Deadman (DC)

Latest revision as of 06:33, 3 June 2023

Deadman is a male comic superhero who features in DC Comics.

Biography

Origin

Boston Brand

So he could search for his murderer and obtain justice, the Hindu goddess, Rama Kushna, gave his spirit the power to possess any living being. While he was searching for his killer, he felt obliged to help others. He used his power to alter circumstances that benefited the innocent and corrected any wrongdoing. (Strange Adventures v1 #205)

Some time later, Deadman was hypnotized and forced to attack Batman. Deadman started possessing people and attacking Batman with their bodies. After releasing Deadman from the hypnosis, Batman learned that the responsible behind it was Sensei, who planned on destroying Nanda Parbat. Batman and Deadman went there and defeated the Sensei, and Deadman learned that he could become physical in Nanda Parbat. (The Brave and the Bold v1 #86)

Some time later, Deadman teamed-up with the Dark Knight again in order to dismantle a criminal operation that provided criminals new identities to prevent being captured. During the mission, Deadman fell in love with the leader of the criminal organization and he had to kill her to save Batman's life. (The Brave and the Bold v1 #104)

Deadman also assisted Batman on the capture of the Boomerang Killer, but afterwards, Deadman took possession of the body of Thomas Wayne, Jr., who was Batman's lost brother. (World's Finest v1 #223) Deadman used Thomas body to become a professional circus performer as he was while he was alive, but he was eventually forced to leave Thomas' body in order to help Batman and Superman capture a gang of smugglers. It was then that Thomas sacrificed himself to save Batman's life, leaving Deadman without a body to inhabit once again. (World's Finest v1 #227)

Deadman still blamed himself for the death of Abraham Gold, and in a fury he told Rama Kushna that he wanted to quit. She thought he was being ungrateful and short-sighted, not seeing that Gold’s death redeemed the life of his son. She promised him the final rest he desired on one condition, which she did not name. She transported him to Metropolis during an earthquake, and after watching Superman minimalize the damage Deadman wanted to know what was going on. Alex Atley confronted Superman, and begged him to take him to S.T.A.R. Labs, saying he was the cause of the earthquake. Atley had been on the government project Earth-Heart, which bored into the center of the earth, and when he began having heart attacks he invented the Cardialink, a two-part mechanism, one implanted in his chest, and one implanted in the earth’s core, that was supposed to synchronize his heartbeat with the earth’s pulse, Unfortunately the Cardialink backfired, and his erratic heart was causing worldwide earthquakes. S.T.A.R. Labs Dr. Klyburn set him up with a pacemaker to prevent any more catastrophies. Superman figured the city was safe, and flew off, but Deadman got suspicious when Atley’s daughter and her boyfriend Dennis visited and Dennis seemed a bit too interested. He followed Dennis, who told mob figure Mr. Genarian about the Cardialink. Generian was near death, and would do anything to prolong his life, and Dennis just wanted to make extra cash. Genarian’s men recklessly unhooked Atley from his pacemaker, causing another earthquake, but they lost their motivation when Genarian got overexcited and passed away. Deadman found Superman, and possessed him to bring the situation to his attention. Deadman entered Atley, and Death confronted him, but they battled on the astral plane, and Death backed off. Superman dug to the center of the earth for the other half of the Cardialink, and turned it off with Atley’s help. He promised to perform super-surgery to make Atley healthy again. Deadman told Rama Kushna he no longer had any intention of quitting, because he’d fought death, saved a life, and lived to tell the tale. (DC Comics Presents v1 #24)

Later on, Deadman joined Swamp Thing, the Spectre and other in a journey to Hell. They attempt to defeat ultimate Evil as it rose from its slumber. The battle ended, at best, as a stalemate when the Shadow Creature merged with God. (Swamp Thing v2 #50) Phantom Stranger and Deadman guided Swamp Thing on the path from the Afterlife back to Earth. (Swamp Thing v2 #51) Afterwards, Deadman attended a memorial service at Gotham City for the seemingly deceased Swamp Thing, and told Abby Arcane that he didn’t think Swamp Thing was dead because he had not seen him anywhere in the afterlife. (Swamp Thing v2 #55)

Post-Flashpoint

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

Overview

Personality and attributes

Brand had said that he was never good in math and had spent most of high school in remedial math. (Reign in Hell v1 #4)

Powers and abilities

At one point, he came to be part of a makeshift Seven Soldiers of Victory that he formed to help the Justice League. (Silver Age: Showcase v1 #1)

Notes

• Deadman was created by Arnold Drake and Carmine Infantino where he made his first appearance in Strange Adventures v1 #205 (October, 1967).

Alternate Versions

In other media

Television

• In Justice League Unlimited, Deadman appeared in the setting of the animated television series set in the DC Animated Universe where he was voiced by actor Raphael Sbarge.
• In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Deadman appeared in the setting of the animated television series where he was voiced by actor Michael Rosenbaum.

Films

• In Justice League Dark, Deadman appeared in the setting of the animated film where he was voiced by actor Nicholas Turturro.

Video games

Appearances

• Strange Adventures v1: (1967)
• Brightest Day v1:
• Justice League Dark v1:
• Trinity v2:

External Links

• DC Database Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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