#darrel dane

Doll Man #47, October 1953. Reed Crandall (?) cover pencils & inks.

I can do that! Though the ending of the story isn't nearly as exciting as the beginning as these things sometimes go.

(A photograph of Doll Man and Doll Girl taken just before their long term transportation to Earth X)

Feature Comics #57 (June 1st, 1942)

On a recent episode of Peacemaker: The Official Podcast with James Gunn, the cast rewatched Season 1, Episode 3, “Better Goff Dead.” During the discussion, Gunn confirmed that Doll Man is canon in the DCU. So let’s crack open Doll Man’s long, bizarre history, meet the various men who’ve worn the name, and speculate on how this pint-sized powerhouse might squeeze into the DCU.

Doll Man was created by Will Eisner for Quality Comics in 1939. Scientist Darrel Dane developed a serum that allowed him to shrink to six inches tall and return to normal size at will. After first using his powers to save his girlfriend, Martha Roberts, and her father from a murderous blackmailer, Dane chose to become a crimefighter, adopting the name Doll Man. Martha later joined him as Doll Girl (originally called Midge). Along with their oversized ally Elmo the Wonder Dog, Dane sometimes rode into battle perched on the back of a bald eagle. He also piloted the “Dollplane,” a craft disguised as a model airplane when not in use. During World War II, Doll Man served in the All-Star Squadron, and the Freedom Fighters.

Over time, Doll Man and Doll Girl faded from public view, and it was rumored that Darrel Dane had been committed to an asylum. Later, Geoff Johns, Ben Raab, and Drew Johnson briefly introduced a new Doll Man and Doll Girl at a Titans L.A. recruitment party, but the pair never appeared again.

A more substantial reinvention came in 2006 with Battle for Blüdhaven, where Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Dan Jurgens introduced Lester Colt as the new Doll Man. Colt was a decorated U.S. Army special operator, with service in Qurac, Afghanistan, and numerous classified missions. A martial artist and tactical genius with advanced academic degrees, Colt volunteered for an experiment designed by Dr. Jason Glenn and his daughter Emma. Using a serum capable of shrinking the human body, Colt became permanently trapped at miniature size after a raid on Glenn’s lab by rogue S.H.A.D.E. operatives.

S.H.A.D.E. later absorbed the project, secretly continuing it at a facility called Level Nine, where they trained an army of miniaturized assassins. Colt and Emma Glenn, who became both his handler and romantic partner, eventually defected from S.H.A.D.E. after Uncle Sam exposed its corruption, joining the new Freedom Fighters. They later discovered that the original Doll Man and Doll Girl, Darrel and Martha Dane, had also been brought into Level Nine. Tragically, Martha died of cancer, while Darrel and many other miniaturized soldiers suffered brain damage and insanity from being stuck at a reduced size for a prolonged period of time.

Emma worked to restore both Colt and Dane, but her first attempt went horribly wrong—fusing the group into a monstrous composite being. Eventually, they were separated and restored to full size. Lester and Emma later married, had a daughter named Julia, and attempted to retire from their violent lives. With Emma’s help, Lester even developed the ability to change size at will. Despite retirement, he briefly returned for one last mission with the Freedom Fighters at Miss America’s request.

Another modern reimagining of Doll Man came during the New 52 era with Dane Maxwell, created by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, and Cat Staggs. A childhood friend of Jennifer Knight, Maxwell secretly loved her for years. As an adult, Jennifer became a reporter investigating the Bender crime family. When her work put her in danger, Dane attempted to help but was captured by mobsters and forced into a chamber of his own design. Instead of dying, he shrank to doll-size. Outfitted with a high-tech suit, jetpack, and lasers, he rescued Jennifer and later equipped her with his invention, the Black Light Bands, enabling her to become Phantom Lady. Together, the duo dismantled Cyrus Bender’s operation, caught the attention of Uncle Sam and the Ray, and were recruited into a secret Homeland Security team. However, it is uncertain if this version of Doll Man exists within mainline DC continuity, as the New 52 Freedom Fighters largely operated in isolation and more recent appearances have reverted to earlier incarnations of the team.

Lastly, Grant Morrison and Jim Lee revived the concept of Earth-X in Final Crisis and Multiversity, reimagining it as Earth-10—a world where the Nazis won World War II. In this version, the Freedom Fighters are native to the universe and form part of the resistance against the Nazi regime. The first hero to take the name Dollman is captured and executed by the PlaSStic Men. Later a new Doll Man and his wife Doll Girl take up the name and are portrayed as pacifists until tragedy strikes. Doll Man is killed and Doll Girl abandons her pacifism and dedicates her life to vengeance, becoming a hardened soldier Doll Woman in the ongoing war for freedom.

Group Affiliations: All-Star Squadron, Freedom Fighters, and S.H.A.D.E.

Speculation: While James Gunn has declared Doll Man canon, he hasn’t hinted at actually using him in a story—at least not yet. If we were to see the original Doll Man, Darrel Dane, it would make sense for him to appear alongside another Quality Comics character from the Hall of Justice mural, like Phantom Lady, Max Mercury, or even the Ghost of Flanders.

If Doll Man were to appear in connection with the Peacemaker show, it’s more likely we’d get a hybrid take that blends Darrel Dane with Lester Colt, the modern reinvention developed by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray (drawing on ideas from Grant Morrison). Given Gunn’s appreciation for Morrison’s work, that influence could be a natural fit.

And of course, if Doll Man makes his live-action debut on Peacemaker, there’s only one way he should enter the scene: riding in on the back of Eagly, a perfect homage to those Golden Age images.

First Appearance: Feature Comics (1939) #27

Recommended Reading:

Feature Comics (1939) #27-139

Doll Man (1941)

Justice League of America (1960) #107-108 

Freedom Fighters (1976)

DC Comics Presents (1978) #62

All-Star Squadron (1981) #31-35

Secret Origins (1986) #8

The Titans (1999) Secret Files & Origins #2

Battle for Blüdhaven (2006)

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters (2006)

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters (2007)

Freedom Fighters (2010)

Phantom Lady (2012)

The Multiversity: The Mastermen (2015) #1

Convergence: Plastic Man and the Freedom Fighters (2015)