Adrian Burroughs AKA The Pupil

Adrian Burroughs is a non-powered sociopath with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Because of this quest, he calls himself "The Pupil". Formerly a student advisor at Columbus University, he was fired when it was discovered that he was asking "very inappropriate questions" of his advisees.

Shortly after his dismissal, Adrian's hunger for knowledge was recognized by a mysterious villain who hired him to learn all he could about Firestorm. This benefactor lent Adrian his "dollies", which were cybernetic assistants capable of many things, including subduing heroes that might stand in his way. This partner also provided advanced technology such as mind probes.

To accomplish his goal, Adrian kidnapped Martin Stein and tortured him for several weeks to extract information from him. He also spied on Firestorm and tried to capture Jason and Lorraine, but his attempt failed.

Jason and Lorraine's search for Martin finally led them to The Pupil's research center in an abandoned building on campus. They seemingly arrived too late to help Martin, however, as Adrian's torture had taken its toll and Stein was dead. The heroes managed to fight off Adrian's army of dollies and revive Martin, but not before Adrian could make his escape. He left without completing his research on Firestorm, so there's little doubt that he'll keep trying.

Character Milestones
First Appearance: Firestorm vol. 3 #25
Killed (albeit temporarily) Martin Stein: Firestorm vol. 3 #26