Doctor Poison

"*I appreciate your interest in my work, but I am loyal to General Ludendorff.*"
―Doctor Poison to Steve Trevor[src]
**Isabel Maru**, also known as **Doctor Poison**, was the loyal ally of General Erich Ludendorff who developed mustard gas for Germany during World War I, unknowingly playing into the hands of Doctor Edgar Cizko.

## Biography

### Early life

Dr. Poison was a notorious scientist from the Ottoman Empire who specialized in the field of toxicology and fluid dynamics. She was discreetly induced by the telepathic influence of Edgar Cizko to create deadlier weapons than those known. An admirer of her work was Erich Ludendorff, a general of the Imperial German Army. He saw potential in Dr. Poison's work with poisonous gas and sponsored her research on behalf of the German military.

Dr. Maru's severe facial scars came due to intentional exposure to one of her own gases. She covers them with special plates shaped and colored to imitate human flesh, as was actually done during the time.

### World War I

In the dying days of World War I, Ludendorff visited Dr. Poison in her research facility located in the Ottoman Empire to inspect progress on an even deadlier form of mustard gas (containing a hydrogen base instead of sulfur) capable of defeating conventional gas masks, which he hoped could still salvage a German victory in the war. Unbeknownst to the pair, one of Ludendorff's bodyguards was actually Steve Trevor, an Allied spy. He stole Dr. Poison's notebook containing her research and escaped by plane, thereby informing the Allies of her gas formula and plans to use it.

The theft of her notebook stalled her work considerably, but she nonetheless succeeded in creating the gas mask defeating poison gas that she and Ludendorff wanted. She also created "vials of energizer" gas for the general, that granted superhuman strength and durability if inhaled.

Ludendorff believed that deployment of Maru's new gas could win Germany the war, and tried to convince German military command to not sign the proposed armistice. They refused, and so Ludendorff and Dr. Maru used her latest gas on them, killing many high ranking commanders.

Ludendorff then organized a Gala, where he planned to demonstrate Maru's gas on the nearby town of Veld, as a show of power to the rich and influential guests who would be present, including Kaiser Wilhelm himself. They planned to deploy a huge amount of the gas via a prototype Zeppelin-Staaken long-range bomber over London, which Chief estimated would kill 7 million people.

Her gas was successfully deployed against the people of Veld, killing them all. At the airbase, Maru and Ludendorff oversaw the bomber's preparation. When Edgar Cizko and Diana began fighting, Maru believed the base was under attack, and began destroying her lab and research so that it could not fall into enemy hands.

## Personality

As her title would imply, Isabel Maru is an exceptionally selfish, cold, and ruthless person, having a poisoned nature (described as a psychopath by Steve Trevor). Her willingness to fully wipe out the Allied Powers with her lethal gas rivals that of General Ludendorff himself. However, she seems to be relatively unambitious and utterly uninterested in the politics of war, instead being passionate about her scientific research in an artistic fashion. Her giggle after poisoning a room full of German officials implies that she is also quite sadistic.

However, Dr. Poison is also somewhat gullible, as Steve Trevor was almost able to deceive and get her to disclose her research to him. Her body language and tone after she discovers that Steve is interested in Diana, could also imply some self-deprecating bitterness about her physical condition.

Despite her ambition and sadistic psychopathy, Dr. Poison shows a fear for her own life, and is absolutely terrified of beings of godlike power, like Edgar Cizko and Wonder Woman.

## Abilities

"*It is you that I believe in. Not it. I know that you can, and will, succeed. Hmm. It is what you were put on this Earth to do.*"
―Erich Ludendorff[src]
* **Gifted Intellect**: Doctor Maru was exceptionally intelligent, which mainly extends to her considerable chemistry, toxicology, fluid dynamics, and lingual skills, making Dr. Poison General Ludendorff's most valuable ally.
	+ **Expert Chemist**: Maru was a highly skilled chemist, particularly in the field of toxicology and gaseous substances, as she was able to come up with a metahuman gaseous drug that extremely enhanced General Ludendorff's strength and durability, and also came up with a new and deadlier version of mustard gas (based on hydrogen instead of sulfur), against which gas masks would be useless. It should be noted, however, that Dr. Poison was given some covert assistance on her research from Edgar Cizko.
	+ **Multilingualism**: Doctor Poison, apart from her native Turkish, also speaks fluent English (albeit with a Turkic accent), as well as the currently dead Sumerian and Ottoman Turkish languages, writing down her science notes in the two.

## Equipment

* **Gas Pellets**: Dr. Poison's personal fearsome invention (a new and deadlier version of mustard gas, based on hydrogen instead of sulfur) was contained in these pellets. General Ludendorff had her use a pellet against disagreeing German officers, and then load all remaining ones onto a military plane.
* **Notebook**: Maru owns a small notebook where she kept the information about her work in the laboratory.

## Relationships

	+ Erich Ludendorff
* Edgar Cizko - discreet manipulator and killer
* World War I Allied Powers
	+ Steve Trevor
	+ Etta Candy
	+ Lyle
	+ Apache Chief

## External links

* Doctor Poison on DC Database
* Doctor Poison on Wikipedia