Peter Merkel
Peter Merkel is a male comic character who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Golden Age
Peter Merkel
Silver Age
On Earth-Two, he targeted a commercial bank at Keystone City where he hid himself in a box that was delivered to the manager. Once inside, he used his gun to take the bank manager and other attendees as hostages. A security guard managed to use a distraction to attempt to shoot Rag Doll but he evaded the shot and killed the man. He then fled the bank with some of the money where he was greeted by the Monocle who offered him a getaway car. The pair managed to escape the authorities with the aid of the Psycho-Pirate who used his powers to cause the chasing police cars to turn away in horror. He was then taken alongside of supervillains to a mountainside top in Nepal where he was brought into the Secret Society of Super Villains that was being assembled by Ultra-Humanite. (Justice League of America v1 #195)
Modern
Following the Crisis of Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
He lived in a remote area with his cult of followers when he was approached by his old team mates in the Injustice Society who recruited him for a job. (JSA Classified v1 #5)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
Overview
Personality and attributes
After falling into crime, he decided to name himself the Rag Doll on account of the gimmick he used when he became a supervillain. His supervillain costume came when he conducted his first crime when he decided to disguise himself as a rag doll in order to hide within a department store to rob it after it closed its doors. (Flash Comics v1 #36)
Rag Doll was said to be fiendishly clever and the perfect actor. As a criminal, he was noted to had been skilled in his endeavours. (Flash Comics v1 #36)
It was said that Rag Doll believed that the world owed him a living and it was up to him to collect this debt. (Flash Comics v1 #36)
Some people were said to not like working with Rag Doll as he was too unpredictable. Despite this, it was known that he was committed to his craft. Though he was noted to favour comfort over adventure. (JSA Classified v1 #5)
After quickly making a name for himself, he developed a reputation that led to criminals wanting to work with him. In fact, he was regarded as the one criminal capable of defeating the Flash and that one should trust him as he never failed in his goals. (Flash Comics v1 #36)
To his subordinates, he used force to make them comply with his orders as he reminded them that he was running their operations. (Flash Comics v1 #36)
He stated that he had many children over the years. (JSA Classified v1 #5)
He was noted to had also used the Rag Doll identity with Peter Merkel Senior and his son usually keeping a distance from one another. (JSA Classified v1 #5)
It was said that he wished for another son but instead gained a daughter who he named Alex. She went by the name of Junior who was said to had been beautiful with everyone commenting on this fact. However, Alex felt that she was ugly like her brother and father leading to her disfiguring herself in order to bring it out in the open. Her childhood had greatly impacted on her psyche to the point that she was considered mad though Junior herself said she simply wanted to do to others what was done to her and film it. (Secret Six v3 #6) It was said that Peter Merkel Senior had always liked his child Junior best. (Secret Six v3 #5)
Powers and abilities
Peter Merkel was a human being born with a triple-jointed frame where he came to be a skilled contortionist. With this ability, he could twist himself into any position. He had such control over his fingers that he could use them to open a locked safe. He claimed that there was no place he could not crawl into with his hands and fingers. It also made it possible for him to slip away from a person attempting to tie him up. Through his talent, he was able to make himself appear as a life-sized rag doll. (Flash Comics v1 #36)
He was able to shift parts of his body to avoid a gunshot. (Justice League of America v1 #195)
It was his talents that allowed him to initially work as a performer where he used his skills as a contortionist and eccentric dancer with him working in the circus business. (Flash Comics v1 #36)
As a supervillain, he wore a special costume that was modelled on a life-sized rag doll. Part of it included well-padded feet which allowed him to silently sneak up on a person without making a sound. (Flash Comics v1 #36)
Rag Doll though was noted for his intelligence that made him a dangerous criminal. (Flash Comics v1 #36)
Notes
- The Peter Merkel Rag Doll was created by Gardner Fox and Lou Ferstadt where he made his first appearance in Flash Comics v1 #36 (December, 1942).
In other media
Television
- In The Batman, an unidentified Rag Doll appeared in the setting of the animated television series where he was voiced by actor Jeff Bennett.
Appearances
- Flash Comics v1: (1942)
- JSA Classified v1:
External Links
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