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Rag Doll (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Rag Doll is a fictional character
, a supervillain
in the DC Comics
Universe
. He was first introduced as an adversary for the Golden age Flash
in a story published in Flash Comics
#36 (December 1942). In the series Starman
, James Robinson has revived the character, giving him a darker reimagining.
His son, Peter Merkel, Jr.
, currently uses his father's name as a member of the Secret Six
.
, Merkel's condition was characterized by extremely extensible ligaments and tendons, though to a significantly extended degree. The son of a side-show barker, Merkel found work in a small local carnival as a contortionist and eccentric dancer. In the early 1940s, the carnival fell on hard times and Merkel found himself out of work. Wandering the streets, Merkel despaired of having money. Seeing large boxes of toys being loaded into a department store, Merkel hit on the idea of hiding himself in one of the large rag dolls and then robbing the store after closing. Going unnoticed among the toys, Merkel carried his idea one step further: He would rob while still hidden in the Rag Doll suit. In these earliest days of costumed villains, the idea seemed novel and Merkel decided that no one would believe that a Rag Doll could commit crime.
In time, the legend of the Rag Doll grew far and wide. Petty crooks began to seek out the Rag Doll, to take advantage of his criminal success. In 1943, The Rag Doll moved his operation to Keystone City
. There he had his thugs deliver him as a gift to a young heiress named Geralda Cummins. The young girl was holding a much-touted party for her circle of socialites and the Rag Doll aimed to take advantage of the situation. To coordinate the event, Cummins had selected Joan Williams who had recently begun a party and festival business. It was decided that each of the wealthy guests would donate $10,000 in defense bonds to serve as a prize in a treasure hunt. Whoever solved the hunt first, won the prize. Unknown to Joan, the doll Geralda had received as a gift was listening and planning a much different outcome.
The next evening, the guests gathered to hear the reading of the first clue. As the guests departed, the Rag Doll signaled his thugs to follow them to the museum while he stayed to interrogate Joan Williams. His ploy was delayed however, by the untimely arrival of Williams' beau, The Flash. While the Rag Doll remained in hiding, Williams and the Flash departed for the museum to provide the next clue. On their arrival, they were waylaid by the Rag Doll's thugs. While the Flash made short work of the henchmen, the Rag Doll himself drugged Joan with chloroform and stole the remaining clue. With these, he could find the treasure himself.
With the henchmen wrapped up, The Flash returned to find Joan amnesiac from the chloroform and with no recollection as to the location of the bonds. Taking the first clue, the Flash then began to solve the puzzle at super-speed and intercepted the Rag Doll on the 4th clue, at a local aquarium. The Rag Doll got the jump on Garrick with a swift blow to the skull and dumped the hero into an aquarium containing a giant octopus. He then raced quickly back to the Cummins estate to solve the treasure hunt with the 5th clue. Meanwhile, the Flash came to and after a tussle with the octopus, hotly pursued the criminal. He arrived just in time to see the Rag Doll pull the defense bonds out of their hiding place in the Cummins' grand piano. Quickly, and literally, tying the villain in knots, the Flash returned the gift and carted the outlandish criminal off to the Keystone City Jail (Flash Comics #36).
, the Rag Doll became brainwashed to commit crimes based on dolls. When the Flash intercepted the criminal, mundane "accidents" befell the elder speedster, undermining his self confidence. The Thinker's plan was to destroy the Flash's self esteem to the point that the hero would be too ineffectual to stop his grander plans. The Thinker was undone however, by a surprise visit from the Silver Age Flash, Barry Allen, who quickly captured the former carnival worker. Allen also noticed a bizarre aura around the heads of Garrick and Merkel, suggesting that each was being manipulated in some way. At Merkel's interrogation, the Rag Doll swore that he had no recollection of any crimes, convincing Allen that there was a greater force at work. Quickly switching Merkel for a real rag doll, he convinced Garrick and the Keystone police that a bizarre transmogrification had occurred and that Merkel was somehow dead. He then departed, only to return and hide in the evidence room when the Thinker himself paid a visit to confirm the demise of his agent. Caught red-handed, the Thinker was quickly apprehended by the two Flashes and both the Thinker and the Rag Doll were returned to prison (The Flash #229).
In the early 1980s, the Rag Doll was contacted by the Ultra-Humanite
, a long-standing foe of the Justice Society
. Along with other elder villains as well as new younger recruits, the Rag Doll became a founding member of the second generation of the Secret Society of Super Villains
. The Ultra-Humanite had devised a machine that, for the sacrifice of ten heroes from the Justice Society and Justice League
to be held in stasis, (five from each team), all the heroes on Earth would disappear. Each villain then was assigned to dispose of his long-time nemesis and the Rag Doll took the Flash. After delivering a false tip to the Flash, the Rag Doll ambushed the hero on a freight ship in Keystone Harbor. After luring him into the hold, the Flash learned too late that all he would find there was a bomb, the explosion of which dropped the unconscious hero at the feet of his bizarre adversary.
As the other members of the Secret Society completed their task, the heroes were dispatched to Limbo, clearing Earth of costumed heroes. Unfortunately, the Ultra-Humanite had deceived the Justice League into helping and while the Rag Doll and his colleague waged a massive crime wave, the villains rescued the captured heroes in Limbo. In short order, the Secret Society of Super-Villains were consigned to Limbo and the balance of heroes on Earth was restored (Justice League of America #195-197).
Limbo would not prove a prison for the Rag Doll for long. While trapped there, the Ultra-Humanite made contact with himself in the past, when he occupied the body of Dolores Winters in 1942. Through the contact of advanced information, the Ultra-Humanite taught himself a way to open a portal to Limbo in the 1940s. On doing so, the Rag Doll and other members of the Secret Society escaped to assist the young Humanite defeat the All-Star Squadron. After a romp across the landscape of their youth, the aging villains proved no match for the large numbers of heroes and were beaten back to Limbo (All-Star Squadron #24-26, Annual #1).
He rallied around him a cult that took over the streets of Opal City
. That summer, Opal burned and the streets ran red with blood. Ted "Starman" Knight
was unable to stop the madman, so Justice Society of America
members Green Lantern
, Flash, Hourman
, and Dr. Mid-Nite
joined the hunt. Eventually, the heroes thwarted Rag Doll's plans and captured the villain. Restrained, Rag Doll taunted the heroes, telling him that he would command his horde from prison. He threatened the lives of Jay, Alan, and Ted's families. While the JSA listened to the Rag Doll's discourse, the villain strained his limbs to slip free of his bonds and as the heroes seemed lulled, made a quick break for the door. The aftermath was never officially recorded but in an explosion of cosmic energy, the Rag Doll was found blasted to a painful death. It has since been largely concluded that Starman, fearing for the safety of his sons, had slain the villain, a fact disputed by witnesses Flash and Green Lantern. The next afternoon, Rag Doll's body disappeared from the morgue (Starman #9, 11 and Starman 80-Page Giant #1).
Exactly how the Rag Doll survived is unknown. His body was retrieved by his followers however. Some years later, Rag Doll was approached by Neron
. In exchange for Rag Doll's soul, Neron gave the villain youth. He also instructed Rag Doll to remain hidden until approached by a man named Simon Culp. Years later, Culp did come looking for Rag Doll's help. Trapped in the form of The Shade
, Culp explained that he had a very profitable plan to launch against Opal City and the Shade. Rag Doll agreed to help (Starman #68).
Rag Doll helped Culp's gang subdue Mikaal Tomas when the alien attempted to make contact with Ted Knight (Starman #64). Rag Doll watched as Culp cast a spell on the Black Pirate, causing Opal City to become encased in a shadow-dome (Starman #63). Rag Doll and his gang then helped Culp seize control of the entire city. The villains then paraded their prisoners, baiting Jack Knight into a confrontation. Jack held his own until, cut off from the stars, his cosmic rod failed. As Rag Doll and the villains beat Jack down, the Shade fell to the ground as Culp emerged from within his shadow form (Starman #65).
Just as Culp was about to slit Knight's throat, Adam Strange
and Black Condor
attacked. Their distraction enabled Knight to fight his way free. The three heroes freed Culp's prisoners, and escaped. Culp and his gang remained in custody of the Shade however, and withdrew to prepare for the final rite (Starman #67). While Culp prepared, he sent Mist
, Solomon Grundy
, Rag Doll, and Crusher to search for the escaped heroes (Starman #69).
Ted confronted Doctor Phosphorus
in the streets of Opal and, no longer needing to be cautious of his health, fought the villain toe-to-toe. Ted defeated his radioactive foe, and as he was about to deliver a killing blow, he was ambushed by the Rag Doll (Starman #70).
Phosphorus quickly recovered and the two villains closed in on Knight. They revealed that they had been approached by a man named Neron years ago, who had bid them to wait for the coming of Culp and to aid the dwarf in his plans. As they moved in for the kill, Ted used his cosmic rod to tear the pavement from beneath Dr. Phosphorus and drive him into the earth, killing the villain. With that, the rod's charge was exhausted. Ted turned to face Rag Doll, challenging the villain to kill him, sparing him a suffering death from Phosphorus' radiation poisoning. Rag Doll then turned and left (Starman #71).
Rag Doll was then recruited to join a new version of the Injustice Society
. He helped rescue the Icicle from incarceration, leading to a showdown with the JSA. In the ensuing battle, the Injustice Society used strange discs to teleport the elder JSAers away. Their mission accomplished, the Injustice Society disappeared (JSA All-Stars #1).
He then briefly rejoined a reformed version of the Secret Society. During an assault against the Secret Six, he battled his son (who had taken over the Rag Doll name and identity). Their battle was cut short by other attacking villains. (Villains United #5, 6)
Soon afterward, Merkel died while in mission with the reformed Injustice Society (JSA Classified #5-7). The team was attempting to retrieve the Cosmic Key (which would return Johnny Sorrow
), but they were betrayed by The Society
.
In the midst of the battle, it seemed that Ragdoll and the Gentleman Ghost
betrayed their comrades, running away with the Key. However, Tigress
witnessed the return of Johnny Sorrow
, a happening which kills Ragdoll, though the ghost was prepared for it as he hands Sorrow his all-important mask. Sorrow then takes the rest of the Injustice Society to safety in the Crooked House, the former abode of Prometheus
, and the Society must lick its wounds and curse the loss of the Key. It is revealed that Gentleman Ghost, Wizard
and Icicle were expecting Ragdoll to turn on them, so they set him up to die.
has also squared off against a mentally unbalanced impostor named Colby Zag. (Starman 80-Page Giant #1)
During the time when the original Rag Doll was believed dead, Zag met band player Mr. Tyrell through the internet. Tyrell had bribed his former band-mates to keep quiet about his involvement in a drug related death. Eventually, his band-mates began extorting more money from him, so Tyrell planned to kill them. He helped Zag adopt the personality and mannerisms of the Rag Doll and sent him to kill the extortionists. Zag succeeded in killing four of the five men, but was stopped thanks to the intervention of Jack Knight.
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...
, 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...
in the 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...
Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. He was first introduced as an adversary for the Golden age Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
in a story published in Flash Comics
Flash Comics
Flash Comics was an anthology comic book published by All-American Publications and later National Periodicals . The title ran for 104 issues between January 1940 to February 1949. Although the name of the comic book was Flash Comics, the Flash was only one of many different series featured in the...
#36 (December 1942). In the series Starman
Starman (Jack Knight)
Starman is fictional character, a comic book superhero in the , and a member of the Justice Society of America. He is the son of the original Starman, Ted Knight...
, James Robinson has revived the character, giving him a darker reimagining.
His son, Peter Merkel, Jr.
Rag Doll (Peter Merkel, Jr.)
Rag Doll is a fictional character, a supervillain and anti-hero in the DC Comics Universe. He first appeared in Villains United #1 , and was created by Gail Simone and Dale Eaglesham...
, currently uses his father's name as a member of 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...
.
Golden Age
Peter Merkel, a native of the Midwestern United States, was born with a unique condition: "Triple-jointedness". Like the more common "double-jointedness"Hypermobility
Hypermobility describes joints that stretch farther than is normal. For example, some hypermobile people can bend their thumbs backwards to their wrists, bend their knee joints backwards, put their leg behind the head or other contortionist performances...
, Merkel's condition was characterized by extremely extensible ligaments and tendons, though to a significantly extended degree. The son of a side-show barker, Merkel found work in a small local carnival as a contortionist and eccentric dancer. In the early 1940s, the carnival fell on hard times and Merkel found himself out of work. Wandering the streets, Merkel despaired of having money. Seeing large boxes of toys being loaded into a department store, Merkel hit on the idea of hiding himself in one of the large rag dolls and then robbing the store after closing. Going unnoticed among the toys, Merkel carried his idea one step further: He would rob while still hidden in the Rag Doll suit. In these earliest days of costumed villains, the idea seemed novel and Merkel decided that no one would believe that a Rag Doll could commit crime.
In time, the legend of the Rag Doll grew far and wide. Petty crooks began to seek out the Rag Doll, to take advantage of his criminal success. In 1943, The Rag Doll moved his operation to Keystone City
Keystone City
Keystone City is a fictional city in the . Specifically, it is the home of both the original Flash, Jay Garrick, and the third Flash, Wally West...
. There he had his thugs deliver him as a gift to a young heiress named Geralda Cummins. The young girl was holding a much-touted party for her circle of socialites and the Rag Doll aimed to take advantage of the situation. To coordinate the event, Cummins had selected Joan Williams who had recently begun a party and festival business. It was decided that each of the wealthy guests would donate $10,000 in defense bonds to serve as a prize in a treasure hunt. Whoever solved the hunt first, won the prize. Unknown to Joan, the doll Geralda had received as a gift was listening and planning a much different outcome.
The next evening, the guests gathered to hear the reading of the first clue. As the guests departed, the Rag Doll signaled his thugs to follow them to the museum while he stayed to interrogate Joan Williams. His ploy was delayed however, by the untimely arrival of Williams' beau, The Flash. While the Rag Doll remained in hiding, Williams and the Flash departed for the museum to provide the next clue. On their arrival, they were waylaid by the Rag Doll's thugs. While the Flash made short work of the henchmen, the Rag Doll himself drugged Joan with chloroform and stole the remaining clue. With these, he could find the treasure himself.
With the henchmen wrapped up, The Flash returned to find Joan amnesiac from the chloroform and with no recollection as to the location of the bonds. Taking the first clue, the Flash then began to solve the puzzle at super-speed and intercepted the Rag Doll on the 4th clue, at a local aquarium. The Rag Doll got the jump on Garrick with a swift blow to the skull and dumped the hero into an aquarium containing a giant octopus. He then raced quickly back to the Cummins estate to solve the treasure hunt with the 5th clue. Meanwhile, the Flash came to and after a tussle with the octopus, hotly pursued the criminal. He arrived just in time to see the Rag Doll pull the defense bonds out of their hiding place in the Cummins' grand piano. Quickly, and literally, tying the villain in knots, the Flash returned the gift and carted the outlandish criminal off to the Keystone City Jail (Flash Comics #36).
Silver Age
Flash is reported to have had several other encounters with the Rag Doll over the years but none have been recorded. In the mid 1970s, the Rag Doll became a pawn in a rather bizarre series of robberies. After an encounter with the ThinkerThinker (DC Comics)
The Thinker is the name of four supervillains in the DC Comics universe.-Clifford DeVoe:Clifford DeVoe was a failed lawyer who bitterly ended his career in 1933. Realizing that many of the criminals he had encountered had the skills but not the brains to rule Gotham City's underworld, he started a...
, the Rag Doll became brainwashed to commit crimes based on dolls. When the Flash intercepted the criminal, mundane "accidents" befell the elder speedster, undermining his self confidence. The Thinker's plan was to destroy the Flash's self esteem to the point that the hero would be too ineffectual to stop his grander plans. The Thinker was undone however, by a surprise visit from the Silver Age Flash, Barry Allen, who quickly captured the former carnival worker. Allen also noticed a bizarre aura around the heads of Garrick and Merkel, suggesting that each was being manipulated in some way. At Merkel's interrogation, the Rag Doll swore that he had no recollection of any crimes, convincing Allen that there was a greater force at work. Quickly switching Merkel for a real rag doll, he convinced Garrick and the Keystone police that a bizarre transmogrification had occurred and that Merkel was somehow dead. He then departed, only to return and hide in the evidence room when the Thinker himself paid a visit to confirm the demise of his agent. Caught red-handed, the Thinker was quickly apprehended by the two Flashes and both the Thinker and the Rag Doll were returned to prison (The Flash #229).
Ultra-Humanite
The Ultra-Humanite is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #13 , and was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster...
, a long-standing foe of the Justice Society
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
. Along with other elder villains as well as new younger recruits, the Rag Doll became a founding member of the second generation of 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...
. The Ultra-Humanite had devised a machine that, for the sacrifice of ten heroes from the Justice Society and 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....
to be held in stasis, (five from each team), all the heroes on Earth would disappear. Each villain then was assigned to dispose of his long-time nemesis and the Rag Doll took the Flash. After delivering a false tip to the Flash, the Rag Doll ambushed the hero on a freight ship in Keystone Harbor. After luring him into the hold, the Flash learned too late that all he would find there was a bomb, the explosion of which dropped the unconscious hero at the feet of his bizarre adversary.
As the other members of the Secret Society completed their task, the heroes were dispatched to Limbo, clearing Earth of costumed heroes. Unfortunately, the Ultra-Humanite had deceived the Justice League into helping and while the Rag Doll and his colleague waged a massive crime wave, the villains rescued the captured heroes in Limbo. In short order, the Secret Society of Super-Villains were consigned to Limbo and the balance of heroes on Earth was restored (Justice League of America #195-197).
Limbo would not prove a prison for the Rag Doll for long. While trapped there, the Ultra-Humanite made contact with himself in the past, when he occupied the body of Dolores Winters in 1942. Through the contact of advanced information, the Ultra-Humanite taught himself a way to open a portal to Limbo in the 1940s. On doing so, the Rag Doll and other members of the Secret Society escaped to assist the young Humanite defeat the All-Star Squadron. After a romp across the landscape of their youth, the aging villains proved no match for the large numbers of heroes and were beaten back to Limbo (All-Star Squadron #24-26, Annual #1).
Modern Age
By the late 1980s, the Rag Doll was well into his sixties. His hyper-elastic ligaments had begun to collapse and over-extend, causing the villain great pain. He was no longer able to even affect the lifestyle of the minor criminal. He soon became senile, and began ranting. As he did, he saw the lost, the homeless and the disenfranchised gravitated toward him, soaking up his words and in time, became a cult of followers blind to his every indulgence and desire. And after a life of defeat and despair, what the Rag Doll desired was revenge.He rallied around him a cult that took over the streets of Opal City
Opal City
Opal City is a fictional city set in the DC Universe. Created by James Robinson and Tony Harris, Opal City first appeared in Starman vol. 2 #0 . "The Opal" has been established as the home of several DC Comics characters, most notably several super-heroes who have operated under the name of Starman...
. That summer, Opal burned and the streets ran red with blood. Ted "Starman" Knight
Starman (Ted Knight)
Starman is a fictional comic book superhero in the , and a member of the Justice Society of America. Created by artist Jack Burnley and editors Whit Ellsworth, Murray Boltinoff, Jack Schiff, Mort Weisinger, and Bernie Breslauer, he first appeared in Adventure Comics #61 .-Fictional character...
was unable to stop the madman, so Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
members Green Lantern
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...
, Flash, Hourman
Hourman
Hourman is the name of three different fictional DC Comics superheroes, the first of whom was created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily in Adventure Comics #48 , during the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Rex Tyler:Scientist Rex Tyler, raised in upstate...
, and Dr. Mid-Nite
Doctor Mid-Nite
Doctor Mid-Nite is a fictional superhero physician in DC Comics. The figure has been represented in the comics by three different individuals, Charles McNider, Beth Chapel and Pieter Anton Cross. Dr. Mid-Nite was originally created by writer Charles Reizenstein and artist Stanley Josephs Aschmeier...
joined the hunt. Eventually, the heroes thwarted Rag Doll's plans and captured the villain. Restrained, Rag Doll taunted the heroes, telling him that he would command his horde from prison. He threatened the lives of Jay, Alan, and Ted's families. While the JSA listened to the Rag Doll's discourse, the villain strained his limbs to slip free of his bonds and as the heroes seemed lulled, made a quick break for the door. The aftermath was never officially recorded but in an explosion of cosmic energy, the Rag Doll was found blasted to a painful death. It has since been largely concluded that Starman, fearing for the safety of his sons, had slain the villain, a fact disputed by witnesses Flash and Green Lantern. The next afternoon, Rag Doll's body disappeared from the morgue (Starman #9, 11 and Starman 80-Page Giant #1).
Exactly how the Rag Doll survived is unknown. His body was retrieved by his followers however. Some years later, Rag Doll was approached by Neron
Neron
Neron is a fictional demon, a comic book character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in the DC Comics cross-over event Underworld Unleashed #1, , and was created by Mark Waid and Howard Porter.- Publication history :...
. In exchange for Rag Doll's soul, Neron gave the villain youth. He also instructed Rag Doll to remain hidden until approached by a man named Simon Culp. Years later, Culp did come looking for Rag Doll's help. Trapped in the form of The 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...
, Culp explained that he had a very profitable plan to launch against Opal City and the Shade. Rag Doll agreed to help (Starman #68).
Rag Doll helped Culp's gang subdue Mikaal Tomas when the alien attempted to make contact with Ted Knight (Starman #64). Rag Doll watched as Culp cast a spell on the Black Pirate, causing Opal City to become encased in a shadow-dome (Starman #63). Rag Doll and his gang then helped Culp seize control of the entire city. The villains then paraded their prisoners, baiting Jack Knight into a confrontation. Jack held his own until, cut off from the stars, his cosmic rod failed. As Rag Doll and the villains beat Jack down, the Shade fell to the ground as Culp emerged from within his shadow form (Starman #65).
Just as Culp was about to slit Knight's throat, Adam Strange
Adam Strange
Adam Strange is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky, he first appeared in Showcase #17 .In May 2011, Adam Strange placed 97th on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time....
and Black Condor
Black Condor
Black Condor is the name of three fictional characters, DC Comics superheroes who have all been members of the Freedom Fighters. The first Black Condor, Richard Grey Jr., was originally a Quality Comics character.-Quality Comics:...
attacked. Their distraction enabled Knight to fight his way free. The three heroes freed Culp's prisoners, and escaped. Culp and his gang remained in custody of the Shade however, and withdrew to prepare for the final rite (Starman #67). While Culp prepared, he sent Mist
Mist (comics)
The Mist is the name of two DC Comics supervillains, archenemies of the original and 1990s Starman. For the DC Comics superhero, see The Omega Men.-Mist :...
, 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...
, Rag Doll, and Crusher to search for the escaped heroes (Starman #69).
Ted confronted Doctor Phosphorus
Doctor Phosphorus
Doctor Phosphorus is a fictional character who has appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. Primarily an enemy of Batman, the supervillain exists in DC's main shared universe, known as the DC Universe...
in the streets of Opal and, no longer needing to be cautious of his health, fought the villain toe-to-toe. Ted defeated his radioactive foe, and as he was about to deliver a killing blow, he was ambushed by the Rag Doll (Starman #70).
Phosphorus quickly recovered and the two villains closed in on Knight. They revealed that they had been approached by a man named Neron years ago, who had bid them to wait for the coming of Culp and to aid the dwarf in his plans. As they moved in for the kill, Ted used his cosmic rod to tear the pavement from beneath Dr. Phosphorus and drive him into the earth, killing the villain. With that, the rod's charge was exhausted. Ted turned to face Rag Doll, challenging the villain to kill him, sparing him a suffering death from Phosphorus' radiation poisoning. Rag Doll then turned and left (Starman #71).
Rag Doll was then recruited to join a new version of the Injustice Society
Injustice Society
The Injustice Society is a group of fictional supervillains in the . They are the main antagonists of the Justice Society of America.-Original team:...
. He helped rescue the Icicle from incarceration, leading to a showdown with the JSA. In the ensuing battle, the Injustice Society used strange discs to teleport the elder JSAers away. Their mission accomplished, the Injustice Society disappeared (JSA All-Stars #1).
He then briefly rejoined a reformed version of the Secret Society. During an assault against the Secret Six, he battled his son (who had taken over the Rag Doll name and identity). Their battle was cut short by other attacking villains. (Villains United #5, 6)
Soon afterward, Merkel died while in mission with the reformed Injustice Society (JSA Classified #5-7). The team was attempting to retrieve the Cosmic Key (which would return Johnny Sorrow
Johnny Sorrow
Johnny Sorrow is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Secret Origins of Super-Villains 80-Page Giant #1 Johnny Sorrow is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in...
), but they were betrayed by The 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...
.
In the midst of the battle, it seemed that Ragdoll and the Gentleman Ghost
Gentleman Ghost
Gentleman Ghost is a fictional character, a supervillain published by DC Comics publications. He first appeared in Flash Comics #88 , and was created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert.-Fictional character biography:...
betrayed their comrades, running away with the Key. However, Tigress
Tigress (comics)
Tigress is the name of three different comic book supervillains, all of whom have appeared in various series published by DC Comics.The original Tigress was a Golden Age villainess who battled Zatara. The second Tigress was a member of the Young All-Stars, who later became a villainess named the...
witnessed the return of Johnny Sorrow
Johnny Sorrow
Johnny Sorrow is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Secret Origins of Super-Villains 80-Page Giant #1 Johnny Sorrow is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in...
, a happening which kills Ragdoll, though the ghost was prepared for it as he hands Sorrow his all-important mask. Sorrow then takes the rest of the Injustice Society to safety in the Crooked House, the former abode of Prometheus
Prometheus (comics)
Prometheus is the name of three fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.The first Prometheus debuted in New Teen Titans vol. 2, #24 and was created by Marv Wolfman and Eduardo Barreto . The second version debuted in New Year's Evil: Prometheus Prometheus is the name...
, and the Society must lick its wounds and curse the loss of the Key. It is revealed that Gentleman Ghost, Wizard
Wizard (DC Comics)
The Wizard is a fictional DC Comics Golden Age supervillain.-Fictional character biography:Born approximately 1913, William I. Zard grew up living a life of crime. As a gun man for various crime bosses, he ultimately ended up in jail. With the passage of time, he formulated a strategy to become a...
and Icicle were expecting Ragdoll to turn on them, so they set him up to die.
Colby Zag
Jack KnightStarman (Jack Knight)
Starman is fictional character, a comic book superhero in the , and a member of the Justice Society of America. He is the son of the original Starman, Ted Knight...
has also squared off against a mentally unbalanced impostor named Colby Zag. (Starman 80-Page Giant #1)
During the time when the original Rag Doll was believed dead, Zag met band player Mr. Tyrell through the internet. Tyrell had bribed his former band-mates to keep quiet about his involvement in a drug related death. Eventually, his band-mates began extorting more money from him, so Tyrell planned to kill them. He helped Zag adopt the personality and mannerisms of the Rag Doll and sent him to kill the extortionists. Zag succeeded in killing four of the five men, but was stopped thanks to the intervention of Jack Knight.
Other children
Besides his son, Peter Merkel stated to Icicle he had many children. This seems backed up by Peter Merkel Junior's mention of having a triple-jointed brother and the recent appearances of his daughter Alex aka Junior. Along with his children Rag Doll also had his cult followers; who all apparently committed suicide while blowing up their house.Powers and abilities
Rag Doll is a master contortionist and, in later years, successful hypnotist through oratories he delivers. His body is absorbent enough to withstand concussive forces capable of rendering most human individuals unconscious. He is an adequate marksman and typically relies on the element of surprise. He is a skilled thief, and augments his stealth with his ability to hide in unexpected places where a human normally couldn't place themselves.Television
- The Rag Doll has appeared on The BatmanThe Batman (TV series)The Batman is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. It ran from 2004 to 2008, on the Saturday morning television block Kids' WB...
, voiced by Jeff BennettJeff BennettJeffrey Glenn "Jeff" Bennett is an American voice actor and musician, listed "among the top names in the voice-over field", best known as the voice of Johnny Bravo in the series of the same name...
. Able to bend himself into every imaginable (and even some unimaginable, like inside Penguin's top-hat) position, Rag Doll is a formidable opponent for The Batman, but an even bigger adversary of Catwoman. His fighting style includes swinging his arms and legs lazily at his opponent, and also bending in different positions when attacking or dodging. Sometimes, fans mistake him for ScarecrowScarecrow (comics)The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
. Interestingly, he hasn't appeared in any of the episodes where Flash appeared, despite being an enemy of his in the comics. It's unknown which version this is, but it can be assumed that it is the villanous original, although unmasked this Ragdoll carries a resemblance to the second. Furthermore, when Penguin forms his team of villains, Ragdoll suggests they call themselves "Villains United" which is the comic title in which the second Ragdoll is introduced.
External links
- The Comic Archives: The Rag Doll
- The Rag Doll Biography
- The Rag Doll Profile at Legions of Gotham.org
- Rag Doll Rap Sheet
- Rag Doll I - Unofficial Guide to DC Comics entry
- Rag Doll II - Unofficial Guide to DC Comics entry
- Rag Doll III - Unofficial Guide to DC Comics entry
- Rag Doll Cult - Unofficial Guide to DC Comics entry
- The Rag Doll's Animated Profile (The Batman)
- Rag Doll Animated Bio
- Alan Kistler's Profile On: THE FLASH - A detailed analysis of the history of the Flash by comic book historian Alan Kistler. Covers information all the way from Jay Garrick to Barry Allen to today, as well as discussions on the various villains and Rogues who fought the Flash. Various art scans.
- http://www.heroclix.com