Lazarus Lane
Lazarus Lane is a male comic character who features in DC Comics.
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Biography
Pre-Crisis
Lazarus Lane was a dark haired white male born in the late 19th century where he lived in North America. He came to work as a bank teller where he was in the peaceful town of Puerta del Sol in South California. One day, he was at the bank when it was attacked by criminals from the Hanged Mans gang. During the robbery, fear gripped him and he failed to pick a gun to use against the gang with them retaliating as they killed his work colleague Albert. In the aftermath, the townsfolk came to accuse Lazarus of being a coward with Albert's wife Emma blaming him for her husband's death. The weary Lazarus later travelled out of the time looking for advice where at a nearby hacienda he met a shaman called Wise Owl. The Native American had been exiled from his tribe where he said that the Great Spirit had guided him to the land in order to meet with Lazarus. He told Lazarus that the Great Spirit afforded men the opportunity to event accounts with this occurring in mysterious ways. Several weeks later, he was out with his lady love Nora when hey were beset by the gang that killed Albert. They then targeted Lazarus who was prepared to fight back when he was struck by lightning and seemingly struck dead. The gang fled after someone started shooting at them with Nora desperate to save Lazarus. At that moment, Wise Owl arrived who claimed to had been guided by the Great Spirit. Together, they took Lazarus to his house where Nora went to get her father. During that time, Wise Owl began to enact his rituals with strange herbs and root drugs where he was brought back from the dead though he was not entirely alive either. When he was deceased, Lazarus stated that he had experienced a strange dream where he learnt that his soul had been split asunder with him living on borrowed time. He then began to operate as El Diablo and brought justice by targeting criminals. Among the first of his targets was the Hanged Man who was a criminal pronounced guilty by a judge and sentenced to hanging but he survived with his gang saving him. He then proceeded to get revenge on the judge and his family with El Diablo stopping him. Afterwards, he returned to the hacienda where Wise Owl told him that he had to pay back the Great Spirit for what was owed before he could pass away thus leading to Lazarus living a double life as he secretly operated as the masked hero. (All-Star Western v2 #3) El Diablo was later in lower California where he came to help the small farmstead of Noah Johnson that were being preyed upon by hired guns under the employ of a big rancher named Duke Dorrance. Dorrance intended to drive out the farmers in the valley and had his gun drive them out. The masked El Diablo arrived to save them but Johnson's wife was kidnapped in response with Lazarus helping in saving her. (All-Star Western v2 #4)
Post-Crisis
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Lazarus Lane
Lazarus Lane survived for another century, and was placed in an L.A. hospital, pretending to be comatose. His roommate was crimelord Chato Santana, who'd been shot by his own man Jorge. They came to finish him off, and as he lost consciousness he entered the spirit world. Lane revealed himself on the plane as El Diablo, and Chato was like him, too tough to die; offering to pass on the mantle of El Diablo to him. Chato accepted, becoming Hell's hitman, and killing the gang members that tried to kill him before riding off on his demonic horse with Lane. El Diablo woke up back in human form in New Mexico, and Lazarus, appearing as a spirit, told him the curse would direct his mission. Lane told him they were in Sky City, New Mexico, where Vicente de Zaldívar, a conquistador, oppressed the people before becoming a demon and stealing their souls. Lazarus had once clashed with him and lost, and told diablo it was his turn, but the curse clearly wanted him to drag his crippled body there by himself . Once Diablo arrived he regained his powers, and battled Zaldivar, torturing him, and promising to let him go free if he released the souls in his possession. Zaldivar complied, and Diablo blasted him with his hellish guns. Lazarus told him the cruel way he was going about things was not the way of El Diablo, and Diablo asked him why Zaldivar claimed the Diablo's served someone named Chutriel. Diablo said he wanted revenge on Agent Aaron, the man who arrested him, and Lazarus objected that the curse would not allow him vengeance. Diablo ignored him, and located Aaron in the office of federal prosecutor, who had been murdered by the demonic entity called Vorpal. Vorpal told him the curse of El Diablo was his by right before fleeing. Diablo tried to kill Aaron, but the curse would not let him. Aaron believed Diablo when he said he was Hell's hitman, and revealed that Jorge was an undercover officer gone rogue, and was operating out of Mexico City. (El Diablo v2 #2)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
Overview
Personality and attributes
Upon being resurrected, he set forth fighting crimes where he took the name of El Diablo. (All-Star Western v2 #3)
After being struck by lightning, he said that he felt that his soul had been split asunder where he became two men living in a single body. Lazarus was thus the husk of a man to maintain his public life but beneath that was a Devil of a man. It was this Devil that had tasks to complete before Lazarus could finally take the eternal rest that was owed to him. (All-Star Western v2 #3)
In life, Lazarus was noted to have had a lady love by the name of Nora Hayes. (All-Star Western v2 #3)
Powers and abilities
Upon being struck by lightning, Lazarus was noted to had been dead but the strange herbs and root drugs used by Wise Owl brought him back to life. (All-Star Western v2 #3)
He had a talent for disappearing like a shadow without others seeing him depart. (All-Star Western v2 #4)
El Diablo was known to ride a horse that he named Sombra. (All-Star Western v2 #4)
Notes
- Lazarus Lane was created by Robert Kanigher and Tony DeZuniga where he made his first appearance in All-Star Western v2 #2 (November, 1970).
In other media
Television
- In Justice League Unlimited, the Lazarus Lane El Diablo appeared in the animated television series set in the DC Animated Universe where he was in the episode "The Once and Future Thing" with him being voiced by actor Nestor Carbonell.
Appearances
- All-Star Western v2: (1970)
- El Diablo v3:
External Links
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