The Doom Patrol #91
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeDoom Patrol #91 is the debut issue for two characters whose ripple effects shaped DC's Silver Age family tree for decades: Mento (Steve Dayton) and the alien conqueror Garguax. Mento's introduction as a wealthy, arrogant outsider pursuing Elasti-Girl set in motion a romantic arc that would culminate in their marriage in issue #104 and the subsequent adoption of Beast Boy — making this single issue the narrative seed of one of the most emotionally resonant family units in DC's Silver Age. The issue also exemplifies Arnold Drake's ongoing effort to push the Doom Patrol's tone toward character-driven drama and sci-fi strangeness at a time when DC's editorial line leaned toward lighter, more formulaic fare.
In "Mento -- The Man Who Split the Doom Patrol, Part 1," millionaire scientist Steve Dayton steps into the spotlight as Mento, wielding a helmet that unlocks his mental powers, just as he begins to pursue a romance with Elasti-Girl. When the Doom Patrol confronts a wave of plastic androids, Mento uncovers a shocking truth: the attacks are the work of Garguax, an alien testing his weapons on Earth.
In "Part 2: Terror of the Android Master," the Doom Patrol faces a wave of menacing plastic androids, forcing them to confront a threat that's both mechanical and alien. As Mento, the newly empowered Steve Dayton, steps into the fray, he uncovers a chilling truth: the attacks are part of a larger experiment by Garguax, an alien testing his weapons on Earth. With the Chief, Elasti-Girl, Negative Man, and Robotman at his side, Mento must navigate the growing danger while grappling with his own evolving role in the team.
In "Part 3: Fortress in the Stratosphere," the Doom Patrol faces a new threat as plastic androids attack, leading Mento—Steve Dayton, now wielding his mental powers through a revolutionary helmet—to uncover a deeper conspiracy. When he traces the attack to the alien villain Garguax, the team must confront an otherworldly force testing its weapons on Earth, while Mento's growing feelings for Elasti-Girl add tension to the mission.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Written by Arnold Drake with interior art by Bruno Premiani — the creative team who had shepherded the Doom Patrol from its debut in My Greatest Adventure #80 (June 1963) — the issue was edited by Murray Boltinoff, who had championed the series from the beginning. The cover was penciled and inked by Bob Brown, who would later take over full art duties on the title. The book was published under the National Periodical Publications indicia, carried the Comics Code Authority seal, and went on sale in September 1964, though the cover date reads November 1964 — a standard Silver Age dating convention.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Mento (Steve Dayton), created by Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani; a billionaire scientist who built a psionic-amplifying helmet to court Elasti-Girl (Rita Farr).
- First appearance of Garguax, an alien exile with dreams of interplanetary conquest who uses an army of plastic androids as soldiers, also created by Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani.
- Cover date: November 1964; on-sale date: September 3, 1964 (per Grand Comics Database copyright registration). Publisher: National Periodical Publications, Inc.
- Writer: Arnold Drake. Interior pencils and inks: Bruno Premiani. Cover art: Bob Brown. Letterer: Ira Schnapp. Editor: Murray Boltinoff.
- The three-part story is titled 'Mento — The Man Who Split the Doom Patrol'; Mento makes his romantic bid for Rita Farr, who declines twice, but his persistence seeds the couple's eventual marriage in Doom Patrol #104 (June 1966).
- Mento and Elasti-Girl's later marriage and adoption of Beast Boy (Garfield Logan) — both consequences of the relationship begun here — made Steve Dayton a key figure bridging the Doom Patrol and the Teen Titans franchises.
- Mento appeared in the DC Universe / HBO Max live-action Doom Patrol television series (Season 1), portrayed by Will Kemp (young) and Dave Bielawski (older); Garguax also appeared on screen in the series, portrayed by Stephen Murphy.
- The issue has been reprinted multiple times: in the Spanish-language Mi Gran Aventura #55 (Editorial Novaro); DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #19 (March 1982); Doom Patrol Archives Vol. 2 (May 2004); Showcase Presents: The Doom Patrol Vol. 1 (June 2009); Doom Patrol: The Silver Age Omnibus (August 2017); Doom Patrol: The Silver Age #1 (September 2018); and DC Finest: The Doom Patrol: The World's Strangest Heroes (April 2025).
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Reprints
↩ Reprints My Greatest Adventure #10 (1956)
Reprinted in DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #19 (1982), The Doom Patrol Archives #2 (2004), Showcase Presents the Doom Patrol #1 (2009), Doom Patrol: The Silver Age Omnibus #[nn] (2017), Doom Patrol: The Silver Age #1 (2018), DC Finest: The Doom Patrol: The World's Strangest Heroes #[nn] (2025), Mi Gran Aventura #55
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