Brother Blood
Encyclopedia
Brother Blood is the name of two fictional comic book
characters in the DC Universe
. The first Brother Blood debuted in New Teen Titans vol. 1 #21 (1982), and was created by Marv Wolfman
and George Pérez
.
'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.
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 a reporter who was a member of the Church.
Brother Blood brainwashed Nightwing
, and attempted to take control of Raven's power. It was the latter who defeated him, as his mind was seemingly destroyed (Vol. 2 Issue 31). His wife, Mother Mayhem, later gave birth to a girl, suggesting the curse was over.
Some time later, in Outsiders
(vol. 3), Brother Blood returned to villainy. However, shortly after recreating his cult, he was killed by a young boy, Sebastian, claiming to be the new Brother Blood. 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, 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 .
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.
The second Blood's powers work 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.
event, Brother Blood is mentioned by his former Jason Todd
that he is developing drug lord.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
characters in the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. The first Brother Blood debuted in New Teen Titans vol. 1 #21 (1982), and was created by Marv Wolfman
Marv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
and George Pérez
George Pérez
George Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-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 ChristChrist
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
'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.
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
Cyborg (comics)
Cyborg is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez, and first appears in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26...
attempted to escape this cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
. Because of the Church of Blood's influence, the Titans found moving against him difficult, especially when public opinion was turned against them by a reporter who was a member of the Church.
Brother Blood brainwashed Nightwing
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
, and attempted to take control of Raven's power. It was the latter who defeated him, as his mind was seemingly destroyed (Vol. 2 Issue 31). His wife, Mother Mayhem, later gave birth to a girl, suggesting the curse was over.
Second Blood
Outsiders (comics)
The Outsiders are a fictional DC Comics superhero team. As its name suggests, the team consists of superheroes who allegedly do not fit the norms of the mainstream superhero community, namely the Justice League....
(vol. 3), Brother Blood returned to villainy. However, shortly after recreating his cult, he was killed by a young boy, Sebastian, claiming to be the new Brother Blood. 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
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
abilities.
He revealed that the Cult of Blood was based on the worship of Trigon the Terrible
Trigon (comics)
Trigon is a fictional demon, a comic book character published by DC Comics. Trigon first appeared in New Teen Titans #2 and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
. It was for this reason that the new Bride of Blood was to be Raven
Raven (comics)
Raven is a fictional superheroine who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26 , and was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez...
. The Titans were able to save Raven, but the Church of Blood continued. Brother Blood later appeared in Teen Titans #30, where he claimed an undead Lilith Clay
Lilith (DC Comics)
Lilith Clay is a young superheroine who occasionally appears in DC Comic's Teen Titans titles.-Pre-Crisis: Originally living in peace at home, Lilith started to manifest strange mental powers at the age of 13. She read her parents' minds to find she was adopted, then left home to try to find her...
to be his mother. He also summoned the first Hawk and Dove
Hawk and Dove
Hawk and Dove is the moniker given to two superheroes when they team up to fight crime. Hawk and Dove describes each character's attitude or approach to fighting crime. The hawk represents aggression, and the dove representing pacifism.-Hank and Don Hall:...
, Phantasm
Phantasm
Phantasm may refer to:In comics:* Phantasm , a short-lived member of the New Teen TitansIn film:* Don Coscarelli's Phantasm series** Phantasm , a 1979 horror film** Phantasm II...
, Kole
Kole
Kole Duval is a girlKole Weathers is a fictional superheroine in the DC Universe. She is a former member of the Teen Titans.-Fictional character biography:...
, and Aquagirl
Aquagirl
Aquagirl is the name of several fictional characters featured as superheroines in the comic books and other media produced by DC Comics.- Lisa Morel :...
from the dead to be his own Teen Titans. Brother Blood was stopped by Kid Eternity
Kid Eternity
Kid Eternity is a comic book superhero who first premiered in Hit Comics #25, published by Quality Comics in December, 1942. The character - as well as all of Quality's intellectual properties were sold to DC Comics in 1956...
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
Kid Eternity
Kid Eternity is a comic book superhero who first premiered in Hit Comics #25, published by Quality Comics in December, 1942. The character - as well as all of Quality's intellectual properties were sold to DC Comics in 1956...
. The fight between the two brought them to Titans Tower
Titans Tower
Titans Tower is a fictional building in the DC Comics universe. Its various incarnations have been home to the superhero team called the Titans...
, where Blood fought the Titans. After draining Red Devil's
Kid Devil
Red Devil , formerly known as Kid Devil, was a superhero in the DC Comics universe. Created by Alan Kupperberg, Dan Mishkin, and Gary Cohn, he first appeared in Blue Devil #14.-Origin and early heroics:...
powers, Blood realised that he had tainted himself with Neron
Neron
Neron is a fictional demon, a comic book character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in the DC Comics cross-over event Underworld Unleashed #1, , and was created by Mark Waid and Howard Porter.- Publication history :...
's influence, and fled the battle. He was later seen approaching an unknown woman, looking to make her his new Mother .
Some time later, the Secret Six
Secret Six (comics)
The Secret Six is the name of three different fictional comic book teams in the , plus an alternate universe's fourth team. Each team has had six members, led by a mysterious figure named Mockingbird, whom the characters assume to be one of the other five members.-Original Secret Six: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.
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.The second Blood's powers work 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.
Flashpoint
In the alternate timeline of the FlashpointFlashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
event, Brother Blood is mentioned by his former Jason Todd
Jason Todd
Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Jason first appeared in Batman #357 and became the second Robin, sidekick to the superhero Batman, when the previous Robin went on to star in The New Teen Titans under the moniker of Nightwing.Though...
that he is developing drug lord.
Television
- Brother Blood appears in the Teen TitansTeen Titans (TV series)Teen Titans is an American animated television series based on the DC Comics characters of the same name. The show was created by Glen Murakami, developed by David Slack, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It premiered on Cartoon Network on July 19, 2003, and the final episode "Things Change"...
animated series, voiced by John DiMaggioJohn DiMaggioJohn William DiMaggio is an American voice actor. A native of North Plainfield, New Jersey, he is known for his gruff, deep voice and New Jersey accent, which he uses to voice mainly villains and anti-heroes.-Filmography:...
, as the main antagonist of Season 3. In the show, Brother Blood is the charismaCharismaThe term charisma has two senses: 1) compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others, 2) a divinely conferred power or talent. For some theological usages the term is rendered charism, with a meaning the same as sense 2...
tic - and sadistic - Headmaster of the H.I.V.E.H.I.V.E.The H.I.V.E., which stands for the Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination, is a DC Comics supervillain organization.-1st Incarnation:...
Academy. Though he has a few comical moments, he's considerably more fiendish than most of the other villains in the series, except for SladeDeathstrokeDeathstroke the Terminator , originally simply the Terminator, and known by the Teen Titans as Slade, is a fictional character, a supervillain and sometimes antihero in the DC Comics Universe. He is a mercenary and assassin who first appeared in The New Teen Titans #2...
and TrigonTrigon (comics)Trigon is a fictional demon, a comic book character published by DC Comics. Trigon first appeared in New Teen Titans #2 and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
. His powers are very different from his comic book incarnation, he is a powerful psychic who mind controlMind controlMind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
s his students to keep them under his thrall. Blood is shown using his psychic powers for a variety of other purposes as well, such as producing deadly force bolts, teleportation, energy shields, telekinesis, or altering perception. He also claims to have a photographic memory. In his first appearance, he displayed the ability to make Cyborg believe he transformed Cyborg's metal hand into flesh, though this only fooled the organic side of his brain; Cyborg's mechanical sensors saw through the trick. In addition, Blood displays formidable fighting skills. Because Cyborg was immune to his mind control, Blood developed something of a rivalry with him, even though he easily defeated Cyborg in most of their fights since he knew all of his weakspots. Brother Blood's first appearance in the episode "Deception" in which a disguised Cyborg is spying on the H.I.V.E. Blood is aware of his true identity and offers to make him human if he serves him. In the end Cyborg shows that he is immune to Blood's mind control because half of his brain is mechanical, and destroys the entire H.I.V.E. Academy thanks to a power upgrade provided by Blood. However, the H.I.V.E had downloaded Cyborg's blueprints when the latter hacked into the H.I.V.E computers, allowing Brother Blood to know Cyborg's weaknesses; in the episode "Wavelength", Brother Blood has utilized Cyborg's sonic cannon schematics to build a massive underwater sonic resonator strong enough to wipe out Jump City (the Titans' home base in the TV continuity). Although the plot is foiled and Cyborg's blueprints are taken back, Brother Blood later reveals that he possesses a photographic memory, thus, he remembers every detail of the blueprints. Brother Blood's final appearance is in the two-part episode "Titans EastTitans EastTitans East is the name of several DC Comics teams. The teams appear in the Teen Titans comic books and animated series. The comic book incarnation of Titans East first appeared in the "Titans Tomorrow" storyline, which is set in the future. The first modern incarnation appeared in Teen Titans vol....
"; he takes control over the minds of AqualadAqualadAqualad is the name of two fictional comic book superheroes appearing in books published by DC Comics. The first Aqualad, Garth, debuted in Adventure Comics #269 , and was created by writer Robert Bernstein and artist Ramona Fradon...
, BumblebeeBumblebee (comics)Bumblebee is a fictional character, existing in DC Comics' main shared universe. She is a former member of the Teen Titans and a current member of the Doom Patrol...
, Más y MenosMás y MenosMás y Menos are fictional superhero characters, around the age of 12, from the Teen Titans animated television series, affiliated with the Titans East team. They are among the few heroes on the series not to have originated in the comic book. Taken out of context, their names translate to "More"...
, and SpeedyRoy Harper (comics)Roy Harper is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics Universe. He was known for over fifty years as Green Arrow's teenage sidekick Speedy. He first appeared alongside his mentor in More Fun Comics #73...
and has them re-build the Titans East tower into his new headquarters. Blood also converts himself into a cyborg to enhance his mental abilities and plans to turn the Titans East into cyborgs as well so he can control them completely. Brother Blood confronts Cyborg in a final fight. Even though Blood smashes both of his arms and legs, he is ultimately defeated by Cyborg when the hero reveals that it is actually his human spirit that enables him to defy Blood's control. He also manages to tap into Blood's mental powers, repairing the damage the villain had inflicted on him in their fight. Producer/writer David Slack stated saying: "In the end, we tried to make him the antiAntiAnti may refer to:* Anti , the ferryman who carried Isis to Set's island in Egyptian mythology* Anti, or Campa, a tribe of South American Indians* ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival, a yearly international live-art festival held in Kuopio, Finland...
-SladeDeathstrokeDeathstroke the Terminator , originally simply the Terminator, and known by the Teen Titans as Slade, is a fictional character, a supervillain and sometimes antihero in the DC Comics Universe. He is a mercenary and assassin who first appeared in The New Teen Titans #2...
. Where Slade hides in the shadows, Brother Blood loves the spotlight. Slade always has some ulterior motive, Brother Blood will tell you what he's planning right away. So there's some contrast there. [...]We weren't even sure we'd get to use that name. I think what was important that we kept was that he was the leader of a cult. We kept that role and drew inspiration from cult leaders we read about. They are very charming seeming people. From that, we gave him this sort of 'power of temptation' - this ability to control people's perceptions. And the power of persuasion. We didn't get too deep into the character from the comics, because so much of it was so outside of what we'd be able to do. He's definitely one where we've strayed more."
Video games
- Brother Blood appears in DC Universe OnlineDC Universe OnlineDC Universe Online or DCUO is an MMORPG by Sony Online Entertainment – Austin. Jim Lee serves as the game's Executive Creative Director, along with Carlos D'Anda, JJ Kirby, Oliver Nome, Eddie Nuñez, Livio Ramondelli, and Michael Lopez...
. Brother Blood and his cult attempt to bring Trigon to Earth by raising the demons of the Seven Deadly Sins. Brother Blood is defeated by the players and the Sentinels of Magic. He is served by Clerics, Minions of Envy, Minions of Gluttony, Minions of Greed, Minions of Lust, Minions of Sloth, Minions of Wrath, Paladins, Priests, an Exarch of Gluttony, and an Exarch of Wrath.