Brother Voodoo (Jericho Drumm) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

. He first appeared in ''

Strange Tales ''Strange Tales'' is a Marvel Comics anthology series. The title was revived in different forms on multiple occasions. Doctor Strange and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. made their debuts in ''Strange Tales''. It was a showcase for the science ...

'' #169 (September 1973). The character was created by publisher Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Len Wein, and artist

John Romita Sr. John V. Romita (; born January 24, 1930) is an American comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and for co-creating characters including the Punisher and Wolverine. He was inducted into the Will Eis ...

Since replacing Doctor Strange as

Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in '' Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorc ...

in '' The New Avengers'' #53 (July 2009), the character is referred to as ''Doctor Voodoo''.

Concept and creation

Marvel Comics publisher Stan Lee proposed a heroic practitioner of voodoo, and when editor-in-chief Roy Thomas suggested the name "Doctor Voodoo", Lee rebounded with the suggestion "Brother Voodoo". The task of fleshing out the character was then assigned to writer Len Wein and Marvel's art director, John Romita Sr. Wein recounted, "We talked about the sense of the character. I designed the 'V' in the circle on the forehead in John's office." Romita did most of the costume design, while Wein's concept for Brother Voodoo's character and powers drew partial inspiration from

the Phantom ''The Phantom'' is an American adventure comic strip, first published by Lee Falk in February 1936. The main character, the Phantom, is a fictional costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla. The char ...

Publication history

Brother Voodoo starred in his own feature in the Marvel comic-book series ''Strange Tales'' #169-173 (September 1973-April 1974), and in a backup feature in the black-and-white horror- comics magazine ''

Tales of the Zombie ''Tales of the Zombie'' was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. The series ran 10 issues and one '' Super Annual'' from 1973 to 1975, many featuring stories of t ...

'' #6 (July 1974, in a story continuing from ''Strange Tales'' #173) and #10 (March 1975). He has gone to guest-star very sporadically in other Marvel series, into the 21st century. Brother Voodoo's run in ''Strange Tales'' was written by co-creator Len Wein and drawn by

Gene Colan Eugene Jules Colan (; September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011)Eugene Colan
at the

. Though they worked on the series under the Marvel method, Wein left little for Colan to do in the way of plotting and pacing, writing plots which laid out the story page-by-page and often even panel-by-panel. According to comics journalist Michael Aushenker, Colan "took what would surely have been, in lesser hands, a very corny idea and infused it with an artistry which not only gave it flair and style but a kind of realism and straight-faced credibility that these otherwise ridiculously costumed individuals would actually appear to belong to our world." Though the letters pages for these issues feature many angry letters from religious readers, Wein has said this should not be taken as an indication that Brother Voodoo was controversial, since Marvel staff often stacked letters pages with the most extreme responses they could find as a form of publicity. Brother Voodoo's name was changed to "Doctor Voodoo" when he replaced Doctor Strange as

during the Dark Reign storyline. The character received his own

eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

ous ongoing series written by

Rick Remender Rick Remender (born February 6, 1973) is an American animator, comic book writer and television producer who resides in Los Angeles, California. As a comic book creator, he is best known for his work on '' Uncanny X-Force'', ''Venom'', ''Captain ...

, ''Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural'', which was canceled after five issues.

Fictional character biography

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 The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, Jericho Drumm discovers that his twin brother,

Daniel Drumm Daniel Drumm is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film ''Doctor Strange (2016 film), Doctor Strange'' (2016), portrayed by Mark Anthony Brig ...

, the local ''

houngan Oungan (also written as ''houngan'') is the term for a male priest in Haitian Vodou (a female priest is known as a (''mambo''). The term is derived from Gbe languages (Fon, Ewe, Adja, Phla, Gen, Maxi and Gun). The word hounnongan means chief ...

'', is dying, a victim of a

voodoo Voodoo may refer to: Religions * African or West African Vodun, practiced by Gbe-speaking ethnic groups * African diaspora religions, a list of related religions sometimes called Vodou/Voodoo ** Candomblé Jejé, also known as Brazilian Vodu ...

sorcerer who claims to be possessed by the spirit of the serpent-god Damballah, based on the

Loa ( ), also called loa or loi, are spirits in the African diasporic religion of Haitian Vodou. They have also been incorporated into some revivalist forms of Louisiana Voodoo. Many of the lwa derive their identities in part from deities venerat ...

Damballa Damballa, also spelled Damballah, Dambala, Dambalah, among other variations ( ht, Danbala), is one of the most important of all loa, spirits in Haitian Voodoo and other African diaspora religious traditions such as Obeah. He is traditionally ...

. 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 The Wangal people ( Wanegal or Won-gal,) are a clan of the Dharug ( ?) Aboriginal people whose heirs are custodians of the lands and waters of what is now the Inner West of Sydney, New South Wales, centred around the Municipality of Strathfie ...

), 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 Baron Samedi ( en, Baron Saturday), also written Baron Samdi, Bawon Samedi or Bawon Sanmdi, is one of the lwa of Haitian Vodou. He is a lwa of the dead, along with Baron's numerous other incarnations Baron Cimetière, Baron La Croix and Ba ...

and artificial zombies created by the terrorist-scientist group A.I.M.; the original

Black Talon Black Talon is a brand of hollow-point pistol and rifle ammunition introduced in 1991 by Winchester, primarily intended for law enforcement and personal defense use. Black Talon rounds were known for the unique construction of the bullet and it ...

, 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, the

Thing Thing or The Thing may refer to: Philosophy * An object * Broadly, an entity * Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant * Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuse ...

and Black Panther. Brother Voodoo eventually succumbs to the lure of power that Damballah's wangal represented. Upon Jericho's wearing it, the god Damballah takes over Daniel's soul, burns down the mansion and apparently slays Bambu. He travels to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

to attempt to take over the mind and body of Earth's Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange, who eventually frees Brother Voodoo of Damballah's influence and re-confines the evil god to the wangal. He later becomes involved with the supernatural '

Howling Commandos The Howling Commandos is the name of several fictional groups appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Fictional team history World War II The first group of Howling Commandos (introduced in their own 1963 comic book seri ...

" operation of the espionage agency

S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often dea ...

and registers with the government in accordance with the Superhuman Registration Act. While Black Panther was fighting

Erik Killmonger Erik Killmonger (né N'Jadaka) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Don McGregor and Rich Buckler, he first appeared in ''Jungle Action'' #6 (September 1973). The character is commonly depic ...

, Brother Voodoo revealed himself to be a

Skrull The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated fro ...

when he attempted to kill Cannibal, whom he deemed to be a threat. However, the two killed each other in the struggle, and the discovery of 'Brother Voodoo's' true form revealed the Skrull invasion to Black Panther, allowing him time to prepare. Like other heroes replaced by the Skrulls, Brother Voodoo was revealed to be alive at the end of ''Secret Invasion''.

Sorcerer Supreme and apparent death

The Eye of Agamotto leaves Doctor Strange after showing him and the New Avengers nearly thirty candidates who would possibly replace Strange. Because he comes into possession of the Eye, Drumm becomes the new Sorcerer Supreme. Aided by the New Avengers, he eventually battles the entity Agamotto itself to prevent Agamotto from retrieving the eye and gaining the power to rule Earth's dimension, and appears to sacrifice himself in an explosion he engineers to destroy both Agamotto and the Eye.

Return

During the ''

AXIS An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to: Mathematics * Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis * Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...

'' storyline, Doctor Doom makes a Faustian deal to resurrect Brother Voodoo, reasoning that he and Daniel are the only ones who can stop the inverted

Scarlet Witch Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in ''The X-Men'' #4 (March 1964 ...

from destroying

Latveria Latveria is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is depicted within the storylines of Marvel's comic titles as an isolated European country ruled by the fictional Supreme Lord Doctor Doom, suppo ...

. The spirit of Daniel Drumm subsequently possesses Wanda so that she can be used to undo the spell that inverted the heroes and villains.''AXIS'' #9 He is offered a full-time role in Steve Rogers's

Uncanny Avengers ''Uncanny Avengers'' is a comic book series first appearing in the October 2012 debut of Marvel NOW!, published by Marvel Comics. The series follows an interconnected fictional superhero team, featuring members from the Marvel Universe (specific ...

. He also helps Dr. Strange defeat the Empirikull, a science cult focused on destroying magic in every dimension. When Daniel Drumm sides with The Hand to help them retrieve and resurrect the recently-deceased Bruce Banner as a new agent, Brother Voodoo requests the aid of the rest of the Uncanny Avengers in stopping the Hulk when the Hand send him on a rampage. As he makes contact with the remaining essence of Banner in the Hulk, the Beast of the Hand offers to resurrect Daniel if Banner is left with them, but Brother Voodoo states that he will choose his brother in the form of his fellow Avenger rather than Daniel, grimly stating that Daniel has made his choice, simply allowing Banner to die free from the Hand's influence. Black Panther instructs Brother Voodoo to take Ka-Zar,

Zabu Zabu is a fictional Pleistocene sabretooth tiger character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is connected primarily to the Savage Land, and the X-Men, and most recently the Avengers (by way of the "Pet A ...

Black Knight The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with t ...

, and Scarlet Witch with him to investigate strange occurrences in the

Savage Land The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It has appeared in many story arcs in ''Uncanny X-Men'' as well as other related books. ...

. They arrive to find a slain

Tyrannosaurus ''Tyrannosaurus'' is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' (''rex'' meaning "king" in Latin), often called ''T. rex'' or colloquially ''T-Rex'', is one of the best represented theropods. ''Tyrannosaurus'' live ...

as Scarlet Witch senses they are surrounded. The group is attacked by the Cotati and they fight them until the Cotati Ventri unleash

Man-Thing The Man-Thing (Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in ''S ...

who they have under their control. As Ventri states that the Savage Land and the world will be theirs, Ka-Zar is shocked to find that the Cotati have gained control of Shanna. With Brother Voodoo and Scarlet Witch immobilized and Black Knight imprisoned, Shanna tries to get Ka-Zar to join them as Matthew states to Black Knight that they have to do something. Doctor Voodoo used a trick to do a mental trick. Scarlet Witch does the same as she tries to free Shanna from the Cotati's control. As Ventri notices something happen with Scarlet Witch, Brother Voodoo takes control of Man-Thing to free Matthew and Black Knight. Scarlet Witch brings Ka-Zar into Shanna's mind where he learns that some creatures in the Savage Land are dying and trees are falling. When Ka-Zar had been stabbed by a Cotati using Black Knight's Ebony Blade, Brother Voodoo exited Man-Thing's mind and worked with Scarlet Witch to extract Ka-Zar's soul from the Ebony Blade as Shanna the She-Devil uses the same waters that resurrected her on Ka-Zar.

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

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. Brother Voodoo's appointment as the new Sorcerer Supreme has bestowed upon him not only the power of the

Eye of Agamotto The Eye of Agamotto () is a fictional, mystical item appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and other media, particularly in their Marvel Cinematic Universe films, with its first appearance in ''Doctor Strange''. The item ap ...

, but also the

Cloak of Levitation Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...

and the Books of Knowledge, which were formerly in the possession of Doctor Strange.

Other versions

Avengers of the Undead

An alternate version of Brother Voodoo appears as the leader of the Avengers of the Undead, the team of Avengers from Earth-666. He first appears when the mainstream version of

Captain Britain Captain Britain is a title used by various superheroes in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Excalibur. The moniker was first used in publication by Brian Braddock in ''Captain Britain Weekly'' #1 by writer Ch ...

entrusts the team with the Orb of Necromancy, a powerful artifact that he wishes to keep hidden. When Captain Britain and Hawkeye attempt to reclaim the Orb, the Avengers of the Undead double-cross the heroes and attempt to kill them.

Beavis and Butt-Head

Brother Voodoo was referenced in the '' Beavis and Butt-Head'' comic book (also published by Marvel Comics) in issue #15, summer 1995. The comic depicts Brother Voodoo arriving to the sound of beating drums, calling out, "Dumballah, I am coming for you!", prompting Butt-Head to ask, "Who the HELL is this WUSS?". Beavis identifies him incorrectly as "Brother DooDoo" despite Dumballah actually referring to the Brother by his proper name on the same page. Brother Voodoo wrestles with a snake, dispatches it, and finally threatens Dumballah with the promise, "...You're next!".

Fred Hembeck

Cartoonist

Fred Hembeck Fred Hembeck (born January 30, 1953) is an American cartoonist best known for his parodies of characters from major American comic book publishers. His work has frequently been published by the firms whose characters he spoofs. His characters are ...

regularly featured the Brother Voodoo character in his monthly cartoons for Marvel's promotional magazine ''

Marvel Age ''Marvel Age'' was a promotional comic book-sized magazine from Marvel Comics published from 1983 to 1994. Basically a comic-length edition of the Bullpen Bulletins page, ''Marvel Age'' contained previews of upcoming Marvel comics, as well as in ...

'', beginning with issue #14 (May 1984). He generally showed him as a lame character trying to get his own series. Hembeck also introduced "Sister Voodoo" as his long-lost sister and "Voodoo Chile", her child. When Brother Voodoo finally got his own solo story in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' (vol. 2) #1 (May 1990) Hembeck drew it in a serious art style very different from his cartooning. In his cartoon in the final issue of ''Marvel Age'' #140 (September 1994) Hembeck claimed he had started mocking Brother Voodoo because he had the character confused with an "even lamer" character,

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

Brother Power the Geek Brother Power the Geek is a comic book character created in the late 1960s for DC Comics by Joe Simon. He first appeared in ''Brother Power the Geek'' #1 (October 1968). The concept behind Brother Power was derived heavily from Mary Shelley's ''F ...

''Marvel Zombies: Dead Days''

In ''

Ultimate Fantastic Four ''Ultimate Fantastic Four'' is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running ''Fantastic Four'' comic book franchise as part of the Ultimate Marvel imprint. The Ultimate ...

'' #23 (November 2005), Brother Voodoo is one of dozens of superhero zombies. In the one-shot, flashback comic book '' Marvel Zombies: Dead Days'' (July 2007), Brother Voodoo is one of the last few surviving heroes to become infected with the zombie virus.

''Supernaturals''

The four-issue, weekly miniseries '' Supernaturals'' (October 1998), written by

Brian Pulido Brian Pulido (born November 30, 1961) is a creator, writer and producer of comic books and films. Early life Growing up in Long Branch, New Jersey, Pulido first developed an interest in the horror genre after the release of ''Night of the Livin ...

, featured an alternate-universe Brother Voodoo leading a team composed of

Ghost Rider Ghost Rider is the name of multiple antiheroes and superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider. The first s ...

Werewolf by Night The Werewolf by Night (usually referred to by other characters simply as the Werewolf) is the name applied to two fictional characters who are werewolves appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first incarnation of We ...

, the

Gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls ...

, the Black Cat and Satana, to fight a mystically powered version of the villain Jack O'Lantern in a world where only magical heroes and villains existed.

''What If? Featuring X-Men: Age of Apocalypse''

Brother Voodoo was one of the main characters in an alternate

Age of Apocalypse "Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 comic book crossover storyline mostly published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The ''Age of Apocalypse'' briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616 and had ramifications in the main Marvel Comics ...

, first seen in the February 2007 ''What If? Featuring X-Men: Age of Apocalypse'' one-shot. In this issue, Voodoo replaces Doctor Strange as the Sorcerer Supreme in the story and wears Strange's wardrobe. He battles Dormammu and helps the heroes take down Apocalypse, though Jericho himself is killed by Dormammu when the Eye of Agamotto is taken away from him.

Collected editions

In other media

Film

In 2003, the

Sci Fi Channel Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...

announced it was developing a live-action

TV movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

and

backdoor pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...

called ''Brother Voodoo'', based on the character. Hans Rodionoff was announced to write the screenplay, set in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, of this

Reveille Productions Endemol Shine North America is the American division of Endemol Shine Group that was founded on March 15, 2002 as a merger of Shine Americas, Shine USA, and Reveille Productions. Endemol Shine North America produces and distributes scripted and ...

and Marvel Studios co-production executive produced by Reveille head Ben Silverman and Marvel Studios' Avi Arad and

Rick Ungar Richard "Rick" Ungar (; born November 4, 1950) is the host of ''The Rick Ungar Show'', a two hour political and news commentary radio show. Ungar is also the Editor In Chief of The Daily Centrist website. Previously, Ungar was the co-host of ' ...

. However, nothing came of development afterwards and the project was abandoned.

Video games

* Brother Voodoo makes a cameo appearance in Doctor Strange's ending in ''

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom in collaboration with Eighting. It is an updated version of '' Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds''. The game features characters from both Capcom's video game franchises and comic book se ...

''. * Brother Voodoo appears as a playable character in '' Marvel: Avengers Alliance''. * Brother Voodoo appears as a playable character in the Doctor Strange DLC pack for ''

Lego Marvel's Avengers ''Lego Marvel's Avengers'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, for the Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Wind ...

''. * Doctor Voodoo appears as a playable character in '' Marvel: Contest of Champions''. * Doctor Voodoo appears as a playable character in '' Marvel: Future Fight''.