The Nightmasteris a fictional character, asword and sorceryhero published byDC Comics.He first appeared inShowcase#82 (May 1969), and was created byDenny O'NeilandJerry Grandenetti.[1]
| Nightmaster | |
|---|---|
 Showcase#82 (May 1969), cover art byJoe Kubert. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Showcase#82 (May 1969) |
| Created by | Denny O'Neil(writer) Jerry Grandenetti(artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | James "Jim" Rook |
| Place of origin | Myrra |
| Team affiliations | Shadowpact Primal Force |
| Abilities | Possesses magic sword that warns of danger, compels truth, and retards aging, as well as magic armor. |
Creation
editIn Showcase #82 O'Neil wrote an open letter to the fans entitled 'Take That, You Hideous Magician You!' in which he detailed the inspirations for Nightmaster.
O'Neil states the following as a source of inspiration, the travel between worlds aspect ofJohn Carter,the fantasy elements ofConan the Barbarian,Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser,Lord of the Rings,Michael Moorcock'sElric Saga,specifically Stealer of Souls andStormbringer,and the science fiction works ofSamuel R. DelanyandRoger Zelazny.
O'Neil states that the rock aspect of James Rook was inspired byThe BeatlesandThe Doors.[2]
Publication history
editFollowing his introduction inShowcase#82 (May 1969), the character appeared in the following two monthly issues, withBernie Wrightsontaking over the art.[3]
The character did not reappear for over two decades, returning forcameo appearancesinAnimal Man#25 (July 1990) andThe Books of Magic#3 (1991). He had slightly expanded guest roles inPrimal Force#11–12 (Sept.-Oct. 1995) andSwamp Thing#160 and #164 (Nov. 1995 & March 1996).
He figured among manyDC Comicssupernaturalheroes in theminiseriesDay of Vengeance#1–6 (June–Nov. 2005), primarily starring theSpectre,inDay of Vengeance:Infinite CrisisSpecial#1 (March 2006), and in most issues of the seven-issue miniseriesInfinite Crisis(Dec. 2005 – June 2006) before becoming one of the stars of the namesake team in the ongoing seriesShadowpact,which premiered with a first issue cover-dated July 2006.[4]
Fictional character biography
editJim Rook,lead singer of the hard rock band "the Electrics", enters a run-down shop named Oblivion Inc. Inside, he is somehow transported to the strange dimension Myrra, where he is the descendant of the mighty Myrran warrior Nacht.[5]He takes his ancestor's Sword of Night, a weapon with the ability to warn of danger and force a person to speak the truth, and becomes involved in a clash between Myrra and evil warlocks. After his adventures in Myrra, he opens a bookstore in the Oblivion Inc. space and becomes active with other metahuman and supernatural entities, such asPrimal ForceandSwamp Thing.
While exploring a mysterious door in his bookstore, Rook discovers it was actually one of the many "back rooms" of theOblivion Bar,an otherdimensional realm open to those touched by magic. After serving for a time as the bar's relief bartender, he becomes its owner. The bar has the benefits of modern life, such as showers, dishwashers and microwaves. It also has its own special rules, such as the phones not working unless the caller knows his or her dimension's area code.[6]
Shadowpact
editThe bar becomes very crowded after theSpectre,the wrath of God, destroys all magic, believing that this would cause the end of all evil.Detective Chimp,a longtime resident of the bar, rallies people to fight the Spectre. Rook and several other heroes lead the charge, ultimately forming the unofficial teamShadowpact.By themselves and with allies, Shadowpact battles to stop the Spectre and his ally,Eclipso.
After the Spectre's defeat, Rook and his friends are recruited by thePhantom Strangerto enter the town of Riverrock,Wyoming.While trapped inside and saving the townspeople from being sacrificed by the villainous group Pentacle, they perceive that about a day has passed, though due to the effects of magic, a year has actually passed outside. Back home, Rook discovers not only that he and his allies are memorialized in a statue, and the group thought to be dead, but that he has lost his bar to an unwelcome newcomer whom Rook cannot dislodge.[7]
Rook learns that the longer he is in possession of the sword, the less he ages, and later that his sword is inhabited by the last wielder, his father.[8]
When Nightmaster, Nightshade and Ragman attempt to teleport toWashington, D.C.,to break up a bank robbery, they become trapped mid-transit in the Land of Nightshades. The duo learn that Myrra, and its capital city, Arcady, are related to and likely a part of that land. Later, Rook leaves the Shadowpact in order to return to Myrra.[9]
DC Rebirth
editRook, along with Detective Chimp, is still seen as the proprietor of the Oblivion Bar during theDark Nights: Metalevent, when assembled heroes take refuge from the incoming threat of Barbatos. He stays behind to defend the bar as the Dark Knights invade, and is subsequently killed with the Sword of Night by theBatman Who Laughs.[10]
References
edit- ^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. 217.ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
- ^O'Neil, Denny (May 1969). "Take That, You Hideous Magician, You".Showcase(82).
- ^Wells, John (2014).American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965-1969.TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 246.ISBN978-1605490557.
- ^NightmasteratGrand Comics Database
- ^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019).DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle.DK Publishing. p. 126.ISBN978-1-4654-8578-6.
- ^The Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe: Nightmaster
- ^Shadowpact#1–5 (July–November 2006)
- ^Shadowpact#12 (June 2007)
- ^Shadowpact#22 (April 2008)
- ^Dark Nights: Metal#3 (October 2017)