Computo (Danielle Foccart)
Computo is the code name for Danielle Foccart, a female fictional character in the DC Universe who became a member of the "Batch SW6" group of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century. She is the younger sister of Jacques Foccart, who joined the Legion as the second Invisible Kid.
| Computo | |
|---|---|
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 2) Annual # 1 (1982) |
| Created by | Paul Levitz Keith Giffen |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Danielle Foccart |
| Species | Metahuman |
| Place of origin | Earth (31st century) |
| Team affiliations | Legion of Super-Heroes |
| Abilities | Ability to communicate with and control computers of all kinds by psionically interfacing with them |
Fictional character biography
Danielle is a native of Earth, from what was once the francophone African nation of Côte d'Ivoire. As a preteen, Danielle was afflicted with a life-threatening neurological disorder which had baffled the best medical experts of the 30th century. As a last resort, her older brother Jacques brought her to Brainiac 5 of the Legion of Super-Heroes for treatment. Brainiac 5 rashly decided to utilize a piece of circuitry from the dismantled machine Computo, a highly advanced supercomputer he had created years earlier which rebelled against its creator and murdered one of Triplicate Girl's bodies.[1] Still surviving as an artificial intelligence, Computo promptly possessed Danielle's body, and took control of Legion headquarters and the city of Metropolis, nearly killing several Legionnaires. In order to save Danielle and the others, Jacques drank Lyle Norg's invisibility serum and gained the original Invisible Kid's powers. Although the A.I.'s control of Legion HQ was broken, it maintained possession of Danielle's body.[2] Brainiac 5 devoted most of his free time for at least a year to curing Danielle's disorder and exorcizing Computo. Eventually, he succeeded at both tasks.[3] A healthy and apparently normal Danielle returned to the Foccart home in Côte d'Ivoire.
"Five Years Later"
During the "Five Year Gap" following the Magic Wars, the Legion disbanded and Earth's government fell under the covert control of the Dominators, who had attempted to conquer the planet in the 20th century. Earth withdrew from the United Planets, and the government gradually became more repressive. At some point, Danielle was kidnapped by the Dominators, along with other humanoids possessing superpowers. Eventually she was freed and reunited with Jacques, who had become the leader of a resistance cell which included himself, Tyroc, and the former members of the Legion of Substitute Heroes. Soon thereafter, Danielle (now a teenager) became associated with the members of the Dominators' highly classified "Batch SW6". This was a group of teenage Legionnaire clones, created from samples apparently taken just prior to Ferro Lad's death at the hands of the Sun-Eater. By that time, Danielle had acquired the ability to communicate with and control computers by psionically interfacing with them. It is unclear if this ability developed as a result of her possession by the Computo A.I., experimentation by the Dominators, or the metagene possessed by many natives of Earth. In a demonstration of deliberate irony, Danielle appropriated the code name Computo for herself.
Although the Dominators were eventually defeated, Earth was destroyed just days later in a disaster reminiscent of the destruction of Krypton over a millennium earlier.[4] A few dozen cities and their inhabitants survived, and the planet was reconstituted as New Earth. The SW6 Legionnaires remained on New Earth, and Danielle joined their ranks. She soon became deputy leader, under Cosmic Boy.[5]
Post-Zero Hour
After Legion continuity was completely rebooted by the events of Zero Hour, Jacques was recast as a close childhood friend of Lyle Norg, who spent much of his time with the Foccart family. A young girl who is presumably Danielle appears in one panel in Legionnaires #66 (December 1998). She does not exhibit any superpowers. Danielle made no further appearances in the Post-Zero Hour or "Threeboot" eras of Legion continuity.
Post-Infinite Crisis
The events of the Infinite Crisis miniseries have restored a close analogue of the Pre-Crisis Legion to continuity, as seen in "The Lightning Saga" story arc in Justice League of America and Justice Society of America, and in the "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes" story arc in Action Comics. While an adult Jacques has been depicted, Danielle has yet to be seen. However, the original Danielle (in her guise as Computo) was seen briefly when multiple versions of the Legion battled Superboy-Prime, the Time Trapper and the Legion of Super-Villains.[6]
References
- Adventure Comics #340-341 (January–February 1966)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 2) Annual #1 (1982)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 2) #311 (May 1984)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 4) #38 (Late December 1992)
- Legionnaires #1 (April 1993).
- Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #5 (September 2009)