The character of Robert DuBois, created by writer and artistJohn Byrne, first appeared inSuperman #4 (April 1987) as Bloodsport.[6][7] The second incarnation, Alexander Trent, made his first appearance inThe Adventures of Superman #507 (December 1993) and was created by writerKarl Kesel and artistBarry Kitson.[8] The third incarnation, known as Bloodsport III, made his first appearance inSuperman #652 (July 2006) and was created by writersKurt Busiek andGeoff Johns, and artistPete Woods.[9][10] Demolitia, a female version of Bloodsport, is introduced by writerDavid Michelinie, and artistsKieron Dwyer andDenis Rodier inAction Comics #718 (February 1996), in which she procured Bloodsport's technology.[11][12]
Robert DuBois is aVietnam draft evader, who had a mental breakdown and became obsessed with theVietnam War after learning that his brother had gone in his stead.[13] DuBois was drafted to serve in theUnited States Armed Forces. Upon receiving his induction notice, DuBois fled toCanada, not because he was morally opposed to the war, but because he was afraid of death.[14][15] DuBois' younger brother, Michael, reported for induction in his place, passing himself off as Robert.[16] Michael DuBois was sent into combat inVietnam, where he lost both his arms and legs.[17] After learning this, DuBois went insane from guilt.[18][19]
Later, DuBois was contacted by employees ofLex Luthor, who sought a pawn to assassinate Luthor's archenemySuperman.[20] Operatives of Luthor, under the direction of a man named Kimberley, played upon DuBois' fixations on Vietnam to condition him psychologically to want to kill Superman.[21] They also equipped DuBois with an arsenal of powerful, advanced weapons, including aKryptonite gun.[22] DuBois then went into action inMetropolis, calling himself Bloodsport.[23] He now claimed that both his brother and he had served in combat in Vietnam and had been injured there.[23] Professing rage at the citizens of Metropolis for wasting the freedom he claimed both his brother and himself fought to defend, Bloodsport indiscriminately slaughtered dozens of innocent people.[23] In his first clash with Superman, Bloodsport severely weakened him with a Kryptonite bullet.[24] After receiving medical aid, Superman confronted Bloodsport once more. Even Luthor, outraged by Bloodsport's murders of so many people due to the attention this would attract to his assault, attempted to stop the mad killer.[25] Superman succeeded in causing the teleportation device Bloodsport used to bring weapons to himself to malfunction.[26] Bloodsport then threatened to detonate his teleporter's power pack, blowing up ten square miles of the city.[27] Superman's friendJimmy Olsen had learned of Bloodsport's true identity and located his brother.[28] Confronted by Michael, Bloodsport collapsed in grief and was taken into custody.[29]
DuBois has a brief encounter withDeadshot, which was eventually broken up by Superman andBatman.[30] He also appeared inJLA/Avengers as a villain who ambushesVision andAquaman with a group of other villains.[31] He later fightsSteel, but is restrained byHal Jordan.[32] DuBois remained in prison for several years, and eventually earned the enmity of Alexander Trent, another prisoner onStryker's Island who had since taken up the name Bloodsport.[33] As racial tension began to overwhelm Stryker's Island, the prison warden decided to host a boxing match between DuBois and Trent.[34] He believed that this was the ideal way to allow the inmates to vent their frustrations without inciting further acts of violence.[33] To safeguard the situation, the warden asked Superman to referee the match.[34] The riot broke out,[35] resulting in DuBois getting his hands on one of Trent's weapons and using it to blast a hole in the prison wall.[36] DuBois ran for freedom, but was apparently shot dead by armed prison guards in the watchtower.[37]
Following the events ofDark Nights: Death Metal, DuBois was reintroduced to the DC Universe duringInfinite Frontier. After his brother's death, his mental state deteriorated, leading him to become the mercenary Bloodsport. After failing to kill Superman, he was sent toBelle Reve until he was forced into the Suicide Squad with the task of exploring the Multiverse forAmanda Waller's own personal ambitions.[38]
Alexander Trent as Bloodsport; art by Barry Kitson
The character ofAlex Trent is a fanatical racist, a member of thewhite supremacist group that bothPerry White andFranklin Stern encountered in their youth. He adopts the name Bloodsport, ironically used previously by an African American.[39] He also has a similar teleporter grafted into his body, which he can likewise use to summon weapons.[40] He is captured by Superman afterRon Troupe destroys the warehouse from which he was teleporting his weapons.[41] Some time later, in an effort to provide an outlet for rising tensions at Stryker's Island Prison, a boxing match between the two Bloodsports is organised.[42] Trent is able to activate his teleporter and bring in weaponry.[43] In the resulting confusion, DuBois is killed while trying to escape.[43] Trent is later burned in his prison cell by the Brotherhood for showing weakness in front of DuBois.[44][45] The teleporter technology has since been used by the anti-corporate vigilante Demolitia.[46][43]
DuBois pretends that he is a bitter Vietnam veteran who feels greatly betrayed and rejected by his country, thus he enjoys powerful and righteous anger toward his fellow Americans for wasting the freedoms invading Vietnam supposedly helped preserve.[52] However, he has no first-hand experience about this war, ergo, his speeches and character are largely drawn from movies about the war and folk representations of Vietnam War veterans. Though at first he seemed aware that his vet persona was fictional, he grew increasingly delusional and dissociated.[53][54] Described as a very violent and powerful man, DuBois was plunged into a permanent fantasy about being a soldier, and was even feared by the other dangerous prisoners atStryker's Island Prison inMetropolis.[55]
While Robert DuBois has no superhuman powers, he has proven to be a formidable hand-to-hand combatant when needed due to his excellent physical condition and his fearlessness as a fighter.[56] He's in possession of a device that enables him to teleport high-tech weaponry to him from a distant location instantaneously, with many being one-of-a-kind prototypes from advancedLexCorp research projects.[57][58][59][60]Superman has described the arsenal to be "extradimensional" in both quality and quantity.[61]
He is incredibly strong and significantly more durable than the average human, as evidenced by his survival of several physical altercations with Superman.[62][63][26] DuBois' reflexes and senses are extraordinarily keen and allow him to respond toDeadshot and alarmSuperman.[64][62][24] He's a quick and accurate shooter with a wide variety of firearms, from handguns to shoulder-fired weapons.[65] He's a fully ambidextrous marksman, and can shoot with either hand without any loss of accuracy or speed.[66] On top of his sheer size and musculature, the insane DuBois seems to have a significant level of manic strength and intensity:[67] In a boxing match, he stood toe-to-toe with Alexander Trent, a man with borderline superhuman strength and reflexes.[68][65]
The Robert DuBois incarnation of Bloodsport appears in theSupergirl episode "Girl of Steel", portrayed by David St. Louis.[73] This version was originally part of the military until he was caught stealing weaponry and became a mercenary and terrorist.[74][75][76]
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