Mekanique

Mekanique
Mekanique in her entry from Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Volume XXVI
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	All-Star Squadron #58 (June 1986)
Created by	Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, Todd McFarlane
In-story information
Full name	Mekanique
Place of origin	Earth
Abilities	Time travel

Mekanique is a fictional supervillain in the fictional DC Universe. She first appeared in All-Star Squadron #58 (June 1986).

In All-Star Squadron #58, Mekanique appears suddenly in the headquarters of the All-Star Squadron; she is badly damaged and attacks Firebrand. Before she can be destroyed by Green Lantern, Robotman steps in and offers to repair her. A subsequent power surge threatens to destroy the headquarters, but instead restores Mekanique. She reveals that she is from the far future, and had returned to the past to prevent a horrible future war. Mekanique shows the heroes an image of a child about to be killed in a car accident, and they save her, thus changing the future.

Afterwards, Mekanique reveals to Robotman her true origin. She is from the future, but was created by an evil scientist named Rotwang. In her time, a small elite ruled despotically over a downtrodden slave race. The elite were in danger of being overthrown due to a woman named Maria, who led the slaves into open rebellion. Mekanique had been given the power not only to travel in time, but to temporarily hold back the effects of the Crisis on Infinite Earths while she changed the future. Mekanique then erases Robotman's memory so that he cannot warn his fellow Squadron members.

In 1942 Mekanique meets Per Degaton while he is still an assistant at the Time Trust. She convinces Degaton to help her in her fight against the All-Star Squadron, in exchange for teaching him the secrets of time travel. Their attack fails, and Mekanique's body is destroyed. Degaton escapes with her head, and keeps it with him for the next five years. During that time, the two fall in love.

By 1947, Degaton, Mekanique, and a new ally, Professor Malachi Zee, have managed to build a working time machine. Degaton, who wants the machine for himself, shoots Zee, who falls into the machine and accidentally sends it forty years into the future. When Mekanique suggests they wait forty years for the machine to reappear, Degaton snaps and buries Mekanique's head. He becomes a founding member of the Injustice Society of the World after using Zee's technology to become an established member, but all the members are captured, and Degaton spends years in prison.