By October Martin The story of Larry Trainor on DC Universe’s Doom Patrol is an intricate one. There are many terms that can be used to describe this character - gay, disabled, traumatized, to name a few - but, although they are important labels, he is much more complex than that. Larry is a character that has suffered because of several aspects of his identity; though he eventually begins a journey of self acceptance near the end of the first season, it is explicitly stated that he has been struggling with himself for six decades. He’s been through sixty years of self-hatred and difficulties with the very concept of identity. Even with the appearance of several opportunities for self exploration, both shown in flashbacks and in the present era of the show, Larry reverted to what is arguably the only defense mechanism he knows: isolation. It is not a stretch to say that Larry is very familiar with isolation. It is mentioned by both Larry’s wife and agents in the ANT Farm that Larry has been through several military transfers before settling in California in the 1960s. Though these transfers are never explicitly explained, they are always mentioned in reference to Larry’s relationship with his lover, John Bowers, and in reference to how Larry struggles with “being normal” -- in other words, the implication that these transfers were requested because others were close to figuring out Larry’s secret. In the second episode of the show, after the town of Cloverton, Ohio is swallowed by Mr. Nobody’s donkey, Cliff Steele asks Larry, “You’re kidding me, you’re gonna run again?” The usage of the word “again” here is particularly interesting, implying that he either knows more about Larry’s pre-accident life than the audience is shown, or that he’s performed similar acts perceived to be cowardly during the time that they’ve known each other. Larry replies with, “As far away from here as possible”. Later, he follows through with the statement, visiting a bus station and asking for a ticket to “the single most remote place” he can get to from the next bus. The Negative Spirit refuses to let him leave. It refuses to let him isolate himself even more. One must take a second to think about what Larry’s plans were for his life after he reached his destination. Where would he live? How would he live? He would be without the Manor’s radioactivity-containing bedroom. He would never be able to take his bandages off. The point is that Larry very obviously did not consider these factors and was motivated by one, singular desire: to turn away from society because he views himself as reprehensible. As the Negative Spirit forces Larry to stay in Cloverton, and helps him later in the show as well, it’s important to discuss their relationship and what the Negative Spirit represents for Larry. The Negative Spirit merges with Larry on what is arguably the most important day of his career, and the Negative Spirit, most likely unintentionally, isolates Larry even further by making him fatally radioactive as a result of the event that tied them together. This made his wife finally decide to leave him, and forced Larry to make a decision as well regarding John. He tells John to leave him. The Negative Spirit’s impact on his body is also what sparked his capture by the Bureau of Normalcy. In short, the Negative Spirit represents everything Larry hates about himself. Before the Spirit, he felt that he could not control himself because of his sexuality, and after merging with the Negative Spirit, that feeling (in a more general sense) became a reality in every way possible; his life no longer belonged wholly to him, despite the fact that it had not belonged to him in a very long time. Before the Spirit, his life was a prisoner of his own self-hatred. The Negative Spirit and his inability to control its actions became an outlet for those insecurities. The Negative Spirit described living in Larry’s body as torture because of Larry’s constant agony. He refuses to let himself breathe. He refuses to view the Negative Spirit as anything other than a hindrance, reflecting his view of his sexuality. If the Negative Spirit wasn’t there, his life would be easier. Similarly, if he wasn’t gay, his life would be easier. It’s important to note that the first time Larry sees the Negative Spirit, it is trying to protect him from the Bureau of Normalcy’s physical torture. Although it is an unpredictable being, it usually seems to have Larry’s best interest in mind, even if Larry doesn’t know that it’s his best interest; making him stay in Cloverton and fight for the town, saving Larry and everyone else from Mr. Nobody’s torture in episode two (only after Mr. Nobody digs up Larry’s past, which is also interesting), helping them fight the Nurnheim minions, helping end Mento’s psychic projections, helping free the others captured in the ANT Farm, helping reunite Larry and John, and eventually saving Larry’s life, even at Larry’s insistence that the Negative Spirit should let him die so it can be free. It seems to be angered by Larry mistreating it, breaking Larry’s bus after he calls it a “soul-sucking parasite”. They seem to have very different perceptions of one another. The Negative Spirit is also a catalyst in Larry’s acceptance of his identity. It somehow manages to connect Larry’s dreams with a dying present day John’s dreams, as seen in episode eleven. In one of the first few dreams in which they are connected, Larry eventually admits the trauma that surrounded him growing up and in the military because of his sexuality, and John commends him for finally coming to terms with it. He only does this after the Negative Spirit constantly readjusts his dreams to make them reflect the reality of Larry’s meetings with John in the past; essentially the Spirit drives him to this confession. It is always somewhat forceful in its motivation to make Larry’s self-torture diminish, but without a bit of force, it is clear that Larry would never be able to do it on his own. The Spirit’s presence is a blessing in that way; it is only because of the Spirit that Larry begins to accept himself. In episode eleven, the Spirit inspires Larry to visit John Bowers, who is now on his deathbed. This is when Larry also begins to accept the Negative Spirit as a crucial aspect of his current identity. Their reunion is incredibly tender, but John passes away as Larry begins to discuss his relationship with the Negative Spirit - in a positive way. “I wouldn’t say we’re friends, but there’s definitely a connection there.” Larry’s demeanor seems to change after this moment, and even more so as he attempts to sacrifice himself for the Negative Spirit’s freedom two episodes later. After learning the Chief’s secret - that he caused all of the accidents, including Larry’s - he is shown working with the Negative Spirit, trying to find a way for it to be outside of his body while he remains conscious. In episode fifteen, we see that they achieved twenty seconds of healthy separation. Larry also seems considerably happier in this episode; waking Rita up with “morning, dear”, helping her make food, and seeming genuinely excited when he realizes how long they were able to be separated. The Negative Spirit’s growing relationship with Larry finally let Larry exhale. He’s finally beginning to accept himself for who he is - a gay man. He’s working through his trauma. He is on a path to believing there is good in the world for him. Maybe, in the next season, he’ll even call himself ‘gay’. October MartinOctober Martin is a poet, author, and aspiring screenwriter living in Phoenix, Arizona. He likes science fiction, drinking too much coffee, and superheroes. @OctoberSMartin
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