Parasite (DC)

Parasite is the name of several characters in the DC Universe.

Parasite (Raymond Maxwell Jensen)

Main Article: Raymond Maxwell Jensen

Pre-Crisis

Raymond Maxwell Jensen was a male human who came to work as a menial laborer employed at a research facility, who resented his poor treatment by his employers and had a bad attitude towards honest work. Believing that toxic waste disposal containers were being used to stash employee payrolls, Jensen incautiously opened one and was saturated by the radioactive emissions of unknown substances retrieved from space by Superman for scientific analysis. As a result, Jensen was mutated into a hideously disfigured, purple-skinned creature with a ravenous physiological demand to directly consume extrinsic sources of energy: The Parasite! Jensen began by sapping the life-forces from the scientists at the facility and planned to get revenge on the society whose contemptuous indifference he chafed under. The first step was to absorb power from Superman himself. Having also absorbed Superman's memories, Parasite learned his secret identity as Clark Kent and planned to threaten to expose it in order to keep the Man of Steel at bay as he went on a looting spree through Metropolis. Ultimately, Superman and the Parasite got into a fight of raw brawn, where Parasite had the advantage due to taking energy from Superman every second that the two traded blows. Parasite was unable to reveal Superman's secret identity due to having inadvertently rendered everyone in the vicinity of their battle unconscious with his energy-absorption, and though Parasite was on the verge of beating Superman to death, his body could no longer contain Superman's power and disintegrated into microscopic particles. (Action Comics v1 #340)

Post-Flashpoint

Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.

Parasite (Rudy Jones)

Main Article: Rudy Jones

Origin

Rudolph Jones was a male human who lived in the modern age where he came to be considered a loser by those around him. (Firestorm v2 #58)

There were varying accounts of his life where one stated that he came to get a job as a janitor at S.T.A.R. Labs in Pittsburg where he came upon the idea of stealing and selling the toxic chemicals produced at the site. This led to his exposure to toxic waste that resulted in his transformation into a green-skinned being that fed on energy where he came to be known as the Parasite. (Firestorm v2 #58) Another account showed that he once worked as a janitor at the Daily Bugle where he came to meet newly recruited reporter Clark Kent. (Superman: Secret Origin v1 #3) This was until he won the 'LexCorp Lottery' that was a daily prize held in Metropolis where Lex Luthor would bestow every morning on someone outside his building that guaranteed a life changing tour of his headquarters. Rudy, a short-sighted man, tried to exchange his winning experience for a cash prize instead. Unfortunately, while on the tour, Rudy decided to eat a box of donuts that had been accidentally placed nearby some hazardous waste. Upon ingesting the goop, Jones was transformed into a purple skinned mutant with an insatiable hunger for the life energy of others. With his new powers, Rudy immediately went after Lex Luthor and Lois Lane, who had an interview scheduled at LexCorp that day, but was captured by the new hero Superman. (Superman: Secret Origin v1 #4)

Post-Flashpoint

Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Rudy Jones

Parasite (Alex Allston)

Main Article: Alex Allston

Both him and his sister were kept imprisoned as Ruin transformed them into creatures resembling the Parasite. This saw physiological changes to her body as the siblings lost their hair and began to feel intense hunger. In this time, they were often given captive humans where they fed on their life force in order to sate their hunger. Following the latest feeding, his sisters form changed into a purple skinned Parasite and she shared the stolen life energy with him leading to his own body taking a green-skinned form. (Adventures of Superman v1 #633)

Parasite (Alexandra Allston)

Main Article: Alexandra Allston

Both her and her brother were kept imprisoned as Ruin transformed them into creatures resembling the Parasite. This saw physiological changes to her body as the siblings lost their hair and began to feel intense hunger. In this time, they were often given captive humans where they fed on their life force in order to sate their hunger. Following the latest feeding, her hunger caused her to steal the energy from a captive human. This saw her form changing into a purple skinned Parasite and she shared the stolen life energy with him leading to his own body taking a green-skinned form. (Adventures of Superman v1 #633)

Parasite joined Luthor's Society of supervillains. Luthor used the hero Firestorm and Gehenna to power a top-secret Brazilian site. Firestorm broke loose, and rescued Gehenna from her captivity. The heroes were beset by Black Adam, Parasite, Syonide, and the new Royal Flush Gang. Parasite adored the opportunity to siphon some of Firestorm’s power, and made a pass at him as she was draining him dry. The battle was joined by Queen Bee and the H.I.V.E., but they couldn’t stop Firestorm from blowing up the installation and escaping. (Firestorm v2 #17)

Parasite (Joshua Michael Allen)

Main Article: Joshua Michael Allen

Joshua Michael Allen was a male human who lived in Metropolis where he worked as a bike courier who delivered items around the city. He was noted to had hated the city as all his life people insulted him. One day, an extraterrestrial blob monster was on his route and attacked him where in frustration Allen came to grab onto an electrical cable and stabbed the creature. He lost consciousness and found himself in the hospital with a broken leg after it was revealed that the creature had been killed though he was placed under observation for suffering from an alien flu. In this time, he lost his job because he could not make deliveries with his broken leg with other people putting him down over letting them down. He was then called in for a check-up at S.T.A.R. Labs were during a scan an unknown condition triggered that turned Joshua's skin all purple with inhuman features whilst having an endless hunger that caused him to absorb the energy in other living beings. (Superman v3 #23.4)

Overview

It was also possible to induce the transformation artificially into others causing them to develop the life stealing abilities of Parasite. (Adventures of Superman v1 #633)

It was possible for Parasites to share stolen life energy with one another. (Adventures of Superman v1 #633)

Notes

• The concept of Parasite was created by Jim Shooter and Al Plastino where it made its first appearance in Action Comics v1 #340 (August, 1966).

Alternate Versions

• In Just Imagine: JLA v1 #1 (2002), an alternate version of the Parasite appeared as an inhabitant of the Just Imagine reality that was set on Earth-6 in the Multiverse. This version was Lucinda Radama who was a murderer sentenced to death, until Reverend Darrk saved her, and granted her the power to become the possessive Parasite.
• In JSA: The Unholy Three v1 #1 (2003), an alternate version of the Parasite appeared as an inhabitant of the JSA: The Liberty Files reality in the Multiverse. This version was a former KGB agent who had been working freelance as a contract killer.
• In Superman: Earth One v1 #2 (2012), an alternate version of the Raymond Jensen Parasite appeared as an inhabitant of Earth-1 in the Multiverse. Raymond Jensen was a criminal who would do anything to get what he wanted, including murder. It was revealed that he had been sociopathic since childhood and delighted in killing anyone or anything for pleasure. After an accident at S.T.A.R. Labs, he becomes a serial-killing metahuman with the ability to absorb energy and life force through physical contact and to convert that energy into health and power for himself. This increases his strength, durability, muscle mass, and allows him to project the energy as a weapon. By absorbing Superman's life force, he gains his powers and renders the Man of Steel powerless. Ray's sister Theresa Jensen had believed that her brother was a consultant with a real estate firm, unaware of his status as a murderous criminal until his transformation.
• In Action Comics v1 #1026 (2020), an alternate version Raymond Maxwell Jensen was the Parasite on his Earth in the Multiverse. This version had managed to consume the entirety of Superman and continued to feed on everyone on his planet thus becoming incredibly powerful. This was until he was brought to Prime Earth as a weapon for use by Dr. Glory against Superman if the Man of Steel had cornered him. Once on Earth, the Jensen Parasite battled the Superman Family who managed to deplete him of the excess energy with this causing him to shrink to a small state where the Kryptonians proceeded to place him in a bottle in their care.

In other media

Television

• In Young Justice, the Raymond Jensen Parasite appeared in the setting of the animated television series where he was voiced by actor Adam Baldwin.
• In Harley Quinn, an unidentified non-voiced version of the Parasite appeared in the setting of the animated television series in the episode "L.O.D.R.S.V.P." as a member of the Legion of Doom.
• In My Adventures with Superman, an alternate take on the Parasite appeared in the setting of the animated television series where he was voiced by actor Jake Green. This version was Dr. Anthony Ivo who had developed an advanced suit of battle armor called the Parasite 1.0, which was capable of growing larger and more monstrous in appearance as it absorbed energy.

Films

• In All-Star Superman, a version of the Parasite appeared in the setting of the animated film adaptation where he was voiced by actor Michael Gough.

Video games

• In DC Universe Online, the Rudy Jones Parasite appeared in the setting of the MMORPG video game where he was voiced by actor Robert Faires.
• In Injustice: Gods Among Us, the Rudy Jones Parasite made a cameo appearance in the setting of the fighting video game where he was seen in the background of the Stryker's Island stage.

Appearances

• Action Comics v1: (1966)
• Adventures of Superman v1:
• Superman v3:
• Action Comics v1: (2020)

External Links

• DC Database Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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