Samaritan (comics)
Encyclopedia
Samaritan is a fictional character
in the comic book
series Astro City
. Created by writer Kurt Busiek
and artists Brent Anderson
and Alex Ross
, Samaritan is the premier superhero
of the world, much in the vein of Superman
and Captain Marvel
. Despite his powers, however, the mind of the man called Samaritan is that of a weary and worn time-traveler with little time to himself and no future to return to.
n future of the 35th century, a man was selected to go back in time to prevent a catastrophic event
whose consequences ultimately ruined the future world. Launched into the timestream, he was caught up in empyrean fire
, the strands of energy that make up time itself. Crash-landing near Astro City
in late 1985, he spent the remainder of the year learning to master the empyrean forces that had suffused his body, and to alter it to change back to a more normal appearance (the empyrean forces had changed his hair to a bright shade of blue). Desperately working to control his powers, he succeeded barely in time to prevent the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
, the event he had been sent to amend. Upon placing the Challenger on the ground, he was besieged by the media
, who pressed him for details on himself. Briefly dismissing himself as just "a Good Samaritan", he departed immediately to better figure things out.
Eventually deciding that he could do a lot of good with his powers, he added a cape to his outfit and took the name "Samaritan", basing himself in Astro City. Additionally, he used his Zyxometer, a living bio-computer
shaped like a diamond
with tentacle
s to create a civilian identity for himself as "Asa Martin" (an anagram
of "Samaritan"), a fact-checker for Current, a newsmagazine
based in Astro City. With the quiet his job affords, Martin has programmed the Zyxometer to do his daily duties at Current, enabling Samaritan to simultaneously continue performing his heroics and protecting the people. Unfortunately, this has caused Asa to appear to his colleagues as standoffish. His sense of duty has led to a similar problem as Samaritan, leading him to attempt to ameliorate it with what he considers non-essential activities. For example, he consents to attend dinners and banquets held in his honor, lest he seem arrogant by those he serves. The plaque
s and trophies
given to him at these events end up in an alternate dimension
, nicknamed "the Closet", that he can access.
The stress of his responsibilities have affected Samaritan as of late. With little time to himself, he often (though silently) grouses that the need to fly rapidly to various locations to stop crimes and prevent disasters leaves him little time to enjoy the sheer sensation of flight. He also frets over the fact that he cannot be omnipresent and deal with every problem that warrants his attention. His problems were further compounded when on a time-travelling mission back to his home future, he discovered that saving the Challenger changed the timeline (as planned), turning the barren wastelands he'd come from into a prosperous near-utopia. However, this also resulted in a paradoxical future in which he never existed; thus, he has no home to which he could ever conceivably return.
A member of an impoverished tribe in what is modern day Kenya
, inquisitive Kiyu sought out the scholars of Zanzibar
to find answers to his questions on the world, only to wind up the slave of an alchemist
. Studying and improving upon his master’s work, he learned to summon and infused himself with empyrean energies, making himself immortal. He also gained great enough power to slay his master, who derided his accomplishments as blasphemous, and those who prevented his escape from Zanzibar. Acquiring wealth via alchemy, Kiyu repeatedly built fortresses and castles in which to study the secrets of the universe in solitude well into the Middle Ages
. Each time, however, he was ultimately forced out, being harassed and attacked by those who either decried him as a heretic
and for trafficking with demons
, or sought justice for people he’d kidnapped to use for fodder in his experiments. Taking the curse of infidel
as his new name to symbolize his refusal to accept dogma
and superstitions as law, he eventually used his access to empyrean energies to travel into the future, sometime after Samaritan’s era, in which the human race was now extinct. Infidel then "rescued" people from history’s great disasters – Titanic, Pompeii
, etc. – in order to gather slaves that would build his latest citadel, cultivate food, and other trivialities, leaving him free from distractions as he continued his studies.
When Samaritan changed history, however, the future he’d come from was wiped out, including the empire built by Infidel, his citadel ignominiously replaced with a high-tech taco
stand
. Finding himself in a strange new world, Infidel was imprisoned as a madman by the future’s authorities, but escaped and made plans to travel into the past. Learning that time had been changed by Samaritan in 1985, he went further into the past and caused the Cuban Missile Crisis
to escalate into World War III
, eradicating any changes Samaritan could have made and ensuring a new desolate future where he could rebuild his empire. However, Samaritan survived these reversals in time as well, and so was able to capture Infidel and restore history.
Their feud continued for years, Infidel using such methods as threatening those close to Samaritan, creating bizarre creatures and weapons via alchemy, or even restructuring reality – causing changes as innocuous as reversing the color of Samaritan’s hair and costume, to as extreme as revising history so that astrology
became the world's dominant socio-political system. When one battle destroyed the world, the two realized the futility of it – with them both empowered by empyrean energies, Infidel could not destroy Samaritan and Samaritan couldn't keep Infidel from escaping his prisons. After restoring the world, they settled into a truce, wherein Infidel exiled himself to a palace outside the time-stream, where he can study in solitude without endangering anyone. He and Samaritan meet once a year, either in the palace or some remote part of time, to share a meal and take stock of one another. At the same time, Infidel tries to figure out a way to wipe out Samaritan just as Samaritan works on ways to strip Infidel of his powers. At the end of each meeting, Samaritan asks Infidel if he's willing to help mankind while Infidel asks if Samaritan is willing to join him and truly change the world. Each man always replies in the negative but at their latest meeting, Infidel sensed that Samaritan was starting to weaken in his resolve. Infidel felt doubt soon after, upon feeling attracted to a scientist named Gretchen Hastings. Her writings had been forwarded to him by Samaritan, and it was soon revealed that she initiated this action in hopes of getting the Infidel to work with her for the benefit of mankind.
Like Samaritan, Infidel has been imbued with empyrean energies, which has turned his beard and eyes green. Whereas Samaritan uses his energies sparingly and only to help, Infidel uses his constantly, not just for lightning-like attacks but to do simple tasks in his home. It has been shown that Samaritan, a modern man who owes his existence and powers to science, is uncomfortable with Infidel's magic-based ways and old beliefs such as women being inferior to men. Despite their differences, Infidel does seem to hold a respect for Samaritan and seems to truly wish he will join forces someday.
, another troubled superhero based in Astro City, beginning when they were set up on a date by other members of Honor Guard, who volunteered to handle all major disasters that night. Whether their relationship will develop beyond one of purely professional status remains to be seen, although Samaritan is shown to hold her in high regard. During their annual dinner, Infidel offers to tell Samaritan how it will turn out but Samaritan says that even if he could trust Infidel to tell the truth, he prefers the uncertainty.
on her left cheek, "Ms. A" – she's been referred to as being named possibly Allison or Andrea – was a thoroughly modern woman who had shown Infidel "disrespect". As such, she became embroiled in at least two great battles between him and Samaritan; during the latter she was kidnapped to an alternate reality and reduced to little more than a pet for Infidel before being rescued.
To continue his jaded amusements, Infidel created a homunculus
, a claimed non-sentient humanoid form, in the image of Ms. A. Samaritan, concerned Infidel had been kidnapping people out of time again, as well as their resemblance to real human beings, and their possible ability to have feelings and emotions, raised doubts about the morality of these activities.
to the Philippines
that took 6.2 seconds. He can manipulate a field of energy, called an empyrean web, to carry and hold objects larger than him. Additionally, he has exhibited super strength, though it is not known whether it is due to muscular feats or his manipulation of energy fields. He has shown enhanced senses such as super hearing, though if his other senses are also advanced is not known. Lastly, he can travel into alternate dimensions unaided (and frequently does, to access "the Closet"). It is not known if he can travel through space-time on his own accord.
His earpiece is an extension of the Zyxometer, constantly feeding him updates on emergencies from various sources.
, which rebooted
his origin). The majority of Samaritan's powers mimic those of Superman as well.
DC Comics
' Captain Marvel is often seen as an additional influence. Like Marvel's, Samaritan's cape is non-standard; in this case, it was designed to look like a Greco-Roman toga
(this according to the author; in fact, only the Romans, not the Greeks, wore togas). Many of the powers of Captain Marvel and Superman are identical, and these match to Samaritan.
Kurt Busiek, however, provides the definitive version of Samaritan's derivation: "Samaritan's early influences are my childhood flying dreams, a book called Catapult: Harry and I Build a Siege Weapon by Jim Paul, a 'generic' superhero call[ed] (I think) Captain Cash from a Neal Adams
-drawn magazine ad in comics form, Robert Mayer
's Superfolks, Moses
and Bright Lights Big City – and maybe a little from a pin-up Leonard Starr
did in Superman #400. With all that roiling around underneath, it's probably more understandable why I flinch when people assume he's just Superman again. (His cape, by the way, which was credited to Captain Marvel, comes simply from looking for imagery associated with his name, and an attempt to make him look different from the other "flying strongmen" of comics history.)"
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 comic book
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...
series Astro City
Astro City
Kurt Busiek's Astro City is a comic book series centered on a fictional American city of that name. Written by Kurt Busiek, the series is co-created and illustrated by Brent Anderson with character designs and painted covers by Alex Ross...
. Created by writer Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.-Early life:...
and artists Brent Anderson
Brent Anderson
Brent Anderson is an American comic book artist known for his work on X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills and the comic book series Astro City.- Early life :...
and Alex Ross
Alex Ross
Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross is an American comic book painter, illustrator, and plotter. He is praised for his realistic, human depictions of classic comic book characters. Since the 1990s he has done work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an...
, Samaritan is the premier superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
of the world, much in the vein of Superman
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...
and 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...
. Despite his powers, however, the mind of the man called Samaritan is that of a weary and worn time-traveler with little time to himself and no future to return to.
Fictional character biography
In the dystopiaDystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
n future of the 35th century, a man was selected to go back in time to prevent a catastrophic event
Disaster
A disaster is a natural or man-made hazard that has come to fruition, resulting in an event of substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life, or drastic change to the environment...
whose consequences ultimately ruined the future world. Launched into the timestream, he was caught up in empyrean fire
Empyrean
Empyrean, from the Medieval Latin empyreus, an adaptation of the Ancient Greek ἔμπυρος empyrus "in or on the fire ", properly Empyrean Heaven, is the place in the highest heaven, which in ancient cosmologies was supposed to be occupied by the element of fire .-Use in literature:The Empyrean was...
, the strands of energy that make up time itself. Crash-landing near Astro City
Astro City
Kurt Busiek's Astro City is a comic book series centered on a fictional American city of that name. Written by Kurt Busiek, the series is co-created and illustrated by Brent Anderson with character designs and painted covers by Alex Ross...
in late 1985, he spent the remainder of the year learning to master the empyrean forces that had suffused his body, and to alter it to change back to a more normal appearance (the empyrean forces had changed his hair to a bright shade of blue). Desperately working to control his powers, he succeeded barely in time to prevent the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
STS-51-L
STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth flight of the American Space Shuttle program, which marked the first time an ordinary civilian, schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, had flown aboard the Space Shuttle. The mission used Space Shuttle Challenger, which lifted off from the Launch Complex 39-B on 28 January...
, the event he had been sent to amend. Upon placing the Challenger on the ground, he was besieged by the media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
, who pressed him for details on himself. Briefly dismissing himself as just "a Good Samaritan", he departed immediately to better figure things out.
Eventually deciding that he could do a lot of good with his powers, he added a cape to his outfit and took the name "Samaritan", basing himself in Astro City. Additionally, he used his Zyxometer, a living bio-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...
shaped like a diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
with tentacle
Tentacle
A tentacle or bothrium is one of usually two or more elongated flexible organs present in animals, especially invertebrates. The term may also refer to the hairs of the leaves of some insectivorous plants. Usually, tentacles are used for feeding, feeling and grasping. Anatomically, they work like...
s to create a civilian identity for himself as "Asa Martin" (an anagram
Anagram
An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
of "Samaritan"), a fact-checker for Current, a newsmagazine
Newsmagazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published piece of paper, magazine or a radio or television program, usually weekly, featuring articles or segments on current events...
based in Astro City. With the quiet his job affords, Martin has programmed the Zyxometer to do his daily duties at Current, enabling Samaritan to simultaneously continue performing his heroics and protecting the people. Unfortunately, this has caused Asa to appear to his colleagues as standoffish. His sense of duty has led to a similar problem as Samaritan, leading him to attempt to ameliorate it with what he considers non-essential activities. For example, he consents to attend dinners and banquets held in his honor, lest he seem arrogant by those he serves. The plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
s and trophies
Trophy
A trophy is a reward for a specific achievement, and serves as recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are most often awarded for sporting events, from youth sports to professional level athletics...
given to him at these events end up in an alternate dimension
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
, nicknamed "the Closet", that he can access.
The stress of his responsibilities have affected Samaritan as of late. With little time to himself, he often (though silently) grouses that the need to fly rapidly to various locations to stop crimes and prevent disasters leaves him little time to enjoy the sheer sensation of flight. He also frets over the fact that he cannot be omnipresent and deal with every problem that warrants his attention. His problems were further compounded when on a time-travelling mission back to his home future, he discovered that saving the Challenger changed the timeline (as planned), turning the barren wastelands he'd come from into a prosperous near-utopia. However, this also resulted in a paradoxical future in which he never existed; thus, he has no home to which he could ever conceivably return.
Infidel
"Bitter and implacable enemies," Infidel is almost Samaritan’s total inverse, both in manner and origin, even beginning his life not in the far future, but in the distant past.A member of an impoverished tribe in what is modern day Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, inquisitive Kiyu sought out the scholars of Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
to find answers to his questions on the world, only to wind up the slave of an alchemist
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
. Studying and improving upon his master’s work, he learned to summon and infused himself with empyrean energies, making himself immortal. He also gained great enough power to slay his master, who derided his accomplishments as blasphemous, and those who prevented his escape from Zanzibar. Acquiring wealth via alchemy, Kiyu repeatedly built fortresses and castles in which to study the secrets of the universe in solitude well into the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. Each time, however, he was ultimately forced out, being harassed and attacked by those who either decried him as a heretic
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
and for trafficking with demons
Warlock
The term warlock in origin means "traitor, oathbreaker".In early modern Scots, the word came to be used as the male equivalent of witch ....
, or sought justice for people he’d kidnapped to use for fodder in his experiments. Taking the curse of infidel
Infidel
An infidel is one who has no religious beliefs, or who doubts or rejects the central tenets of a particular religion – especially in reference to Christianity or Islam....
as his new name to symbolize his refusal to accept dogma
Dogma
Dogma is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, or a particular group or organization. It is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted, or diverged from, by the practitioners or believers...
and superstitions as law, he eventually used his access to empyrean energies to travel into the future, sometime after Samaritan’s era, in which the human race was now extinct. Infidel then "rescued" people from history’s great disasters – Titanic, Pompeii
Pompeii
The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning...
, etc. – in order to gather slaves that would build his latest citadel, cultivate food, and other trivialities, leaving him free from distractions as he continued his studies.
When Samaritan changed history, however, the future he’d come from was wiped out, including the empire built by Infidel, his citadel ignominiously replaced with a high-tech taco
Taco
A taco is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety...
stand
Kiosk
Kiosk is a small, separated garden pavilion open on some or all sides. Kiosks were common in Persia, India, Pakistan, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward...
. Finding himself in a strange new world, Infidel was imprisoned as a madman by the future’s authorities, but escaped and made plans to travel into the past. Learning that time had been changed by Samaritan in 1985, he went further into the past and caused the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
to escalate into World War III
World War III
World War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
, eradicating any changes Samaritan could have made and ensuring a new desolate future where he could rebuild his empire. However, Samaritan survived these reversals in time as well, and so was able to capture Infidel and restore history.
Their feud continued for years, Infidel using such methods as threatening those close to Samaritan, creating bizarre creatures and weapons via alchemy, or even restructuring reality – causing changes as innocuous as reversing the color of Samaritan’s hair and costume, to as extreme as revising history so that astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
became the world's dominant socio-political system. When one battle destroyed the world, the two realized the futility of it – with them both empowered by empyrean energies, Infidel could not destroy Samaritan and Samaritan couldn't keep Infidel from escaping his prisons. After restoring the world, they settled into a truce, wherein Infidel exiled himself to a palace outside the time-stream, where he can study in solitude without endangering anyone. He and Samaritan meet once a year, either in the palace or some remote part of time, to share a meal and take stock of one another. At the same time, Infidel tries to figure out a way to wipe out Samaritan just as Samaritan works on ways to strip Infidel of his powers. At the end of each meeting, Samaritan asks Infidel if he's willing to help mankind while Infidel asks if Samaritan is willing to join him and truly change the world. Each man always replies in the negative but at their latest meeting, Infidel sensed that Samaritan was starting to weaken in his resolve. Infidel felt doubt soon after, upon feeling attracted to a scientist named Gretchen Hastings. Her writings had been forwarded to him by Samaritan, and it was soon revealed that she initiated this action in hopes of getting the Infidel to work with her for the benefit of mankind.
Like Samaritan, Infidel has been imbued with empyrean energies, which has turned his beard and eyes green. Whereas Samaritan uses his energies sparingly and only to help, Infidel uses his constantly, not just for lightning-like attacks but to do simple tasks in his home. It has been shown that Samaritan, a modern man who owes his existence and powers to science, is uncomfortable with Infidel's magic-based ways and old beliefs such as women being inferior to men. Despite their differences, Infidel does seem to hold a respect for Samaritan and seems to truly wish he will join forces someday.
Winged Victory
As of recently, Samaritan has been able to spend (very little) time with Winged VictoryWinged Victory (comics)
Winged Victory is a fictional character in the comic book series Astro City. Created by writer Kurt Busiek and artists Brent Anderson and Alex Ross, Winged Victory is a prominent superheroine of Astro City, motivated by a powerful desire for social justice and self-sufficiency for...
, another troubled superhero based in Astro City, beginning when they were set up on a date by other members of Honor Guard, who volunteered to handle all major disasters that night. Whether their relationship will develop beyond one of purely professional status remains to be seen, although Samaritan is shown to hold her in high regard. During their annual dinner, Infidel offers to tell Samaritan how it will turn out but Samaritan says that even if he could trust Infidel to tell the truth, he prefers the uncertainty.
"Ms. A"
A beautiful young woman with a distinctive beauty markBeauty mark
A beauty mark or beauty spot is a euphemism for a type of dark facial mole, so named because such birthmarks are sometimes considered an attractive feature. Medically, such "beauty marks" are generally melanocytic nevus, more specifically the compound variant...
on her left cheek, "Ms. A" – she's been referred to as being named possibly Allison or Andrea – was a thoroughly modern woman who had shown Infidel "disrespect". As such, she became embroiled in at least two great battles between him and Samaritan; during the latter she was kidnapped to an alternate reality and reduced to little more than a pet for Infidel before being rescued.
To continue his jaded amusements, Infidel created a homunculus
Homunculus
Homunculus is a term used, generally, in various fields of study to refer to any representation of a human being. Historically, it referred specifically to the concept of a miniature though fully formed human body, for example, in the studies of alchemy and preformationism...
, a claimed non-sentient humanoid form, in the image of Ms. A. Samaritan, concerned Infidel had been kidnapping people out of time again, as well as their resemblance to real human beings, and their possible ability to have feelings and emotions, raised doubts about the morality of these activities.
Powers and abilities
Due to exposure to the energies that make up the timestream, Samaritan is extremely powerful. He is capable of hypersonic flight, as evidenced in a flight from the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
that took 6.2 seconds. He can manipulate a field of energy, called an empyrean web, to carry and hold objects larger than him. Additionally, he has exhibited super strength, though it is not known whether it is due to muscular feats or his manipulation of energy fields. He has shown enhanced senses such as super hearing, though if his other senses are also advanced is not known. Lastly, he can travel into alternate dimensions unaided (and frequently does, to access "the Closet"). It is not known if he can travel through space-time on his own accord.
His earpiece is an extension of the Zyxometer, constantly feeding him updates on emergencies from various sources.
Influences
The biggest influence on the Samaritan character is Superman, which shows in several ways. First, the "traveler from beyond" theme echoes Superman's origin, as does the saving a spacecraft from disaster that kicks off both their careers (this was shown for Superman in The Man of Steel limited seriesLimited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
, which rebooted
Reboot (continuity)
The verb reboot, in media dealing with serial fiction, means to discard much or even all previous continuity in the series and start anew with fresh ideas...
his origin). The majority of Samaritan's powers mimic those of Superman as well.
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...
' Captain Marvel is often seen as an additional influence. Like Marvel's, Samaritan's cape is non-standard; in this case, it was designed to look like a Greco-Roman toga
Toga
The toga, a distinctive garment of Ancient Rome, was a cloth of perhaps 20 ft in length which was wrapped around the body and was generally worn over a tunic. The toga was made of wool, and the tunic under it often was made of linen. After the 2nd century BC, the toga was a garment worn...
(this according to the author; in fact, only the Romans, not the Greeks, wore togas). Many of the powers of Captain Marvel and Superman are identical, and these match to Samaritan.
Kurt Busiek, however, provides the definitive version of Samaritan's derivation: "Samaritan's early influences are my childhood flying dreams, a book called Catapult: Harry and I Build a Siege Weapon by Jim Paul, a 'generic' superhero call[ed] (I think) Captain Cash from a Neal Adams
Neal Adams
Neal Adams is an American comic book and commercial artist known for helping to create some of the definitive modern imagery of the DC Comics characters Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow; as the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates; and as a creators-rights advocate who...
-drawn magazine ad in comics form, Robert Mayer
Robert Mayer
Sir Robert Mayer, CH, KCVO was a German-born philanthropist, businessman, and a major supporter of music and young musicians....
's Superfolks, Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
and Bright Lights Big City – and maybe a little from a pin-up Leonard Starr
Leonard Starr
Leonard Starr is a Golden Age comic book artist, an advertising artist and award-winning cartoonist, notable for creating the newspaper strip On Stage and reviving Little Orphan Annie.-Early life:...
did in Superman #400. With all that roiling around underneath, it's probably more understandable why I flinch when people assume he's just Superman again. (His cape, by the way, which was credited to Captain Marvel, comes simply from looking for imagery associated with his name, and an attempt to make him look different from the other "flying strongmen" of comics history.)"