JSA Classified #24: A Medical Review
JSA Classified #24 “Nightfall, part 2”
J.T. Krul, writer
Alex Sanchez, penciler
In the previous issue, Dr. Mid-Nite fought the self-professed vampire Mircea and lost. As this issue begins, Mid-Nite retreats to his sanctum and considers the situation. He is positive that Mircea is not a real vampire. Instead, he is certain that there is a scientific explanation for Mircea’s appearance and abilities. He considers conditions such as Congenital Insensitivity to Pain (a genetic disease where the patient cannot feel pain, heat or cold. It was feature in a recent episode of House)and Familial Dysautonomia (an inherited condition marked by poor development of the autonomic nervous system as well as some sensory nerves), and severe anemia. Ultimately, he decides that the diagnosis that fits best is Xeroderma Pigmentosa
Xeroderma Pigmentosa (XP) is an inherited condition1 where the skin is extremely sensitive to light. A person with XP suffers from many skin problems including a thin dry skin that ages prematurely. Their eyes are extremely sensitive to light and easily become bloodshot and irritated. An individual with XP lacks the normal mechanisms that repair DNA damage caused by UV radiation. Because of this, they develop frequent skin cancers.
Xeroderma Pigmentosa also ties into Dr. Mid-Nite’s own origin from his 1999 mini-series2. Before he became a super-hero, Pieter Cross was a doctor who was investigating a dangerous new street drug, Steroid A39. In addition to its use as a recreation drug, A39 could also be used to treat the symptoms of XP. When he came too close to discovering the producers of the A39, Cross was overdosed with the drug and subsequently involved in a car accident. He survived, but between the accident and the overdose, he lost his sight. He retained his night vision and decided to use his abilities to operate outside the system as Dr. Mid-Nite.
Dr. Mid-Nite realizes that not only does Mircea suffer from XP, but he has been taking high doses of Steroid A39 to control the disease. It is the steroid that has been giving him the increased strength, as well as the pallid skin and eyes associated with vampires. Armed with this knowledge, Mid-Nite once again confronts Mircea and is able to use his own strength against him. While Mircea is down, Mid-Nite injects him with Rocuronium3, a paralyzing agent, and has him hauled off to an insane asylum.
Notes:
1Xeroderma Pigmentosa has an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern.
2This answers a question I had from the Dr. Mid-Nite mini-series. That story mentioned a condition called “Xenoderma Pigmentosa.” I was never certain if that was a typo for Xeroderma Pigmentosa, or if the writer (Matt Wagner) was inventing a new disease. Apparently it was a typo.
3Rocuronium is a good paralytic agent. It would paralyze Mircea’s skeletal muscles rendering him helpless. Unfortunately, there is a good chance it will also paralyze his diaphragm — an important breathing muscle — and he will suffocate if he doesn’t receive mechanical ventilation until the drug wears off (and its half-life is between 1 and 2 hours).
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