The Vodou that He Do: Brother/Doctor Voodoo Appreciation

[Greg]

I was waiting for his return to get this started, but might as well get it out the way now due to the announcement of his upcoming resurrection...

One of my all time favorite Marvel characters. The dynamic duo of Jericho and Daniel Drumm making the Houngan Supreme Brother/Doctor Voodoo.







Brief Bio

Returning to his native Haiti (born in Port-au-Prince) after 12 years (originally nearly 20) of education and practice as an accredited psychologist in the United States, Jericho Drumm discovers that his twin brother, Daniel Drumm, the local houngan, is dying, a victim of a voodoo sorcerer who claims to be possessed by the spirit of the serpent-god Damballah. Just before he dies, Daniel makes his brother vow to visit Daniel's mentor, Papa Jambo. Jericho does, and becomes Jambo's student. After studying under the aged houngan for several weeks, Jericho gains a greater mastery of voodoo practices than his own brother, becoming a houngan in his own right. Papa Jambo then performs a rite that summons Daniel's spirit from the dead and joins it with Jericho's own. Having fashioned a worthy successor, Papa Jambo dies.

Taking the name "Brother Voodoo", Jericho challenges the priest, who goes by the same name as his god Damballah, and his cult. With the help of his brother Daniel Drumm's spirit possessing one of the cult members, Jericho removes Damballah's artifact of power (wangal), causing Damballah's snakes to turn on him and evidently destroying Damballah's cult. Brother Voodoo becomes Haiti's houngan supreme and champion, and establishes a sprawling mansion as a base of operations. He places the wangal in a safe, its combination known only to Brother Voodoo and his manservant Bambu.

Brother Voodoo encounters the scientist Baron Samedi and artificial zombies created by the terrorist-scientist group A.I.M.;the original Black Talon, Mama Limbo, and the Dark Lord Cult; and the houngan Dramabu. Having established himself, Brother Voodoo goes on to help other superheroes, including Spider-Man and Moon Knight, as well as the Jack Russell werewolf.

Powers and Abilities

Brother Voodoo possesses numerous mystical and quasi-physical powers derived from the Loa, the spirit-gods of voodoo. He can easily enter into a trance-like state in which he does not feel the heat from fire and his skin becomes impervious to burning. He can also control flame and lower life forms. Brother Voodoo can mystically create smoke accompanied by the sound of drums. The smoke conceals his presence while he is able to see through it. He has the ability to command certain living things by a mystic sort of hypnotism, most effective over animals and plants. He can summon the Loa to request transport for himself and others instantaneously if they deem it necessary to his mission.

Brother Voodoo can also summon the spirit of his brother Daniel Drumm from within his body, doubling his own strength. He can send the spirit to possess another person's body and then has total control over their actions.

Brother Voodoo also has more mundane escapist talents, once entering Strange's building, not through magic, but through the chimney. He has extensive knowledge of voudoun (voodoo) thanks to training by Papa Jambo, as well as conventional medicine and psychology with a Ph.D. in psychology.

He wears a mystic medallion that serves as a focus of his powers and as a focus for his contact with his personal loas. He has, at times, employed conventional firearms.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_Voodoo

[Greg]

Words from his resurrecter, Rick Remender!

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Rick

Some of you who follow my jive-ass career know I loves me some Dr/Brother Voodoo. Jericho Drumm is an underutilized classic Marvel hero, an engaging/relatable character, a Haitian immigrant with a tragic backstory, with a creepy and interesting power set and a classic Marvel back story. In my first job at Marvel in 2006 I did a What If? Age of Apocalypse story where Jericho was the the Sorcerer Supreme. It was just nice to get to see it even if it wasn’t “in continuity.”

Couple of years later I turned down Deadpool to pitch/build an ongoing Doctor Voodoo as the Sorcerer Supreme series. It was a treat to get to write Jericho as the actual Sorcerer Supreme in the comics. But, my love of Brother Voodoo and the monster end of the MU wasn’t reflected in the orders and the series was canceled by issue 5. A few months later another writer picked up Jericho and killed him off.

But, now, due to my machinations, and the support of Tom Brevoort, he’s coming back. And in a way that directly ties into the DR. VOODOO series we did way back when. From AXIS to the new UNCANNY AVENGERS we’ll get to see if the character return and continue some of the ideas I had for him.

If you haven’t read it, I’m still damn proud of the trade that came out of it all, you can buy one here for very little cash-money:

https://www.cheapgraphicnovels.com/d...atural-tp.html

http://rickremender.com/?p=1383

[Froggy]

Reminder, you're aught in my book, FOR THIS AND THIS ONLY

HAIL THE RETURN OF THE ONE TRUE REP OF VOODOO in comics

ONE OF THE FEW MARVEL DOCTORS WHO ACTUALLY HAS A DOCTORATE BECAUSE DOOM DROPPED OUT jk

[Kieran_Frost]

Brilliant thread, Greg. I am a massive Jericho fan (though boy to your knowledge and adoration -- you're the High Priest of Voodoo)! Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural is still, far and away my favourite mini-series. I read it probably once every 6 months, I just love it. I want more magic in Marvel; and I'm so, SO friggin' pumped to have Jericho back (such a rarity for a POC to be resurrected).

My favourite ever image of Jericho is the cover to issue #3. It's so simple, yet so powerful; I just adore it.

[Greg]

I've always liked that cover too. I always felt the two different color eyes were them referencing the two different brothers within the character.

[Froggy]

I always kinda hoped for a horror heroes revival, not the midnight sons but voodoo, blade, man-thing and jack Russell with N'kantu popping up outta nowhere. Voodoo is kinda like spider man in that he's a hero who can fit into a horror story as a protagonist

[Kieran_Frost]

Looking at Jericho's powers, some things I'd love to see more of in the upcoming Uncanny Avengers
- his fire immunity. I mean, does that mean Pyro, Sunfire, etc can't really hurt him at all? If so, that's a MAJOR advantage against a fair number of foes
- his command of living things (snakes, birds, dogs) INCLUDING PLANTS! Not only would that be fun with him and Falcon on the same team (both control birds) but Voodoo would be a huge threat to Princess Python (most of the Serpent Society, surely)
- when his brother is summoned, it boosts his (Jericho's) own strength. That's cool, I'd definitely like more of that!

I've always liked that cover too. I always felt the two different color eyes were them referencing the two different brothers within the character.

Ohhhhhh; I LOVE that theory!!!

I always kinda hoped for a horror heroes revival, not the midnight sons but voodoo, blade, man-thing and jack Russell with N'kantu popping up outta nowhere. Voodoo is kinda like spider man in that he's a hero who can fit into a horror story as a protagonist

While anything with Jericho in is a must buy, the lack of Wiccan would be a crime! I'd do Voodoo, Wiccan, Blade, Spitfire, Man-Thing and Satana Hellstrom

[Froggy]

Looking at Jericho's powers, some things I'd love to see more of in the upcoming Uncanny Avengers
- his fire immunity. I mean, does that mean Pyro, Sunfire, etc can't really hurt him at all? If so, that's a MAJOR advantage against a fair number of foes
- his command of living things (snakes, birds, dogs) INCLUDING PLANTS! Not only would that be fun with him and Falcon on the same team (both control birds) but Voodoo would be a huge threat to Princess Python (most of the Serpent Society, surely)
- when his brother is summoned, it boosts his (Jericho's) own strength. That's cool, I'd definitely like more of that!


Ohhhhhh; I LOVE that theory!!!


While anything with Jericho in is a must buy, the lack of Wiccan would be a crime! I'd do Voodoo, Wiccan, Blade, Spitfire, Man-Thing and Satana Hellstrom

Okay, even better even better team there dude! Yeah they'd have horror themed adventures, encountering the more seedier and twisted stuff in Marvel

[DigiCom]

The problem I have is... if Remender "loves me some Dr/Brother Voodoo", then why did he spend 90% of the mini turning Jericho into a depressed whiner and made Doctor freaking DOOM save the day all the time? And he loved the backstory so much, he shoved in a completely unnecessary "curse" so he could justify Jericho being a failure, not a competent mystic in his own right.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Jericho is back, but Remender has already proven that he's the worst person to handle him.

[XPac]

The problem I have is... if Remender "loves me some Dr/Brother Voodoo", then why did he spend 90% of the mini turning Jericho into a depressed whiner and made Doctor freaking DOOM save the day all the time? And he loved the backstory so much, he shoved in a completely unnecessary "curse" so he could justify Jericho being a failure, not a competent mystic in his own right.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Jericho is back, but Remender has already proven that he's the worst person to handle him.

I personally loved the mini. That could easily have been a marvel event and in a perfect world should have been.

[4sake Baned]

The problem I have is... if Remender "loves me some Dr/Brother Voodoo", then why did he spend 90% of the mini turning Jericho into a depressed whiner and made Doctor freaking DOOM save the day all the time? And he loved the backstory so much, he shoved in a completely unnecessary "curse" so he could justify Jericho being a failure, not a competent mystic in his own right.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Jericho is back, but Remender has already proven that he's the worst person to handle him.

This is how I feel as well... Only BMB would be worst..

[Kieran_Frost]

I personally loved the mini. That could easily have been a marvel event and in a perfect world should have been.

This is how I feel also... I thought the mini series was AMAZING!!! Best. Mini. EVER!!! Jericho proved what a bad ass machine he was from day one. Love him, he kicked some serious ass in the mini. Excited to have him back under Remender's pen AND hoping Ogun the Slayer shows up so we can follow that story.

[sifighter]

The problem I have is... if Remender "loves me some Dr/Brother Voodoo", then why did he spend 90% of the mini turning Jericho into a depressed whiner and made Doctor freaking DOOM save the day all the time? And he loved the backstory so much, he shoved in a completely unnecessary "curse" so he could justify Jericho being a failure, not a competent mystic in his own right.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Jericho is back, but Remender has already proven that he's the worst person to handle him.

Isn't that how Remender writes most of his characters, I mean by putting them through hell until they manage to rebuild themselves, and don't get me wrong they are good stories but just look what he did to Captain America.

But I'm still very excited that Jericho is back, Remender writing him was one of my favorite series at the time even if it was short lived. Can't wait to see his return in Axis.

[Darthkostis]

I loved the Mini as well. It reminded me a lost of Darksiders to be honest. I haven't read much of his other appearances though (by the way, the list is pretty small from what I know, right?). As for a horror revival, YES! I've already written my thoughts on the various "what would you write" and all those threads but the main "ingredient" is to do away with the cartoonish skeletons and go all out.

-Establish a definite "Council of Hell". Hela, Mephisto, Dormammu, Blackheart, Pluto and Satana would do IMHO.

-Make every "Hell" different but not cartoonish or EXTREEEEEEEME. Hela's and Pluto's realms should have a tone of melancholy and dread, as opposed to Mephisto's which should be the stuff of nightmares. More Vertigo less saturday morning cartoon.

-Bring the main players together. Have a Legion of Monsters consisting of the various ghouls and frightening creatures, and have the Midnight Sons be the Mages/Sorcerers, etc. Doom, Strange, Magik, Voodoo,that kind of characters.

From there on, you can do whatever you want but you have to establish some rules first and create the general "feel" of the horror-verse.

[Psycwave]

Great news. I've been awaiting Jericho's return and Remender writing him again is icing on the cake. The Avenger of the Supernatural mini was fantastic and really cemented Voodoo's place in my list of faves.