Thorn (comics)
Encyclopedia
Thorn is a fictional character
in DC Comics
, a superhero
who suffers from multiple personalities.
police officer Phil Forrest, who was killed by a criminal gang named the 100. When Rose went to sleep, her Thorn personality would emerge and stalk
the streets as a vigilante
, attempting to bring the 100 to justice. When she succeeds in bringing the 100 to justice, the "Thorn" personality subsides. Eventually, however, the gang escapes and forms another group, called the 1000, and her alternate personality resurfaces. She has since worked with Superman
and Booster Gold
to try to put these criminals behind bars. She was briefly under the control of Lord Satanus
.
Thorn has no actual superpowers, but she is highly athletic and learned martial arts
from her father. She is known to carry a pair of combat daggers, a barbed whip, and a bandolier of tiny, thorn-shaped weapons, some of which contain explosives, miniature smoke bombs, or blinding magnesium flares.http://www.unstable.com/whoswho/thorn.htm
In the 90's, Thorn appeared in a Green Arrow
storyline written by Chuck Dixon
. After trying to kill a Metropolis crime lord, Thorn was defeated by Eddie Fyers
and taken prisoner. After being taped up and gagged in a supply closet, Thorn returned to her Rose persona and began to sob, frightened and confused about what was happening. Her sobs were heard by Connor Hawke
(the second Green Arrow), who rescued Rose, eventually teaming with her to take down the crime lord after she returned to her Thorn persona.
When Harley Quinn
and Poison Ivy moved to Metropolis, Thorn immediately attacked them. After a fierce battle, the women left Thorn hanging bound and gagged from a Superman statue in a local park for all of the citizens to see. During a later confrontation, Harley and Ivy defeat Thorn again, this time kidnapping her and keeping her tied up in their garden. After removing the vines from her mouth, Harley drugs Thorn into revealing the secrets about her multiple personality. Ivy then tortures Thorn in order to prove that she's weak, eventually leaving her in the care of Bizarro
while she takes a break. Ivy tells Bizarro not to free Thorn, which (using his backwards logic) he does, thinking Ivy does want him to let the vigilante go. Thorn then ambushes and captures Ivy, turning her over to the police.
A 2004 Rose & Thorn miniseries by Gail Simone
provided a slightly different origin story. In this version, the 100 killed both her parents, but Rhosyn was now revealed to have, at age 12, fought back and mutilated their murderer, Mr Quince, cutting his hand off. She was then placed into a psychiatric care home, where she constantly flew into violent outbursts. Rhosyn's multiple personality is a result of unethical experimental treatments by a psychiatrist
named Dr Chritlow. The experiments forced her to repress her more violent, base emotions; these emotions were then given to the buried "Thorn" personality, who emerged whenever the submissive Rose felt angry or threatened. Her Thorn personality finally broke out after Rose's room-mate Kimmy was burned to death by another patient; Enraged, Thorn viciously mutilated the culprit. Once released into the public, Thorn began taking over more frequently, taking up a role as ultra-violent vigilante in a quest to take down the 100 and avenge her parents. By the end of the miniseries, it was hinted she'd killed the head of the 100 while he was in the hospital.
In the miniseries, Gail Simone gave Rhosyn an uncle and godfather, Detective Curtis Leland, who was secretly taking bribes from the 100 and had been unable to stop them killing Rhosyn's parents. Wracked with guilt and determined to protect his goddaughter, he disposed of two 100 grunts that Thorn had dispatched. Curtis was killed while trying to prevent Quince from killing Rhosyn. In his final moments, he put a signed confession in his pocket so the police could arrest them.
It was also revealed that Rose and Thorn are not the only two personalities in Rhosyn's mind. The other two shown have been "Mom," a caring and maternal figure much like how Rose remembers their mother, and "Wild Rose", an Irish
vigilante even more vicious and punitive than Thorn.
She encountered the Birds of Prey in the Hero Hunters storyline. As of Birds of Prey #98, she is employed at Dinah Lance's flower shop, Sherwood Florist II. Her most recent appearance was in Birds of Prey #109, where she makes an appearance as one of the heroines called in to confront and intimidate Spy Smasher
.
Character (arts)
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...
in 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...
, a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
who suffers from multiple personalities.
Fictional character biography
Rhosyn "Rose" Forrest is the daughter of MetropolisMetropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
police officer Phil Forrest, who was killed by a criminal gang named the 100. When Rose went to sleep, her Thorn personality would emerge and stalk
Stalking
Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
the streets as a vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
, attempting to bring the 100 to justice. When she succeeds in bringing the 100 to justice, the "Thorn" personality subsides. Eventually, however, the gang escapes and forms another group, called the 1000, and her alternate personality resurfaces. She has since worked with 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...
and Booster Gold
Booster Gold
Booster Gold is a fictional DC Comics superhero. Created by Dan Jurgens, he first appeared in Booster Gold #1 and has been a member of the Justice League, DC Comics' all-star team of heroes. The character is initially depicted as a glory-seeking showboat from the future, using knowledge of...
to try to put these criminals behind bars. She was briefly under the control of Lord Satanus
Blaze and Satanus
Blaze and Satanus are fictional demonic siblings published by DC Comics. Blaze debuted in Action Comics #655 ; she was created by Roger Stern and Bob McLeod...
.
Thorn has no actual superpowers, but she is highly athletic and learned martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
from her father. She is known to carry a pair of combat daggers, a barbed whip, and a bandolier of tiny, thorn-shaped weapons, some of which contain explosives, miniature smoke bombs, or blinding magnesium flares.http://www.unstable.com/whoswho/thorn.htm
In the 90's, Thorn appeared in a Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
storyline written by Chuck Dixon
Chuck Dixon
Charles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, best known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.-Biography:Dixon grew up in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area, reading comics of all genres...
. After trying to kill a Metropolis crime lord, Thorn was defeated by Eddie Fyers
Eddie Fyers
Eddie Fyers is a fictional character, appearing in various comic book series published by DC Comics. Created by Mike Grell, he first appeared in Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters #3 in 1987, employed by the CIA to shoot and kill the archer Shado. He appeared frequently in Grell's run on the Green...
and taken prisoner. After being taped up and gagged in a supply closet, Thorn returned to her Rose persona and began to sob, frightened and confused about what was happening. Her sobs were heard by Connor Hawke
Connor Hawke
Connor Hawke is a DC Comics superhero who operated as the second Green Arrow, created by Kelley Puckett and Jim Aparo. Connor is the son of Oliver Queen, the original Green Arrow, and his former girlfriend Moonday "Sandra" Hawke...
(the second Green Arrow), who rescued Rose, eventually teaming with her to take down the crime lord after she returned to her Thorn persona.
When Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn was first introduced as a villain on September 11, 1992, in the animated series Batman: The Animated Series, later adapted into DC Comics' Batman comic books. As suggested by her name , she is clad in the manner of a traditional harlequin jester...
and Poison Ivy moved to Metropolis, Thorn immediately attacked them. After a fierce battle, the women left Thorn hanging bound and gagged from a Superman statue in a local park for all of the citizens to see. During a later confrontation, Harley and Ivy defeat Thorn again, this time kidnapping her and keeping her tied up in their garden. After removing the vines from her mouth, Harley drugs Thorn into revealing the secrets about her multiple personality. Ivy then tortures Thorn in order to prove that she's weak, eventually leaving her in the care of 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...
while she takes a break. Ivy tells Bizarro not to free Thorn, which (using his backwards logic) he does, thinking Ivy does want him to let the vigilante go. Thorn then ambushes and captures Ivy, turning her over to the police.
A 2004 Rose & Thorn miniseries by Gail Simone
Gail Simone
Gail Simone is an American writer of comic books. Best known for penning DC's Birds of Prey, her other notable works include Secret Six, Welcome to Tranquility, The All-New Atom, and Deadpool. In 2007, she took over Wonder Woman...
provided a slightly different origin story. In this version, the 100 killed both her parents, but Rhosyn was now revealed to have, at age 12, fought back and mutilated their murderer, Mr Quince, cutting his hand off. She was then placed into a psychiatric care home, where she constantly flew into violent outbursts. Rhosyn's multiple personality is a result of unethical experimental treatments by a psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
named Dr Chritlow. The experiments forced her to repress her more violent, base emotions; these emotions were then given to the buried "Thorn" personality, who emerged whenever the submissive Rose felt angry or threatened. Her Thorn personality finally broke out after Rose's room-mate Kimmy was burned to death by another patient; Enraged, Thorn viciously mutilated the culprit. Once released into the public, Thorn began taking over more frequently, taking up a role as ultra-violent vigilante in a quest to take down the 100 and avenge her parents. By the end of the miniseries, it was hinted she'd killed the head of the 100 while he was in the hospital.
In the miniseries, Gail Simone gave Rhosyn an uncle and godfather, Detective Curtis Leland, who was secretly taking bribes from the 100 and had been unable to stop them killing Rhosyn's parents. Wracked with guilt and determined to protect his goddaughter, he disposed of two 100 grunts that Thorn had dispatched. Curtis was killed while trying to prevent Quince from killing Rhosyn. In his final moments, he put a signed confession in his pocket so the police could arrest them.
It was also revealed that Rose and Thorn are not the only two personalities in Rhosyn's mind. The other two shown have been "Mom," a caring and maternal figure much like how Rose remembers their mother, and "Wild Rose", an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
vigilante even more vicious and punitive than Thorn.
She encountered the Birds of Prey in the Hero Hunters storyline. As of Birds of Prey #98, she is employed at Dinah Lance's flower shop, Sherwood Florist II. Her most recent appearance was in Birds of Prey #109, where she makes an appearance as one of the heroines called in to confront and intimidate Spy Smasher
Spy Smasher
Spy Smasher is the name of two fictional characters appearing in comics published by DC Comics. The first is a superhero that was formerly owned and published by Fawcett Comics...
.