One of the newest shows in the DC Comics lineup is The Doom Patrol, now airing exclusively on the HBO Max streaming service. The show has completed two seasons, 25 episodes in total, and is scheduled to return for a third sometime in 2021. Since its debut, the show has done a great job incorporating several well-known and secondary characters from the comic book series's various volumes.
The inclusion of Cyborg, a known character, into the team was a break with canonical Doom Patrol lore but has so far worked in favor of the series. Like Cyborg, many B and C-List characters could be easily written into the show's third or future seasons to further the story or make a cameo appearance.
9 Animal Man
Buddy Baker, aka Animal Man, would be an excellent addition to the show because, like the Doom Patrol, they both walk the thin line between comic book reality and self-awareness, thanks to Grant Morrison. Animal Man was created by Dave Wood and artist Carmine Infantino and first appeared in Strange Adventures #180 (September 1965). Buddy's superpower is the ability to mimic animals both on Earth and extra-terrestrial) after discovering an alien spacecraft crash site.
After a short stint as a hero, Buddy became a stuntman, husband, and father before returning to a more active superhero role around the Infinite Crisis/52 events. Animal Man's abilities would definitely put him on Caulder's radar of interesting superheroes that might be useful for his purposes.
Dial H for Hero, an established property of DC Comics about a magical dial that enables allows ordinary people a random superhero each time it is used. When used in comics, the concept is usually used in a fun and bright manner, which doesn't fit in with the Doom Patrol series's vibe. However, the version of Dial H from the New52 era Written by China Miéville with art by Mateus Santolouco would fit in with the show's dark and gritty atmosphere. The 15-issue series starred Nelson Jent, an unemployed middle-aged man who is out-of-shape and down on his luck when he discovers the Dial by mistake in an old phonebooth. The heroes that Nelson would dial were some of the weirdest and offbeat characters concepts that could have been imagined and perfect for the series.
8 The Creeper
The Creeper, created by Steve Ditko and Don Segall and introduced in Showcase #73 (March 1968), would be the perfect addition to the Doom Patrol since the character has a past and trouble controlling and understanding their abilities. Jack Ryder, the human component of The Creeper, is a journalist/talk show host who was given the ability to transform into the super creature thanks to an experimental science experiment that Dr. Yatz tested on an unwilling Ryder.
What makes Creeper a wild-card is that Jack Ryder suffers from multiple undiagnosed mental illnesses, which only manifest while in his Creeper form, a separate personality that shares his body. Like many of the current members on the series, Jack Ryder must fight to control the Creeper side of his personality, which can also be altruistic than Ryder would typically be.
7 Cave Carson
Calvin "Cave" Carson is a professor, adventurer, and expert Geologist whose first appearance was in Brave and the Bold #31 (September 1960) and was created by France Herron and Bruno Premiani. Carson, along with his friends: Bulldozer Smith, Johnny Blake, and Christie Madison, would have various adventures and start the Mighty Mole Project, which was to be a remarkable machine to improve mining before their funding was cut. Carson would later join The Forgotten Heroes and assist other teams and heroes such as the Sea Devils, Time Masters, the Justice Society of America, and the Doom Patrol in the Young Animal crossover event, Milk Wars.
6 Shade The Changing Man/Girl
Shade, the Changing Man was created by Steve Ditko in 1977, reimagined for the first time by Peter Milligan and Chris Bachalo in the 90s, and again as a gender-swapped version by writer Cecil Castellucci and artist Marley Zarcone for Young Animal's Shade, the Changing Girl, would fit in with the misfits of the Doom Patrol. Along with his M-Vest (Madness Vest), Shade can warp reality as he attempts to stop the madness that threatens to consume the Earth.
Either version of Shade would be a welcome addition to the series, even if just in a story arc. The character would also bring in another stage ability to the team's already diverse power set.
5 Section 8
If the Doom Patrol is a group of misfits who occasionally do some good, nothing would prove this to the team than a run-in with the Garth Ennis, John McCrea, and Steve Dillon creations from the pages of the 90s Hitman series, Section 8. The Gotham City-based team of misfits team is named after the military designation for "mentally unfit for duty," and includes such "heroes" as Bueno Excellente; The Defenestrator; Dogwelder; Friendly Fire; Jean de Baton-Baton; Flemgem; Shake, and team leader Sixpack. Even if all the members of Section 8 didn't appear, cameos by Sixpack and Dogwelder would at least be a welcome addition.
4 Mitch " Resurrection Man" Shelly
Since the premise of the series so far has been Niles Caulder's search for immortality, then it is a wonder that Mitch Shelly, the "Resurrection Man," hasn't even been mentioned in passing. In 1997 Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Jackson Guice introduced Mitch Shelly in the pages of Resurrection Man #1 as a drifter searching for his past to remember and how he gained his immortality. He later discovers that he was unwillingly subjected to a nanotechnology experiment involving microscopic devices called "tektites." The experiments not only made him immortal but could still be killed, though his death would only last seconds before he was reborn with a superpower linked to his method of death and memory loss for a time.
3 Challengers Of The Unknown
The Challengers of the Unknown are one of the lasting creations created by Jack Kirby during his time at DC Comics. The four adventurers who would become known and the Challengers of the Unknown debuted in Showcase #6 (February 1957) and have reformed in various incarnations throughout the years, most recently as part of the New Age of Heroes, which spun out of the first Dark Night: METAL event in 2017.
The original group of Challengers was a group who miraculously survived what should have been a fatal plane crash, and realizing they are "living on borrowed time," band together, undertaking hazardous adventures to help humanity. While their origins and rosters have changed over the years, even occasionally teaming up with the Doom Patrol.
2 Chang Tzu
Typical Doom Patrol villains such as the Brotherhood of Evil, Monsieur Mallah, and Brain, while teased, have yet to appear, so in the meantime, after the team deals with The Candlemaker, then the Wonder Woman villain Chang Tzu (Egg Fu) would be the perfect egg for the team to crack. Introduced following the events of Infinite Crisis, Chang Tzu masterminded and kidnapped many of the DCU's mad scientists and forcing them to be part of his "Science Squad" based on Oolong Island, which eventually became the base for the Doom Patrol. Chang is a large egg mounted in a spider-leg device that allows him to move and grasp and manipulate things with small prosthetic hands. Chang Tzu's appearance and motivation make him a perfect fit and foil for Caulder and the team.
1 Grant Morrison
The one character that definitely needs to make an appearance is Grant Morrison, who redefined the Doom Patrol with artist Richard Chase in their 44-issue run beginning in 1989. Finding a role for Morrison, who was already referenced by Mr. Nobody in the pilot, would not be hard as it could be similar to the time he wrote himself into Animal Man #25, which, like the Doom Patrol, he also reinvented for a new generation. Morrison could also be used to guide the Doom Patrol on an adventure through what is known as "comic book limbo" or in a "creator" role.
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