Danny the Street
Encyclopedia
Danny the Street is a fictional character
in the DC Universe
. He was created by Grant Morrison
and Brendan McCarthy
and first appeared in Doom Patrol
. His name is a pun on female impersonator Danny La Rue
, as "La Rue" is French for "The Street". Danny is thus a transvestite street
.
Brendan McCarthy
was involved in the creation of Danny the Street (hence his credit in Doom Patrol) and he planned to bring Danny back in Solo #12 where he would have become a member of the Green Lantern Corps
- Street Lantern. The idea never came to fruition.
. He is also able to integrate himself into a city's geography without causing any damage or disturbance; roads and buildings simply make room for him. He does this mostly at night, when no one is looking. Danny travels the globe, and sometimes beyond, happily looking for folks in need of shelter and friendship. Thus, it is possible to turn a corner on the way to work, and find yourself walking down Danny's pleasantly unfamiliar roadway.
Danny is an unusually flamboyant personality. In spite of the fact that most streets are genderless, Danny is male and a transvestite. His sidewalks are lined with various hyper-masculine stores (gun shops and sporting goods, mostly) which are decorated with frilly pink curtains and lace. While Danny cannot speak in any normal sense of the term, he communicates with his residents via such means as signs in windows, type-written messages and letters formed out of manhole vapors or broken glass shards. He speaks English, heavily flavored with Polari
, a largely antiquated form of homosexual slang. "Bona to vada," ("Good to see you.") is his favorite way of greeting friends. While it is never fully established as fact, Danny sometimes hints that he was human once. Likewise, it is difficult to tell just how old Danny is. In a clever pun, his personality is based, at least partially, on British drag performer Danny La Rue
.
Danny is kind and compassionate, and slow to anger. If pushed past his considerable limits, though, his wrath can be a terrible thing.
Danny first came in contact with the Doom Patrol when he and his residents were attacked by Darren Jones and the Men From N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Jones' obsession with normalcy, and with enforcing his own "50s sit-com" worldview made Danny an obvious target. The struggle took Danny to downtown New York City
, where the Doom Patrol investigated the disturbance. They worked hard to protect Danny and his residents, but it was ultimately the members of the Danny the Street Perpetual Cabaret that defeated Jones.
Danny has been a home to many oddities. In addition to the Doom Patrol and the Perpetual Cabaret, Danny housed Flex Mentallo
, protecting the oddball hero during a mental breakdown following his first and only failure.
Danny was once able to teleport into the complicated, city-like environment of the Pentagon.
, later became a resident of Danny the World.
In the pages of Teen Titans, during the One Year Later
time-shift event in the DC Universe
, a portal to Danny was seen in Dayton Manor; Crazy Jane was also seen through the portal.
Danny was recently leveled in Doom Patrol #7 by Mister Somebody Enterprises
. Crazy Jane managed to escape the destruction and fled to Oolong Island, carrying with her a brick taken from one of Danny's buildings, now carrying all of Danny's sentience, effectively making him Danny the Brick.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
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...
. He was created by Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
and Brendan McCarthy
Brendan McCarthy
Brendan McCarthy is a British artist and designer best known for his work in comic books, film and television.- Biography :Brendan McCarthy, of Irish descent, was born in London. Brendan soon began painting and drawing his own home-made comics....
and first appeared in Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol
The Doom Patrol is a superhero team appearing in publications from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
. His name is a pun on female impersonator Danny La Rue
Danny La Rue
Danny La Rue, OBE was an Irish-born British entertainer known for his singing and drag impersonations.-Early life:...
, as "La Rue" is French for "The Street". Danny is thus a transvestite street
Street
A street is a paved public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, but is more often paved with a hard, durable...
.
Brendan McCarthy
Brendan McCarthy
Brendan McCarthy is a British artist and designer best known for his work in comic books, film and television.- Biography :Brendan McCarthy, of Irish descent, was born in London. Brendan soon began painting and drawing his own home-made comics....
was involved in the creation of Danny the Street (hence his credit in Doom Patrol) and he planned to bring Danny back in Solo #12 where he would have become a member of the Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
- Street Lantern. The idea never came to fruition.
Fictional character biography
Danny is an actual street. A sentient and sapient stretch of roadway, he has long served as a home and haven for the strange and dispossessed. A super hero of sorts, Danny does possess several super powers, the most notable being teleportationTeleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
. He is also able to integrate himself into a city's geography without causing any damage or disturbance; roads and buildings simply make room for him. He does this mostly at night, when no one is looking. Danny travels the globe, and sometimes beyond, happily looking for folks in need of shelter and friendship. Thus, it is possible to turn a corner on the way to work, and find yourself walking down Danny's pleasantly unfamiliar roadway.
Danny is an unusually flamboyant personality. In spite of the fact that most streets are genderless, Danny is male and a transvestite. His sidewalks are lined with various hyper-masculine stores (gun shops and sporting goods, mostly) which are decorated with frilly pink curtains and lace. While Danny cannot speak in any normal sense of the term, he communicates with his residents via such means as signs in windows, type-written messages and letters formed out of manhole vapors or broken glass shards. He speaks English, heavily flavored with Polari
Polari
Polari is a form of cant slang used in Britain by actors, circus and fairground showmen, criminals, prostitutes, and by the gay subculture. It was popularised in the 1960s by camp characters Julian and Sandy in the popular BBC radio show Round the Horne...
, a largely antiquated form of homosexual slang. "Bona to vada," ("Good to see you.") is his favorite way of greeting friends. While it is never fully established as fact, Danny sometimes hints that he was human once. Likewise, it is difficult to tell just how old Danny is. In a clever pun, his personality is based, at least partially, on British drag performer Danny La Rue
Danny La Rue
Danny La Rue, OBE was an Irish-born British entertainer known for his singing and drag impersonations.-Early life:...
.
Danny is kind and compassionate, and slow to anger. If pushed past his considerable limits, though, his wrath can be a terrible thing.
Danny first came in contact with the Doom Patrol when he and his residents were attacked by Darren Jones and the Men From N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Jones' obsession with normalcy, and with enforcing his own "50s sit-com" worldview made Danny an obvious target. The struggle took Danny to downtown New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where the Doom Patrol investigated the disturbance. They worked hard to protect Danny and his residents, but it was ultimately the members of the Danny the Street Perpetual Cabaret that defeated Jones.
Danny has been a home to many oddities. In addition to the Doom Patrol and the Perpetual Cabaret, Danny housed Flex Mentallo
Flex Mentallo
Flex Mentallo is a comic book character created by Grant Morrison for his run on Doom Patrol. Flex is in part a parody of Charles Atlas' long-running "The Insult that made a Man out of Mac" advertisements seen in American comics from the past....
, protecting the oddball hero during a mental breakdown following his first and only failure.
Danny was once able to teleport into the complicated, city-like environment of the Pentagon.
Evolving
Eventually, Danny left the DC Universe, and inhabited an alternate Earth. Pledging to protect and nurture the needy of all dimensions, he became Danny the World. Danny's friend, former Doom Patrol member Crazy JaneCrazy Jane
Crazy Jane is a fictional character created by Grant Morrison and Richard Case for their work on the Vertigo Comics version of the Doom Patrol...
, later became a resident of Danny the World.
In the pages of Teen Titans, during the One Year Later
One Year Later
"One Year Later" was a 2006 storyline event running through the DC Universe. As the title suggests, it involves a narrative jump exactly one year into the future of the DC Comics Universe following the events of the Infinite Crisis event, to explore major changes within the continuities of the many...
time-shift event 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...
, a portal to Danny was seen in Dayton Manor; Crazy Jane was also seen through the portal.
Danny was recently leveled in Doom Patrol #7 by Mister Somebody Enterprises
Mr. Nobody (comics)
Mr. Nobody is a supervillain in the DC Comics universe. While he appeared in his original identity of Mr. Morden in Doom Patrol vol. 1 #86 , his first appearance as Mr. Nobody was in Doom Patrol vol. 2, # 26 ....
. Crazy Jane managed to escape the destruction and fled to Oolong Island, carrying with her a brick taken from one of Danny's buildings, now carrying all of Danny's sentience, effectively making him Danny the Brick.