Manchester Black
Encyclopedia
Manchester Black is a fictional character
, and an antihero in the DC Comics
universe
. He was created by Joe Kelly
and Doug Mahnke
in Action Comics
#775, (March 2001).
, as shown by his accent and his omnipresent Union Flag
T-shirt. Very little is known about his background; what little that is known include insinuations that he was abused
both physically
and sexually
by his parents while growing up. Manchester later says that he grew up hating traditional heroes, especially those who believed in high moral concepts such as never killing under any circumstances, personally feeling that the only way to truly stop the villains was to kill them.
, who gained worldwide popularity for viciously killing their foes and thus preventing them coming back to cause more problems. Superman opposed this wanton violence, leading to a showdown on Jupiter
's moon Io
that was videotaped for the Earth's media. Black used his powers to give Superman
a stroke, and his teammates (Coldcast
, Menagerie, and the Hat) apparently were able to destroy Superman in a giant explosion. While the Elite were gloating, however, Superman used his superspeed to seemingly kill all the team members, except for Black; Superman then disabled the Englishman by using his x-ray
vision to locate an unusual growth on Black's brain. He identified the growth as the source of Black's powers, and then carefully fired a thin burst of heat vision through Black's retinas and told Black that he had cut out the growth.
Faced with the apparent loss of his powers, Black actually wept, hypocritically appalled that Superman had seemingly adopted the lethal tactics he and the Elite had spent so much time advocating, especially given that he was being taped at the time. After stating that he was certain his 'demonstration' had frightened those watching with the ugliness of it, Superman then revealed to the powerless Black that the rest of the Elite were only unconscious, he had not removed anything from Black's brain- instead merely causing a micro-concussion that temporarily shut down Black's powers-, and that murder
ing opponents makes a hero no better than his enemies. Furious, Black declared that by not killing him, Superman had guaranteed that as long as Black was alive, he would come after Superman again and again, but Superman calmly replied that he wouldn't want it any other way, and that dreams like the ones he gave to Earth were what made life worth living until the example he and other heroes provided created a better tomorrow.
storyline in Adventures of Superman #593. Black was hired by the American government and President Lex Luthor
to lead a new Suicide Squad
featuring Chemo
, Plasmus
, Shrapnel, and Steel (John Henry Irons)
. The Squad's mission was to release the monster Doomsday
against the threat of the galactic conqueror Imperiex
. However, Doomsday apparently killed the Squad upon his release, with the exception of Black- although Steel was later saved thanks to the actions of the Black Racer and Darkseid
-, who escaped after 'reprogramming' Doomsday's mind so that Doomsday's hatred for Superman was redirected towards the Imperiex probes for a time.
s by revealing Superman's secret identity
and sending them en masse after the Man of Steel, targeting everyone in his life- ranging from Clark's old football coach to his current dentist- before launching a mass assault. Despite the odds against him, Superman manages to hold the villains back, and then finds Black in his apartment, apparently having killed Superman's wife Lois Lane
while Superman was occupied. Black taunts Superman and goads him into killing him, but Superman puts Lois' body first and resolves to give her a proper burial. Despite fantasizing
about killing Black, Superman resists temptation and tells Black that he will devote the rest of his life to keeping the villain behind bars, not in the morgue, as vengeance isn't justice.
Black is stunned at Superman's fortitude, and as his spirit wavers, his mental spell crumbles, and it is revealed that Lois is still alive; Black was trying to force Superman into a position where he would have to kill a man, intending for Superman to learn after Black's demise that he had broken his moral code for nothing and leaving him truly broken, but his plan failed, forcing him to recognise that Superman genuinely believed everything he said. Distraught at the revelation that he had become a villain himself, Black made the supervillains forget that Superman is really Clark Kent
, and then used his telekinetic powers to take his own life by sending a telepathic pulse at his own head.
Manchester's sister Vera Black
is the leader of the Justice League Elite
team of superheroes. For a time, her mind was taken over by what appeared to be the disembodied spirit of Black- although it was later revealed to be a form of multiple personality disorder caused by her traumatic upbringing and exaggerated by her contact with the near-infinite power of the Worlogog-, thus nearly driving her to destroy London
, but the other members of the Elite helped her recover.
and was capable of precise use of his telekinesis. He was able to give Superman
the equivalent of a stroke
, for example, by telekinetically pinching blood vessels in Superman's brain. He was also able to create very detailed illusions on a vast scale, and telepathically control thousands of people at the same time. While controlling Bizarro
and Silver Banshee
, he rendered them temporarily sane, able to communicate and form plans.
:
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, and an antihero in the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
. He was created by Joe Kelly
Joe Kelly (comics)
Joseph "Joe" Kelly is an American comic book writer, penciler and editor who has written such titles as Deadpool, Uncanny X-Men, Action Comics, and JLA...
and Doug Mahnke
Doug Mahnke
Douglas "Doug" Mahnke is an American comic book artist and penciller.-Biography:Mahnke's first prominent work was for The Mask, and he has since worked for DC Comics on JLA, Batman with writer Judd Winick, and Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein with Grant Morrison...
in Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
#775, (March 2001).
Fictional character biography
He was EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, as shown by his accent and his omnipresent Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
T-shirt. Very little is known about his background; what little that is known include insinuations that he was abused
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
both physically
Physical abuse
Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm.-Forms of physical abuse:*Striking*Punching*Belting*Pushing, pulling*Slapping*Whipping*Striking with an object...
and sexually
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
by his parents while growing up. Manchester later says that he grew up hating traditional heroes, especially those who believed in high moral concepts such as never killing under any circumstances, personally feeling that the only way to truly stop the villains was to kill them.
Elite
Black first appears as the leader of a team of super-powered antiheroes known as The EliteThe Elite
The Elite is a team of super-powered anti-heroes appearing in stories published by DC Comics. The team took early influences from The Authority....
, who gained worldwide popularity for viciously killing their foes and thus preventing them coming back to cause more problems. Superman opposed this wanton violence, leading to a showdown on Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
's moon Io
Io (moon)
Io ) is the innermost of the four Galilean moons of the planet Jupiter and, with a diameter of , the fourth-largest moon in the Solar System. It was named after the mythological character of Io, a priestess of Hera who became one of the lovers of Zeus....
that was videotaped for the Earth's media. Black used his powers to give Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
a stroke, and his teammates (Coldcast
Coldcast
Coldcast is a fictional anti-hero that as appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. He was a member of both incarnations of the The Elite before joining Justice League Elite...
, Menagerie, and the Hat) apparently were able to destroy Superman in a giant explosion. While the Elite were gloating, however, Superman used his superspeed to seemingly kill all the team members, except for Black; Superman then disabled the Englishman by using his x-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
vision to locate an unusual growth on Black's brain. He identified the growth as the source of Black's powers, and then carefully fired a thin burst of heat vision through Black's retinas and told Black that he had cut out the growth.
Faced with the apparent loss of his powers, Black actually wept, hypocritically appalled that Superman had seemingly adopted the lethal tactics he and the Elite had spent so much time advocating, especially given that he was being taped at the time. After stating that he was certain his 'demonstration' had frightened those watching with the ugliness of it, Superman then revealed to the powerless Black that the rest of the Elite were only unconscious, he had not removed anything from Black's brain- instead merely causing a micro-concussion that temporarily shut down Black's powers-, and that murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ing opponents makes a hero no better than his enemies. Furious, Black declared that by not killing him, Superman had guaranteed that as long as Black was alive, he would come after Superman again and again, but Superman calmly replied that he wouldn't want it any other way, and that dreams like the ones he gave to Earth were what made life worth living until the example he and other heroes provided created a better tomorrow.
Suicide Squad
A temporarily beaten Black was taken into custody, and his mental powers restored themselves over the next few months. His next appearance was part of the Our Worlds At WarOur 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...
storyline in Adventures of Superman #593. Black was hired by the American government and President Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
to lead a new Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
featuring Chemo
Chemo (comics)
Chemo is a fictional supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Showcase #39 Chemo is a fictional supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Showcase #39 Chemo is a fictional supervillain...
, Plasmus
Plasmus
Plasmus is a fictional DC Comics supervillain and an enemy of the Teen Titans.-Fictional character biography:Otto Von Furth was a mine worker in East Berlin, Germany until an unexpected cave-in trapped him and four fellow miners for seven days. During those days, Otto's co-workers died, leaving him...
, Shrapnel, and Steel (John Henry Irons)
Steel (John Henry Irons)
Steel , also known as the Man of Steel, is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Universe. First appearing in The Adventures of Superman #500 , he is the third character known as Steel and was created by Louise Simonson and artist Jon Bogdanove...
. The Squad's mission was to release the monster Doomsday
Doomsday (comics)
Doomsday is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman: The Man of Steel #18 , and was created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens. IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Doomsday as #46...
against the threat of the galactic conqueror Imperiex
Imperiex
Imperiex is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman #153 , and was created by Jeph Loeb and Ian Churchill...
. However, Doomsday apparently killed the Squad upon his release, with the exception of Black- although Steel was later saved thanks to the actions of the Black Racer and Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
-, who escaped after 'reprogramming' Doomsday's mind so that Doomsday's hatred for Superman was redirected towards the Imperiex probes for a time.
Suicide
Black's final appearance was in the Ending Battle storyline running through the Superman titles in November and December 2002. This storyline featured Black mentally controlling dozens of supervillainSupervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
s by revealing Superman's secret identity
Secret identity
A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
and sending them en masse after the Man of Steel, targeting everyone in his life- ranging from Clark's old football coach to his current dentist- before launching a mass assault. Despite the odds against him, Superman manages to hold the villains back, and then finds Black in his apartment, apparently having killed Superman's wife Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
while Superman was occupied. Black taunts Superman and goads him into killing him, but Superman puts Lois' body first and resolves to give her a proper burial. Despite fantasizing
Fantasy (psychology)
Fantasy in a psychological sense is broadly used to cover two different senses, conscious and unconscious. In the unconscious sense, it is sometimes spelled "phantasy".-Conscious fantasy:...
about killing Black, Superman resists temptation and tells Black that he will devote the rest of his life to keeping the villain behind bars, not in the morgue, as vengeance isn't justice.
Black is stunned at Superman's fortitude, and as his spirit wavers, his mental spell crumbles, and it is revealed that Lois is still alive; Black was trying to force Superman into a position where he would have to kill a man, intending for Superman to learn after Black's demise that he had broken his moral code for nothing and leaving him truly broken, but his plan failed, forcing him to recognise that Superman genuinely believed everything he said. Distraught at the revelation that he had become a villain himself, Black made the supervillains forget that Superman is really Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
, and then used his telekinetic powers to take his own life by sending a telepathic pulse at his own head.
Manchester's sister Vera Black
Vera Black
Sister Superior is a fictional character from DC Comics. She is the sister of British anti-hero Manchester Black, and a member of the JLA offshoot known as Justice League Elite.-Fictional character biography:...
is the leader of the Justice League Elite
Justice League Elite
Justice League Elite was a twelve-issue comic book limited series published monthly by DC Comics in 2004 and 2005. The title was created by writer Joe Kelly and penciller Doug Mahnke....
team of superheroes. For a time, her mind was taken over by what appeared to be the disembodied spirit of Black- although it was later revealed to be a form of multiple personality disorder caused by her traumatic upbringing and exaggerated by her contact with the near-infinite power of the Worlogog-, thus nearly driving her to destroy London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, but the other members of the Elite helped her recover.
Powers and abilities
Black was a skilled telekinetic and telepathTelepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
and was capable of precise use of his telekinesis. He was able to give Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
the equivalent of a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
, for example, by telekinetically pinching blood vessels in Superman's brain. He was also able to create very detailed illusions on a vast scale, and telepathically control thousands of people at the same time. While controlling Bizarro
Bizarro
Bizarro is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman and first appeared in Superboy #68...
and Silver Banshee
Silver Banshee
Silver Banshee is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics, primarily as an opponent of Superman.-Fictional character biography:Siobhan McDougal was the first-born child of Garrett McDougal, the patriarch of an old Gaelic clan that has occupied an island midway between Scotland and Ireland for...
, he rendered them temporarily sane, able to communicate and form plans.
Collected editions
Some of Black's appearances have been reprinted in trade paperbacksTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- Justice League Elite (reprints: Action Comics #775, JLA #100, JLA Secret Files 2004 (lead story), and Justice League Elite #1-4, tpbTrade paperback (comics)In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
, 208 pages, 20052005 in comics- January :* January 3: Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit, dies at age 87.-April:*April 13:**DC Comics announces the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 A.D. titles....
, TitanTitan BooksTitan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
ISBN 1-84576-191-X DCDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, ISBN 1-4012-0481-3) - Superman: Ending Battle (reprints 2002's2002 in comics-March:* Adventures of Superman #600: super-sized anniversary issue by Joe Casey, Mike Wieringo, and Jose Marzan, Jr. -April:* Batman #600: "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive," part one, 64-page giant, written by Ed Brubaker.-January:...
Superman (1986 series) #186-87, Adventures Of Superman #608-09, Superman: Man Of Steel #130-31, and Action Comics #795-96, tpbTrade paperback (comics)In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
, 192 pages, 20092009 in comics-January:*January 1: The direct-to-DVD movie Hulk Vs was released.*January 6: The third and final volume of Hollow Fields has been released.-February:...
, DCDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, ISBN 1-4012-2259-5)