Crime Doctor

Pre-Crisis

A prominent Gotham physician, Dr. Bradford Thorne was a prosperous man who turned to crime for the sheer thrill of it, to enliven an otherwise boring existence. Though he truly loved the practice of medicine, crime was like a narcotic to Thorne and he could not resist its lure.

Building his own Crime Clinic in a secret sub- basement beneath his town house, the crime doctor opened for business, offering Gotham's underworld a variety of services, from treatment and hospitalisation of wounded criminals on the lam from the law to unique diagnostic serices, where the Doctor would plan a crime for others in exchange for 25% of the take. If the Crime Doctor had to make a "house call" to rescue criinals who had been caught in the act, his share went up to 50% of the loot. Anonymously, Thorne turned over almost all of this ill-gotten money to charities, since his interest was the thrill of the crime, not the bounties.

Called in one day to treat an injured Bruce Wayne, Thorne was astonished when, as the Crime Doctor he later confronted Batman and noticed the Caped Crusader was wearing Wayne's bandages. At the same moment, Batman realised the Crime Doctor was Thorne.

Escaping from the scene with the knowledge of Batman's secret identity, and knowing that the Detective would soon be on his trail, Thorne attempted tp flee Gotham, but he was thwarted by a medical emergency that required his serices and he could not in good conscience turn away.

Taken hostage by thugs, Thorne was brought before crime boss Sterling Silversmith who demanded he reveal Batman's secret identity. When Thorne refused, Silversmith fed him deadly quicksilver, offering to save Thorne's life in return for the information. Before he could answer, Batman burst on the scene, defeating Silversmith and rushing Thorne to hospital.

Although Batman saved Thorne's life, he could not save his mind which was affected by the quicksilver, leaving Thorne a helpless vegetable.

Post-Crisis

Post-Crisis, the Crime Doctor appears much younger.He first turned to crime when he realized that he did not care about the patient he was giving an operation. He lets him die. One of the nurses realizes that Thorne was not trying to save him. He kills the nurse, taking some star-shaped sunglasses as a souvenir. Later he is hired by Alexander Luthor's Secret Society, as a torturer. He tortures the Secret Six. Catman escapes and puts him in a coma. 

One Year Later

One year later, he defects from the Secret Society. Members are sent out to catch him. They succeed in injuring him. He is rescued by the Birds of Prey who want his information on the Society. The Society decides to kill the Crime Doctor's daughter in front of him. Prometheus captures him from the hospital where he was being treated. The Birds of Prey take his daughter from her school. They confront Prometheus. He defeats them. While they are fighting, the Crime Doctor escapes from his bonds. He commits suicide to save his daughter. Lady Shiva takes her on as an apprentice.

Powers and Abilities

The Crime Doctor is a skilled surgeon

Crime Doctor II