Sue Dibny
Encyclopedia
Susan "Sue" Dearbon Dibny is a fictional character
from DC Comics
associated with the Elongated Man
. Created by John Broome
and Carmine Infantino
, the character first appeared in Flash
vol. 1 #119 (March, 1961). In 2004, she became a flashpoint for discussions of women in comics when a highly controversial storyline was published in which she is murdered
and revealed to have been raped in the past.
. She is a brunette socialite
from Westchester County
, New York
, United States
. She has at times worked for the Justice League
as an administrator. Ralph and Sue share a very loving relationship, often being compared to Nick and Nora Charles
. It all started when Ralph crashed her debutante ball, using the pretense of jewel thieves to catch a glimpse of the lovely Sue. What followed was a whirlwind romance, with Sue and Ralph married a short time later, with Barry Allen
serving as the best man. What followed was a life of adventures and superheroics, as Sue stuck by Ralph's side as he traveled around the globe as part of the Justice League
. This leads to the various dangers associated with the lifestyle, including her near death at the tentacles of an alien parasite and being kidnapped by a supervillain, Sonar
I, to become his consort. Through it all, Sue and Ralph stick together, even when the going gets tough. Many readers considered their loving relationship a breath of fresh air in an era when comics were becoming darker. Recently, Sue and Ralph were involved in a battle for Opal City
, home of many of the Starman
characters. Ralph meets with Hamilton Drew, a legendary detective based in Opal City, and the Dibnys are instrumental in saving Opal City from an attack by various supervillain
s. After the affair, Sue and Ralph move into the city, content to spend their lives together as superhero detective and wife.
. As she has no superpowers herself, she spends most of the time at the Super Buddies headquarters, arguing with team founder Max Lord.
while she was expecting a child. Attempting to reunite with her husband Ray Palmer, Loring had used his equipment to try and create a fake threat to the families of other superheroes in an attempt to prompt Ray to come back to her. Although Loring had intended to simply knock Sue about, by travelling down the phone line to 'jump' into Sue's brain, she unintentionally caused an aneurysm, prompting her to start a fire to burn the body in a panic. Over the course of the series, it is revealed that in the past Sue was raped by Doctor Light
. In an attempt to prevent him from harming members of other superheroes' families, Justice League
member Zatanna
attempted to magically rehabilitate Doctor Light, which accidentally resulted in the villain becoming less intelligent and very incompetent. Batman in fact wanted another punishment for Dr. Light but his mind was also mindwipe
d by Zatanna
, erasing his memory of his involvement in events. Light is the prime suspect until Doctor Mid-Nite
and Mr. Terrific
carried out an autopsy and confirmed that Sue had not been killed by anything that would constitute Light's standard M.O., with a casual comment Jean made to Ray prompting him to realise the truth, resulting in him sending Jean to Arkham and disappearing from the JLA. During a Sinestro Corps War
one-shot, Superman-Prime mentioned that his anger over what happened to Sue Dibny as one of his reasons for his actions during Infinite Crisis
, seeing it as further 'proof' of the failures of the new universe.
cult (which has Wonder Girl as a member) attempts to revive Sue from the dead. They attract the attention of a now depowered Ralph Dibny by spray-painting the Kryptonian word for resurrection (the Superman
symbol, inverted) on her tombstone. Ralph and a team of heroes infiltrate the resurrection ceremony. Convinced that the ceremony is a hoax, Ralph and the others attack the temple, which subsequently catches on fire. However, Ralph is convinced that the resurrection is not a hoax when a seemingly animated straw representation of Sue crawls towards Ralph uttering his name. Although this straw version of Sue Dibny is destroyed in the fire, Ralph survives and vows to complete Sue's resurrection. However, a later issue revealed that it was Felix Faust
who animated the dummy with his powers, and Ralph was aware of Faust's deception but pretend to believe that it was really his wife in order to get close to the villain and his master, Neron
.
In the final issue of 52, Sue reappeared alongside Ralph, both as ghosts (he had used a magic artifact to ensure that they would be together in the afterlife), inside of a school where a paranormal event has occurred. Her final line is "Honey, your nose is twitching."
is seen in a graveyard approaching the graves of Sue Dibny and her husband Ralph. They are revealed as members of the Black Lantern Corps
when they attack Hawkgirl and Hawkman; killing the two heroes by ripping their hearts out. Sue, Ralph and the Hawks later join Ronnie Raymond and J'onn J'onzz in attacking Hal Jordan and Barry Allen. The fight is interrupted by the arrival of the Indigo Tribe
, who use their powers to remove Sue and Ralph's rings and blast them to dust. After the Blackest Night crisis, Barry Allen looks around to see if Ralph and Sue were among those resurrected by the white light only to be told by Hal Jordan they didn't come back.
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...
from 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...
associated with the Elongated Man
Elongated Man
The Elongated Man is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC universe. He is a reserve member of the Justice League. His first appearance was in The Flash vol. 1, #112...
. Created by John Broome
John Broome (writer)
John Broome , who additionally used the pseudonyms John Osgood and Edgar Ray Meritt, was an American comic book writer for DC Comics.-Early life and career:...
and Carmine Infantino
Carmine Infantino
Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino (born May 24, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York is an American comic book artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age of Comic Books...
, the character first appeared in 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 ....
vol. 1 #119 (March, 1961). In 2004, she became a flashpoint for discussions of women in comics when a highly controversial storyline was published in which she is murdered
Women in Refrigerators
Women in Refrigerators is a website that was created in 1999 by a group of comic book fans. The website features a list of female comic book characters that had been injured, killed, or depowered as a plot device within various superhero comic books...
and revealed to have been raped in the past.
Fictional character biography
Sue is the wife of hero Ralph Dibny, The Elongated ManElongated Man
The Elongated Man is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC universe. He is a reserve member of the Justice League. His first appearance was in The Flash vol. 1, #112...
. She is a brunette socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
from Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She has at times worked for the 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....
as an administrator. Ralph and Sue share a very loving relationship, often being compared to Nick and Nora Charles
Nick and Nora Charles
Nick and Nora Charles are fictional characters created by Dashiell Hammett in his novel The Thin Man. The characters were later adapted for film in a series of movies between 1934 and 1947; for radio from 1941 to 1950; for television from 1957 through 1959; as a Broadway musical in 1991; and as a...
. It all started when Ralph crashed her debutante ball, using the pretense of jewel thieves to catch a glimpse of the lovely Sue. What followed was a whirlwind romance, with Sue and Ralph married a short time later, with Barry Allen
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 ....
serving as the best man. What followed was a life of adventures and superheroics, as Sue stuck by Ralph's side as he traveled around the globe as part of the 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....
. This leads to the various dangers associated with the lifestyle, including her near death at the tentacles of an alien parasite and being kidnapped by a supervillain, Sonar
Sonar (comics)
Sonar is a DC Comics supervillain. He first appeared in Green Lantern #14, July , and was created by John Broome and Gil Kane.-Fictional character biography:...
I, to become his consort. Through it all, Sue and Ralph stick together, even when the going gets tough. Many readers considered their loving relationship a breath of fresh air in an era when comics were becoming darker. Recently, Sue and Ralph were involved in a battle for 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...
, home of many of the Starman
Starman (comics)
Starman is a name used by several different fictional DC Comics superheroes, most prominently Ted Knight and his sons David and Jack.Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Jack Burnley, the original Starman, Ted Knight, first appeared in Adventure Comics #61...
characters. Ralph meets with Hamilton Drew, a legendary detective based in Opal City, and the Dibnys are instrumental in saving Opal City from an attack by various 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...
s. After the affair, Sue and Ralph move into the city, content to spend their lives together as superhero detective and wife.
Super Buddies
Sue is a member of the Super Buddies team made up of former members of the Justice LeagueJustice 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....
. As she has no superpowers herself, she spends most of the time at the Super Buddies headquarters, arguing with team founder Max Lord.
Death
The 2004 DC murder mystery Identity Crisis begins with Sue's death at the hands of Jean LoringJean Loring
Jean Loring is a fictional character in comic books published by DC Comics, formerly associated with superhero the Atom for whom she was a supporting character and primary love interest. She first appeared in Showcase #34 , created by Gardner Fox and Gil Kane...
while she was expecting a child. Attempting to reunite with her husband Ray Palmer, Loring had used his equipment to try and create a fake threat to the families of other superheroes in an attempt to prompt Ray to come back to her. Although Loring had intended to simply knock Sue about, by travelling down the phone line to 'jump' into Sue's brain, she unintentionally caused an aneurysm, prompting her to start a fire to burn the body in a panic. Over the course of the series, it is revealed that in the past Sue was raped by Doctor Light
Doctor Light (Arthur Light)
Doctor Arthur Light is a fictional supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the third individual to have adopted the persona of Doctor Light, after a Golden Age foe of Doctor Mid-Nite and Arthur's associate Jacob Finlay...
. In an attempt to prevent him from harming members of other superheroes' families, 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....
member Zatanna
Zatanna
Zatanna Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson, Zatanna first appeared in Hawkman vol. 1 #4...
attempted to magically rehabilitate Doctor Light, which accidentally resulted in the villain becoming less intelligent and very incompetent. Batman in fact wanted another punishment for Dr. Light but his mind was also mindwipe
Mindwipe
For the Transformers character, see Mindwipe .Mindwipe is a technique used in some science fiction scenarios, where the subject's memories and personality are erased and replaced by new memories and personality more useful to those who are carrying out the mindwiping, or to their area's...
d by Zatanna
Zatanna
Zatanna Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson, Zatanna first appeared in Hawkman vol. 1 #4...
, erasing his memory of his involvement in events. Light is the prime suspect until Doctor 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...
and Mr. Terrific
Mister Terrific (Michael Holt)
Michael Holt is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics. First appearing in Spectre #54 , he is the second character to take up the Mister Terrific mantle....
carried out an autopsy and confirmed that Sue had not been killed by anything that would constitute Light's standard M.O., with a casual comment Jean made to Ray prompting him to realise the truth, resulting in him sending Jean to Arkham and disappearing from the JLA. During a Sinestro Corps War
Sinestro Corps War
"Sinestro Corps War" is an American comic book crossover event published by DC Comics in its Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps titles. Written by Geoff Johns and Dave Gibbons and drawn by Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, and Ethan Van Sciver, the 11-part saga was originally published between June...
one-shot, Superman-Prime mentioned that his anger over what happened to Sue Dibny as one of his reasons for his actions during Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
, seeing it as further 'proof' of the failures of the new universe.
52
During the 52 series, a KryptonianKrypton (comics)
Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe, and the native world of the super-heroes Superman and, in some tellings, Supergirl and Krypto the Superdog. Krypton has been portrayed consistently as having been destroyed just after Superman's flight from the planet, with exact details of...
cult (which has Wonder Girl as a member) attempts to revive Sue from the dead. They attract the attention of a now depowered Ralph Dibny by spray-painting the Kryptonian word for resurrection (the 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...
symbol, inverted) on her tombstone. Ralph and a team of heroes infiltrate the resurrection ceremony. Convinced that the ceremony is a hoax, Ralph and the others attack the temple, which subsequently catches on fire. However, Ralph is convinced that the resurrection is not a hoax when a seemingly animated straw representation of Sue crawls towards Ralph uttering his name. Although this straw version of Sue Dibny is destroyed in the fire, Ralph survives and vows to complete Sue's resurrection. However, a later issue revealed that it was Felix Faust
Felix Faust
Felix Faust is a fictional character and supervillain who appears in stories published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in 1962 as an adversary of the Justice League of America...
who animated the dummy with his powers, and Ralph was aware of Faust's deception but pretend to believe that it was really his wife in order to get close to the villain and his master, 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 the final issue of 52, Sue reappeared alongside Ralph, both as ghosts (he had used a magic artifact to ensure that they would be together in the afterlife), inside of a school where a paranormal event has occurred. Her final line is "Honey, your nose is twitching."
One Year Later
In Batman and the Outsiders #5, it is revealed (after appearing unknown in the previous two issues) that Ralph and Sue have gained or discovered the ability to possess human bodies, like the ability of Boston Brand, AKA Deadman.Blackest Night
In Blackest Night #0, Black HandBlack Hand (comics)
Black Hand is a DC Comics supervillain and a recurring foe to Green Lantern. He first appeared in Green Lantern #29 and was created by John Broome and Gil Kane...
is seen in a graveyard approaching the graves of Sue Dibny and her husband Ralph. They are revealed as members of the Black Lantern Corps
Black Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
when they attack Hawkgirl and Hawkman; killing the two heroes by ripping their hearts out. Sue, Ralph and the Hawks later join Ronnie Raymond and J'onn J'onzz in attacking Hal Jordan and Barry Allen. The fight is interrupted by the arrival of the Indigo Tribe
Indigo Tribe
The Indigo Tribe is a fictional organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They debuted in Green Lantern vol. 4 #25 and were created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver.-Fictional group history:...
, who use their powers to remove Sue and Ralph's rings and blast them to dust. After the Blackest Night crisis, Barry Allen looks around to see if Ralph and Sue were among those resurrected by the white light only to be told by Hal Jordan they didn't come back.