| El Diablo | |
|---|---|
.jpg) El Diablo (Rafael Sandoval) from the cover ofEl Diablo vol. 2 #16 byMike Parobeck. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | (Lazarus Lane) All-Star Western #2 (October 1970) (Rafael Sandoval) El Diablo vol. 2 #1 (August 1989) (Chato Santana) El Diablo vol. 3 #1 (September 2008) |
| Created by | (Lazarus Lane) Robert Kanigher (writer) Gray Morrow (artist) (Rafael Sandoval) Gerard Jones (writer) Mike Parobeck (artist) (Chato Santana) Jai Nitz (writer) Phil Hester (artist) Ande Parks (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Lazarus Lane Rafael Sandoval Chato Santana |
| Team affiliations | (Lazarus Lane) Rough Bunch Justice Riders (Rafael Sandoval) Justice League (Chato Santana) Suicide Squad Checkmate |
| Abilities | (Rafael Sandoval) Olympic level boxer and athlete (Chato Santana) Pyrokinesis |
El Diablo is a name shared by several characters appearing in media published byDC Comics:Lazarus Lane,Rafael Sandoval, andChato Santana. Santana appears in the 2016Suicide Squad film, set in theDC Extended Universe.
The Lazarus Lane incarnation of El Diablo first appeared inAll-Star Western #2 (October 1970), and was created byRobert Kanigher andGray Morrow.[1] The character starred in a four-issue miniseries published by DC Comics through theirVertigo imprint as a mature readers title;El Diablo #1 (March 2001) was written byBrian Azzarello and drawn by Danijel Zezelj.
The Rafael Sandoval incarnation of El Diablo first appeared inEl Diablo #1 (August 1989), and was created byGerard Jones andMike Parobeck.
The Chato Santana incarnation of El Diablo first appeared inEl Diablo #1 (September 2008) and was created by Jai Nitz,Phil Hester andAnde Parks.
Lazarus Lane is the original iteration of El Diablo, operating in the later half of the 19th century in theAmerican Old West. Lane was originally abank teller who is nearly killed by a gang of thieves and put in acoma after being struck by lightning. After being revived byNative Americanshaman "Wise Owl", Lane becomes the vigilante El Diablo.[1] The name "El Diablo" means "thedevil" inSpanish.
According toJonah Hex vol. 2 #11 (November 2006) and #24 (December 2007), Lazarus Lane is cursed to be the host of a minor demon which acts as aSpirit of Vengeance. Lane's body slumbers in a coma while "El Diablo" roams the Earth. His fate is similar to that of the currentCrimson Avenger. InSwamp Thing vol. 2 #85 (April 1989), Wise Owl is shown in a more villainous light, with Lane/El Diablo his unwilling servant. In that story, set in 1872, a number of DC's western heroes (including the aforementioned Hex,Bat Lash,Johnny Thunder (John Tane), and Madame .44) were employed by Otto Von Hammer andJason Blood to defeat Wise Owl and recover from him an object of great power, which turned out to be a crystal containing the spirit ofSwamp Thing, who had become lost in time. When the group killed Wise Owl, Lane's comatose body woke up, and El Diablo apparently vanished forever.[1]
InThe New 52 (a 2011 reboot of the DC Comics universe), Lazarus Lane appeared in a backup feature inAll-Star Western. In this iteration, he was once again cursed by Wise Owl to become the host of a demon. Rather than being in a coma, Lazarus remains awake. However, El Diablo arises from his body whenever he is unconscious.[2]
The concept for the character was initiated by editorBrian Augustyn, who wanted to come up with a new angle on the name El Diablo. He stated, "Forget the old west setting and the paralysis gimmick of the old El Diablo, make up a new character in the new west a city inTexas, and play off the Spanish name by making himMexican American. He'll be a councilman, because all of hisAnglo cohorts treat him like just a tokenHispanic, So he decides what he can do for the underdogs of the city in his own time, under an assumed name, and a mask".[3]
Rafael Sandoval was the second iteration created in 1989 by writerGerard Jones and artistMike Parobeck as a title set in the modern DC Universe. This title lasted 16 months. As created by Jones and Parobeck, Sandoval is a rookie member of the city council of Dos Rios, Texas, who creates his version of El Diablo (from a festival costume and an old boxing persona and local legends surrounding the Devil) after being stymied by officials while trying to pursue the case of a serial arsonist.[1] Subsequent efforts involved battles with illicit drug smugglers using maquiladora covers for their activities, a hunt for a serial killer, conflicts with human-smuggling operations, and Sandoval's conscience over how to serve the people of Dos Rios.
Rafael Sandoval's character has subsequently made guest appearances in one of theJustice League titles, in which he is possessed by the spirit of anAztec god-emperor and takes on an appearance reminiscent of Lazarus Lane.[1] He also appears in theVillains United Special when he is pulled out of retirement byOracle to serve in herde facto Justice League, whereupon he is attacked by a member of theRoyal Flush Gang during a battle at the Enclave M prison in theSonora Valley,Mexico. He is wounded in the battle, but rescued by the warden of the facility.
The current iteration of El Diablo is Chato Santana, an ex-criminal who after being hospitalized, meets a still living comatose Lazarus Lane.[4][5] It is written by Jai Nitz, pencilled byPhil Hester, with inks byAnde Parks.[6]
InThe New 52 reboot of DC's continuity, Santana's El Diablo is a member of theSuicide Squad. He joinsCheckmate under the leadership of Uncle Sam, until he realizes that he is being lied to and abandons them in search of the truth.
The Chato Santana incarnation of El Diablo appears inSuicide Squad, portrayed byJay Hernandez.[8] This version was previously a gang leader before accidentally destroying his family home in a moment of anger, killing his wife and two children in the process. Guilt-ridden, he is incarcerated inBelle Reve Penitentiary and vows to never use his powers again. Despite being forced intoAmanda Waller'sTask Force X program, Diablo maintains his vow untilDeadshot goads him into helping defend the squad from theEnchantress' forces. El Diablo later helps his squad-mates resist the Enchantress' illusions before sacrificing himself to kill her brother Incubus.
The Chato Santana incarnation of El Diablo makes cameo appearances inDC Super Hero Girls as a student of Super Hero High.
