Brother Blood

Brother Blood

Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance (1980s)
New Teen Titans vol. 1, #21 (1982)
(2000s)
Outsiders vol. 3, #6 (January 2004)
Created by Marv Wolfman
George Pérez
In-story information
Full name (2000s & 1980s)
Sebastian Blood*
Team affiliations (Both)
Church of Blood
(2000s)
Secret Society of Super Villains
Abilities

(1980s)
Hypnosis
Sorcery
Longevity
Immunity to Raven's soul-self

(2000s)
Vampirism
Enhanced Strength
Adept hand-to-hand combatant

Brother Blood is the name of two fictional comic book characters in the DC Comics universe.

Publication history

The first Brother Blood debuted in New Teen Titans vol. 1 #21(1982), and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.[1]

Fictional character biography

First Blood

The first Brother Blood encountered by the Titans was the eighth to bear the title. Seven hundred years earlier, a priest in the fictional nation of Zandia named Brother Sebastian killed another priest to gain possession of what he believed to be Christ's prayer shawl. The shawl gave him invulnerability and reduced his aging, but the priest he killed cursed him to be slain by his son before his hundredth birthday. Upon doing so, his son became the second Brother Blood. He, in turn was killed by his son, and this continued for seven centuries.[1]

The eighth Brother Blood was, seemingly, the first who wished to extend the Church of Blood beyond Zandia. He wanted the Church to be a world power. The Church of Blood began operating in America, and the Titans were called to investigate when an ex-girlfriend of Cyborg attempted to escape this cult. Because of the Church of Blood's influence, the Titans found moving against him difficult, especially when public opinion was turned against them by Bethany Snow, a reporter who was a member of the Church.

Brother Blood brainwashed Nightwing and attempted to take control of Raven's power. She defeated him, and his mind was seemingly destroyed.[2] Brother Blood's wife, Mother Mayhem, later birthed a girl, suggesting the curse was over.

Second Blood

The second Brother Blood.
Art by Tony Daniel.

Some time later, in Outsiders (vol. 3), Brother Blood returned to villainy.[3] Shortly after recreating his cult, he was killed by a young boy, Sebastian, claiming to be the new Brother Blood.[4] This version reappeared in Teen Titans vol. 3.

This teenaged Brother Blood seemingly based all his decisions on advice from Mother Mayhem, but this was actually a female cultist chosen at random and killed if the advice was not what he wanted to hear. He also exhibited vampiric abilities.

He revealed that the Cult of Blood was based on the worship of Trigon the Terrible. It was for this reason that the new Bride of Blood was to be Raven. The Titans were able to save Raven, but the Church of Blood continued. Brother Blood later appeared in Teen Titans #30 a member of Alexander Luthor, Jr.'s Secret Society of Super Villains, where he claimed an undead Lilith Clay to be his mother. He also summoned the first Hawk and Dove, Phantasm, Kole, and Aquagirl from the dead to be his own Teen Titans. Brother Blood was stopped by Kid Eternity and sent to the eighth level of Hell, but not before he summoned the past Brother Bloods, all of which took out their anger and hatred on Sebastian.

In the aftermath of the "Reign In Hell" miniseries, Blood, now an adult, escaped from his incarceration, and was opposed by Kid Eternity. The fight between the two brought them to Titans Tower, where Blood fought the Titans. After draining Red Devil's powers, Blood realised that he had tainted himself with Neron's influence, and fled the battle. He was later seen approaching an unknown woman, looking to make her his new Mother.[5]

Some time later, the Secret Six were hired to infiltrate one of Blood's cults and rescue a wealthy teenager who had been forced into the group against his will. After the team's cover was blown, they proceeded to kill a number of the church's members and ultimately destroy their compound.[6]

The New 52

The Cult of Blood (once again as Trigon's pawns) makes their post-Flashpoint debut in issue one of the Phantom Stranger, as a part of the Third Wave of The New 52 reboot of the DC Comics universe.[7] Brother Blood himself appears in Ravagers.[8] Blood kidnaps the team intending to use Beast Boy's powers in a ritual to travel in The Red's dimension. The Ravagers manage to interrupt the ritual as Terra buries him alive.[9] He survives and returns in Animal Man, where it is revealed his obsession with The Red came from being their first option for champion before Buddy Baker was chosen.[10]

Powers and abilities

The first Blood is a formidable opponent who is backed by a massive number of fanatical followers. He is an expert manipulator who feeds off of the faith of his members. He ages at a much slower rate than normal humans. Brother Blood is immune to Raven's soul-self due to his shawl's powers. He is also nigh invulnerable and has supernatural physical strength.

The second Blood's powers work in a manner similar to those of a vampire: he gains strength from blood, and can take on the abilities of anyone whose blood he has sampled. Like the first Blood, he is backed by a massive number of fanatical followers.

Other versions

Flashpoint

In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Brother Blood is mentioned by his former student, Jason Todd, as being a developing drug lord.[11]

In other media

Television

Animated

Brother Blood as he appears in the Teen Titans animated series.

Live action

However, in the tie-in comic book Arrow 2.5, issue #2, Brother Blood is shown to be very much alive and leading his newly founded Church of Blood. Though it is not known whether or not this is actually Sebastian. In issue #3, it is revealed that Clinton Hogue, Sebastian's aid, has taken up his moniker and is now the man under the skull mask. In issue #4, it is revealed, through flashbacks, that Hogue is a devout theologian and humbly serves an unnamed deity. Later, Hogue is shown to be present when Sebastian is murdered, believing his death to be a sign that the mantle now belonged to him. In the present, he has a profiler draw up sketches of the two people responsible for his capture and interrogation, John Diggle and Felicity Smoak. He currently is holding Felicity captive.[13]

Video games

References

  1. 1 2 Greenberger, Robert (2008). "Brother Blood". In Dougall, Alastair. The DC Comics Encyclopedia. London: Dorling Kindersley. p. 62. ISBN 0-7566-4119-5.
  2. Teen Titans vol. 2 #31
  3. Outsiders (vol. 3) #4 (November 2003)
  4. Outsiders (vol. 3) #6 (January 2004)
  5. Teen Titans (vol. 3) #67
  6. Secret Six (vol. 3) #19
  7. Phantom Stranger #1
  8. Ravagers Vol 1 #3 (September 2012)
  9. Ravagers Vol 1 #4 (October 2012)
  10. Animal Man Vol 2 #23 (October 2013)
  11. Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint #2 (July 2011)
  12. Teen Titans: Characters
  13. Zalben, Alex (September 1, 2014). "‘Arrow’ Producers Reveal Huge Secrets In ‘Season 2.5′". MTV. Retrieved September 11, 2014.

External links

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