Doom Patrol: What to know about this week’s ending scene

In the last few moments of episode 3, Doom Patrol got even weirder, and we’re here to talk about it.

WARNING: We get into some spoilers about a certain character, so if you haven’t watched “Puppet Patrol”, steer clear of this article.

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We’re talking celery. We’re talking dinosaurs. We’re talking lead. We’re talking Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man or AVM Man for short… for obvious reasons. As Doom Patrol‘s episode 3, “Puppet Patrol,” came to a close, we found out that Steve transformed into one of Doom Patrol‘s more bizarre enemies.

Aside from his unnecessarily long name, we can’t fault AVM Man for choosing a straightforward and descriptive alias. As his villainous moniker suggests, AVM Man has the power to transmute into any animal, plant, or mineral. Given his interdimensional-borne abilities, he can also transform into any deceased or interdimensional material. Hence, the extra velociraptor head, which also pays homage to his comic book design.

You might be able to see the merit behind AVM Man’s abilities to turn into a sentient and deadly plant or any animal. However, if you think transforming into a mineral is a useless ability, then you’re wrong — and Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man has the comic book resume to prove it.

Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man in Doom Patrol (2001) #20. Photo Credit: DC Comics.

He artfully transforms into a Larry-sized lead crystal to stop Negative Spirit from reprimanding him. Granted, the various Doom Patrol runs also show that, despite AVM Man’s cunning approach to transmutation, his meta-human powers still aren’t much of a match for the Doom Patrol team.

Admittedly, AVM Man is sparsely sprinkled throughout Doom Patrol and The Ravagers comics; however, he’s a wacky on-brand addition to the Doom Patrol. That’s right, the walking half-dino is a member of the Brotherhood of Evil, which means his debut on the DC Universe show could mean the rest of the Brotherhood of Evil could appear on the series. Despite his villainous alignment, he’s actually critical to Doom Patrol lore — and it’s canonically just as weird as his existence.

Sure, AVM Man might not be the most recurrent villain, nor does he have the strongest vendetta against the team of outcast heroes. But he’s arguably the weirdest. In fact, his issue with the Doom Patrol team is potentially weirder than his powers.

First introduced in Doom Patrol (1964) #89, a case of mistaken identity sparked his ongoing quarrel with the tragic team of heroes. See, AVM Man thought Niles Caulder stole some vital technology from him. After he failed to take down the team, he naturally adapted a newfound hatred of the team. Who would’ve thought a mistaken identity would lead to several decades of villainous archrivalry, which is definitely an interesting career shift for the former biologist-turned-changling.

Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man in Doom Patrol (1964) #95. Photo Credit: DC Comics.

Though the Brotherhood of Evil often uses AVM Man and his overwhelmingly destructive abilities to coax Niles Caulder and the Doom Patrol team out of their elusive residence, his pawn-like job within the Brotherhood of Evil is noteworthy. He is implicitly a signifying sign that the Brotherhood of Evil is nearby. Since the team of villains uses AVM Man to draw Niles and the team out, his future cameos in the Doom Patrol show can act as a warning. (Or at least some intense foreshadowing for the viewers.)

Particularly in his more recent comic book cameos, AVM Man’s pre-prison confessionals also lead the team to question their leader, Niles Caulder, and his intentions. Though AVM Man has menacing moments of his own, he isn’t the only person to question the Chief because, as we’ll find out on the DC Universe series, Niles Caulder isn’t always a benevolent hero.

Any inquiries his on-screen counterpart might cause are necessary for Doom Patrol‘s development (plot and team in included).

Considering his origin on the Doom Patrol series, Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man is more than happy to be an interdimensional meta-human creation just like his comic counterpart, so we can also assume he might be more than happy to become a soon-to-be supervillain in an even more villainous crime syndicate — especially with that closing maniacal laugh.