Brother Bloodis the name of twosupervillainsappearing inAmerican comic bookspublished byDC Comics.The first iteration,Sebastian Blood VIII,is a power-hungrypriestand head of the Church of Blood, as well as the eighth person in theDC Universeto assume the mantle, after killing his father and taking the Brother Blood mantle from him. This tradition had gone on for generations, dating back to the 13th century, when the first Brother Blood was born after obtaining Jesus of Nazareth's prayer shawl and gaining superhuman abilities. As Brother Blood, Sebastian served as a recurring adversary of theTeen Titansbefore being killed by his successor,Sebastian Blood IX.
| Brother Blood | |
|---|---|
 Brother Blood as depicted inNew Teen Titans#22 (August 1982). Art byGeorge Pérez. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Sebastian Blood VIII: The New Teen Titans#21 (July 1982) Sebastian Blood IX: Outsiders#6 (January 2004) |
| Created by | Sebastian Blood VIII: Marv Wolfman George Pérez Sebastian Blood IX: Judd Winick ChrisCross |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Sebastian Blood |
| Team affiliations | Both: Church of Blood Sebastian Blood IX: Secret Society of Super Villains |
| Abilities | Sebastian Blood VIII: Hypnosis Sorcery Longevity Immunity toRaven's soul-self Sebastian Blood IX: Vampirism Enhanced strength Adept hand-to-hand combatant |
Brother Blood appears in the 2003Teen Titansanimated series and its 2013spin-offTeen Titans Go!,voiced byJohn DiMaggio.Sebastian Bloodis a recurring character in thesecond seasonof theArrowverseseriesArrow,portrayed byKevin Alejandro.Joseph Morganappears as the character in the fourth season of theHBO MaxseriesTitans.
Publication history
editThe first Brother Blood, Sebastian Blood VIII, debuted inThe New Teen Titans#21 (July 1982), created by writerMarv Wolfmanand artistGeorge Pérez.[1]He was a regular foe of the Teen Titans for many years.[2]
The second Brother Blood, Sebastian Blood IX, debuted inOutsidersvol. 3 #6 (January 2004), and was created by writerJudd Winickand artistChrisCross.
Fictional character biography
editSebastian Blood VIII
editThe first Brother Blood encountered by the Titans is the eighth to bear the title. Centuries prior, the first Brother Sebastian obtained a magical shawl that granted him longevity, and its original owner cursed him and his descendants to be killed by their sons.[1]
The eighth Brother Blood is, seemingly, the first who wishes to extend theChurch of Bloodbeyond Zandia.[3]He battles the Teen Titans beforeRavendefeats him and destroys his mind.[4]
Sebastian Blood IX
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After recovering and returning to his cult, Blood VIII is killed by his young son, who assumes the role.[5][6]He exhibits additionalvampiricabilities and reveals that the Cult of Blood is based on theworshipofTrigon.As a result, he unsuccessfully attempts to marry Raven, Trigon's daughter.
InInfinite Crisis,Blood joinsAlexander Luthor Jr.'sSecret Society of Super VillainsbeforeKid Eternitysends him toHell.[7][8][9]
The New 52
editInThe New 52continuity reboot, Brother Blood is depicted as a former potential champion of the Red, a cosmic force that connects all animal life, who seeks to gain its power.[10][11]
Mother Blood
editA new incarnation of Brother Blood is introduced inDC Rebirth.This version isSonya Tarinka,a former leader of the Cult of Blood who has a deep connection to the Red and can control the minds of others.[12]
Powers and abilities
editThe first Blood is a formidable opponent who is backed by a massive number of fanatical followers. He is an expert manipulator who feeds off of the faith of his members coupled with a capable staff that can see through disguises to detect infiltrators and assist inpublic relations.He ages at a much slower rate than normal humans. Brother Blood is immune to Raven's soul-self due to his shawl's powers. He is also nigh invulnerable and has supernatural physical strength.
The second Blood's powers work in a manner similar to those of a vampire: he gains strength from blood, and can take on the abilities of anyone whose blood he has sampled. Like the first Blood, he is backed by a massive number of fanatical followers.
In other media
editTelevision
edit
- Brother Blood appears in thethird seasonofTeen Titans(2003), voiced byJohn DiMaggio.[13]This version is the charismatic and sadisticheadmasterof theH.I.V.E.Academy and rival ofCyborgwho possesses psionic powers such asmind control,teleportation, telekinesis, energy shield creation, and aphotographic memory.In comparison to theTeen Titans' previous enemySlade,series producer/writerDavid Slackstated that Blood is his opposite, seeking attention rather than hiding from it. Furthermore, he draws inspiration from real-life cult leaders and deviates significantly from his comics counterpart because the original's backstory was difficult to adapt.[14]After Cyborg proves immune to his mind control, destroys the H.I.V.E. Academy, and thwarts his plot to destroy Jump City, Blood seeks revenge and transforms himself into a cyborg before being defeated.
- Brother Sebastian Bloodappears in thesecond seasonofArrow,portrayed byKevin Alejandro.[15]This version was born in the crime-infestedStarling Citydistrict of the Glades and raised by an abusive, alcoholic father named Sebastian Sangre and a submissive mother named Maya Resik. As of the present, Blood moonlights as a charismatic and highly motivated politician and friend ofOliver Queenwhile working to rebuild the Glades. In secret, he operates as the leader of the "Church of Blood",which he inherited from its founder FatherRoger Trigon,via a skull mask outfitted with a voice modulator. Through the cult, he kidnaps criminals and injects them with the Mirakuru serum in an attempt to replicate the process that empowered his ally and secret backerSlade Wilson,with cultistCyrus Goldbecoming Blood's first successful test subject. Following the death of his campaign rivalMoira Queenand learning Slade intends to completely destroy Starling City, leaving nothing to rebuild from, Blood attempts to betray him by giving Queen vital information and Mirakuru samples in exchange for leniency, only to be killed by Slade's allyIsabel Rochev.
- Brother Blood appears inTeen Titans Go!,voiced again by John DiMaggio.[13]In his most notable appearance in the episode "Waffles", he creates a torture robot called Pain Bot (voiced byScott Menvillein the first season andKhary Paytonin the second)[16]to aid him, who later befriends Cyborg and defects to the Titans.
- An original incarnation of Brother Blood namedSebastian Sangerappears in thefourth seasonofTitans,portrayed byJoseph Morgan.[17][18][19]This version is the son of Trigon andMother Mayhemand half-brother ofRachel Rothwho was orphaned by his parents and became aMetropolistaxidermist.After seeing hallucinations of blood and hearing chanting, Sebastian becomes the leader of the Church of Blood to seek Trigon's power for himself.
Film
editBrother Blood appears inTeen Titans: The Judas Contract,voiced byGregg Henry.[13]This version is the leader of an unnamed cult that seeks divine dominion over mankind; claims to be centuries-old, attributing his long lifespan to his practice of bathing in his enemies' blood; and is served byMother Mayhemas an aide. He tasksDeathstrokeandTerrawith kidnapping theTeen Titansso he can use their blood to become a god-like being. However,Nightwingand Terra thwart Blood's plot beforeRavendepowers him and Mayhem kills him to prevent him from being imprisoned.
Video games
edit- Brother Blood appears as a Boss inTeen Titans(2005), voiced again by John DiMaggio.
- Brother Blood appears inDC Universe Online,voiced by Ev Lunning.[13]
- Brother Blood appears as a character summon inScribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.[20]
Miscellaneous
edit- Brother Blood appears inSmallville Season 11: Harbinger,in which he attempts to sacrificeRachel Rothto summon theSons of Trigon,only to be thwarted byZatannaandJohn Constantine.[21]
- An original incarnation of Brother Blood appears in theArrowtie-in comicArrow: Season 2.5.[22]Following Sebastian Blood's death, devout theologianClinton Hoguetakes up the mantle of Brother Blood and leadership of the Church of Blood. Using his ties to the mercenary group, the Renegades, he takesFelicity Smoakhostage, butOliver Queensaves her whileRoy Harperkicks Hogue out of a window, sending him falling to his death.
- TheArrowincarnation of Brother Sebastian Blood appears in the tie-in novelArrow: Vengeance,which explores and expands on his backstory. As a result of his father Sebastian Sangre's abuse, Blood suffered skull-related nightmares. Amidst these, he befriended teenager Cyrus Gold and the latter's mentor Father Roger Trigon, who killed Sangre after he threatened to kill Blood. Blood's mother Maya Resik was framed for Sangre's death, arrested, and placed in a psychiatric institution while Blood was placed in the Zandia Orphanage. After creating a skull mask to conquer his fears, Blood formally joined the Church of Blood as Brother Blood, vowing to protect Starling City's poorest citizens and Zandia's orphans no matter the cost. Sometime later, he metSlade Wilson,who offered to help him become mayor of Starling City.
References
edit- ^abGreenberger, Robert(2008). "Brother Blood". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.).The DC Comics Encyclopedia.London:Dorling Kindersley.p. 62.ISBN978-0-7566-4119-1.
- ^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019).DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle.DK Publishing. p. 187.ISBN978-1-4654-8578-6.
- ^Rovin, Jeff (1987).The Encyclopedia of Supervillains.New York: Facts on File. pp. 42–43.ISBN0-8160-1356-X.
- ^Teen Titansvol. 2 #31. DC Comics.
- ^Outsidersvol. 3 #4 (November 2003). DC Comics.
- ^Outsidersvol. 3 #6 (January 2004). DC Comics.
- ^Teen TitansVol. 3 #30. DC Comics.
- ^Teen Titansvol. 3 #67. DC Comics.
- ^Secret Sixvol. 3 #19. DC Comics.
- ^
- ThePhantom Strangervol. 4 #1 (October 2012). DC Comics.
- The Ravagers#3 (September 2012). DC Comics.
- The Ravagers#4 (October 2012). DC Comics.
- Animal Manvol. 2 #23 (October 2013). DC Comics.
- ^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016).The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe.DK Publishing. p. 56.ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
- ^Titansvol. 3 #25-35. DC Comics.
- ^abcd"Brother Blood Voices (Teen Titans)".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedApril 7,2024.A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
- ^"Welcome titanstower - BlueHost".titanstower.Archived fromthe originalon 16 April 2008.Retrieved19 December2022.
- ^Lang, Derrick (July 20, 2013)."Bronze Tiger, Brother Blood coming toArrow".Yahoo TV.Archivedfrom the original on October 21, 2013.RetrievedApril 7,2024.
- ^"Pain-Bot Voice -Teen Titans Go!(TV Show) ".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedApril 7,2024.A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
- ^Andreeva, Nellie (January 31, 2022)."TitansSets Season 4 Villains: Joseph Morgan As Brother Blood, Franka Potente As Mother Mayhem, Lisa Ambalavanar As Jinx ".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedJanuary 31,2022.
- ^Behbakht, Andy (October 4, 2022)."TitansSeason 4 Villain Costumes Revealed In New Brother Blood Images ".ScreenRant.RetrievedOctober 10,2022.
- ^Parker, Jamie (18 November 2022)."TitansReveals Raven and Brother Blood's Surprising Connection ".CBR.Retrieved19 December2022.
- ^Eisen, Andrew (October 4, 2013)."DC Characters and Objects -Scribblenauts UnmaskedGuide ".IGN.RetrievedApril 7,2024.
- ^Smallville: Season 11 Harbinger.DC Comics.
- ^Zalben, Alex (September 1, 2014)."ArrowProducers Reveal Huge Secrets In 'Season 2.5'".MTV.Archived fromthe originalon September 4, 2014.RetrievedSeptember 11,2014.