Scott’s Law of Comic Book Physicians

July 21st, 2006

Filed under: Comics, Medicine

I’ve talked about this subject briefly before, but I think Bad Doctor Week is a good time to expound on Scott’s Law of Comic Book Physicians: There are really only four types of physicians in super-hero comic books (and I think this holds true for most other genre fiction as well).

1. The (Generic) Doctor
These physicians are very capable and competent, but not geniuses. Generally two-dimensional, they often have an identifying trait (curmudgeonly, absent minded), physical characteristic (four arms), or quirk (histrionic); they probably have several of these traits instead of actual characterization.
Examples: Dr. Gym’ll, all the Star Trek doctors.

2. Surgeons
Calling a physician a “surgeon” is a writer’s shortcut for letting the reader know that the character is a superior physician, the best of the best. Never mind that these characters are rarely shown actually performing surgery but instead seem to act as primary care physicians, dealing with problems real surgeons wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole. (This gets taken to extremes some times, such as the Spider-villain Cardiac being called a ’surgeon’ when ‘cardiologist’ would make more sense; or the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe calling Shaman a surgeon, when he’s never done anything remotely surgical.)
Examples: Dr. Strange, Dr. Mid-Nite (I and II), Donald Blake, Titania Weiss.

Corollary: The more specialized the surgeon, the better the physician. For example, Hush is not just a surgeon, but a neurosurgeon.

3. Psychiatrists
Calling a character a “psychiatrist” is writer’s shorthand for a character who is up to something or has their own agenda. Let’s face it, the only heroic psychiatrist is Leonard Samson, and even he has issues (I guess the newest Vigilante could also be considered a “hero” but he definitely has issues).
Examples: Harley Quinn, Moonstone, Dr Psycho (original version), Dr. Maxilla Yale

Corollary: Remember that comics have a history of confusing psychiatry and psychology, so this applies to most psychologists as well (e.g. Hugo Strange).

4. Family Doctors
A physician who is described as a family doctor or a general practitioner is always shown to display the classic characteristics of the traditional small town physician. They make house calls, carry a little black bag, deliver babies, and hold your hand as you lay dying.
Example: Dr. Bromwell

    TO SUM UP:

  • (generic) Doctor = Competent, mostly two dimensional character; likely quirky.
  • Surgeon = Supremely competent physician.
  • Psychiatrist = Someone who is smart (maybe too smart) and up to something.
  • Family Doctor/General Practitioner = Caring physician.
Notes:
  1. I’m not considering the über-doctor a separate type because in general über-doctors are scientists who just happen to also know medicine, not the other way around.
  2. Dr. Love is the only non-surgical non-psychiatrist specialist I can recall seeing in a comic. Where are all the mad gastroenterologists, perturbed pulmonologists, and evil pediatricians out for revenge?

10 Responses to “ Scott’s Law of Comic Book Physicians ”

  1. Ashtur
    July 21st, 2006 at 12:38 pm

    Hm, now that I think about it, you’d also expect to see someone that specializes in epidemics and infectious diseases now and then, as many mad geneticists as are loose out there.

    There’s another fairly common combo, that’s sort of uberscientist, sort of doctor. Geneticist. Are they scientists who study the Genetic Code or doctors of some type? Moira MacTaggert sort of swung back and forth.

    I can’t recall offhand, was Cecilia Reyes a Trauma Surgeon, or a specialist in Emergency Medicine?

  2. RAB
    July 21st, 2006 at 2:14 pm

    Believe it or not, I’ve been waiting for someone to spotlight these cliches for a long time, so I’m very happy indeed to see it here.

    The only thing I’d add is that, in my spotty recollection, Stephen Strange was only ever depicted as a surgeon. I don’t remember him ever being shown doing things that a surgeon wouldn’t do. And it always seemed like Don Blake must be an internist: was he ever referred to as a surgeon?

  3. Medraut
    July 22nd, 2006 at 12:42 am

    Dr. Strange has delivered a lot of babies for a surgeon. Off the top of my head I remember him delivering the Scarlet Witch’s twins and Jessica Jones child.

  4. Chris Arndt
    July 22nd, 2006 at 12:11 pm

    Donald Blake had at least one story revolving around doing surgery.

  5. Omar Karindu
    July 22nd, 2006 at 10:42 pm

    Among other fields allied to medicine, there’s Dr. Bob Doom, the evil dentist and alleged cousin of Victor from Steve Gerber’s run on the Sensational She-Hulk title, but I don’t think he was anything more than a general dentist, so no evidence of any further advanced training in something like periodontics or maxillofacial surgery.

    Denny O’Neil’s Birth of the Demon has Ra’s al Ghul as a “physician” in Northern Africa who beat Louis Pasteur to the disease theory by several centuries. Maybe he read a lot of Galen?

    Going a bit meta, C. C. Beck apparently based the visual for Shazam! archfiend Dr. Sivana on his neighborhood pharmacist.

  6. Chance
    July 23rd, 2006 at 4:15 pm

    Two-dimensional, quirky and competent? Well, two out of three ain’t bad, Dr. Zoidberg.

  7. Steven
    July 23rd, 2006 at 11:43 pm

    Hey, Dr. Zoidberg once saved Fry’s life AFTER he was beheaded!

    I’d like to see Dr. Mid-Nite do that!

    Actually, I’d would kind of like to see that.

  8. DrObviousSo
    July 24th, 2006 at 11:05 am

    About Dr Strange though, I don’t think he fits the cliche perfectly. I mean, is there such a thing as a plastic physician? I guess he could have been a dermatologist, but it’s clear they were going for the most self centered and least philanthropic of all doctors. See Nip/Tuck :D About his delivering babies, well, I figure Sorcerer Supreme would have to be trained in a skill that traditionally was filled by mystics in some cultures (or who assigned mystic abilities to those who do deliver).

  9. ijmpejfa
    July 25th, 2006 at 5:23 pm

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  10. Jakanapes
    July 26th, 2006 at 8:32 am

    hmmm, didn’t Shaman operate on his wife and fail to save her? I think I remember this as being the thing that drove his daughter away…

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