Appendix A: Unnamed Drugs
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Appendix A: Unnamed Drugs
Appendix B: Transmetropolitan
Appendix C: Jimmy Olsen
Appendix D: American Flagg


This section is devoted to the various drugs and serums which were never given an official name

Apocalypse's Blood
The blood od this X-Men villain provides a cure for the hunger caused by his Horseman Famine. Other properties of the blood, including whether it is addictive or not, are as yet unknown.
type: curative
form: liquid (ingested)
comic: X-Men

Atlantean Water-Breathing Serum
Developed under the direction of the Atlantean king Orin, this serum allowed the submerged Atlanteans to breathe underwater and withstand the increased pressure of the depths.
Shalako's magic spell caused the people in Tritonis who took the serum to grow green scaled and webbed legs, and future generations became mermen and -women.
type: mutational
form: liquid
comic: Atlantis Chronicles #2
compare to: Serum X and Underwater Breathing Pills

Bulletman’s Anti-Crime Serum
A scrawny police chemist, Jim Barr developed an anti-crime serum. This drug was supposed to purge the body of criminal thoughts and allow evil-doers to become good productive citizens. Jim tested it on himself one night and awoke the next morning with an incredibly increased physique and enhanced intelligence. Inventing a "gravity regulating" helmet, he went on to become Bulletman. No mention is ever made as to whether the serum actually did what it was designed to do.
type: strength enhancer, intelligence enhancer
form: liquid
comic: Nickel Comics #1

Doll Man’s Shrinking Formula
Chemist Darrel Dane invented a formula that would allow him to shrink in height to six inches tall, yet keep his normal strength.
type: reducing agent
form: liquid
comic: Feature Comics #27

Elasticity Formula
A few drops of the chemical developed by Professor Potter would grat the used a super-elasticity, much like Reed Richards or the Elongated Man. The serum was used primarily by Jimmy Olsen, though Lois Lane did use ot on one occasion.

[N.B.: The first time Jimmy Olsen becam Elastic Lad (Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #31) it was because some "outer space chemicals" were spilled on him. Professor Potter's serum didn't come into play until his second time as Elastic Lad.]

type: elastifying mutagen
form: liquid
comic: Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #37


Gamma Irradiated Capsule
A pill which returns the Hulk to his unpowered Bruce Banner identity.
type: ??
form: pill
comic: Fantastic Four #26

GetafixGetafix’s Magic Potion
Grants temporary super strength to whoever imbibes it. The ingredients of the magic potion include mistletoe, lobster (added to improve the flavor), roots, lucky plants (like a four leaf clover), fresh fish, Black Gold (though beetroot juice can be substituted), carrots and aalt. Accoeding to the Asterix in Britain movie, the potion may also contain honey and mead.

[N.B.: Getafix is known as "Panoramix" in France and "Miraculix" in Norway]

type: strength enhancer
form: imbibable liquid
comic: Asterix comics

Hallucinogenic Yam
Grown in the Swamp Thing (note "in" and not "by"), and given to his would-be lover Abigail Cable.
type: hallucinogen
form: edible tuber
comic: Saga of the Swamp Thing

McCoy's discoveryHank McCoy’s Mutation Serum
While working at the Brand Corporation, Hank McCoy (better known as the X-Men’s Beast) developed a hormonally based serum that caused a temporary mutation in anyone who imbibed it. If the mutation were not reversed within one hour, the change would become permanent.
McCoy himself was the first to test his serum, using it to catch a corporate spy. Unfortunately, he missed the one-hour deadline and became stuck in his now familiar furred state (though it should be noted that he was originally gray furred; his fur did not turn blue until later)
type: mutagenic, horomonal
form: imbibable liquid
comic: Amazing Adventures #11

Hornet Serum
Created by Dr. Malus with blood from the Human Fly. When injected into Scotty McDowell it caused him to mutate into the Hornet, growing wings and gaining speed and agility. There were also a few minor side-effects such as mental instability and increased hostility.
type: mutagen
form: liquid (injectable)
comic: Spider-Woman #31

hydromanHydroman’s Serum
Chemist Harry Thurston created a mixture of alcohol, water, sulfuric acid and an unknown chemical. The beaker brokes and some of this mixture spilled onto Harry’s hand, turning it into a water-spout. Later, an entire bucket of this same concoction is spilled on Harry’s friend Bob Blake and turned him into a puddle of water. A “counteractive” chemical is added, allowing Bob to return to normal. Harry and Bob then decide to inject this compound into Bob’s blood, giving him water powers and allowing him to fight crime as the Golden-Age here "Hydroman"
type: mutagenic
form: liquid, injectable and/or topical
comic: Reg’Lar Fellers Heroic Comics #6

Invisibility Chemicals
Pushed into a blast furnace by an assassin, Dr. Gabe miraculously survives because he had been doused with a some mysterious chemicals he had been studying. He not only became fire-proof, but also invisible. Conveniently, a machine in his lab could control vibrations and turn him visible/invisible. He fought crime as the Golden Age hero "The Invisible Man" (but apprarently never well enough to earn a first name).
type: ??
form: liquid
comic: Mystic Comics #2

Invisibility Serum
1. Tom Wade, the Golden Age super-hero "The Invisible Terror", used an invisibility serum invented by Dr. Cortell. As the doctor lay dying, he passed on the secrets of the serum to Tom, his assistant.
type: ??
form: liquid
comic: C-M-O Comics #1

2. One of the inventions of the young genius Lyle Norg was an invisibility serum that he used to become "The Invisible Kid" of the Legion of Super-Heroes.
type: ??
form: liquid
comic: Action Comics #309

3. French jounalist Jacques Flash used a serum invented by the late Professor Folven to become invisible and fight crime.
type: ??
form: liquid
comic: Vaillant #1


Lighter-Than-Hydrogen Gas
John Dickering discovered a gas that was “fifty-times lighter than hydrogen.” He injected this gas into his veins and it gave him the ability to make jumps of an incredible distance so that it seemed as if he were flying. It also gave him the unexpected and deadly side-effect of disintegrating eye beams (“dissolvo-vision”). Dickering used these powers as the Golden Age vigilante hero "Tthe Comet."
type: ??
form: gas
comic: Pep Comics #1

curt connorsLizard Serum
Scientist and physician Curt Connors lost his arm while serving in the Army during the war. He became obsessed with the fact that lizards can regenerate lost limbs and created a lizard-derived serum that would allow him to grow back his missing arm. His concoction worked and Connors regrew his arm. Unfortunately, the serum also caused him to mutate into a giant humanoid lizard. The serum also allows him to communicate with and control other lizards.
type: mutagenic, regenerative
form: imbibable liquid
comic: Amazing Spider-Man #6

Man-Bat Serum
Scientist Kirk Langstrom developed a serum from the glands of bats which was designed give humans a bat-like sonar ability. Testing it on himself, he became the half-man half-bat Man-Bat.
type: mutagenic
form: liquid
comic: Detective Comics #400

Man-Thing Serum
An attempt by chemist Ted Sallis to recreate the Super Soldier Serum using Serum SO-2. To keep the compound out of the hands of pursuing A.I.M. agents, he injected himself with the only sample of the drug.
type: mutagenic
form: liquid (injectable)
comic: Savage Tales #1
see also: Super Soldier Serum, Serum SO-2. Contrast with the Bio-Restorative Formula


Radiation Poisoning Serum
When a young Jessica Drew developed radiation poisoning, her father injected her with an experimental vaccine made from irradiated spider blood. She was then placed in a “genetic accelerator” until the radiation sickness was completely cured. This treatment granted her increased strength, wall-climbing, a resistance to toxins and the ability to discharge bio-electric energy “venom blasts.” Using these powers she became Spider-Woman.
type: mutagenic
form: liquid
comic: Marvel Spotlight #32

Sakutia Cure
In the revised Changeling/Beast Boy origin, when a young Garfield Logan ia infected with the jungle disease Sakutia, his scientist parents inject him with an experimental serum in an attempt to cure him. The cure worked, but the combination of the serum and the disease gave him his animal changing powers.
type: anti-infective, probable mutagenic
form: injectable liquid
comic: Teen Titans (2003 series) #14-15

Solomon Grundy Formula
Developed by Dr. Chrissie Cavendish, the great-great-granddaughter to Solomon Grundy, this serum was based on Grundy's DNA. It was designed to restore Grundy's humanity; however, Dr. Cavendish used it on herself instead to become a monster.

[N.B.: This stroy hinges on a retcon of Solomon Grundy's origin: that Cyrus Gold became Grundy from an experimental serum that he devised himself. In the original version, Gold was an evil man who was murdered in the late 1800s. His body was thrown in Slaughter Swamp where the swamp muck, combined with the malign influence of Gold, led the corpse to rise again as the super strong Grundy.]

type: mutagentic
form: injectable liquid
comic: Green Arrow (2nd Series) #53


six-armed spider-manSpider Formula
Peter Parker designed this formula to get rid of his spider powers once and for all. The mixture backfired, and Parker ended up growing 4 extra arms.
The mutation was eventually reversed using a variation on Curt Connor's Lizard Serum mixed with a few frops of blood from Morbius the Living Vampire.
type: mutation
form: liquid (drinkable)
comic: Amazing Spider-Man #100-102
see also: Lizard Serum


Spore Cocaine
A field of cocaine became contaminated with the essence of the Deviant experiment known as Spore. Use of this cocaine led to heightened agression and icreased violence.
type: contaminated opiate
form: powder or liquid
comic: Wolverine

Steel Sterling Formula
John Sterling invented a chemical formula that when rubbed on his body and combined with molten steel would grant super-strength, invulnerability and flight.
type: enhancer
form: topical
comic: Zip Comics #1

Super-Vitamin Pill
Taken by mild mannered Stormy Foster to become the Golden Age super-hero “The Great Defender”. The vitamin gave him greatly increased strength.
type: strength enhancer
form: pill
comic: Hit Comics #18

Suspended Animation Chemicals
Developed by the evil Dr. Cobra, this mixture was spilled on Denny Colt, placing him in a state of death-like suspended animation for several hours (long enough to bury him at least). When spying Colt upon his return as the Spirit, Dr, Cobra is ecstatic that his chemical worked -- so it must have been designed for suspended animation in the first place.
type: animation suspender
form: liquid
comic: The Spirit #1


Tarantula Serum
An attempt at recreating the Super Soldier Serum, this formula was developed by Dr. Karl Mendoza and used to give the second Tarantula (Luis Alvarez) his heightened abilities.
type: strength enhance, speed enhancer
form: liquid (injectable)
comic: Web of Spider-Man #35
see also: Super Soldier Serum

Terror Formula
A strange chemical that allows its user to grow in size and gain super-strength. Furthermore, their face will take on an ominous white skull appearance. Dr. John Storm isolated the chemical from his dead dog (no, really) and injected it into an amnesiac who became the Golden Age hero "The Terror."
type: strength enhance, mutagen
form: liquid (injectable)
comic: Mystic Comics #5

thanagarian drugsThanagarian Drugs
An unfortunately common habit among the aristocracy of Thanagar is the frequent use of a variety of recreational drugs.

[N.B.: I'm using the term Thnagarian Drug to refer to drugs taken on Thanagar; some may actually be from other planets such as Illoral.]

type: variety, including euphorics, relaxants and stimulants
form: pill
comic: Hawkworld mini-series


"Time-Freezing Drug"
Used by Dr. Mid-Bite when treating the fused Cyborg and Firestorm after a Zeta-beam accident..
type: animation suspender
form: ??
comic: 52, Week 5

cover, Tales of the Teen Titans #44Truth Serum Resistance Drug
A distinguished Army major, Slade Wilson volunteered to test an experimental serum designed to help soldiers resist truth serum. The serum was derived from the hormone ACTH and stimulated the adrenal glands. The drug did not work as planned and Wilson fell comatose. He woke from the coma but was bed-ridden for a time. Soon, however, he realized that the serum had given him super-human strength, increased agility, enhanced reflexes and rapid healing.

[N.B.: Later storylines suggest that the experimental serum was actually designed to create super-powered humans, and had nothing to do with resisting truth serums.]

type: strength enhancer, intelligence enhancer, hormone derivative
form: liquid
comic: Tales of the Teen Titans #44


Underwater Breathing Pill
Lady Dorma1. Developed by Reed Richards, it allowed individuals to breathe underwater for up to an hour. It was only used in the one issue as Reed quickly developed superior technology. The pill also seemed protected the user from the crushing pressure of being underwater.
type: ??
form: pill
comic: Fantastic Four #27

2. An Atlantean invention, this pill allows air-breathers to survive underwater for 24 hours.
type: ??
form: described as a tablet but looks like a capsule
comic: The Incredible Hulk #118


Youth Poison
1. Teen-age detective Jimmy Kudo (Shinichi Kudou in the Japanese original) is trailing some mysterious men in black when he is caught and force-fed a mysterious poison. Instead of killing him, the poison reverts his age to 8.
type: youth agent, poison
form: capsule
comic: Case Closed #1

2. Various youth potions and tonics showed up with some regularity in Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane. Both Lois and Superman were affected at one point or another.
type: youth agent
form: liquid (#10), topical (#32)
comic: Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane #10 and #32

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Appendix A: Unnamed Drugs
Appendix B: Transmetropolitan
Appendix C: Jimmy Olsen
Appendox D: American Flagg


This page is © 2005, 2006 Polite Dissent