Doctor Midnight & The Mercy Cult
Doctor Mid-Nite (or Doctor Midnight) is the name of several superheroes published in American comic books by DC Comics. With the original version debuting in All-American Comics #25 (April 1941) and created by writer Charles Reizenstein and artist Stanley Josephs Aschmeier, all versions of the character are commonly portrayed as re-occurring members of the Justice Society of America, blind legacy heroes with night vision powers, and serves as premier physicians to various affiliated teams and superheroes in the DC Universe.
The first and original version is Charles McNider, an American surgeon who was blinded following an explosion while performing surgery on an important witness targeted by a mobster. Although blinded, he eventually discovers he can see in complete darkness and constructs modified goggles to help regain some of his sight, devised special "black out bombs" able to blind his enemies while seeing in total darkness, and becomes a costume superhero as an important member of the Justice Society of America and All-Star Squadron. McNider was also once a bearer of the Starman name. In modern stories, the character in his later years retires and mentors physicians who would eventually succeed him but is eventually killed by the super-villain, Extant.
The second version of the character is Beth Chapel, a African-American physician who is McNider's first protege and is similarly blinded in an explosion while operating on a patient but can also see in darkness. Uncovering her mentor's identity as Doctor Mid-Nite, she also adopts the codename and serves as both a physician and leading scientific expert in Infinity, Inc. and the Justice Society of America. Undergoing a comic book death, the character was resurrected in 2023 and continues to serve as a member of the Justice Society.
After Chapel's first death and prior to her resurrection, the third version of the character is Pieter Cross, a Norwegian medical prodigy delivered by McNider as a baby after saving his mother's life from an attack. He graduates from Harvard Medical School at nineteen and is mentored by McNider. Blinded in an accident set by drug dealers for investigating a drug called A39, a variation of Venom first developed by Bane, he also miraculously possessed the power to see in darkness and became a superhero to both bring justice to the dealers and to aid both Justice Society and heroes alike, having opened up his own clinic for superheroes and acted as a mentor for the third Blue Beetle. In recent publications, Chapel and Cross serve in the role concurrently.
Doctor Mid-Nite has made several appearances in media adaptations, most notably the Charles McNider version making his live action debut in the second season of Legends of Tomorrow played by Kwesi Ameyaw. McNider also appears in Stargirl, portrayed by Henry Thomas in season one and Alex Collins in season two. Beth Chapel also appears in the series, portrayed by Anjelika Washington.
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