain through torture and had also created a drug that stopped the pain processes in the brain. He was quite old in appearance and overweight. He also had a trained panther that felt no pain and could hypnotize people with its purring; the beast had been augmented by Dr. Agony.
History:
(Captain America Comics#37/1 - BTS) - Dr. Agony was a Nazi scientist studying the effects of pain and researched a way to suppress it successfully by testing his new drug on animals. In the process, he created a genetically enhanced panther that he called Tula and which he trained to act as a bodyguard and servant. He began abducting nearby Allied Forces personnel to test the drug's effect on humans. Disguised as a farmer, he was able to abduct Mr. Morley, a high-ranking Allied Forces administrator, which was promptly investigated by Captain America and Bucky.
(Captain America Comics#37/1) - Dr. Agony sent his panther out of his secret lab to haul away a victim from his last experiment but this was spotted by Captain America and Bucky.
Dr. Agony, realizing his lab was about to be compromised, sprang a trapdoor on Captain America and Bucky, sending them plummeting to the floor. As the two heroes began to shake off the effects of the impact, they were hypnotized by his pet panther's purring. Dr. Agony then explained to them his plan and the nature of his experiments by torturing a captive Mr. Morley in front of them.
Dr. Agony tied Bucky to one of his torture devices. While he did this, Captain America broke the hypnosis by stepping on the panther's tail. Momentarily distracted away from Bucky, Dr. Agony soon recaptured Captain America in an electrified cage that heated up, which weakened the living legend. Now that Tula had stopped its hypnotic purr, Bucky tricked it into chewing through his leather restraints, which allowed the sidekick to deactivate the electrified cage, thereby freeing Captain America.
Realizing what had happened, Dr. Agony attacked Bucky with a knife while Tula went after Captain America. However, while attacking Captain America, Tula was blinded by a bright overhead light and unwittingly slashed Dr. Agony, who repeatedly stabbed the panther with a knife. As its responses to pain had been diminished due to his experimentation, Dr. Agony's defence had no effect on the animal and he was quickly and viciously clawed to death.
Since Dr. Agony experimented on one type of animal (Tula the panther) perhaps he was also responsible for the pair of genetically altered Killer Dogs with the poisonous bite used by Oberst Von Steibel in USA Comics#8 (May, 1943) "Invasion Of The Killer Beasts"--Captain America story.
--Gammatotem
Comments: Created by uncredited writer, Syd Shores (pencils) & Vince Alascia (inks).
Doctor Agony in German is Doktor Todeskampf (the masculine version of the word "Agony": Die Pein is feminine for "Agony").
--Gammatotem
Agony's real name was revealed in Marvel Atlas#1.
Profile by AvatarWarlord72.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Dr. Agony has no known connections to:
Tula has no known connections to:
Tula was a medium-sized black panther that had been granted increased strength, resistance to pain and was somehow able to hypnotize others by purring; these powers had been augmented by Dr. Agony. Tula served as a bodyguard and servant to Dr. Agony but unintentionally attacked its master when it was blinded by bright lights. It viciously clawed Dr. Agony to death but suffered many severe knife wounds itself and probably died soon after.
--Captain America Comics#37/1
images: (without ads)
Captain America Comics#37/1, p6, panel 4 (Doctor Agony)
Captain America Comics#37/1, p7, panel 3 (Tula)
Appearances:
Captain America Comics#37/1 (April, 1944) - Syd Shores (pencils), Vince Alascia (inks), Vince Fago (editor)
Last updated: 01/29/06
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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