This page is the second Dr. Mid-Nite, Beth Chapel, Doctor Midnight.

For the original Dr. Mid-Nite, see: Charles McNider.

For the the current Dr. Mid-Nite, see: Pieter Cross.

Origin

Dr. Beth Chapel is the only daughter of a minister in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Her father is a pastor and her mother sings in the church choir. Chapel has four brothers: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Studying medicine, Chapel entered an internship in California and was taken under the wing of famed surgeon Dr. Charles McNider. McNider believed that Chapel had potential to perhaps be the most talented surgeon he had met in his career.

Creation

Dr. Midnight was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Todd McFarlane. Chapel was originally introduced in (Pre-Crisis) Earth-2. After Crisis on Infinite Earths much of her origin remained intact in the (Post-Crisis) New Earth continuity.

Character Evolution

Her mentor, Dr. Charles McNider, was actually the wartime hero once calling himself Dr. Mid-Nite. During the Crisis on Infinite Earths, an earthquake wracked the hospital where Beth worked. While trying to rescue her patients, she was blinded by an oxygen explosion. Dr. McNider took it upon himself to operate on her. Since he couldn’t restore normal vision McNider and a team of fellow physicians gave Chapel Hi-tech ocular implants causing a connection to her pineal gland, allowing to partially restore her vision. Although her eyes became too sensitive for normal light, Chapel developed extremely sharp vision in total darkness.

She was than surprised to find out that her mentor, McNider, revealed himself as Dr. Mid-Nite. On that encounter McNider inspired Chapel to look at her misfortune as a unique gift. She then met Rick Tyler the son of the original Hour-Man, and discovered she could see in darkness while fighting some of the Anti-Monitor's shadow demons.

Chapel than fashioned a set of special goggles, a set of "blackout bombs" grenades, and her mother crafts her daughter's hero costume from a choir robe. Chapel dawns the costume to become the new Dr. Midnight, and joined with the new Hour-Man, petitioned to join Infinity Inc. Only briefly adventuring with the group, and being the in house physician, Chapel served as a dedicated member of Infinity Inc. Chapel formed a close friendship with the flamboyant Yolanda Montez, Wildcat II, becoming a constant influence in Yolanda's life. Chapel also formed a brief but close romance with Hour-Man, helping him with his fears of the addictive properties of the Miraclo drug his father had created. As time went on the group formally disbanded, mostly due to their disillusionment after their founder Skyman's death.

All the members went their own ways but Yolanda and Chapel continued to have close relations. Chapel would later find herself joining Amanda Waller's secret team of meta-humans called the Shadow Fighters. Along with Wildcat II, Commander Steel, Manhunter III, and Major Victory, Chapel agreed to the mission to search and capture Eclipso. However the assignment went awry and Wildcat went ahead of the team, Chapel followed and also got separated from the rest of the group. When Chapel found Wildcat who was seriously injured and bleeding to death. Sadly she was killed mercilessly by Eclipso after begging him to allow her to operate on the dying Wildcat.

Major Story Arcs

During the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Chapel tried to rescue her patients from an unexpected earthquake that stroked the Sunset Medical Center. Chapel was blinded by an explosion from several oxygen tanks and nearly got herself killed by her heroic acts.

Doomsday Clock and Infinite Frontier

After Dr. Manhattan fixed the history he altered previously, the Justice Society returned to existence. Beth was among them with a costume similar to Doctor Mid-nite, as it seemed that somehow Dr. Manhattan's actions undone Beth's death by the hands of Eclipso.

Powers & Abilities

Super Sight

When Doctor Beth Chapel went through her ocular operation she received the special ability to see perfectly in total or near darkness.

Unarmed Combat

Chapel is a skilled acrobat and unarmed combatant, having practiced with a myriad of meta-human comrades in arms.

Skills

She also had a Doctrine in medicine and had been an accomplished surgeon, rivaling McNider himself in her capacity to take on the most complex of operations.

Equipment

Infrared Lenses used to see in the light. Dr. Midnight used "blackout bombs" which release pitch-black gas that blind villains and allow Chapel to see.

Weaknesses

She was able to perceive her surroundings as if it were daylight, however she was unable to see in the light and in effect blind by day.

Physical Characteristics

Height: 5'8"

Weight: 118 lbs.

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Black

Other Versions

Earth-2(Post-52)

Little is known thus far about the female Dr. Midnight of Earth-2 save that she is a current member of the Justice Society Infinity of her source Earth and that she currently serves as the team's official medical officer and specialist.

Chapel was the person who confirmed that Kara Zor-L of Earth-Two/New Earth is not the missing Power Girl native to Earth-2, but a completely separate person. It could possibly be that this Dr.Beth Chapel has obtained the same origins as the other Chapel from Earth-2.

Other Media

Live Action

Beth makes her live action debut in the Stargirl TV-show. Like Rick Tyler and Yolanda Montez, she is depicted as a teenager and a student of Blue Valley High School, where the three of them are outcast and start befriending Courtney Whitmore. Unlike the comics, Beth is not blind here, and uses Charles McNider's googles. These googles have an artificial intelligence called Chuck, which allows her to see in the darkness and access to all kind of information.