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Parasite (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Parasite is the name of several fictional characters that appears in Superman
comic book stories published by DC Comics
. A supervillain
, Parasite has the ability to temporarily absorb the energy, knowledge and super-powers of another being by touch, making him a formidable foe for the Man of Steel. In 2009, The Parasite was ranked as IGN
's 61st Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.
Raymond Maxwell Jensen was a lowlife who got a job as a plant worker for a research center. Wrongly believing that the company payrolls were hidden in storage containers, Jensen opened one and was bombarded with energies from biohazard materials (which was actually waste collected by Superman when he traveled into outer space), which transformed him into a purple skinned, parasitic entity, becoming the Parasite. Any time he touched someone, he could absorb their physical and mental properties. Touching Superman would instantly absorb a sizable fraction of his superhuman powers (it was established early on that he is not capable of acquiring the whole of his powers). On one occasion, while attempting to absorb a greater portion of his adversary's powers than previously, his body disintegrated for a period of time due to the pressure to his cells. Despite these abilities, the Parasite became depressed because he could no longer embrace his wife and children. The Parasite made a number of reappearances before the Crisis, yet he never successfully found a means to permanently defeat Superman. Despite this, he had knowledge of his foe's alter ego and often used this to attack Clark Kent. Gaining sizable intellect from his multiple encounters with Superman, Parasite devised the means to reanimate dormant plant remains left behind from the Earth-Two
supervillain Solomon Grundy
, creating a newer and stronger version of the creature to plague his adversary. On another occasion, Parasite devised the means to transfer the powers of the hero Air Wave
to the young hero's adversary Davy Jones temporarily.
Parasite was one of the main characters in the second Marvel/DC crossover
between Spider-Man
and Superman (Marvel Treasury Edition #28). In this story, he was recruited by Doctor Doom
as an agent in Doom's latest plan to conquer the world by wiping out all power sources but his own fusion reactor. Doom claimed that he needed the Parasite to function as an invincible bodyguard, capturing the Incredible Hulk and Wonder Woman
and giving the Parasite a harness that would allow him to retain their powers for prolonged periods. However, Doom's true intention was to kill the Parasite by allowing him to absorb so much power that his cells would burst, causing Parasite to, according to Doom's calculations, transform into a crystalline mass that would allow Doom to perfect the reactor by using its energy-manipulation abilities to control the reactor's power output. This plan was thwarted when the Parasite briefly absorbed Spider-Man's powers
, causing his borrowed spider-sense to alert him to Doom's treachery and turn on Doom, although he was subsequently defeated by Superman using a gauntlet of Doom's that prevented the Parasite from absorbing his energy when he was attacked.
at a Pittsburgh
S.T.A.R. Labs
facility. Unknown to anyone at the scene, the Lord of Apokolips
, Darkseid
, remembered the Pre-Crisis Parasite and manipulated Jones to become the modern version. He made Rudy think that a waste container might have held something valuable. He opened it and was exposed to strange radiation that changed his body into the bald, green-skinned villain. Jones now had the ability to absorb the life energy of other people, leaving smoldering skeletons. This power was necessary for his survival as his own body is in a constant state of hunger for energy that it cannot sustain on its own. During this time, Martin Stein, one half of the Firestorm
matrix (Ronnie Raymond being the other half) learned he was dying and decided to destroy all the nuclear weapons in the world. This did not sit well with Earth's governments, particularly the United States, who sent the Suicide Squad
to Times Square where Firestorm was holding a press conference. Things quickly got out of control as the Squad and the Justice League
, both intent on subduing Firestorm, fought one another, and the Parasite (who was brought on the mission against the protestations of both Amanda Waller
and Colonel Rick Flag
Jr.) is released. He goes on a rampage and apparently kills Multiplex, only being brought under control by the cooperation of both teams. Later, he attacked the new Firestorm who easily subdued him and left him near death.
During one of his stints at Belle Reve
Prison, doctors attempted to make him human again. Despite their intentions, the doctors only managed to change his skin color to the more familiar purple and also inadvertently increased his absorption power, enabling him to feed on other forms of energy, such as electricity and heat. After a number of years, the Parasite became involved in the plot to save Superman from overloading on solar energy. Rudy and Superman battled on the moon where Superman uncontrollably unleashed an immense blast of heat vision that the Parasite absorbed, causing him to mutate even further into a huge, hulking monster with teeth resembling a leech's. This mutation again increased Rudy's draining abilities, allowing him to absorb fast-moving objects' inertia, as well as making him impervious to telepathic attack to an unknown extent, since he could now drain energy through a mental link as he displayed when Dubbilex
telepathically attacked him. His extra size and power did have a downside, however; he needed to absorb more energy more frequently in order to stay alive.
Unfortunately for a scientist that was tending to Rudy during one of his terms in imprisonment, he was tricked by Lex Luthor
and somehow absorbed into the Parasite. This joining was different from Rudy's others as, apparently due to unspecified modifications to Rudy's physiology during this stint at S.T.A.R. Labs (although some sources speculate that the scientist's strength of character contributed to his 'survival'), he actually retained the scientist, Dr. Torval Freeman, as a part of his own mind. This combined intelligence made the Parasite even more menacing, given Freeman's superior intellect. He is later recruited by Morgan Edge
to be part of the second Superman Revenge Squad
. After Superman's powers were converted into energy-based ones, the Parasite returned to see what he could absorb from the Man of Steel. However, at this point in time, Superman was not in full control of what was happening with his powers and nearly killed the Parasite. Later, Parasite returned once again to make trouble for Superman, but found himself facing off against Supergirl
instead, absorbing some of her new angelic powers and nearly killing himself due to the 'divine judgment' of Supergirl's new 'wings'.
At one point, Rudy was contracted to help drain off a being named Strange Visitor's excess electromagnetic energy as she could not fully control it. This exposure to Strange Visitor's power caused the Parasite to mutate again, giving him the ability to fully and permanently retain the intellects of all of his victims and also allowed him to maintain any stolen energy for up to twenty-four hours. Like Torval Freeman, Rudy also absorbed an unknown shapeshifter
into his biology, granting him the permanent power to mimic the exact genetic makeup and appearance of his victims.
After he later escaped from S.T.A.R. Labs in the early 2000s, the Parasite began to form a plan to get back at Superman. He began stalking Lois Lane
and Jimmy Olsen
in an attempt to get to those closest to Superman. The Parasite had taken the form of one of his previous victims, an old man, and was run down in the pandemonium that evening when Lois came to his aide. Not realizing that she was actually in contact with the Parasite, a simple touch was all Rudy needed to get her knowledge of Superman. Rudy was surprised to learn from Lois Superman's secret identity
. A new plan formed when he realized how close Superman actually was to Lois; the Parasite decided to take her place and tear him down emotionally by pretending to be a scorned Lois Lane, apparently even having an affair with Luthor in the process. When Clark attempted to confront Lois about her recent distance from him, in a fit of rage uncharacteristic of Lois Lane, Rudy punched Clark out of their apartment and into the streets of Metropolis. Shortly after this display, Superman got the Parasite to reveal himself in the guise of Lois Lane. Rudy could not handle the fact that anyone other than himself as the Parasite took down the Man of Steel. Just as the Parasite was about to lay the final blow to an exhausted Superman, Rudy drops, completely crippled by kryptonite poisoning he had drained from Superman, unbeknownst to either Rudy or Clark. Superman finally realized the reason he has felt so weak recently was because he was being constantly drained by the Parasite and also the victim of the mysterious kryptonite poisoning. When he asked Rudy how long he had pretended to be Lois, the Parasite related his story to the Man of Steel. In his final moments, he tells Superman that he still needed to have contact with Lois once every twenty-four hours to maintain his charade, confirming that she is still alive. He also told him that Lois loves him more deeply than he could ever know, and loves him in a way that nobody ever loved the Parasite. The Parasite died before he could tell Superman where Lois was imprisoned (Superman [vol. 2] #157). Although Superman initially tried to investigate himself, his efforts were hampered by a bout of kryptonite poisoning, and Steel
was forced to contact Batman
to help the investigation. Accompanied by Superman, Batman tracked a spree of recent disappearances to the Parasite's hiding place, during which Superman gained a new insight into Batman's methods and actions, and Lois was soon found alive by the two heroes. Lex Luthor, with whom it is implied the Parasite had engaged in amorous, "extramarital" activity while in Lois' form, was infuriated when he learned of the Parasite's schemes. As such, Luthor went to great efforts to obtain the Parasite's remains.
In Justice League of America (vol. 2) #2, the Parasite is found to be holed up in St. Roch, Louisiana, where he uses his power-absorbing abilities to temporarily neutralize the powers of villains for a fee so they might evade detection during the course of criminal efforts. It is not explained how Rudy survived his apparent death by kryptonite poisoning several years earlier, although Jones has shown in the past to be capable of regenerating his entire body from being burnt down to the skeleton, so he may very well have simply healed from the kryptonite radiation. How he escaped Lex Luthor's custody is another question entirely. There is also the possibility that this Parasite may not even be Rudy/Torval at all; his face is lacking the monstrous teeth that the Parasite has had for most of his career, his vocabulary is more sophisticated than what is normally associated with Rudy Jones, although this may be a result of Torval Freeman possibly being the dominant personality currently, and his costume is the one worn by Maxwell Jensen, which the Post-Crisis Parasite had never worn before. The only characteristic of the Parasite shown in Justice League of America that is consistent with previous appearances of Rudy Jones would be his hulking physique. On a side note, he also recognized Black Lightning
.
In Action Comics
Annual #10, a headshot of the Parasite was seen as part of "Superman's Top 10 Most Wanted" that bore a resemblance to the version seen in Justice
. This version of the Parasite later appeared in Action Comics #751 wearing the Superman: The Animated Series
-inspired costume Parasite wore circa 2000, and is later seen as a member of the new Injustice League
. It has not yet been revealed if this Parasite is the same that appeared in Justice League of America (vol. 2) #2, but he has been revealed to be a resurrected Rudy Jones by Lex Luthor in Superman: Last Son
.
He can seen as the member of Libra
's Secret Society of Super Villains
.
In the New Krypton storyline where 100,000 Kryptionian refugees are freed from the bottle city of Kandor
, the Kandorians decide to take it upon themselves to eliminate Superman's enemies. A group of Kandorians break the Parasite out of prison, killing several prison guards in the process and imprison the Parasite in the Phantom Zone
. Superman freed Parasite so he could be taken to Belle Reve, but Parasite escaped.
The 2009-10 miniseries Superman: Secret Origin
redefines Parasite's origin. In this version, Rudy Jones is a janitor of the Daily Planet. One day Lex Luthor chooses Rudy as part of a daily "LexCorp Lottery" in which he selects one person from the crowd formed outside the LexCorp building to provide them with a new life. Inside LexCorp, Rudy eats a donut which had been accidentally spilled with a purple toxic material (revealed in Issue 5 to have been produced by extracting the radiation from Kryptonite). This transforms him into the Parasite, subsequently going on a rampage in Metropolis until he is stopped by Superman. He was last seen in Issue 5 to be in a holding cell in LexCorp tower, having been seen by both Lex and Lois Lane's father, General Sam Lane.
) performed some experiments, two new Parasites debuted, one purple, the other green. The two new Parasites were teenagers named Alex and Alexandra who wanted to seek vengeance on the people who made their lives difficult. They were soon subdued by Superman after a battle. After attempting to escape from a metahuman prison, Alex was killed by an OMAC while his sister Alexandra escaped and joined the Secret Society of Super Villains
under Alexander Luthor, Jr.
(who was posing as Lex Luthor
). She is later one of the villains sent to retrieve the Get Out of Hell free card from the Secret Six
.
of other beings. They are also able to absorb virtually any other energy form and use it.
Rudy Jones and Dr. Torval Freeman gained enhanced strength, agility and endurance by absorbing the energy of other beings.
After contact with the Strange Visitor
, Parasite’s powers changed enabling him to keep the energy he took longer. Somewhere Jones and his scientist counterpart gained new powers by absorbing a shape-shifter as well. Now, not only does he sap the life energy out of his victims, he can actually become his victims right down to their DNA.
One of Parasite's most prominent physical features is the physical deformities to his face, seemingly totally covered by a mask, including his eyes, nose and mouth, giving him ambiguous as well as fearsome facial features.
, an incarnation of Parasite is one of various enemies of Superman created by Dr. Lex Luthor
.
who is interviewing Lex Luthor, a prisoner on Death Row at the 'Stryker's Island
' prison. Clark is surprised to see the Parasite, and the entity feeds on Superman's ambient energy. This provides enough power for the Parasite to go on a murderous rampage. The sheer amount of energy causes the Parasite to evolve into little more than a body and a mouth. Clark uses subterfuge and his strength to ultimately defeat the creature. Lex believes his attempts actually helped.
alternate timeline, the Parasite is involved in the explosion that destroys Kansas
. Besieged by a group of metahumans led by Magog
, the weakened Parasite desperately lashes out at Captain Atom
, tearing through his outer shell and causing the Captain's nuclear energy to erupt. The ensuing explosion destroys everything within a large radius and annihilates over a million people. With the exception of Magog and the enormous hero Alloy, none of the metahumans involved in the battle, including the Parasite, are shown to survive.
features the faceless, pre-Crisis version of the Parasite as part of the Legion of Doom
. While not identified by name in the story, it is revealed via Batman
's computer
files that this version of the Parasite is Maxwell Jensen.
miniseries entitled JSA: The Unholy Three, Parasite is a former KGB
agent working freelance as a contract killer.
manipulates the Hulk
into freeing the Parasite from prison, and the Parasite and Doom come into conflict with Superman and Spider-Man
.
cartoon, The New Adventures of Superman. However, despite the same name and powers, his appearance has little in common with the comic book version. Here the Parasite is a thief named I.C. Harris, who is portrayed as a balding man with a mustache and does not have purple skin. In the episode, Superman knowingly tricks the Parasite into absorbing so much of his energy that he explodes.
The Parasite later appeared in the 1990s television series Superman: The Animated Series
voiced by the late Brion James
. The origin for the animated Parasite is fairly consistent with his modern origin. This version is able to duplicate the voices of whomever he drains.
He first appears in the episode "Feeding Time". Rudy Jones, janitor at S.T.A.R. Labs, is caught mid-robbery with a crook named Martin Lebeau (voiced by Robert Patrick
) while they are trying to steal a chemical stored in barrels with unknown properties. When Lebeau and Rudy make their getaway in a pickup truck
after narrowly evading the security, Lebeau's anger at Rudy leads him to make Rudy ride in the back with the semi-closed barrels. The barrels soon open, spilling their contents all over Rudy and transforming him into the Parasite. Rudy soon uses his new powers to go after Lebeau in revenge, almost killing him but for the timely intervention of Superman, from whom the Parasite is able to drain a substantial amount of energy during their first encounter, greatly weakening Superman. With Superman's powers, Parasite goes on a rampage and even finds Superman in his apartment, draining him once again, learning his secret identity of (Clark Kent), and trapping him inside a boiler room in S.T.A.R. Labs as a "daily recharge" for his crime sprees (hence the title, "Feeding Time"). While the Parasite is away, Jimmy Olsen stumbles across Superman in the boiler room and frees him just as the Parasite returns and almost kills him. Superman, having regained some of his strength, slips into his titanium-lead alloy Kryptonite armor and engages the Parasite in a ferocious battle which ends when the Parasite grabs a piece of Kryptonite
which drains him of all his Kryptonian powers to the point of unconsciousness and amnesia. He is subsequently incarcerated in a S.T.A.R. Labs
holding cell.
In "Two's a Crowd", the Parasite becomes a supporting protagonist. Superman and Maggie Sawyer ask the Parasite's help to absorb information of an atomic bomb that has been hidden by rogue ex-S.T.A.R. Labs scientist Earl Garver (voiced by Brian Cox) since Earl has been knocked unconscious. In exchange for Cable TV in his cell, the Parasite agrees. Somehow, Earl's mind takes over the Parasite's body. After wrong locations are revealed, Superman is forced to fight Garver/Parasite at the location of the bomb, while Rudy and Garver fight inside the Parasite's mind for control of the Parasite's body. Superman and Jones manage to defeat Garver and stop the bomb, and Rudy regains control of his body. With Earl Garver recovered and incarcerated, Parasite gets his end of the bargain as he is seen watching TV in his cell.
The Parasite makes his final appearance in the series in the episode "Double Dose", where Livewire breaks him out of prison and forms an uneasy alliance with him to destroy Superman. However, the Parasite's greed gets the better of him when he constantly attempts at every opportunity to take Livewire's powers for himself. Every attempt fails, until the two encounter Superman, protected against both the Parasite and Livewire by a layer of latex. Livewire shatters it, however, with liquid nitrogen, and the Parasite drains Superman of his powers, but then turns on Livewire and does the same to her, intending to keep both of them trapped and alive as a "daily recharge" (as in "Feeding Time"). With both Superman's and Livewire's powers, the Parasite confronts Superman alone, but is quickly defeated when Superman tricks him into burning a mop and setting off an emergency shower which, reacting with Livewire's vulnerability to water, drains the Parasite of all his new powers and memories (including Superman's secret identity) to the point that he no longer remembers who he himself is. He is then arrested and returned to prison.
Parasite later makes subsequent appearances in the 2000s series Justice League
where he is now voiced by Brian George
, owing to Brion James's passing. Gorilla Grodd
recruits him into the Secret Society
, along with Giganta
, Killer Frost
, Shade
, and Sinestro
to resurrect Clayface
and defeat the Justice League in the episode, "Secret Society". Once again, he manages to drain significant energy from Superman, and also from the Flash and Wonder Woman. In the end, he is defeated by Wonder Woman when she swings him around a football stadium with her lasso
until he is knocked out upon impact with a billboard
.
, Parasite first appears in "Clash", where he defeats and absorbs the powers of Elongated Man
and Metamorpho
, and briefly battles Batman
before being taken down by Captain Marvel
. He is later seen once again as a member of Gorilla Grodd's Secret Society. In "Alive!", Parasite, along with countless villains, teams up with Grodd in a mutiny against Lex Luthor
aboard Grodd's spaceship and absorbs Giganta
's power in the process. In the end, he is assumed killed when Killer Frost
freezes him and the other mutineers and Darkseid
blows the entire ship up.
The Justice League Unlimited episode "Epilogue" (which takes place in the Batman Beyond
era) features a new Parasite, with a more grotesque appearance compared to the modern day Parasite, as a member of the Iniquity Collective, one of the enemies of the JLU. During the battle, he is defeated and knocked out by Warhawk
. The Batman Beyond era Parasite was voiced by Marc Worden
.
, battling Superman and Batman along many other DC villains, trying to claim Lex Luthor's one billion dollars bounty on Superman. He has no dialogue and appears onscreen in a few shots. Additionally, his character design model sheet for his front view appears in the A first look at Superman/Batman: Public Enemies feature included in the Green Lantern: First Flight
animated movie DVD.
and Brainiac
, were considered as the three main villains for Superman Reborn, but the film was cancelled before beginning production.
) appears with Livewire
, Neutron
, and Plastique, who form into a team of meteor freak rogues
who search for Davis Bloome aka Doomsday
. His powers are similar to the animated series' character, except that he permanently absorbs the powers of those he touches, though he is able to return them. It's not yet certain if Jones can absorb memories from his victims. When Rudy stole someone's abilities, an image of a transparent purple figure would exit his body, enter his victim's, then leave and go back into his body, robbing the person of their powers. This figure resembled how Parasite appeared in the comics.
Prior to Rudy's debut, Clark also faced an opponent with a similar power. Eric Summers (played by Shawn Ashmore
), a young student at Smallville, briefly absorbed Clark's powers when the two were struck by lightning while both held on to a chunk of kryptonite. But, unlike with Parasite, Eric never displayed the ability to absorb the powers of others on his own, and never attempted to absorb them from anyone other than Clark.
at the Stryker's Island
prison where Clark Kent
is interviewing Lex Luthor
voiced by Michael Gough
. Due to Superman's cells overwhelmed with a massive amount of yellow solar radiation, Parasite was able to absorb his energy without touching him. This provides enough power for the Parasite to go on a murderous rampage. Clark uses subterfuge and his strength to ultimately defeat the creature by throwing debris over him. In this version he possessed a thermal-like vision that helped him to identify sources of energy.
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
comic book stories published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. A supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
, Parasite has the ability to temporarily absorb the energy, knowledge and super-powers of another being by touch, making him a formidable foe for the Man of Steel. In 2009, The Parasite was ranked as IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's 61st Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.
Raymond Maxwell Jensen
Earth-Two
Earth-Two is a fictional universe appearing in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. First appearing in The Flash #123 , Earth-Two was created to explain how Silver-Age versions of characters such as the Flash could appear in stories with their Golden Age counterparts...
supervillain Solomon Grundy
Solomon Grundy (comics)
Solomon Grundy is a fictional character, a zombie supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Named after the 19th century children's nursery rhyme, Grundy was introduced as an enemy of the Golden Age Green Lantern , but has since become a prominent enemy for a number of superheroes, such as Batman and...
, creating a newer and stronger version of the creature to plague his adversary. On another occasion, Parasite devised the means to transfer the powers of the hero Air Wave
Air Wave
Air Wave is the name of three fictional superheroes in the DC Comics universe. The first two were active in the Golden Age of Comic Books...
to the young hero's adversary Davy Jones temporarily.
Parasite was one of the main characters in the second Marvel/DC crossover
Intercompany crossover
In comic books, an intercompany crossover is a comic or series of comics where characters published by one company meet those published by another...
between Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
and Superman (Marvel Treasury Edition #28). In this story, he was recruited by Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
as an agent in Doom's latest plan to conquer the world by wiping out all power sources but his own fusion reactor. Doom claimed that he needed the Parasite to function as an invincible bodyguard, capturing the Incredible Hulk and Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
and giving the Parasite a harness that would allow him to retain their powers for prolonged periods. However, Doom's true intention was to kill the Parasite by allowing him to absorb so much power that his cells would burst, causing Parasite to, according to Doom's calculations, transform into a crystalline mass that would allow Doom to perfect the reactor by using its energy-manipulation abilities to control the reactor's power output. This plan was thwarted when the Parasite briefly absorbed Spider-Man's powers
Spider-Man's powers and equipment
Spider-Man's powers, abilities, and equipment are used by Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man in tandem to combat his many foes. He receives most of his powers when he is bitten by a radioactive common house spider...
, causing his borrowed spider-sense to alert him to Doom's treachery and turn on Doom, although he was subsequently defeated by Superman using a gauntlet of Doom's that prevented the Parasite from absorbing his energy when he was attacked.
Rudy Jones
Originally a menial slacker, Rudy Jones was transformed into the Parasite while working as a janitorJanitor
A janitor or custodian is a professional who takes care of buildings, such as hospitals and schools. Janitors are responsible primarily for cleaning, and often some maintenance and security...
at a Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
S.T.A.R. Labs
S.T.A.R. Labs
S.T.A.R. Labs, is a fictional research facility, and comic book organization appearing in titles published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Superman vol. 1 #246 , and was created by Cary Bates and Rich Buckler.-Publication history:...
facility. Unknown to anyone at the scene, the Lord of Apokolips
Apokolips
In the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....
, Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
, remembered the Pre-Crisis Parasite and manipulated Jones to become the modern version. He made Rudy think that a waste container might have held something valuable. He opened it and was exposed to strange radiation that changed his body into the bald, green-skinned villain. Jones now had the ability to absorb the life energy of other people, leaving smoldering skeletons. This power was necessary for his survival as his own body is in a constant state of hunger for energy that it cannot sustain on its own. During this time, Martin Stein, one half of the Firestorm
Firestorm (comics)
Firestorm is the name of several comic book superheroes published by DC Comics. Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein, the first Firestorm, debuted in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #1 , and was created by Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom. Martin Stein, by himself as Firestorm, debuted in Firestorm the Nuclear...
matrix (Ronnie Raymond being the other half) learned he was dying and decided to destroy all the nuclear weapons in the world. This did not sit well with Earth's governments, particularly the United States, who sent the Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
to Times Square where Firestorm was holding a press conference. Things quickly got out of control as the Squad and the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
, both intent on subduing Firestorm, fought one another, and the Parasite (who was brought on the mission against the protestations of both Amanda Waller
Amanda Waller
Dr. Amanda Blake Waller is a character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne...
and Colonel Rick Flag
Rick Flag
Rick Flag is the name of three fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are father, son, and grandson.The father, Richard Flag was in the original Suicide Squad, a World War II unit. After the war he was a member of Task Force X. The son, Rick Flag Jr...
Jr.) is released. He goes on a rampage and apparently kills Multiplex, only being brought under control by the cooperation of both teams. Later, he attacked the new Firestorm who easily subdued him and left him near death.
During one of his stints at Belle Reve
Belle Reve
Belle Reve Penitentiary is a fictional prison and sanitorium in the DC Universe, first appearing in Suicide Squad #1 by John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell.-Fictional background:...
Prison, doctors attempted to make him human again. Despite their intentions, the doctors only managed to change his skin color to the more familiar purple and also inadvertently increased his absorption power, enabling him to feed on other forms of energy, such as electricity and heat. After a number of years, the Parasite became involved in the plot to save Superman from overloading on solar energy. Rudy and Superman battled on the moon where Superman uncontrollably unleashed an immense blast of heat vision that the Parasite absorbed, causing him to mutate even further into a huge, hulking monster with teeth resembling a leech's. This mutation again increased Rudy's draining abilities, allowing him to absorb fast-moving objects' inertia, as well as making him impervious to telepathic attack to an unknown extent, since he could now drain energy through a mental link as he displayed when Dubbilex
Dubbilex
Dubbilex is a fictional comic book character published by DC Comics. He debuted in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #136, , and was created by Jack Kirby. His name is a play on the XX chromosome. -Pre-Crisis:...
telepathically attacked him. His extra size and power did have a downside, however; he needed to absorb more energy more frequently in order to stay alive.
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
and somehow absorbed into the Parasite. This joining was different from Rudy's others as, apparently due to unspecified modifications to Rudy's physiology during this stint at S.T.A.R. Labs (although some sources speculate that the scientist's strength of character contributed to his 'survival'), he actually retained the scientist, Dr. Torval Freeman, as a part of his own mind. This combined intelligence made the Parasite even more menacing, given Freeman's superior intellect. He is later recruited by Morgan Edge
Morgan Edge
Morgan Edge is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain, leader of the mob known as Intergang and one of Superman's enemies. He was created by Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #133 .-Pre-Crisis:...
to be part of the second Superman Revenge Squad
Superman Revenge Squad
The Superman Revenge Squad is the name of two fictional organizations in the DC Comics universe. As their name suggests, they are enemies of Superman.-Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths:...
. After Superman's powers were converted into energy-based ones, the Parasite returned to see what he could absorb from the Man of Steel. However, at this point in time, Superman was not in full control of what was happening with his powers and nearly killed the Parasite. Later, Parasite returned once again to make trouble for Superman, but found himself facing off against Supergirl
Matrix (comics)
Matrix is a fictional character and a superheroine, best known as the 1988-2002 Supergirl, published by DC Comics. She was created by John Byrne as part of his Superman revamp...
instead, absorbing some of her new angelic powers and nearly killing himself due to the 'divine judgment' of Supergirl's new 'wings'.
At one point, Rudy was contracted to help drain off a being named Strange Visitor's excess electromagnetic energy as she could not fully control it. This exposure to Strange Visitor's power caused the Parasite to mutate again, giving him the ability to fully and permanently retain the intellects of all of his victims and also allowed him to maintain any stolen energy for up to twenty-four hours. Like Torval Freeman, Rudy also absorbed an unknown shapeshifter
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
into his biology, granting him the permanent power to mimic the exact genetic makeup and appearance of his victims.
After he later escaped from S.T.A.R. Labs in the early 2000s, the Parasite began to form a plan to get back at Superman. He began stalking Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
and Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character who appears mainly in DC Comics’ Superman stories. Olsen is a young photojournalist working for the Daily Planet. He is close friends with Lois Lane, Clark Kent/Superman and Perry White...
in an attempt to get to those closest to Superman. The Parasite had taken the form of one of his previous victims, an old man, and was run down in the pandemonium that evening when Lois came to his aide. Not realizing that she was actually in contact with the Parasite, a simple touch was all Rudy needed to get her knowledge of Superman. Rudy was surprised to learn from Lois Superman's secret identity
Secret identity
A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
. A new plan formed when he realized how close Superman actually was to Lois; the Parasite decided to take her place and tear him down emotionally by pretending to be a scorned Lois Lane, apparently even having an affair with Luthor in the process. When Clark attempted to confront Lois about her recent distance from him, in a fit of rage uncharacteristic of Lois Lane, Rudy punched Clark out of their apartment and into the streets of Metropolis. Shortly after this display, Superman got the Parasite to reveal himself in the guise of Lois Lane. Rudy could not handle the fact that anyone other than himself as the Parasite took down the Man of Steel. Just as the Parasite was about to lay the final blow to an exhausted Superman, Rudy drops, completely crippled by kryptonite poisoning he had drained from Superman, unbeknownst to either Rudy or Clark. Superman finally realized the reason he has felt so weak recently was because he was being constantly drained by the Parasite and also the victim of the mysterious kryptonite poisoning. When he asked Rudy how long he had pretended to be Lois, the Parasite related his story to the Man of Steel. In his final moments, he tells Superman that he still needed to have contact with Lois once every twenty-four hours to maintain his charade, confirming that she is still alive. He also told him that Lois loves him more deeply than he could ever know, and loves him in a way that nobody ever loved the Parasite. The Parasite died before he could tell Superman where Lois was imprisoned (Superman [vol. 2] #157). Although Superman initially tried to investigate himself, his efforts were hampered by a bout of kryptonite poisoning, and Steel
John Henry Irons
Steel , also known as the Man of Steel, is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Universe. First appearing in The Adventures of Superman #500 , he is the third character known as Steel and was created by Louise Simonson and artist Jon Bogdanove...
was forced to contact Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
to help the investigation. Accompanied by Superman, Batman tracked a spree of recent disappearances to the Parasite's hiding place, during which Superman gained a new insight into Batman's methods and actions, and Lois was soon found alive by the two heroes. Lex Luthor, with whom it is implied the Parasite had engaged in amorous, "extramarital" activity while in Lois' form, was infuriated when he learned of the Parasite's schemes. As such, Luthor went to great efforts to obtain the Parasite's remains.
In Justice League of America (vol. 2) #2, the Parasite is found to be holed up in St. Roch, Louisiana, where he uses his power-absorbing abilities to temporarily neutralize the powers of villains for a fee so they might evade detection during the course of criminal efforts. It is not explained how Rudy survived his apparent death by kryptonite poisoning several years earlier, although Jones has shown in the past to be capable of regenerating his entire body from being burnt down to the skeleton, so he may very well have simply healed from the kryptonite radiation. How he escaped Lex Luthor's custody is another question entirely. There is also the possibility that this Parasite may not even be Rudy/Torval at all; his face is lacking the monstrous teeth that the Parasite has had for most of his career, his vocabulary is more sophisticated than what is normally associated with Rudy Jones, although this may be a result of Torval Freeman possibly being the dominant personality currently, and his costume is the one worn by Maxwell Jensen, which the Post-Crisis Parasite had never worn before. The only characteristic of the Parasite shown in Justice League of America that is consistent with previous appearances of Rudy Jones would be his hulking physique. On a side note, he also recognized Black Lightning
Black Lightning
Black Lightning was one of the first major African American superheroes to appear in DC Comics. He debuted in Black Lightning #1 , and was created by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden.- Publication history :...
.
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
Annual #10, a headshot of the Parasite was seen as part of "Superman's Top 10 Most Wanted" that bore a resemblance to the version seen in Justice
Justice (comics)
Vance Astrovik, also known as Justice and formerly known as Marvel Boy, is a fictional mutant superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He possesses the superhuman power of telekinesis. Astrovik has been affiliated with the New Warriors and The Avengers...
. This version of the Parasite later appeared in Action Comics #751 wearing the Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series starring DC Comics' flagship character, Superman. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on The WB from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. Warner Bros...
-inspired costume Parasite wore circa 2000, and is later seen as a member of the new Injustice League
Injustice League
The Injustice League is the name of two fictional teams of supervillains in the .-Original League :The original Injustice League was the brainchild of the interplanetary conqueror Agamemno. Bored of his dominion, he set out to conquer Earth and their champions, the Justice League...
. It has not yet been revealed if this Parasite is the same that appeared in Justice League of America (vol. 2) #2, but he has been revealed to be a resurrected Rudy Jones by Lex Luthor in Superman: Last Son
Superman: Last Son
"Last Son" is a five-issue comic book story arc featuring Superman in the monthly Action Comics. It is written by Geoff Johns and Richard Donner, the director of the well-known 1978 film Superman: The Movie and a portion of Superman II, with pencils by Adam Kubert...
.
He can seen as the member of Libra
Libra (DC Comics)
Libra is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Justice League of America #111, published in June 1974, where he formed the first incarnation of the Injustice Gang...
's Secret Society of Super Villains
Secret Society of Super Villains
The Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
.
In the New Krypton storyline where 100,000 Kryptionian refugees are freed from the bottle city of Kandor
Kandor
Kandor is the name of the former capital city of the fictional planet Krypton in the DC Universe. It is best known for being stolen and miniaturized by the supervillain Brainiac...
, the Kandorians decide to take it upon themselves to eliminate Superman's enemies. A group of Kandorians break the Parasite out of prison, killing several prison guards in the process and imprison the Parasite in the Phantom Zone
Phantom Zone
The Phantom Zone is a fictional prison dimension featured in the Superman comic books and related media published by DC Comics. It first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
. Superman freed Parasite so he could be taken to Belle Reve, but Parasite escaped.
Superman: Secret Origin
The 2009-10 miniseries Superman: Secret Origin
Superman: Secret Origin
Superman: Secret Origin was a six-issue monthly American comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Gary Frank starring the DC Comics superhero Superman...
redefines Parasite's origin. In this version, Rudy Jones is a janitor of the Daily Planet. One day Lex Luthor chooses Rudy as part of a daily "LexCorp Lottery" in which he selects one person from the crowd formed outside the LexCorp building to provide them with a new life. Inside LexCorp, Rudy eats a donut which had been accidentally spilled with a purple toxic material (revealed in Issue 5 to have been produced by extracting the radiation from Kryptonite). This transforms him into the Parasite, subsequently going on a rampage in Metropolis until he is stopped by Superman. He was last seen in Issue 5 to be in a holding cell in LexCorp tower, having been seen by both Lex and Lois Lane's father, General Sam Lane.
Alex and Alexandra Allston
After the villain Ruin (who was secretly Professor HamiltonProfessor Hamilton
Professor Emil Hamilton is a fictional character in DC Comics' Superman titles. He is generally portrayed as a stereotypical absent-minded professor, with a gray beard and thick glasses and, at times, a "Mr. Wizard" type character...
) performed some experiments, two new Parasites debuted, one purple, the other green. The two new Parasites were teenagers named Alex and Alexandra who wanted to seek vengeance on the people who made their lives difficult. They were soon subdued by Superman after a battle. After attempting to escape from a metahuman prison, Alex was killed by an OMAC while his sister Alexandra escaped and joined the Secret Society of Super Villains
Secret Society of Super Villains
The Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
under Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor Jr. is a DC Comics character who turned from a hero to a villain. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Alexander has a prominent role in the DC Universe storylines Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis....
(who was posing as Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
). She is later one of the villains sent to retrieve the Get Out of Hell free card from 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...
.
Powers and abilities
All Parasites are able to absorb the life energyVitalism
Vitalism, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is#a doctrine that the functions of a living organism are due to a vital principle distinct from biochemical reactions...
of other beings. They are also able to absorb virtually any other energy form and use it.
Rudy Jones and Dr. Torval Freeman gained enhanced strength, agility and endurance by absorbing the energy of other beings.
After contact with the Strange Visitor
Strange Visitor
Strange Visitor aka Sharon Vance first appeared in Superman v2, #149 of October 1999, wearing Superman's old containment suit and soon discovered to be the cosmic entity, Kismet.-Fictional character biography:...
, Parasite’s powers changed enabling him to keep the energy he took longer. Somewhere Jones and his scientist counterpart gained new powers by absorbing a shape-shifter as well. Now, not only does he sap the life energy out of his victims, he can actually become his victims right down to their DNA.
One of Parasite's most prominent physical features is the physical deformities to his face, seemingly totally covered by a mask, including his eyes, nose and mouth, giving him ambiguous as well as fearsome facial features.
Superman: Red Son
In Superman: Red SonSuperman: Red Son
Superman: Red Son is a three-issue prestige format comic book mini-series published by DC Comics that was released under their Elseworlds imprint in April 2003...
, an incarnation of Parasite is one of various enemies of Superman created by Dr. Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
.
All-Star Superman
An alternate version of Parasite appeared in DC Comics' All-Star Superman #5 as an antagonist in the main subplot. He passes by Clark KentClark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
who is interviewing Lex Luthor, a prisoner on Death Row at the 'Stryker's Island
Stryker's Island
Stryker's Island is the name of fictional prison in DC Comics. The name is a play on the similarly located Riker's Island prison in New York. It is also known as Stryker's Island Penitentiary.-Fictional history:...
' prison. Clark is surprised to see the Parasite, and the entity feeds on Superman's ambient energy. This provides enough power for the Parasite to go on a murderous rampage. The sheer amount of energy causes the Parasite to evolve into little more than a body and a mouth. Clark uses subterfuge and his strength to ultimately defeat the creature. Lex believes his attempts actually helped.
Kingdom Come
In the DC Kingdom ComeKingdom Come (comic book)
Kingdom Come is a four-issue comic book mini-series published in 1996 by DC Comics. It was written by Alex Ross and Mark Waid and painted in gouache by Ross, who also developed the concept from an original idea...
alternate timeline, the Parasite is involved in the explosion that destroys Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. Besieged by a group of metahumans led by Magog
Magog (comics)
Magog is a fictional character in the comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Kingdom Come #1 , and was created by Mark Waid and Alex Ross. In 2009, Magog was ranked as IGN's 75th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time....
, the weakened Parasite desperately lashes out at Captain Atom
Captain Atom
Captain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero that has existed in three basic incarnations. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33 . Captain Atom was created for Charlton Comics but was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for...
, tearing through his outer shell and causing the Captain's nuclear energy to erupt. The ensuing explosion destroys everything within a large radius and annihilates over a million people. With the exception of Magog and the enormous hero Alloy, none of the metahumans involved in the battle, including the Parasite, are shown to survive.
Justice
JusticeJustice (DC Comics)
Justice was a twelve-issue American comic book limited series published bimonthly by DC Comics from August 2005 through June 2007, written by Alex Ross and Jim Krueger, with art also by Ross and Doug Braithwaite...
features the faceless, pre-Crisis version of the Parasite as part of the Legion of Doom
Legion of Doom (comics)
The Legion of Doom is a group of supervillains led by Lex Luthor that appeared in Challenge of the Super Friends, an ABC animated series that starred superheroes from DC Comics.-History:...
. While not identified by name in the story, it is revealed via Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
's computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
files that this version of the Parasite is Maxwell Jensen.
JSA: The Liberty Files
In the second JSA: The Liberty FilesJSA: The Liberty Files
JSA: The Liberty Files is a comic book published by DC Comics. The writers were Dan Jolley and Tony Harris. The artists were Harris and Ray Snyder. The books were originally written as two separate two-issue stories; JSA: The Liberty File in 2000 and a sequel, JSA: The Unholy Three in 2003...
miniseries entitled JSA: The Unholy Three, Parasite is a former KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
agent working freelance as a contract killer.
Elseworlds
In Marvel Treasury Edition 28, Doctor DoomDoctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
manipulates the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
into freeing the Parasite from prison, and the Parasite and Doom come into conflict with Superman and Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
.
The New Adventures of Superman
The Parasite first appeared in the 1960s FilmationFilmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
cartoon, The New Adventures of Superman. However, despite the same name and powers, his appearance has little in common with the comic book version. Here the Parasite is a thief named I.C. Harris, who is portrayed as a balding man with a mustache and does not have purple skin. In the episode, Superman knowingly tricks the Parasite into absorbing so much of his energy that he explodes.
Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series starring DC Comics' flagship character, Superman. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on The WB from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. Warner Bros...
voiced by the late Brion James
Brion James
Brion Howard James was an American character actor. Known for playing the character of Leon Kowalski in the movie Blade Runner, James portrayed a variety of colorful roles in well-known films such as 48 Hrs., Another 48 Hours, Tango & Cash, Silverado, Red Heat, The Player and The Fifth Element...
. The origin for the animated Parasite is fairly consistent with his modern origin. This version is able to duplicate the voices of whomever he drains.
He first appears in the episode "Feeding Time". Rudy Jones, janitor at S.T.A.R. Labs, is caught mid-robbery with a crook named Martin Lebeau (voiced by Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
) while they are trying to steal a chemical stored in barrels with unknown properties. When Lebeau and Rudy make their getaway in a pickup truck
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
after narrowly evading the security, Lebeau's anger at Rudy leads him to make Rudy ride in the back with the semi-closed barrels. The barrels soon open, spilling their contents all over Rudy and transforming him into the Parasite. Rudy soon uses his new powers to go after Lebeau in revenge, almost killing him but for the timely intervention of Superman, from whom the Parasite is able to drain a substantial amount of energy during their first encounter, greatly weakening Superman. With Superman's powers, Parasite goes on a rampage and even finds Superman in his apartment, draining him once again, learning his secret identity of (Clark Kent), and trapping him inside a boiler room in S.T.A.R. Labs as a "daily recharge" for his crime sprees (hence the title, "Feeding Time"). While the Parasite is away, Jimmy Olsen stumbles across Superman in the boiler room and frees him just as the Parasite returns and almost kills him. Superman, having regained some of his strength, slips into his titanium-lead alloy Kryptonite armor and engages the Parasite in a ferocious battle which ends when the Parasite grabs a piece of Kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
which drains him of all his Kryptonian powers to the point of unconsciousness and amnesia. He is subsequently incarcerated in a S.T.A.R. Labs
S.T.A.R. Labs
S.T.A.R. Labs, is a fictional research facility, and comic book organization appearing in titles published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Superman vol. 1 #246 , and was created by Cary Bates and Rich Buckler.-Publication history:...
holding cell.
In "Two's a Crowd", the Parasite becomes a supporting protagonist. Superman and Maggie Sawyer ask the Parasite's help to absorb information of an atomic bomb that has been hidden by rogue ex-S.T.A.R. Labs scientist Earl Garver (voiced by Brian Cox) since Earl has been knocked unconscious. In exchange for Cable TV in his cell, the Parasite agrees. Somehow, Earl's mind takes over the Parasite's body. After wrong locations are revealed, Superman is forced to fight Garver/Parasite at the location of the bomb, while Rudy and Garver fight inside the Parasite's mind for control of the Parasite's body. Superman and Jones manage to defeat Garver and stop the bomb, and Rudy regains control of his body. With Earl Garver recovered and incarcerated, Parasite gets his end of the bargain as he is seen watching TV in his cell.
The Parasite makes his final appearance in the series in the episode "Double Dose", where Livewire breaks him out of prison and forms an uneasy alliance with him to destroy Superman. However, the Parasite's greed gets the better of him when he constantly attempts at every opportunity to take Livewire's powers for himself. Every attempt fails, until the two encounter Superman, protected against both the Parasite and Livewire by a layer of latex. Livewire shatters it, however, with liquid nitrogen, and the Parasite drains Superman of his powers, but then turns on Livewire and does the same to her, intending to keep both of them trapped and alive as a "daily recharge" (as in "Feeding Time"). With both Superman's and Livewire's powers, the Parasite confronts Superman alone, but is quickly defeated when Superman tricks him into burning a mop and setting off an emergency shower which, reacting with Livewire's vulnerability to water, drains the Parasite of all his new powers and memories (including Superman's secret identity) to the point that he no longer remembers who he himself is. He is then arrested and returned to prison.
Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
where he is now voiced by Brian George
Brian George
Brian George is a British-Israeli actor and voice actor for Indian accents, who typically plays guest roles for characters of South Asian descent. Perhaps his most famous role is as Pakistani restaurateur Babu Bhatt on Seinfeld.-Early life:...
, owing to Brion James's passing. Gorilla Grodd
Gorilla Grodd
Gorilla Grodd is a supervillain appearing in DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of The Flash. He debuted in Flash v.1 #106 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino....
recruits him into the Secret Society
Secret Society of Super Villains
The Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
, along with Giganta
Giganta
Giganta is a fictional character, a red-haired super-villainess appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. A longtime enemy of Wonder Woman and an occasional foil for The Atom, Giganta possesses the superhuman ability to increase her physical size and mass, effectively transforming into...
, Killer Frost
Killer Frost
Killer Frost is the name of two fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are both supervillains that appear mainly as foes of the superhero Firestorm.-Crystal Frost:...
, Shade
Shade (comics)
The Shade is a comic book character developed in the 1940's for National Comics. Debuting as a villain, the Shade was best known for fighting against two generations of superheroes, most notably the Golden Age and Silver Age versions of the Flash...
, and Sinestro
Sinestro
Thaal Sinestro is a fictional character, an alien supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, Sinestro is the former mentor of Hal Jordan and the arch-nemesis of the entire Green Lantern Corps. Sinestro first appears in Green Lantern #7 . In 2009, Sinestro was...
to resurrect Clayface
Clayface
Clayface is an alias used by several DC Comics fictional characters, most of them possessing claylike bodies and shape-shifting abilities. All of them have been enemies of Batman.-Publication history:...
and defeat the Justice League in the episode, "Secret Society". Once again, he manages to drain significant energy from Superman, and also from the Flash and Wonder Woman. In the end, he is defeated by Wonder Woman when she swings him around a football stadium with her lasso
Lasso of Truth
The Lasso of Truth is a fictional weapon wielded by DC Comics superheroine Wonder Woman, Princess Diana of Themyscira. It is usually referred to as the Magic Lasso or Golden Lasso and forces anyone it captures to obey and tell the truth....
until he is knocked out upon impact with a billboard
Billboard
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
.
Justice League Unlimited
In Justice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
, Parasite first appears in "Clash", where he defeats and absorbs the powers of Elongated Man
Elongated Man
The Elongated Man is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC universe. He is a reserve member of the Justice League. His first appearance was in The Flash vol. 1, #112...
and Metamorpho
Metamorpho
Metamorpho is a fictional character, a superhero in the . He is a founding member of the Outsiders, and has also joined multiple incarnations of the Justice League.-Publication history:...
, and briefly battles Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
before being taken down by Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (DC Comics)
Captain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2...
. He is later seen once again as a member of Gorilla Grodd's Secret Society. In "Alive!", Parasite, along with countless villains, teams up with Grodd in a mutiny against Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
aboard Grodd's spaceship and absorbs Giganta
Giganta
Giganta is a fictional character, a red-haired super-villainess appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. A longtime enemy of Wonder Woman and an occasional foil for The Atom, Giganta possesses the superhuman ability to increase her physical size and mass, effectively transforming into...
's power in the process. In the end, he is assumed killed when Killer Frost
Killer Frost
Killer Frost is the name of two fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are both supervillains that appear mainly as foes of the superhero Firestorm.-Crystal Frost:...
freezes him and the other mutineers and Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
blows the entire ship up.
Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
era) features a new Parasite, with a more grotesque appearance compared to the modern day Parasite, as a member of the Iniquity Collective, one of the enemies of the JLU. During the battle, he is defeated and knocked out by Warhawk
Warhawk (Batman Beyond)
Warhawk is a fictional character created for the DC Animated Universe, voiced by Peter Onorati.-Batman Beyond Appearances:...
. The Batman Beyond era Parasite was voiced by Marc Worden
Marc Worden
Marc Worden is a Canadian actor. His first film appearance was on two episodes of the television series Katts and Dog and his most recent appearances include a voice role in the films Planet Hulk and 10 Years Later. He was a cast member for 5 seasons on the Disney Channel's All New Mickey Mouse...
.
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Parasite appears in a cameo in the DC Universe Animated feature Superman/Batman: Public EnemiesSuperman/Batman: Public Enemies
# "Markets Crash"# "Main Titles"# "Freeway Chase"# "Admit Something"# "Meteor"# "Metallo"# "High Voltage"# "Framed"# "Luthor talks to Power Girl"# "S.T.A.R...
, battling Superman and Batman along many other DC villains, trying to claim Lex Luthor's one billion dollars bounty on Superman. He has no dialogue and appears onscreen in a few shots. Additionally, his character design model sheet for his front view appears in the A first look at Superman/Batman: Public Enemies feature included in the Green Lantern: First Flight
Green Lantern: First Flight
# "Main Title" # "The Ring Chooses Hal" # "Hal Meets / The Flight of The Lanterns" # "Labella's Club" # "Going After Cuch" # "The Way I Heard It" # "Bugs in the Baggage" # "Teleport Pursuit"...
animated movie DVD.
Superman Reborn
Parasite, along with Silver BansheeSilver Banshee
Silver Banshee is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics, primarily as an opponent of Superman.-Fictional character biography:Siobhan McDougal was the first-born child of Garrett McDougal, the patriarch of an old Gaelic clan that has occupied an island midway between Scotland and Ireland for...
and Brainiac
Brainiac (comics)
Brainiac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #242 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
, were considered as the three main villains for Superman Reborn, but the film was cancelled before beginning production.
Smallville
In the season 8 Smallville episode "Injustice", the Rudy Jones version of the character (played by Brendan FletcherBrendan Fletcher
Brendan Fletcher is a Canadian actor.-Life and career:Fletcher was born in Comox Valley, British Columbia and went to junior high school at Lake Trail in Courtenay, British Columbia....
) appears with Livewire
Livewire (DC Comics)
Livewire is a fictional character and a supervillain in the . She first appeared in 1997 in Superman: The Animated Series and was voiced by Lori Petty. Her first appearance in the comic books was in the publication of Action Comics #835 .-Animated series:Leslie Willis was once Metropolis' most...
, Neutron
Neutron (DC Comics)
Neutron is a fictional comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe, appearing usually as an adversary of Superman. He first appeared in Action Comics #525 , and was created by Marv Wolfman and Joe Staton....
, and Plastique, who form into a team of meteor freak rogues
Injustice Gang
The Injustice Gang is a group of fictional supervillains in the DC Comics universe. They are antagonists of the Justice League.-First Formation:The original Injustice Gang's membership consisted of:...
who search for Davis Bloome aka Doomsday
Doomsday (comics)
Doomsday is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman: The Man of Steel #18 , and was created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens. IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Doomsday as #46...
. His powers are similar to the animated series' character, except that he permanently absorbs the powers of those he touches, though he is able to return them. It's not yet certain if Jones can absorb memories from his victims. When Rudy stole someone's abilities, an image of a transparent purple figure would exit his body, enter his victim's, then leave and go back into his body, robbing the person of their powers. This figure resembled how Parasite appeared in the comics.
Prior to Rudy's debut, Clark also faced an opponent with a similar power. Eric Summers (played by Shawn Ashmore
Shawn Ashmore
Shawn Robert Ashmore is a Canadian film and television actor, perhaps best known for his role as Jake in the Animorphs television series and Iceman in the X-Men films. He is the twin brother of actor Aaron Ashmore.-Early life:...
), a young student at Smallville, briefly absorbed Clark's powers when the two were struck by lightning while both held on to a chunk of kryptonite. But, unlike with Parasite, Eric never displayed the ability to absorb the powers of others on his own, and never attempted to absorb them from anyone other than Clark.
All-Star Superman
Parasite appears as a prisoner on Death RowDeath row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
at the Stryker's Island
Stryker's Island
Stryker's Island is the name of fictional prison in DC Comics. The name is a play on the similarly located Riker's Island prison in New York. It is also known as Stryker's Island Penitentiary.-Fictional history:...
prison where Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
is interviewing Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
voiced by Michael Gough
Michael Gough (voice actor)
Michael Gough is an American voice actor and singer.-Television roles:*Dog from WordWorld* Don Diego de la Vega and The lead role in The New Adventures of Zorro* "Goof Troop" - Fester Swollen...
. Due to Superman's cells overwhelmed with a massive amount of yellow solar radiation, Parasite was able to absorb his energy without touching him. This provides enough power for the Parasite to go on a murderous rampage. Clark uses subterfuge and his strength to ultimately defeat the creature by throwing debris over him. In this version he possessed a thermal-like vision that helped him to identify sources of energy.
Video games
- Brian George reprises his role as Parasite as a boss in Superman: Shadow of ApokolipsSuperman: Shadow of ApokolipsSuperman: Shadow of Apokolips is a video game that was released in 2002 by Atari for the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube consoles. It was developed by Infogrames and published by Atari in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics...
video game for GameCubeNintendo GameCubeThe , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
and PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. - Parasite was featured in concept art for Superman ReturnsSuperman Returns (video game)Superman Returns is a video game loosely based on the movie of the same name, developed by Electronic Arts-Tiburon in Orlando, Fla., in conjunction with Warner Bros...
. - Robert Faires voices Parasite 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...
the video game. - Parasite appears as a boss in Superman 64Superman 64Superman: The New Adventures, often referred to as Superman 64: The New Adventures or Superman 64, or simply just Superman, is an adventure video game that was first shown at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 1997 , released by Titus Software on May 31, 1999 on the Nintendo 64...
.