Comic Title: Doom Patrol #88
Publisher: DC (National Periodical Publications, Inc.)
Address: 575 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: June 1964
On Sale Date: April 16, 1964 Newsstand Date April 16, 1964
Source: House Ad, Blackhawk #197, Page 18

Copyright Date April 16, 1964
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1964

Frequency: Monthly, with the exception of Jan., April, July and Oct.
Cover Price: $0.12
Page Count: 32
Editor: Murray Boltinoff

Title: "The Incredible Origin of the Chief"
Pages: 25

Feature(s):
Doom Patrol (of Earth-1)

Writer: Arnold Drake
Artist: Bruno Premiani

Reprinted In:
Super-Team Family #9 (1977)
Super-Team Family #10 (1977)
Doom Patrol Archives Vol. 1 HC (2002)
Showcase Presents the Doom Patrol Vol. 1 TPB (2009)
Doom Patrol:The Silver Age Omnibus HC (2017)
Doom Patrol:The Silver Age Vol. 1 TPB (2018)

Feature Character(s)

• Doom Patrol (last appearance in Doom Patrol #87; next appearance in Doom Patrol #89)
• Chief (last appearance in Doom Patrol #87; next appearance in Doom Patrol #89)
• Robotman (last appearance in Doom Patrol #87; next appearance in Doom Patrol #89)
• Elasti-Girl (last appearance in Doom Patrol #87; next appearance in Doom Patrol #89)
• Negative Man (last appearance in Doom Patrol #87; next appearance in Doom Patrol #89)

Villain(s)

• General Immortus (last appearance in My Greatest Adventure #84; next appearance in Doom Patrol #96)
• A criminal gang (no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Prof. Lebnitz (Niles Caulder's college physics professor; appears in flashback to the Chief's origin; no further appearances)
• The leaders of an international crime syndicate (appear in flashback to the Chief's origin; no further appearances)
• RA-2 (Robot-Assistant-2; Niles Caulder's robot; also called R-2; appears in flashback to the Chief's origin; destroyed in this story; next appearance in Doom Patrol #120)
• Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard, the crew of a luxury liner, a police captain, and guests at a society charity ball (no further appearances)

Flashback Appearance(s)

• Chief (earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Doom Patrol #106)
• General Immortus (earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in My Greatest Adventure #80)

Cameo Appearance(s)

• Antoine Lavoisier (famous 18th century French chemist; appears in flashback to General Immortus's origin)

Comments:
Part 2: "The Man Who Lived Twice"
Part 3: "Showdown for the Chief"

The origin of the Chief and his real name, Dr. Niles Caulder, are revealed in this story.

Synopsis:
When the Doom Patrol matches wits with a criminal gang led by a mystery figure known as the Baron, the Chief must reveal the story of his true origins.

As a starving young genius researcher, Niles Caulder found his experiments in prolonging human life financed by an unknown benefactor whom he only later learned was General Immortus, seeking a new supply of the serum that had kept him alive for centuries. To ensure his obedience, Immortus had a bomb inserted in Caulder's chest which only he could remove. Caulder tricked Immortus into shooting him, then, when he was clinically "dead," he had his robot assistant operate to remove the bomb and restore him to life. However, the operation ran too long, and Caulder found himself a cripple, unable to walk. Going into hiding to escape Immortus, he later surfaced as the Chief to organize the Doom Patrol.

Now, the Baron captures the entire Patrol, and reveals himself as Immortus in disguise. The Chief agrees to meet with him and turn over the immortality elixir, but instead uses the opportunity to free the Doom Patrol members, who rout the Baron's gang. General Immortus again appears to perish attempting to escape in a rocketship.