Mento

Current Events

Mento has appeared in one issue of Justice League Dark though he has yet to appear with the Doom Patrol team.

Creation

Mento was created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Bruno Premiani. He first appeared in Doom Patrol #91 (November 1964). Steve Dayton first appeared trying to impress Ritta Farr, Elasti-Girl, by entering the field of superheroics. These attempts do pay off and he is soon married with Rita and they soon adopt Gar Logan, better know as Beast Boy. Though he never was truly a member of the Doom Patrol he was considered more of a honorary member.

Character Evolution

Steve Dayton, one of the world’s richest men in the DC Universe, builds a helmet that enhances his own latent mental abilities and begins adventuring as the solo hero Mento for a short time, but Rita Farr a.k.a. Elasti-Girl of the Doom Patrol catches his eye and he goes out to impress her. He soon joins the Doom Patrol and in Doom Patrol #104, in July 1966, he and Elasti-Girl get married. Later, the newly weds adopt Gar Logan, the animal shape-shifter Beast Boy.

After the main Doom Patrol died in issue Doom Patrol #121 (October 1968) Beast Boy and Mento was the last members left. While Beast Boy went on to work with the Teen Titans, Mento went out to gain revenge on Rita and the rest of the Doom Patrol’s killers. This later leads to other stories where Mento becomes insane and a villain.

Major Story Arcs

New Teen Titans

After the Doom Patrol dies, Mento goes mad and thanks to his addiction to the Mento helmet, develops a brain tumor that slowly deteriorates his sanity. He blamed his adoptive son, Beast Boy, then Changeling for the deaths of the Doom Patrol and even tried to kill Changeling and his fellow friends and teammates, the New Teen Titans in New Teen Titans #14. He then creates the supervillain group the Hybrid and tries to take the lives of Changeling and the New Teen Titans.

In the final battle against the Hybrid in New Teen Titans #34, Raven uses her soul-self to enter the mind of Mento and cures him of his tumor. Father and son have tearful reunion. Steve Dayton also assists Deathstroke and Raven’s mother, Arella, in finding the Teen Titans captured by the Wildebeest Society in New Titans #71, upgrading his helmet.

Not long after, Mento becomes the Crimelord and frames Deathstroke for murder but it is revealed that Deathstroke is innocent and Crimelord is the true culprit. At the same time, Crimelord tried to plant nuclear bombs all over the country but he is defeated by a large group of superheroes, namely former and current members of the Teen Titans.

One Year Later

In the One Year Later event in DC, Steve Dayton is revealed to be back on the restored Doom Patrol in Teen Titans #36 and is on a creative streak, furiously writing novels, naming the helmet responsible. He faintly remembers his days as Crimelord and when he was mad but calls them a glitch in the helmet. He has retained his age but is clean shaven again and his costume resembles his original when he first joined the Doom Patrol albeit more colorful.

Seeing the truth as the Chief has been manipulating the whole team and was trying to get Kid Devil into their ranks, Mento takes a stand and shakes off the addiction, removing the helmet which the Chief was using to make him think hazily, and takes the leadership of the Doom Patrol from him. Thinking clearly for the first time in a long time, Mento with the Doom Patrol backing him up, kicks the Chief off the team and threatens the Chief if he ever tries to interfere again. In the process, Mento gets the respect he deserves to be leader.

The New 52

Mento has had a small cameo in the title, Justice League Dark in recreation of a scene from Swamp Thing #50. Mento appears to be in very different, more robotic looking costume than before. It is yet to be known if Mento is still around the New 52 DC universe or his relations with his adopted son, Beast Boy, and the rest of the Doom Patrol still exist from the pre-New 52 universe.

Powers and Abilities

Mento wears a helmet of his own invention. His helmet gives him the abilities of telepathy, psychokinesis, intangibility, and limited mind control. Despite these his helmet giving him these powers they do increase his paranoia and dementia. However he was cured of these negative affects thanks to Raven.

Character Profile

Occupation: Psychologist, head of Dayton Industries, Superhero

Height: 6ft 2in

Weight: 164 lbs.

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Brown

Mento in Other Media

Television

Teen Titans (2003-2006)

Mento along with the original Doom Patrol (except for the Chief) appeared during season 5 of the Teen Titans animated series. On the show he is shown to be the leader of the Doom Patrol. In addition, his adoption of Beast Boy is referenced in the episode. He was voiced by Xander Berkeley.

Episodes:

• Homecoming (Part 1)- September 24, 2005
• Homecoming (Part 2)- October 1, 2005

Justice League Unlimited

Despite Mento not appearing on the show he did get his own figure in the JLU action figure line in style of the show.

Doom Patrol

On the DC streaming show, Doom Patrol, Mento appears as a member of an alternative Doom Patrol made up of superhumans neglected by Niles Caulder.