Music Meister (Darius Chapel) is a

fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...

created by Mike Jelenic and James Tucker who first appeared in "

Mayhem of the Music Meister! "Mayhem of the Music Meister!" is an episode of the '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' animated series. The episode features the villainous Music Meister (voiced by Neil Patrick Harris), who uses his power to control people through song to try to ...

", an episode of the animated television series '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'', voiced by

Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout ...

. The character later appeared in the

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

to the series of the same name, published by

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 ...

. The first live-action version of the character appeared in "

Duet A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a solo ...

", a crossover between the live-action television series ''

Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...

'' and ''

The Flash The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...

'', portrayed by

Darren Criss Darren Everett Criss (born February 5, 1987) is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He rose to fame starring on the television series ''Glee'' (2010–2015) and received Emmy and Golden Globe acting awards for his leading role as spree ...

Fictional character biography

''Batman: The Brave and the Bold''

The Music Meister, a villain capable of controlling others through song, first appeared in the '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' episode "

", voiced by

. In order to hijack a

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

communications satellite, he induces

Black Manta Black Manta is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy, and first appeared in ''Aquaman'' #35 in September 1967. He has since endured as the archenemy of the s ...

Gorilla Grodd Gorilla Grodd is a supervillain character appearing in American comic books and other media published by DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of The Flash. The character was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, and first appeared in ''Th ...

Clock King The Clock King is the name of three supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first Clock King debuted in '' World's Finest Comics'' #111 (August 1960), and was created by France Herron and Lee Elias. The Clock ...

(who were there to steal the satellite themselves),

Black Canary The Black Canary is the name of two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics: Dinah Drake and her daughter Dinah Laurel Lance. The original version was created by the writer-artist team of Robert Kanigher and ...

Green Arrow Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 in November 1941. His secret identity, real name is Olive ...

, and

Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...

(there to stop the other villains) to commit the crime for him, launching it into space after they install a device inside it. ("I'm The Music Meister") During the song, Music Meister relates his origin: When

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

intervenes, Music Meister orders his thralls to attack the hero, which they do in a dance style reminiscent of ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid-1 ...

''. His plan successful, the Meister escapes by forcing his captives to dance towards the rocket blast, leaving Batman to rescue them rather than apprehend him. Meister flees to an empty opera house where, in a reference to ''

Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...

'', he plays the organ to a cardboard audience. Batman tries to capture him in a cross-town chase, but Meister releases inmates and villains from

Iron Heights Penitentiary Iron Heights Penitentiary is a fictional setting in the , a maximum-security prison which houses the many Flash (comics), Flash Enemies of the Flash, rogues and superhuman criminals of Keystone City and Central City (DC Comics), Central City when ...

and

Arkham Asylum The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane (), commonly referred to as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital/prison, named after the city of Arkham which appeared first in the stories of H. P. Lovecraft, and later appear ...

("Drives Us Bats"). Having heard Black Canary sing about her unrequited love for Batman ("If Only"), the Meister falls for her, but not enough to give up villainy. Canary, in turn, firmly rejects him. Meister captures Black Canary and Batman and puts them in a death trap ("Death Trap"). However, they escape just as Music Meister uses the satellite to hypnotize the world with his music ("The World Is Mine"). When Black Canary becomes his slave, Batman tricks her into singing as high as he. He then seizes the Meister's microphone and uses the satellite to transmit Canary's sonic scream to break the mind control and defeat the Music Meister.

''Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' (comics)

The Music Meister later appeared in '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' #16 (April 2012). After

Bat-Mite Bat-Mite is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Bat-Mite is an imp similar to the Superman villain Mister Mxyzptlk. Depicted as a small, childlike man in an ill-fitting Batman costume, Bat-Mite possesse ...

became instantly infatuated with

Batgirl Batgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. Although the character Betty Kane was introduced into publication in ...

and tried to impress her with his magic, conjuring up scenarios from the comic books he has read, he teleported the Music Meister,

Pied Piper The Pied Piper of Hamelin (german: der Rattenfänger von Hameln, also known as the Pan Piper or the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin) is the title character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany. The legend dates back to ...

, and another musician for entertainment. The Music Meister tried to take control of Bat-Mite, but was knocked out before his powers could take effect.

''DC Pride 2022''

The Music Meister made his first canon appearance in the one-shot '' DC Pride 2022'' as a villain to

Robin (Damian Wayne) Damian Wayne, also known as Damian al Ghul (Arabic: دميان الغول), is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert, commonly in association with Batman. He is the son o ...

and

Green Arrow (Connor Hawke) Connor Hawke is a fictional DC Comics superhero who operated as the second Green Arrow, created by Kelley Puckett and Jim Aparo. In the post-'' Zero Hour'' continuity, Connor is the eldest son of Oliver Queen, the original Green Arrow, and h ...

. His real name is Darius Chapel.

Powers, abilities, and equipment

The Music Meister is a

metahuman In DC Comics' DC Universe, a metahuman is a human with superpowers. The term is roughly synonymous with both ''mutant'' and ''mutate'' in the Marvel Universe and '' posthuman'' in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. In DC Comics, the term ...

with the ability to cause every living being who hears his voice to burst into

singing Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

and

dancing Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...

as though they were in a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

. In this

hypnotic Hypnotic (from Greek ''Hypnos'', sleep), or soporific drugs, commonly known as sleeping pills, are a class of (and umbrella term for) psychoactive drugs whose primary function is to induce sleep (or surgical anesthesiaWhen used in anesthesia ...

state, they are compelled to obey the Meister's commands, including those that endanger themselves. His influence is effective even when he is several feet away or in another room. The effects of his vocal hypnosis can be blocked out using

ear plugs An earplug is a device that is inserted in the ear canal to protect the user's ears from loud noises, intrusion of water, foreign bodies, dust or excessive wind. Since they reduce the sound volume, earplugs are often used to help prevent hearing ...

. The deaf and the hearing impaired are also immune to his powers. Victims recover their normal faculties within moments after the Meister departs or is rendered unconscious. In addition, he appears to have the uncanny ability to change his outfits extremely quickly, each of which represent different eras in music history, such as

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

leisure suit A leisure suit is a casual suit consisting of a shirt-like jacket and matching trousers (pants)"Leisur ...

and

Cab Calloway Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocalist ...

's zoot suit. Music Meister carries a rod-shaped weapon resembling a conductor's baton that fires energy blasts shaped like musical scores. For transportation, he rides a fast, highly maneuverable scooter in the shape of two beamed eighth notes.

In other media

Television

* A similar character called the Minstrel appears in the 1966 ''Batman'' live-action series episodes "The Minstrel's Shakedown" and "Barbecued Batman?", portrayed by

Van Johnson Charles Van Dell Johnson (August 25, 1916 – December 12, 2008) was an American film, television, theatre and radio actor. He was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during and after World War II. Johnson was described as the embodiment o ...

. Also an enemy of Batman, he is an electronics genius who played a lute and would frequently sing before, during, and/or after his illegal activities. He also refused to participate in "BatFights" as he detested physical violence. * A similarly named villain called Music Master appears in the ''

Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...

'' episode "Legends", voiced by

Udo Kier Udo Kierspe (born 14 October 1944), known professionally as Udo Kier, is a German actor. Known primarily as a character actor, Kier has appeared in more than 220 films in both leading and supporting roles throughout Europe and the Americas. He h ...

. This character hails from an alternate universe, in which he serves as a nemesis of that world's heroic team, the

Justice Guild of America The Justice Guild of America is a superhero team featured in the ''Justice League'' animated series two-part episode "Legends", an homage to the Golden Age Justice Society of America, and to a degree the Silver Age Justice League of America. Syn ...

. Music Master shares many similar characteristics with the Music Meister, though the former is meant to be evocative of the

Fiddler A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Although in many ...

. * A variation of the Music Meister appears on

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

's live-action series ''

'' and ''

'', portrayed by

. He is introduced in the conclusion of the ''Supergirl'' episode "

Star-Crossed "Star-crossed" or "star-crossed lovers" is a phrase describing a pair of lovers who, for some external reason, cannot be together. The term also has other meanings, but originally means that the pairing is being "thwarted by a malign star" or ...

", as a prisoner of unknown origin in the

Department of Extranormal Operations The Department of Extranormal Operations (DEO) is a government agency in the DC Universe appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It was co-created by Dan Curtis Johnson and J. H. Williams III and first appeared in ''Batman'' # ...

(DEO)'s custody. He hypnotizes

Kara Kara or KARA may refer to: Geography Localities * Kara, Chad, a sub-prefecture * Kára, Hungary, a village * Kara, Uttar Pradesh, India, a township * Kara, Iran, a village in Lorestan Province * Kara, Republic of Dagestan, a rural locality in Da ...

into a coma, then uses her inter-dimensional extrapolator to escape to

Earth-1 Earth-One (also Earth-1) is a name given to two fictional universes (The Pre-Crisis and Post-Crisis versions of the same universe) that have appeared in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. The first Earth-One was given its name ...

. In ''The Flash'' episode "

", Kara's allies bring her to Barry Allen's team on Earth-1, but the Music Meister traps Barry and Kara in a shared dream where they are singers in a 1940s

gangster A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...

. Once Barry and Kara free themselves of the dream with help from their friends, the Meister reveals himself as an extra-dimensional being and fan of theirs who brought them together to teach them a lesson in love before leaving. * A variation of the Music Meister appears in the ''

Harley Quinn Harley Quinn is a character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm as a comic relief henchwoman for the supervillain Joker (character), Joker in ''Batman: The An ...

'' episode "It's a Swamp Thing", voiced by

Larry Owens Larry Owens (born January 8, 1983) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Yavapai College and Oral Roberts University. College career Yavapai College (2001–2003) Owens averaged 22.7 points and 10.6 reb ...

. This version is African American and inspired by R&B instead of musical theater, and provides relationship counseling to Batman and

Catwoman Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she ...

Film

* The Music Meister appears as a background character in the animated film '' Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold''.

Video games

* The Music Meister appears as a playable character in '' Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham'', voiced by

Troy Baker Troy Baker (born April 1, 1976) is an American voice actor and musician. Baker is known for his video game roles, including Joel Miller in ''The Last of Us'' (2013) and its sequel (2020), Booker DeWitt in ''BioShock Infinite'' (2013), Samuel ...

. * The Music Meister appears as a playable character in ''

Lego DC Super-Villains ''Lego DC Super-Villains'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure game, action-adventure Platform game, platform video game developed by Traveller's Tales. The fourth installment in the ''Lego Batman'' series of games, it is a spin-off that focuses e ...

'', voiced by John Paul Karliak.

References

{{Black Canary DC Comics supervillains DC Comics titles Batman: The Brave and the Bold Animated human characters DC Comics metahumans Fictional characters who can manipulate sound Fictional hypnotists and indoctrinators DC Comics television characters Fictional singers Fictional dancers Television characters introduced in 2009