| Jericho Drumm Brother Voodoo / Doctor Voodoo | |
|---|---|
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Strange Tales #169 (September 1973) |
| Created by | |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Jericho Drumm |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | Avengers Unity Division[1] Heroes for Hire S.H.I.E.L.D. Paranormal Containment Unit New Avengers[2] Savage Avengers Strange Academy |
| Notable aliases | Doctor Voodoo,Sorcerer Supreme,Houngan Supreme, Lord of the Loa, He-Who-Has-Died-Twice, Voodoo Lord; Master of All Reptiles, the Voudoun, and the Spirit World |
| Abilities |
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Dr. Jericho Drumm is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. He first appeared inStrange Tales #169 (September 1973) asBrother Voodoo.[3] The character was created by Marvel publisherStan Lee, writerLen Wein, and artistJohn Romita Sr. Since replacingDoctor Strange asSorcerer Supreme inThe New Avengers #53 (July 2009), the character has been referred to asDoctor Voodoo,[4] a title originally assumed by his evil twin brotherDaniel, whose ghost he controls.
Marvel Comics publisherStan Lee proposed a heroic practitioner ofVoodoo, and when editor-in-chiefRoy Thomas suggested the name "Doctor Voodoo", Lee rebounded with the suggestion "Brother Voodoo".[5] The task of fleshing out the character was then assigned to writerLen Wein and Marvel's art directorJohn Romita Sr. Wein recounted, "We talked about the sense of the character. I designed the 'V' in the circle on the forehead in John's office."[5] Romita did most of the costume design, while Wein's concept for Brother Voodoo's character and powers drew partial inspiration fromthe Phantom.[5]
Brother Voodoo starred in his own feature in the Marvel comic-book seriesStrange Tales #169-173 (September 1973-April 1974), and in a backup feature in the black-and-whitehorror-comicsmagazineTales of the Zombie #6 (July 1974, in a story continuing fromStrange Tales #173) and #10 (March 1975).[6] He has gone to guest-star very sporadically in other Marvel series, into the 21st century.[7]
Brother Voodoo's run inStrange Tales was written by co-creator Len Wein and drawn byGene Colan. Though they worked on the series under theMarvel method, Wein left little for Colan to do in the way of plotting and pacing, writing plots which laid out the story page-by-page and often even panel-by-panel.[5] According to comics journalist Michael Aushenker, Colan "took what would surely have been, in lesser hands, a very corny idea and infused it with an artistry which not only gave it flair and style but a kind of realism and straight-faced credibility that these otherwise ridiculously costumed individuals would actually appear to belong to our world."[5] Though theletters pages for these issues feature many angry letters from religious readers, Wein has said this should not be taken as an indication that Brother Voodoo was controversial, since Marvel staff often stacked letters pages with the most extreme responses they could find as a form of publicity.[5]
Brother Voodoo's name was changed to "Doctor Voodoo" when he replaced Doctor Strange asSorcerer Supreme during theDark Reign storyline. The character received his owneponymousongoing series written byRick Remender,Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural,[4][8] which was canceled after five issues.
Returning to his nativeHaiti (born inPort-au-Prince) after 12 years (originally nearly 20[9]) of education and practice as an accreditedpsychologist in theUnited States, Jericho Drumm discovers that his twin brotherDaniel Drumm, the localhoungan, is dying, a victim of avoodoo sorcerer who claims to be possessed by the spirit of the serpent-god Damballah, based on theLoaDamballa. Just before he dies, Daniel makes his brother vow to visit Daniel's mentor, Papa Jambo. Jericho does, and becomes Jambo's student. After studying under the aged houngan for several weeks, Jericho gains a greater mastery of voodoo practices than his own brother, becoming a houngan in his own right. Papa Jambo then performs a rite that summons Daniel's spirit from the dead and joins it with Jericho's own. Having fashioned a worthy successor, Papa Jambo dies.
Taking the name "Brother Voodoo", Jericho challenges the priest (who goes by the same name as his god, Damballah) and his cult. With the help of his brother Daniel Drumm's spirit possessing one of the cult members, Jericho removes Damballah's artifact of power (wangal), causing Damballah's snakes to turn on him and evidently destroying Damballah's cult. Brother Voodoo becomes Haiti's houngan supreme and champion, and establishes a sprawling mansion as a base of operations. He places the wangal in a safe, its combination known only to Brother Voodoo and his manservant Bambu.[10][11]
Brother Voodoo encounters the scientistBaron Samedi and artificial zombies created by the terrorist-scientist groupA.I.M.;[12] the originalBlack Talon, Mama Limbo, and the Dark Lord Cult;[13] and the houngan Dramabu.[14] Having established himself, Brother Voodoo goes on to help other superheroes, includingSpider-Man[15] andMoon Knight,[16] as well as theJack Russell werewolf,[17] theThing andBlack Panther.[18]
Brother Voodoo eventually succumbs to the lure of power that Damballah's wangal represented.[volume & issue needed] Upon Jericho's wearing it, the god Damballah takes over Daniel's soul, burns down the mansion and apparently slays Bambu.[volume & issue needed] He travels toNew York City to attempt to take over the mind and body of Earth's Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange, who eventually frees Brother Voodoo of Damballah's influence and re-confines the evil god to the wangal.[19] He later becomes involved with the supernatural 'Howling Commandos" operation of the espionage agencyS.H.I.E.L.D.[20][21] and registers with the government in accordance with theSuperhuman Registration Act.[22]
While Black Panther was fightingErik Killmonger, Brother Voodoo revealed himself to be aSkrull when he attempted to kill Cannibal, whom he deemed to be a threat. However, the two killed each other in the struggle, and the discovery of 'Brother Voodoo's' true form revealed the Skrull invasion to Black Panther, allowing him time to prepare.[23] Like other heroes replaced by the Skrulls, Brother Voodoo was revealed to be alive at the end ofSecret Invasion.[24]
The Eye of Agamotto leaves Doctor Strange after showing him and the New Avengers nearly thirty candidates who would possibly replace Strange. Because he comes into possession of the Eye, Drumm becomes the new Sorcerer Supreme.[25]
Aided by the New Avengers, he eventually battles the entity Agamotto itself to prevent Agamotto from retrieving the eye and gaining the power to rule Earth's dimension, and appears to sacrifice himself in an explosion he engineers to destroy both Agamotto and the Eye.[26]
During theAXIS storyline,Doctor Doom makes a Faustian deal to resurrect Brother Voodoo, reasoning that he and Daniel are the only ones who can stop the invertedScarlet Witch from destroyingLatveria.[27] The spirit of Daniel Drumm subsequently possesses Wanda so that she can be used to undo the spell that inverted the heroes and villains. He is offered a full-time role inSteve Rogers'sUncanny Avengers.[28]
He also helps Dr. Strange defeat the Empirikull, a science cult focused on destroying magic in every dimension.[29]
When Daniel Drumm sides withThe Hand to help them retrieve and resurrect the recently deceased Bruce Banner as a new agent, Brother Voodoo requests the aid of the rest of the Uncanny Avengers in stopping theHulk when the Hand send him on a rampage.[volume & issue needed] As he makes contact with the remaining essence of Banner in the Hulk, the Beast of the Hand offers to resurrect Daniel if Banner is left with them, but Brother Voodoo states that he will choose his brother in the form of his fellow Avenger rather than Daniel, grimly stating that Daniel has made his choice, simply allowing Banner to die free from the Hand's influence.[volume & issue needed]
During the "Empyre" storyline, Black Panther instructs Brother Voodoo to takeKa-Zar,Zabu,Black Knight, and Scarlet Witch with him to investigate strange occurrences in theSavage Land. They arrive to find a slainTyrannosaurus as Scarlet Witch senses they are surrounded. The group is attacked by theCotati and they fight them until the Cotati Ventri unleashMan-Thing who they have under their control. As Ventri states that the Savage Land and the world will be theirs, Ka-Zar is shocked to find that the Cotati have gained control of Shanna.[30] With Brother Voodoo and Scarlet Witch immobilized and Black Knight imprisoned, Shanna tries to get Ka-Zar to join them as Matthew states to Black Knight that they have to do something. Doctor Voodoo used a trick to do a mental trick. Scarlet Witch does the same as she tries to free Shanna from the Cotati's control. As Ventri notices something happen with Scarlet Witch, Brother Voodoo takes control of Man-Thing to free Matthew and Black Knight. Scarlet Witch brings Ka-Zar into Shanna's mind where he learns that some creatures in the Savage Land are dying and trees are falling.[31] When Ka-Zar had been stabbed by a Cotati using Black Knight's Ebony Blade, Brother Voodoo exited Man-Thing's mind and worked with Scarlet Witch to extract Ka-Zar's soul from the Ebony Blade asShanna the She-Devil uses the same waters that resurrected her on Ka-Zar.[32]
Brother Voodoo possesses numerous mystical and quasi-physical powers derived from the Loa, the spirit-gods of voodoo. He can easily enter into a trance-like state in which he does not feel the heat from fire and his skin becomes impervious to burning. He can also control flame and lower life forms. Brother Voodoo can mystically create smoke accompanied by the sound of drums. The smoke conceals his presence while he is able to see through it. He has the ability to command certain living things by a mystic sort of hypnotism, most effective over animals and plants. He can summon the Loa to request transport for himself and others instantaneously if they deem it necessary to his mission.
Brother Voodoo can also summon the spirit of his brotherDaniel Drumm from within his body, doubling his own strength. He can send the spirit to possess another person's body and then has total control over their actions.
Brother Voodoo also has more mundane escapist talents, once entering Strange's building, not through magic, but through the chimney. He has extensive knowledge of voudoun (voodoo) thanks to training by Papa Jambo, as well as conventional medicine and psychology with a Ph.D. in psychology.
He wears a mysticmedallion that serves as a focus of his powers and as a focus for his contact with his personal loas. He has, at times, employed conventional firearms.
Brother Voodoo's time spent as the new Sorcerer Supreme had bestowed upon him not only the power of theEye of Agamotto, but also theCloak of Levitation and the Books of Knowledge, which were formerly in the possession of Doctor Strange.
An alternate version of Brother Voodoo appears as the leader of the Avengers of the Undead, the team of Avengers from Earth-666. He first appears when the mainstream version ofCaptain Britain entrusts the team with the Orb of Necromancy, a powerful artifact that he wishes to keep hidden.[volume & issue needed] When Captain Britain andHawkeye attempt to reclaim the Orb, the Avengers of the Undead double-cross the heroes and attempt to kill them.[33]
Brother Voodoo was referenced in theBeavis and Butt-Head comic book (also published by Marvel Comics) in issue #15, summer 1995. The comic depicts Brother Voodoo arriving to the sound of beating drums, calling out, "Dumballah, I am coming for you!", prompting Butt-Head to ask, "Who the HELL is this WUSS?". Beavis identifies him incorrectly as "Brother DooDoo" despite Dumballah actually referring to the Brother by his proper name on the same page. Brother Voodoo wrestles with a snake, dispatches it and finally threatens Dumballah with the promise, "...You're next!".[34]
CartoonistFred Hembeck regularly featured the Brother Voodoo character in his monthly cartoons for Marvel's promotional magazineMarvel Age, beginning with issue #14 (May 1984). He generally showed him as a lame character trying to get his own series. Hembeck also introduced "Sister Voodoo" as his long-lost sister and "Voodoo Chile", her child. When Brother Voodoo finally got his own solo story inMarvel Super-Heroes (vol. 2) #1 (May 1990) Hembeck drew it in a serious art style very different from his cartooning.
In his cartoon in the final issue ofMarvel Age #140 (September 1994) Hembeck claimed he had started mocking Brother Voodoo because he had the character confused with an "even lamer" character,DC Comics'Brother Power the Geek.
InUltimate Fantastic Four #23 (November 2005), Brother Voodoo is one of dozens of superhero zombies. In theone-shot,flashback comic bookMarvel Zombies: Dead Days (July 2007), Brother Voodoo is one of the last few surviving heroes to become infected with thezombie virus.
The four-issue, weeklyminiseriesSupernaturals (October 1998), written byBrian Pulido, featured an alternate-universe Brother Voodoo leading a team composed ofGhost Rider,Werewolf by Night, theGargoyle, theBlack Cat andSatana, to fight a mystically powered version of the villainJack O'Lantern (who is Brother Voodoo's evil twin brotherDaniel) in a world where only magical heroes and villains existed.
Brother Voodoo was one of the main characters in an alternateAge of Apocalypse, first seen in the February 2007What If? Featuring X-Men: Age of Apocalypse one-shot. In this issue, Voodoo replaces Doctor Strange as the Sorcerer Supreme in the story and wears Strange's wardrobe. He battles Dormammu and helps the heroes take down Apocalypse, though Jericho himself is killed by Dormammu when the Eye of Agamotto is taken away from him.
| Title | Material collected | Year | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential Marvel Horror Vol. 2 | Brother Voodoo stories fromStrange Tales #169–173,Tales of the Zombie #6, 10,Marvel Team-Up #24 and material fromSupernatural Thrillers #5, 7–15,Haunt of Horror #2-5,Monsters Unleashed #11,Strange Tales #174, 176–177,Marvel Two-In-One #11, 18, 33,Marvel Chillers #1-2,Marvel Two-in-One #33,Dead of Night #11,Marvel Spotlight #26 | November 2008 | 978-0785130673 |
| Marvel Masterworks: Brother Voodoo | Strange Tales #169-173,Marvel Team-Up #24,Werewolf by Night #39-41,Marvel Two-In-One #41,Doctor Strange #41,Moon Knight #21, material fromTales of the Zombie #6, 10,Tomb of Dracula #34-37,Werewolf by Night #38,Marvel Super-Heroes #1,Doctor Strange #16-17, 20 | June 2021 | 978-1302929237 |
| Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural | Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural #1-5 | May 2010 | 978-0785144090 |
In 2003, theSci Fi Channel announced it was developing a live-action television film andbackdoor pilot calledBrother Voodoo, based on the character. Hans Rodionoff was announced to write the screenplay, set inNew Orleans, of thisReveille Productions andMarvel Studios co-production executive produced by Reveille headBen Silverman and Marvel Studios'Avi Arad andRick Ungar.[35] However, nothing came of development afterwards and the project was abandoned.
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