Scott’s Second Law of Comic Book Medicine
For those coming in late, Scott’s First Law of Comic Book Medicine deals with the “shorthand” comic book writers frequently use:
When someone is described as a psychiatrist, that’s shorthand to let the reader know that the character is devious and likely evil (or to simplify even further: “psychiatrist = evil”). For example: pretty damn much every comic book psychiatrist ever. Is there even a non-evil psychiatrist left? Dr. Samson was the last one that I knew of, except that now he’s the evil “Samson.”
When someone is described as a surgeon, that means that they are not only extremely competent but downright brilliant, the best of the best. For example, Dr. Strange, Cardiac, Hush.
If someone is described as a family doctor or general doctor, that means that they are a paragon of compassion and likely still make house calls. The best example is Dr. Bromwell, from various Spider-Man titles.
Scott’s Second Law of Comic Book Medicine: Any hero with a “doctor” in their name or an advanced degree — no matter their actual field of specialty — will eventually be called upon to act as a medical doctor.
Examples:
Dr. Reed Richards (multiple PhDs): Does a great deal of medicine, including delivering babies (on the moon, no less).
Dr. Jericho Drum (Brother Voodoo) (psychologist): Treated his sick brother with injectable antibiotics in his very first appearance.
Dr. Hank McCoy (multple PhDs): For a long-time, the X-Men’s resident physician, despite not actually being a physician. I’ve discussed Henry McCoy many, many times.
Dr. Kimiyo Hoshi (Dr. Light) (astrophysicist): Acted as team physician during her stint in the Justice League, and now in Supergirl.
October 18th, 2010 at 1:14 am
Dammit, Jim, I’m a Doctor, not a Doctor!
October 18th, 2010 at 3:48 am
I will always have a warm place in my heart for Dr. Thomas Elliot, ~*the best neurosurgeon/cardiac surgeon/plastic surgeon~* EVER.
October 18th, 2010 at 5:06 am
Honestly, I do have a Ph.D. in astrophysics, and if a superhero team asked if I’d like to join them and act as their physician, I’d go through the following logic, then agree.
a) That would be totally cool.
b) What are the odds that these professional superheros will need a real doctor?
c) Even if called on to do some medical doctor stuff, I can totally fake what I’ve seen on House, and if I screw up, just say, “it wasn’t meant to be.” This is because:
c.1) They’re going to be back in less than 50 issues anyway, so it’s not a big deal anyway.
October 18th, 2010 at 7:43 am
I have to nitpick and say that delivering babies is not really medicine, except in the rare cases when it goes wrong. Birth is ridiculously over-medicalised. It’s certainly good to know that one’s child is being ushered into the world by someone who knows a femur from a fibromyalgia, but I’d go for a midwife every time.
October 18th, 2010 at 7:47 am
The Sentry was seeing a psychiatrist who was fairly non-evil.
October 18th, 2010 at 11:30 am
Just like every hero with electrical powers will eventually defib someone.
October 18th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
I don’t think we’ve seen reed richards do CPR which would be TOTALLY cool. He could wrap around someone like a reed Richard sweater and do compressions like that. Like lovin’ from a boa on cocain with ADD.
Lazarus lupin
http://strangespanner.blogspot.com/
art and review
October 19th, 2010 at 12:41 am
Well, when I think of a benevolent general doctor in the comics, I used to immediately think of Leslie Thompkins. Then they sullied her reputation, then that was all a hoax.
In any case, that’s my answer and I’m sticking to it.
October 23rd, 2010 at 8:17 pm
[...] Scott’s Second Law of Comic Book Medicine [...]
October 29th, 2010 at 12:43 am
Also Dr. John Henry Irons – he was given a job at a hospital in Steel!
November 29th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
[...] And behold: Scott’s First and Second Laws of Comic Book Medicine. Scott’s Second Law of Comic Book Medicine: Any hero with a “doctor” in their name or an [...]
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