Every DCU Character and Franchise That’s Referenced in Creature Commandos’ Episode 6

Episode 6 of Creature Commandos continues the trend of giving each main character a tragic flashback that explains their origins. However, in the case of Dr. Phosphorus (voiced by Alan Tudyk), the process that turned him into a radioactive skeleton has equally warped his mind, birthing a sociopathic monster who enjoys torturing and killing his enemies. Episode 6’s trip to the past also introduces the DCU’s version of Gotham – just a few days after The Batman Part 2 got suspiciously delayed.

While we don’t know when the Dark Knight will make his DCU live-action debut, Creature Commandos already underlines how important Batman is for James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new cinematic universe, with multiple nods to the Dark Knight mythos.

RIP Ruppert Thorn

Episode 6 of Creature Commandos introduces the DCU’s version of Rupert Thorne (voiced by Benjamin Byron Davis). In the DCU, Thorne funded the radiation research of Dr. Alexander James Sartorius in exchange for nuclear secrets that he could sell to the highest bidder. However, when Alexander betrays Thorne, the mobster murders the scientist’s family and traps him inside the radioactive machine he built as part of his research. Instead of dying, Alexander becomes the green burning skeleton we know as Dr. Phosphorus.

[RELATED: Creature Commandos: Did James Gunn Reveal the DCU’s First Big Baddie?]

Dr. Phosphorus’ first action is to track down Thorne and kill the mobster and his family. That’s quite a shocking development, considering how important Thorne is to the Batman mythos. Created by Steve Englehart and Walter Simonson, Thorne has been one of the prominent criminals acting in Gotham since his first appearance in 1977’s Detective Comics #469. The character has also become a fan-favorite after being showcased in Batman: The Animated Series. The shocking death of Thorne underscores Batman’s long-standing presence in Gotham. It suggests that human criminals are being replaced by metahumans and other classic members of the Dark Knight’s rogues gallery.

Bialya Wants Nuclear Weapons

While Alexander’s radiation research was aimed at finding a cure for cancer, Thorne sold the scientist’s experiments to Bialya, a country highly interested in nuclear weapons. As Creature Commandos underlines, Bialya has an authoritarian regime, which is why Alexander tried to falsify the results of his research. The doctor didn’t want to be responsible for arming Bialya.

In DC Comics, Bialya is a fictional Middle Eastern country ruled by the villainous Queen Bee, who is known for using mind-control technology to get what she wants. The Blue Scarab that inspires multiple iterations of Blue Beetle was also initially found in Bialya, making the country a key location for one of the few superheroes officially part of the DCU. Finally, Bialya has been an essential part of Young Justice, one of the most beloved animated series ever created by DC. In short, it’s a welcome surprise to learn Gunn already has plans for Bialya in the DCU.

Batman, Gotham, and the Iceberg Lounge

Thorne is not the only Gotham character to appear in Creature Commandos. Batman also has a quick cameo, popping up to arrest Dr. Phosphorus after the skeleton becomes one of Gotham’s kingpins. Furthermore, Episode 6’s brilliant dancing scene takes place in the Iceberg Lounge, the nightclub Penguin uses as a façade to hide his criminal activities. Since Dr. Phosphorus is comfortable enjoying himself at the Iceberg Lounge, it’s fair to assume the Penguin also has a critical DCU role as the opportunistic mastermind who often supports other supervillains.

Craic Brothers & Metahumans

To evade the royal guard of Pokolistan, The Bride (voiced by Indira Varma) and Nina (voiced by Zoë Chao) find shelter in a brothel. The eventful evening becomes even more complicated when two of the brothel’s clients, the Craic Brothers, hit a sex worker. To make matters worse, both Craic brothers are metahumans with the ability to blast electricity.

The presence of the Craic Brothers serves to underline how metahumans are incredibly common in the DCU. They are so common, in fact, that the brothel even has specific rules in place to better cater to this superpowered parcel of the population. While the Craic Brothers are not inspired by any specific comic book character, their presence helps with worldbuilding. Superman is rumored to deal with the increasing number of metahumans on the planet, so it makes sense that Creature Commandos features accidental encounters with superpowered men.

New episodes of Creature Commandos hit MAX every Thursday until January 9, 2025.