Obeah Man
From Batman Wiki
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| The Obeah Man | |
| Real name: | Unknown |
| First Appearance: | Detective Comics #618 (late July 1990) |
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Created by: | Alan Grant |
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Affiliations: | Caribbean Economic Front |
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Abilities: | Voodoo expert and black magician. Expert manipulator. |
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Portrayed by: | None |
The Obeah Man was a criminal who murdered Janet Drake and crippled Jack Drake.
[edit] Character History
The Obeah Man was a mighty Haitian criminal and alleged black magician ("obeah" is a voodoo word meaning, approximately, "black magic") who kidnapped the parents of Tim Drake (a.k.a. Robin III) and demanded a ransom from their company,posing as the front man for the ‘Caribbean Economic Front’.The Obeah Man demands a ransom from Drake Industries for the couple’s safe return. He then brutally murders one of the Drake’s friends with a knife on tape to prove he means business. Batman soon got a call from Commissioner James Gordon. Together, they reviewed the execution tape mailed in by the Obeah Man. Gordon allowed Batman to take the original tape to the Batcave for further study. Batman enhances the tape and spots a jar with a giant carnivorous centipede inside.He researched the insect to establish its natural habitat (and, therefore, the location of the Drakes).He also discovered that they were kept often by voodoo cult leaders,thus correctly deducing that the person holding the Drakes was a cult leader. Gordon called, telling Batman that the ransom call had come in. Batman traveled quickly to Haiti and intervened in a horrifying fire-walking voodoo ritual known as the Fire Ceremony held on a full moon to sacrifice the Drakes, but arrived too late. Even though Drake Industries paid the ransom,the Obeah Man was still bent on killing Jack and Janet Drake,offering them as sacrifices to the spirits of Baron Samedi and Papa Legbra. Tim's mother was killed by the Obeah Man's poison,which contained a powerful nerve toxin made from a Jimson root extract,while his father Jack was left a cripple for years. In the ensuing battle between an enraged Batman and the Obeah Man, the latter was savagely beaten by Batman,overcome with grief and failure. the Obeah Man's followers were beaten in a similar fashion,while others burned to death,falling on the fire-walking coals while fighting Batman. Batman later told Tim Drake that the Obeah Man would spend the rest of his life in a prison hospital.
The Obeah Man has not appeared in comics since Batman revealed this, aside from numerous flashbacks and one cameo behind bars at the end of Detective Comics #627.
[edit] Powers and Abilities
The Obeah Man is a voodoo expert and black magician, and an expert manipulator. The Obeah Man mostly relies on his two right-hand gunmen to do his dirty jobs,Louis Dange and Malicien. The Obeah Man is also expertly trained in the Leidenfrost effect, which allows him to form a barrier of perspiration between his feet and hot coals,which allows him to participate in fire-walking voodoo rituals. During his battle with Batman,The Obeah Man also displayed amazing durability,holding up on his feet as he took some of Batman's hardest punches,causing Batman to remark dryly that Obeah Man has no glass jaw. The Obeah Man is also an average hand-to-hand combatant and is skilled with a knife he keeps with him at all times,being able to hold his own against Batman with the weapon.
