Evil Elementals: Elemental Enemies of the Flash

As infants, Albert Desmond and John Sargent were each exposed to a powerful ruby which gave them mastery over the elements as adults. Both men flirted with good and evil in their costumed careers, each encountering the Flash.

As a scientist with criminal leanings, Albert devised an elemental gun which could transmute objects, and used this as the sinister mastermind known as Mister Element. Taking Central City of Earth-One by storm with his criminal gang, he faced the town's new hero the Flash. Despite quick thinking and awesome adaptability, Mister Element was no match for his fleet footed foe.

Soon after, Desmond discovered the Philosopher's Stone which gave him even greater abilities as Doctor Alchemy. After a rematch with Flash, he joined fellow villains of Earths One and Two to form the Crime Champions, battling the Justice League and Justice Society.  The Earth-Two Stone was first claimed by the criminal Slicer and later by Professor Zobar Zodiak. Slicer was his world's version of Albert's evil cousin Alvin, who also used the stone.

As a stage performer with heroic aspirations, John Sargent utilized his ruby of life to control matter to become the caped crusader known as Sargon. Travelling across America and to other countries on his native Earth-Two, Sargon battled a variety of foes. Using his quick thinking along with with adaptable abilities, he even earned a spot on the All-Star Squadron, working alongside the golden age Flash.

Unlike Desmond, who had his wife Rita to stabilize him with her love to become a law-abiding citizen, Sargent left the woman in his life, Flora Styles, who had been his moral compass when he eventually moved to Earth-One for a a few decades and turned evil.

In fact, an adverse influence to each of them was Eubard Thawne, also known as Professor Zoom or the Reverse Flash. Zoom brainwashed Desmond into resuming his Mister Element alias on two occasions, to further Thawne's own scientific research. Later, Sargon enlisted the aid of Zoom to assist him in learning the secrets of time travel.

Just as there were twin rubies on Sargon's world, so too they existed on Element's world. The one known as the dragon's eye ruby ring was owned by Desmond since his youth, just as Sargon's ruby was a childhood inheritance.The other Earth-Two ruby ring was possessed by police detective Jim Corrigan, and for a time by a common criminal, while the other Earth-One ruby ring was possessed by Latin America dictator Pedro Valdez. 

In fact, the rubies that Desmond and Sargent each owned were temporarily claimed by actor "Brick" Ford and Jerry "the Gyp" Swain, immediately after Albert was cured of his ruby's influence )thanks to Flash's help), and John's ruby was stolen from his apartment. Each ruby teleported to those "in need" of them after the former owner no longer had use of them. Eventually, one of the Earth-One rubies was destroyed by Wonder Woman, and Sargon's Earth-Two ruby returned with him there during the Crisis on Infinite Earths.