Dan Turpin
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Daniel "Terrible" Turpin is a character 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 ...
. He first appeared as Brooklyn (due to him being born in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
) in ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'' #64 (June 1942), and first appeared as Dan Turpin in ''
New Gods The New Gods are a fictional extraterrestrial race appearing in the eponymous comic book series published by DC Comics, as well as selected other DC titles. Created and designed by Jack Kirby, they first appeared in February 1971 in ''New Gods'' ...
'' #5 (November 1971).


Publication history

Due to a recent
retcon Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subse ...
, Dan Turpin was made the adult version of
Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gr ...
's
Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during ...
"kid-gang" character Brooklyn, of the
Boy Commandos Boy Commandos is a fictional organization from DC Comics first appearing in ''Detective Comics'' #64 (June 1942) by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. They are a combination of "kid gang" characters, an international cast of young boys fighting Nazis — ...
.


Fictional character biography

In Turpin's first appearance he is one of the few citizens of Metropolis aware that a secretive war is taking place in the city between super-powered beings. When this war turns violent, Turpin's boss tries to take him off the case, but Turpin ignores him. Turpin leads the fight against the rampaging
Kalibak Kalibak Kalibak () is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the eldest son of Darkseid, half-brother of Orion and Grayven, and an enemy of Superman and the Justice League. Created by Jack Kirby, being debuted w ...
, using the energy of the entire city to assist Lightray and Orion in defeating him. Turpin suffers multiple injuries but survives. He keeps his job and becomes Lieutenant Inspector of the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit. In the third ''
Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
'' series, Turpin is sent to
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
to investigate whether or not they needed a Special Crimes Unit of their own. While initially skeptical, a visit from the violent
Darkseid Darkseid () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby to serve as the primary antagonist of his "Fourth World (comics), Fourth World" metaseries, and was firs ...
faction, the
Female Furies The Female Furies are a group of women warriors and supervillains appearing in comics published by DC Comics. All of them are New Gods who serve Darkseid. They operate directly under Granny Goodness, who trains all of Darkseid's soldiers. Publica ...
convinces Turpin that the islands need an SCU. In current ''
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
'' titles, Turpin is extremely loyal to Inspector Sawyer, before her transfer to
Gotham City Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his allies and foes. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, the cit ...
. His romantic feelings for her fall apart when he learns she is a
lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
. Turpin has a daughter named Maisie. He has spent a long time fighting threats in Metropolis; such as the rampaging group of mutants called the 'Underworlders'. Turpin returns in ''
Final Crisis "Final Crisis" is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely b ...
'' #1 (May 2008). He had been called back from retirement to investigate the case of several missing kids; this evolves into investigating the death of the
New God The New Gods are a fictional extraterrestrial race appearing in the eponymous comic book series published by DC Comics, as well as selected other DC titles. Created and designed by Jack Kirby, they first appeared in February 1971 in ''New Gods'' ...
Orion. Orion passes on several cryptic phrases to Turpin, telling him that "He is in you all!" before finally passing away. In the second issue, he follows clues given to him by
Renee Montoya Renee Maria Montoya is a fictional character appearing in media published by DC Entertainment. The character was created by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini and Mitch Brian for '' Batman: The Animated Series'' and was preemptively introduced into mainstre ...
and
The Mad Hatter The Hatter is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' and its 1871 sequel ''Through the Looking-Glass''. He is very often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though this term was never used by Car ...
, investigating The Dark Side Club and journeying to the devastated city of
Blüdhaven This page list the locations in the DC Universe, the shared universe setting of DC Comics. Sites * the Arrowcave – The former base of operations of the Green Arrow and Speedy. * Avernus Cemetery – A burial ground located in Central City for ...
. There he meets up with Reverend Good, and begins to realize that "there's someone in my head". In the fourth issue, Turpin, after much inner struggle, is turned into the new host body for Darkseid; Darkseid later reveals that he selected Turpin rather than Batman as a host because Batman would have resisted longer than he wished, while Turpin struggled just enough to make his victory sweeter. In the sixth issue,
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 ...
uses a gun loaded with a Radion bullet, which is poisonous to the New Gods, to shoot Darkseid in the shoulder. Barry Allen and
Wally West Wallace Rudolph "Wally" West is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics as the original Kid Flash and the third Flash (DC Comics character), Flash. His power consists mainly of speedster (fiction), superhuman speed. ...
, managing to outrun the Black Racer - currently after Barry - so that it takes the currently-weakened Darkseid during a confrontation with Superman. After Darkseid is claimed by the Black Racer, Turpin is reverted to normal and regains control over his body, breathing "In us... in all of us..." in apparent recognition of the meaning of Orion's last words.


Other versions

* In '' Superman: The Dark Side'', an alternate reality in which Superman's rocket crashed down on
Apokolips Apokolips is a fictional planet that appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The planet is ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series, and is integral to many stories in the DC Universe. Apokolips is co ...
and the infant Superman was raised by
Darkseid Darkseid () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby to serve as the primary antagonist of his "Fourth World (comics), Fourth World" metaseries, and was firs ...
, Turpin is a member of the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit, who greets Superman when he arrives on Earth from Apokolips. * In ''
Superman's Metropolis ''Superman's Metropolis'' is a DC Comics comic book and a Superman '' Elseworlds'' publication. It is the first part of a trilogy based on German Expressionist cinema, succeeded by '' Batman: Nosferatu'' and '' Wonder Woman: The Blue Amazon''. I ...
'', an alternate reality in which Clarc Kent-son is the adopted son of Jon-Kent and Marta, the founders of Metropolis, and rules the dystopian city, Turpin was among the lower working class who was part of Lois's workers' revolution. * In ''Elseworld's Finest'', Inspector Turpin is a Metropolis detective who frequently comes into contact with reporter Clark Kent. * Turpin appears in the ''Smallville: Season Eleven'' comic-book continuation of ''
Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar Gough ...
''. * Turpin appears in ''
Injustice 2 ''Injustice 2'' is a 2017 fighting game, fighting video game it is the sequel to 2013's ''Injustice: Gods Among Us'' and is the second installment in the ''Injustice (franchise), Injustice'' franchise based upon the DC Universe. It is developed ...
'' prequel comic series. After the defeat of Superman, Turpin was made the warden of the Lex Luthor Memorial Prison where Superman is kept. He is later killed by Talia al Ghul's secret daughter Athanasia al Ghul when Damian Wayne was being sprung from prison by Talia al Ghul.


In other media


Television

* In the 1990s '' Superman: The Animated Series'' television show, Turpin was modeled after
Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gr ...
Bruce Timm Bruce Walter Timm (born February 5, 1961) is an American artist, animator, writer, and producer. He has contributed to building the modern DC Comics animated franchise, most notably '' Batman: The Animated Series'' (1992–1995) and the subseque ...
in
and voiced by
Joseph Bologna Joseph Bologna (December 30, 1934 – August 13, 2017) was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter notable for his roles in the comedy films ''My Favorite Year'', ''Blame It on Rio'' and ''Transylvania 6-5000 (1985 film), Transylvania ...
. He is often partnered with
Maggie Sawyer Margaret Ellen Sawyer is a fictional character that appears in stories published by DC Comics, and has been a supporting character in both Superman and Batman comic books. The character appeared in the live-action series ''Smallville'', played b ...
as the leaders of the Special Crimes Unit, occasionally assisting Superman against foes like Intergang. During the episode "Apokolips Now", Dan helps Superman during Darkseid's first invasion of Apokolips. Before retreating to Apokolips upon the arrival of the New Gods of New Genesis, Darkseid uses his Omega Beams to disintegrate Dan, enraging Superman. Dozens of people attend his funeral as Superman watches from a distance, mourning his comrade and friend. * A younger Dan Turpin appears in the ''
Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar Gough ...
'' episode "Bulletproof", portrayed by
David Paetkau David Paetkau is a Canadian actor who has played Evan Lewis in ''Final Destination 2'' (2003), the customs officer in ''LAX'' (2004), Beck McKaye in '' Whistler'' (2006–2008), Ira Glatt in '' Goon'' (2011), and Sam Braddock in the CTV/CBS tel ...
. He appears as a rookie Metropolis Police. Clark meets him at the time when he goes undercover in the Metropolis Police Department following John Jones being shot by a police officer. Dan's fellow police officers Joe Simmons (Jim Thorburton) and Talbert (
Ty Olsson Ty Olsson (born January 28, 1974) is a Canadian actor. He is known for playing Benny Lafitte in ''Supernatural'', real-life 9/11 victim Mark Bingham in the A&E television film '' Flight 93'', and Ord in the PBS Kids animated children's series '' ...
) plot to frame Clark for the shooting of Jones. After some persuasion from Clark, Dan turns against Simmons and Talbert where they are defeated by Superman and Green Arrow and arrested. Clark later visited Dan at home while Dan's son was dressed as
Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...
. Dan notes that Robin Hood was a good guy who didn't appear to be so at a casual glance, helping him reconcile the tactics of vigilantes like Green Arrow and the Red-Blue Blur.


Film

* Dan Turpin has an uncredited cameo in the 2013 direct-to-video film '' Superman: Unbound''. He appears as one of the police officers attempting to save
Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning journalist for ...
from being kidnapped by terrorists. In this version, he looks very similar to his ''Superman: The Animated Series'' counterpart. * Dan Turpin appears in ''
The Death of Superman "The Death of Superman" is a crossover story event featured in DC Comics' Superman-related publications. The crossover, which originated from editor Mike Carlin and writers Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway, and Karl Kese ...
'', voiced by
Rick Pasqualone Rick Pasqualone (born 1965/1966) is an American stage, film, television and voice actor. He voiced Vito Scaletta, a character in the games ''Mafia II'' and '' Mafia III'', Doctor Strange in '' Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3'' and Vinnie in ''The Da ...
. This version is a police officer who works with
Maggie Sawyer Margaret Ellen Sawyer is a fictional character that appears in stories published by DC Comics, and has been a supporting character in both Superman and Batman comic books. The character appeared in the live-action series ''Smallville'', played b ...
. Both are saved from Intergang by Superman at the film's beginning.


Graphic audio

* Inspector Turpin also appears in the Graphic Audio production of ''Superman: The Never Ending Battle''.


Notes


References


External links


Dan Turpin
at the DCU Guide {{DEFAULTSORT:Turpin, Dan Characters created by Jack Kirby Characters created by Joe Simon Comics characters introduced in 1942 Fictional American Jews Fictional characters from New York City Fictional male detectives Fictional World War II veterans Metropolis Police Department officers