Spellbinder (DC Comics)
Spellbinder | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
First appearance | (Billings) Detective Comics #358 (December 1966) (Unnamed) Justice League International (vol. 2) #65 (June 1994) (Moffit) Detective Comics #691 (November 1995) |
Created by | (Billings) John Broome (writer) Sheldon Moldoff (artist) (Moffit). Chuck Dixon (writer) Staz Johnson (artist) Scott Hanna (artist) |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Delbert Billings Unnamed Fay Moffit |
Species | Metahuman |
Notable aliases | (Billings) Keith Sherwood (Moffit) Lady Spellbinder |
Abilities | (Billings) Use of optical and aural devices that hypnotize people Minimal hand-to-hand combatant (Unnamed) Genuine mystical abilities (Moffit) Genuine illusion-casting powers |
The Spellbinder is the name of four fictional supervillains who appear in comic books published by DC Comics. Versions of the character have appeared on the animated series Batman Beyond and The Batman.
Fictional character biography
Delbert Billings
Spellbinder (Delbert Billings) first appeared in
Delbert was a forger of pop art who decided to put his talents to use as a supervillain. He created the Spellbinder identity, designed hypnotic weapons, and assembled a team of henchmen. He ran into Batman during his first robbery, but hypnotized the crimefighter into believing he was involved in an entirely different situation, as his gang made their getaway.[3] This ploy worked twice, but on his third robbery, Batman was able to overcome it and send him to jail.[4]
After leaving prison, the Spellbinder faced off with Superman in Superman #330 (1978). Using a miniature turntable, he was able to create sonic blasts that would make targets more susceptible to his hypnotic suggestions. The addition of a shock absorbing chin-guard to his helmet protected him from being knocked out by Superman, and special lenses protected him from hypnosis by the Man of Steel. He was finally defeated when his own sonic blasts were echoed back on him (rendering him unconscious). This issue also revealed how Superman uses sub-conscious hypnosis (heightened by the Kryptonian lenses in his glasses) to successfully disguise himself as Clark Kent.
The Spellbinder joined a loosely knit conglomerate of crime organized by the Monarch of Menace. He was the first member of the group to be captured by Batman, who later disguised himself as the Spellbinder to infiltrate the group and capture the Monarch.[5]
Later, the Spellbinder was on the run from the law with his new girlfriend, Fay Moffit, when he was confronted by the demon-lord
Real name unknown
A second Spellbinder (real name unknown) appeared in Justice League International (vol. 2) #65 (June 1994) as a member of the government-sanctioned "League-Busters".[6] [7]
Fay Moffit
During the Underworld Unleashed crossover event, Delbert Billings (the original Spellbinder) rejected Neron's deal of immense power in exchange for his soul and was shot in the head and killed by his girlfriend, Fay Moffit, who then took the deal for herself and became the third Spellbinder (also known as Lady Spellbinder) as a result.[8]
Neron granted her the ability to induce genuine
, but they did not know the scale of her illusion-casting abilities, which extended to making absolutely everything disappear. She escaped from the heroes due to her ability to create a total illusion in her immediate vicinity, which remained even if they closed their eyes. They realized that the only way to be able to approach her safely is if the approach is controlled by someone outside her immediate area of influence. Robin acts as Batman's eyes once the Spellbinder is tracked down by the police, guiding him using a version of virtual reality technology. Once captured, the Spellbinder discovers that her deal with Neron was not all she had hoped — if her eyes are covered or closed, her illusion-casting abilities no longer function.She subsequently appeared in
The Spellbinder returned to Birds of Prey when the
The Spellbinder returned again in the miniseries
The Spellbinder was apparently killed alongside the Trigger Twins by a group of gun-toting superheroes during
The New 52
A fourth Spellbinder appears in
However, a spell gone wrong by
Infinite Frontier
During Infinite Frontier and after Fear State, a classmate of Barbara Gordon named Charles Dante became Spellbinder. [13]
Powers and abilities
The original Spellbinder used a number of optical and aural devices of his own invention to hypnotize others. His fighting skills were minimal.
The second unnamed Spellbinder had genuine mystical abilities.
The third Spellbinder, also known as Lady Spellbinder, can create terrifying realistic illusions which can cause real pain to the recipients. However, she is unable to use this ability if she is blinded or otherwise has restricted vision.
In other media
Television
- A futuristic incarnation of Spellbinder appears in Batman Beyond, voiced by Jon Cypher. This version is Dr. Ira Billings, the school psychologist of Hamilton High who wears a suit featuring an orange-and-black swirl design and uses a large floating "eyeball" that allows him to project mental illusions via hypnosis and virtual technology. Additionally, he constructs the addictive VR Rooms, which creates the user's greatest fantasy and eventually renders them catatonic the more they use it, for use in his crimes.
- The unnamed incarnation of Spellbinder appears in The Batman, voiced by Michael Massee. This version has a third eye, which he acquired while meditating in the Far East and gives him the ability to induce hallucinations.
Miscellaneous
Spellbinder makes a cameo appearance in Wayne of Gotham, by Tracy Hickman.
See also
References
- ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
- ISBN 978-1-4654-8578-6.
- ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.
- ISBN 9780345501066.
- ^ Batman #336
- ^ Justice League International (vol. 2) #65
- ^ Justice League America #90
- ^ Detective Comics #691-692
- ^ Birds of Prey: Batgirl
- ^ Birds of Prey #12-14
- ^ Constantine #13
- ^ Constantine #16-17
- ^ Batgirls Vol 1 3
External links
- Cosmic Team profile
- Spellbinder (Batman Beyond) on the DC Animated Universe Wiki, an external wiki
- The Batman profile at World's Finest Online