The
Black Racer is a
fictional characterA character is the representation of a person in a narrative or dramatic work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr through its Latin transcription character, the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its...
, a
deityA deity is a postulated preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
and
avatarIn Hinduism, Avatar or Avatara usually implies a deliberate descent from higher spiritual realms to lower realms of existence for special purposes, often translated into English as incarnation.Avatars that are of importance are mainly those of the Supreme Being...
of
DeathDeath is a fictional character from the DC comic book series, The Sandman . The character first appeared in The Sandman vol. 2, #8 , and was created by Neil Gaiman and Mike Dringenberg....
in
DC ComicsDC Comics is one of the largest and most popular American comic book and related media companies, along with Marvel Comics. It is the publishing division of DC Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary company of Warner Bros. Entertainment...
universeThe DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. The character first appears in
New GodsThe New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comics about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby....
(vol. 1) #3 (July 1971) and was created by
Jack KirbyJacob Kurtzberg , better known by the pen name Jack Kirby, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor. Growing up poor in New York City, Kurtzberg entered the nascent comics industry in the 1930s. He drew various comic strips under different pseudonyms, ultimately settling on Jack Kirby...
.
The Black Racer's corporeal form is that of the otherwise bedridden Sgt.
Willie Walker, who was paralyzed during the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
. Walker was contacted by the Source when
DarkseidDarkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby. The character was ranked number 23 on Wizard magazine's Top 100 Greatest Villains Ever list...
first brought the war of the gods to Earth, and told it was his responsibility to take on the role.
The Racer makes use of what appear to be skis as his means of transport, much like how the
Silver SurferThe Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans and historians call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
, another Kirby creation, uses a surfboard.
The
Black Racer is a
fictional characterA character is the representation of a person in a narrative or dramatic work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr through its Latin transcription character, the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its...
, a
deityA deity is a postulated preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
and
avatarIn Hinduism, Avatar or Avatara usually implies a deliberate descent from higher spiritual realms to lower realms of existence for special purposes, often translated into English as incarnation.Avatars that are of importance are mainly those of the Supreme Being...
of
DeathDeath is a fictional character from the DC comic book series, The Sandman . The character first appeared in The Sandman vol. 2, #8 , and was created by Neil Gaiman and Mike Dringenberg....
in
DC ComicsDC Comics is one of the largest and most popular American comic book and related media companies, along with Marvel Comics. It is the publishing division of DC Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary company of Warner Bros. Entertainment...
universeThe DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. The character first appears in
New GodsThe New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comics about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby....
(vol. 1) #3 (July 1971) and was created by
Jack KirbyJacob Kurtzberg , better known by the pen name Jack Kirby, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor. Growing up poor in New York City, Kurtzberg entered the nascent comics industry in the 1930s. He drew various comic strips under different pseudonyms, ultimately settling on Jack Kirby...
.
Fictional character biography
The Black Racer's corporeal form is that of the otherwise bedridden Sgt.
Willie Walker, who was paralyzed during the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
. Walker was contacted by the Source when
DarkseidDarkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby. The character was ranked number 23 on Wizard magazine's Top 100 Greatest Villains Ever list...
first brought the war of the gods to Earth, and told it was his responsibility to take on the role.
The Racer makes use of what appear to be skis as his means of transport, much like how the
Silver SurferThe Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans and historians call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
, another Kirby creation, uses a surfboard. New Gods are collected by the Racer at the moment of their deaths, and taken to Hadis (the Fourth World version of
HadesHades refers both to the ancient Greek underworld, the abode of Hades, and to the god of the underworld. Hades in Homer referred just to the god; the genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades"...
).
According to
Captain AtomCaptain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33...
#42 the Black Racer represents "death as inevitability", whereas
Death of the EndlessDeath is a fictional character from the DC comic book series, The Sandman . The character first appeared in The Sandman vol. 2, #8 , and was created by Neil Gaiman and Mike Dringenberg....
represents "death as compassionate release". This has been contested by
Neil GaimanNeil Richard Gaiman is an English author of science fiction and fantasy short stories and novels, graphic novels, comics, audio theatre, and films. His notable works include The Sandman comic series, Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
, who says that Death of the Endless is the ultimate incarnation of death in the
DC UniverseThe DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
.
During the
Our Worlds at War"Our Worlds at War" was a comic book crossover, published by DC Comics during the summer of 2001. OWAW was written by Jeph Loeb, Joe Casey, Mark Schultz, Joe Kelly, Phil Jimenez, and Peter David...
crossover, he came to harvest
Steel'sSteel , also known as the Man of Steel, is a fictional character, a superhero in the . He is the third character known as Steel and was created by Louise Simonson and artist Jon Bogdanove in Adventures of Superman #500...
soul, but
SupermanSuperman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc...
talked him out of it. In the
Darkseid Vs. Galactus crossover,
Silver SurferThe Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans and historians call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
talked the Racer from claiming
OrionOrion is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in New Gods #1 , and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
. This was a highly unusual occurrence; the Black Racer is usually implacable.
Seven Soldiers
In
Grant MorrisonGrant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer and artist. He is best-known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings.-Early years:...
's miniseries
Seven SoldiersSeven Soldiers is a comic book metaseries written by Grant Morrison and published by DC Comics. It was published as seven interrelated mini-series and two bookend issues....
: Mister MiracleMister Miracle is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Mister Miracle #1 and was created by Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
, the Black Racer appears as a wheelchair-bound man (probably
not Willie Walker, as he appears Caucasian), following the destruction of
ApokolipsIn the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....
and
New GenesisNew Genesis is a fictional planet in the . It is the home-planet of the New Gods from Jack Kirby's Fourth World metaseries.-History:...
. He has a bet with
MetronMetron is a character created by Jack Kirby for his Fourth World series in DC Comics. He was "based on Leonard Nimoy as Spock," and designed as a character who "would frequently change sides
[between New Genesis and Apokolips
]." He first appeared in New Gods #1 .-...
as to whether Mister Miracle will be successful in saving the New Gods. The Racer's original form makes brief appearances to test
Shilo NormanShilo Norman is a superhero in the DC Comics universe, he is the third person to use the title "Mister Miracle". Created by Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Mister Miracle #15 August .-Orphan:...
's skills.
Death of the New Gods
Willie Walker was killed in the first issue of the eight-part
Death of the New GodsDeath of the New Gods was an eight-issue comic book limited series published in 2007 and 2008 by DC Comics. It was written and pencilled by Jim Starlin.The series follows the final days of the New Gods as they are stalked by a mysterious killer....
mini-series. He was killed by
Infinity-ManInfinity-Man is a fictional character, an extraterrestial superhero published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Forever People #1, .-Fictional character biography:...
who tore his heart out. Serifan of the
Forever PeopleThe Forever People are a fictional group of extraterrestial superheroes published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Forever People #1 , and were created by Jack Kirby as part of his "Fourth World" epic.-Fictional history:...
was seen exiting the room after his death.
Final Crisis
The Black Racer makes an appearance in Issue #1, present at the death of Orion. As with the other
New GodsThe New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comics about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby....
, his appearance has been redesigned; he now wears a sleeker armor only faintly resembling his classic appearance (his skis now appear to be highly stylized boots), and his poles appear much like scythes. The Final Crisis Sketchbook states that J.G. Jones and Grant Morrison decided to play up the Black Knight aspect of the character in this new design.
The Black Racer also appears at the end of Issue #2, pursuing
Barry AllenThe Flash The Flash The Flash (Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Comics universe. He is the second character known as the Flash. The character first appeared in Showcase #4 (Oct. 1956), created by writers Robert Kanigher and John Broome and penciler...
/
The FlashThe Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
and the God-bullet that has been fired backwards through time.
In issue #7, Barry and
Wally WestThe Flash is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics Universe. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash.-Kid Flash:...
, chased by the Black Racer, bring him to a mortally wounded
DarkseidDarkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby. The character was ranked number 23 on Wizard magazine's Top 100 Greatest Villains Ever list...
, who he decides to take in their place.
Alternate versions
- Doorman
Doorman is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe that first appeared in the pages of the Avengers West Coast in 1989.-Fictional character biography:...
from the MarvelMarvel Publishing, Inc., a company doing business as Marvel Comics, produces American comic books and related media. It forms a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, Inc....
comic Great Lakes AvengersThe Great Lakes Initiative, originally known as The Great Lakes Avengers , are a fictional superhero team that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters were first introduced in West Coast Avengers vol. 2, #46 , and were created by John Byrne.-Publication history:The team...
becomes a personification of Death and flies using skis in reference to Black Racer.
- The Black Racer is shown in an alternate future in the JLA
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
story arc "Rock of Ages", although little seems changed about him in this alternate timeline.
- In Final Crisis #6, Wally West suggests that the Black Racer and the Black Flash
The Black Flash is a fictional comic book character from DC Comics. Created by writers Grant Morrison and Mark Millar, and artist Ron Wagner, the character first appeared in Flash The Black Flash is a fictional comic book character from DC Comics. Created by writers Grant Morrison and Mark Millar,...
are one and the same. In the Flash: RebirthThe Flash: Rebirth is a six issue monthly American comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Ethan Van Sciver. Published by DC Comics, the series features characters from throughout the nearly seventy year history of Flash comics. This is the creative team's second...
#2 this idea is mentioned once again.