Doll Man

Doll Man
Doll Man on the cover of Feature Comics #77 (April, 1944), Quality Comics.
Publication information
Publisher	Quality Comics DC Comics
First appearance	(Dane) Feature Comics #27 (December 1939) (Colt) Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Blüdhaven #1 (Early June 2006) (Maxwell) Phantom Lady and Doll Man #1 (Oct. 2012)
Created by	(Dane) Will Eisner (Colt and Maxwell) Jimmy Palmiotti Justin Gray
In-story information
Alter ego	Darrell Dane Lester Colt Dane Maxwell
Team affiliations	(Dane and Colt) Freedom Fighters (Dane) All-Star Squadron (Colt) S.H.A.D.E.
Abilities	Ability to shrink to six inches in height and retain full-size strength Brilliant scientist Psionic powers Superb athlete and hand-to-hand combatant

Doll Man is a fictional superhero from the Golden Age of Comics, originally published by Quality Comics and currently part of the DC Comics universe of characters. Doll Man was created by cartoonist Will Eisner and first appeared in a four-page story entitled "Meet the Doll Man" in Feature Comics #27. The issue's December, 1939 cover date indicates that Doll Man is the first comic book superhero with a shrinking power. He notably predates the more-famous Ray Palmer and Hank Pym by two decades.

The secret identity of Doll Man, "The World's Mightiest Mite," is research chemist Darrel Dane, who invents a formula that enables him to shrink to the height of six inches while retaining the full strength of his normal size. He was probably the first example of a shrinking superhero, and also one of the few that was unable to change to a height in between his minimum and maximum sizes (though artists would fail to keep his scale visually consistent). His first adventure in Feature Comics #27 involves the rescue of his fiancee, Martha Roberts, from a blackmailer. He subsequently decides to fight crime and adopts a red and blue costume sewn by Martha. Years later, somehow Martha's wish to be able to join him in his small size comes true, and now possessing the same shrinking powers, she becomes his partner known as "Doll Girl" in Doll Man #37. He also has the aid of "Elmo the Wonder Dog," a Great Dane who serves as his occasional steed and rescuer, and the "Dollplane," which was deceptively presented as a model airplane in his study when not in use. In his adventures published during World War II, Doll Man was also frequently depicted riding a bald eagle.