Help to identify this DC hero

[Kronocide]

Hey, Hypers!

I'm trying to remember the name of a (rather short-lived) DC hero. At least I'm pretty sure he was DC, and not Marvel.

He was a Batman kind of character, the dark, alley-living type, somehow associated with trash(!), wearing a dark green cape with a hood that was ripped and in threads. I never knew the English name, and don't remember it in Swedish. I would have guessed on Trashman, but neither Wikipedia nor dcuguide.com has a listing for that name.

Any help appreciated!

 

[The Question]

Ragman. Operates out of Gotham. His costume was sewn together by Jewish holy men during the holocaust so the Jews could have a defender against the nazis. Each patch represents a man that Ragman has killed, and that man's soul is trapped within his suit. He can call on the collective skills and physical abilities of the souls in his suit at any time, giving him superhuman strength, speed, and endurance, and whatever skill set each of the souls possesed in life.

 

[Nightwing 52]

Ragman.

 

[Kronocide]

lol
I knew I was asking in the right place. Thanks!

Edit:
Now that I could look him up I realize that I have never heard the retconned version of Ragman that The Question described above.

 

[Hush]

He sounds very cool.

 

[The Question]

lol
I knew I was asking in the right place. Thanks!

Edit:
Now that I could look him up I realize that I have never heard the retconned version of Ragman that The Question described above.

It was added later. Personally, I like the change. He's an average guy who hears the disembodies voices of murderers and rapists talk to him all the time.

 

[Hush]

That is an awesome concept!!!

 

[Fledermaus]

Read Day of Vengeance and the new Shadowpact series for more Ragman action!!

 

[Kronocide]

I just now seem to remember the original (pre-Crisis) origin of Ragman. Something about his dad getting killed by(?) burglars with Olympic-level athletic skills and their abilities being tranfered to him by electricity? I wish Wikipedia could keep the old origins and not just have the post-Crisis versions. They have sentimental value to some of us.

 

[Hush]

I didnt even know he was used in current Dc continuity I thought he was one of those characters that just got lost in the shuffle. Is he in alot of DOV???

 

[The Question]

He was one of the narrators.

 

[Kronocide]

No wait, they were his dad's neighbors, there was an old boxing champ, a gymnast, and more, and they tried to save his dad or something, and they all died and their skills were transfered to Ragman. Amazing how memories can return in fragments. If someone remembers the whole story I'd like to hear it.

 

[Speedball]

Read Day of Vengeance and the new Shadowpact series for more Ragman action!!

Just what I was gonna say!
He's an awesome character

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

don't waste your money on shawdowpact. thats a horrible series.

 

[SoulManX]

http://www.groundzerocomics.com/Fanzine/Ragman.htm

 

[Kronocide]

Thanks BlackHardKnight, that's an excellent link. But still not a word on the original origin story. I guess I'll have to go down the basement and see if I can't find that issue.

 

[Harlekin]

Yeah, that's the original origin story. His dad and his friends died in that eletrocution accident, while he wore the suit. Nothing else was ever actually divulged about the suit I believe. It was later retconned into being a soul harvester.

I much prefer the Pre-Crisis version although the original Post-Crisis version had some cool and interesting bits with the whole Jewish history thing.

 

[Kronocide]

I much prefer the Pre-Crisis version although the original Post-Crisis version had some cool and interesting bits with the whole Jewish history thing.

I think I agree with you. Although the new origin has a more elaborate and fascinating explanation for his powers (and a cool dark aspect) the original had a strong humanity about it. The fact that he was dressed in rags symbolized something real, that he came from that world. Compare to Batman, who fights in the slums and backalleys of Gotham (well, in theory, very seldom in the comics) but lives in Wayne Manor! If Ragman's rags are part of Jewish magic, it looses some of its then-and-there relevance.

 

[The Question]

Well, not entirely. The suit was made from rags because in nazi occupied Europe, that's all the jews had. It still represents a sort of working class hero since, while his powers are magical, it's a kind of magic that was made by the working class with working class materials when they had almost nothing.

 

[Harlekin]

Yeah, I'd actually say that the Post-Crisis explanation has a lot stronger humanity too it. It was made in the friggin' Warsaw Ghetto during WW II.

 

[Kronocide]

Well, surely a big part of it is that I grew up with the old Ragman. (In fact, this is the firt time I hear about the modern version.) But it's also that I liked that he was more or less an ordinary guy, fighting in his neighborhood. Defednig the Jewish people, as cool as that is, becomes bigger and more cosmical, and a different thing.

 

[The Question]

Well, he's still just an average guy defending his neighborhood. It's just, now, his weird powers are explained by his suit having been sewn togething by Jewish holy men. And besides, defending the Jews is yardly a cosmic deal.






Unless, of course, they're Jews in Space.

 

[Harlekin]

He isn't exactly defending his neighbourhood anymore. Now he's randomly teleported around to help out the helpless, which in itself is a departure from the original Post-Crisis version. Originally, he teleported away from the Warsaw Ghetto (or at least, the guy wearing the suit) because he was done and was now meant to protect the Jews in America.

Heck, what I've read of Ragman these days, the whole Jewish bit is being put to the wayside, which was actually the biggest plot point in the Post-Crisis series, with him also facing a Golem and all.

Originally, the guy was just Vietnam veteran (which also seems to have been ignored by Willingham) that came back disillusioned, who happened to be Jewish and decided to fight crime after 'getting superpowers'. Then he was a Vietnam vet that came home, even more disillusioned (and with a big honking scar on his face, resembling stitches), recieving powers, and his being Jewish came to the forefront.

 

[The Question]

True. I suppose one could simply say that, after getting caught up in the Spectre crazyness, the whole "defender of the Jewsih faith" thing has simply yet to come up. I mean, I doubt that he would be so caught up in his chosen one status that he would ignore when non Jewish people needed help.

 

[Harlekin]

Or, y'know, Willingham's just ignoring it.

Basically made him into a Spectre-lite anyway.