DR. BETTY
Real Name: Betty (last name unrevealed)
Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Earth-20051) normal human
Occupation: Talk show host, would-be therapist, author, manipulator
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Josh, Silver
Sentinel Patrol;
Enemies: Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile internationally, especially the USA
First Appearance: Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four#28 (November, 2007)
Powers/Abilities: Dr. Betty was a normal human with a Ph.D. who was a successful television talk show host and author, but was very manipulative in achieving her target of wealth, power and TV ratings.
History:
(Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four#28 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Betty hosted a TV show where she interviewed people, promoted fads like diets and her books, as well as her philosophy of "me-ness", and performed pop psychology with "personality makeovers". However, her ratings had declined sharply and she was desperate to reverse it.
(Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four#28) - Dr. Betty saw the Silver Surfer on a TV news broadcast and considered him an excellent opportunity to reverse her ratings decline. She ordered her assistant Josh to track down the Surfer and went after him, finding him in remote snowy mountains. She was surprised to find out about his Power Cosmic and its transformational properties when the Surfer used it to warm up her offsider. She convinced him to accompany her to end his solitude so that he could be accepted by the population.
Dr. Betty later coached him to dress in a more trendy manner and use "hip" speech to make him more accessible to her target audience. Dr. Betty was able to get the Surfer to utilize his cosmic power to transform waste products into cash and precious metals, which were then distributed freely among people in inner New York, thereby improving his popularity while she stood alongside him. She was able to manipulate him to refertilize desert land so that crops could grow, and also empty missile silos and weapon arsenals. No weapons led to increased diplomacy as countries could no longer resort to war. The Fantastic Four became increasingly aware of the Surfer's actions over about two weeks, but Reed Richards became concerned with the unintended consequences of his radical actions. The foursome traveled to where the Surfer was resolving people's problems but were confronted by Dr. Betty, who managed to criticize them and turn them away, doubting their place in the world now that they were "obsolete".
The FF flew back to their base but found looters robbing stores as the cash and gold they'd been given was effectively worthless because it was so widespread, causing staggering inflation. Likewise, booming crops encouraged a locust plague on NY, but which the quartet eliminated. Dr. Betty's Silver Sentinel Patrol then arrived, stating that the problem would have been solved by the Surfer and demanding that the cosmic quartet put on inhibitor collars, but this led to a quick fight. The Fantastic Four easily dispatched the Patrol before confronting the Silver Surfer, whom Dr. Betty had effectively brainwashed so that he would focus on self-acceptance, but the Surfer soon realized how his benevolent intentions led to a collapsing economy. Dr. Betty's words of acceptance by the people had become the people's dependence on the Surfer to fix problems. The FF and the Surfer then moved into the Surfer's base to find Dr. Betty organizing more of her Silver Sentinels to violently suppress an upcoming public protest. Her intentions now discovered, she ordered her followers to attack the five but the fight was very short-lived. Dr. Betty and her cronies were all captured.
Comments: Created by Fred van Lente (writer) and Cory Hamscher (pencils & inks).
Dr. Betty seems to be an amalgam of US talk show personalities Dr. Phil and Oprah Winfrey.
Profile by Grendel Prime.CLARIFICATIONS
:
Dr. Betty and Josh have no known connections to:
The Silver Sentinel Patrol has no known connections to:
Josh was Dr. Betty's lackey. He was very resourceful and obedient. Josh was able to determine the Silver Surfer's remote location and accompanied his boss there, carrying assorted equipment. The Silver Surfer used his Power Cosmic to transform the surrounding ice into hot pools of plasma to warm the lad, thereby unwittingly revealing its awesome power to Dr. Betty. Josh later stood by and helped Dr. Betty as she extended her manipulation of the Surfer, but was finally captured by the Fantastic Four alongside his boss.
--Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four#28
Dr. Betty assembled dozens of people in shiny silver suits on motorized hover boards to intimidate and bully those who defied her, including violently suppressing protests. They were apparently used to communicate new problems to the Silver Surfer, although he was initially unaware of their existence. They also carried inhibitor collars to cancel out super powers. At one point, Dr. Betty commanded them to attack the Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer, but they were very easily defeated by the cosmic quartet.
--Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four#28
images:
(without ads)
Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four#28, p4, pan2 (Dr. Betty)
Appearances:
Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four#28 (November, 2007) - Fred van Lente
(writer), Cory Hamscher (pencils & inks), Nathan Cosby (editor)
Last updated: 09/09/08
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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