Wotan (comics)
Encyclopedia
Wotan was a fiction
al DC Comics
supervillain
and the archenemy
of Doctor Fate
until his recent reformation at the hand of Yahweh himself.
woman
who was rape
d (by someone claiming to be a servant of God). She studied the black arts and became such a powerful sorceress
that she was worshiped as a goddess
. She later learned how to switch from body to body and then to direct her own reincarnation
, eventually becoming the male
being now known as Wotan. In the Golden Age, Wotan encountered first Green Lantern
and then the sorcerer known as Dr. Fate, and became Dr. Fate's archnemesis. At one point he was pulled back in time with other JSA enemies by the time-traveller Per Degaton to assist in capturing the JSA and stop them interfering in his attempt to change the events of Pearl Harbor
, as part of a plan to conquer the World. He was told he could deal with Doctor Fate. Wotan uses his magic aura to hold the JSA captive in caves beneath an island, however the All-Star Squadron getting involved means the plan fails. When the Spectre is released from the aura and frees the other members, Per Degaton goes back in time, thus erasing everybody's memories of this event, and returning them to their proper places.
During the second volume of the The Spectre in the eighties, he tried to take over the body of the sorceress Zatanna
, but failed miserably. Later on, in the early nineties, Wotan discovered the temple
where the last body of the being known as Yahweh
- God Himself - lay entombed, still seething with mystical power. Wotan entered the tower with the intention of absorbing the power in that body, confronting God himself, and supplanting Him. But he then emerged blinded, his evil having been burnt out by God's power. Declaring that Wotan would never menace anybody again, one of Yahweh's servants spirited Wotan away so that he could begin his new life.
Physically, Wotan was a tall man with a slender build and green skin. He had black hair and purple eyes. He dressed in a red costume with a green cape and green boots.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al 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...
supervillain
Supervillain
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...
and the archenemy
Archenemy
An archenemy, archfoe, archvillain or archnemesis is the principal enemy of a character in a work of fiction, often described as the hero's worst enemy .- Etymology :The word archenemy or arch-enemy originated...
of Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
until his recent reformation at the hand of Yahweh himself.
Fictional character biography
The being now known as Wotan started out life as a Stone AgeStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
woman
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
who was rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d (by someone claiming to be a servant of God). She studied the black arts and became such a powerful sorceress
Magician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
that she was worshiped as a goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
. She later learned how to switch from body to body and then to direct her own reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
, eventually becoming the male
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
being now known as Wotan. In the Golden Age, Wotan encountered first Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
and then the sorcerer known as Dr. Fate, and became Dr. Fate's archnemesis. At one point he was pulled back in time with other JSA enemies by the time-traveller Per Degaton to assist in capturing the JSA and stop them interfering in his attempt to change the events of Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, as part of a plan to conquer the World. He was told he could deal with Doctor Fate. Wotan uses his magic aura to hold the JSA captive in caves beneath an island, however the All-Star Squadron getting involved means the plan fails. When the Spectre is released from the aura and frees the other members, Per Degaton goes back in time, thus erasing everybody's memories of this event, and returning them to their proper places.
During the second volume of the The Spectre in the eighties, he tried to take over the body of the sorceress Zatanna
Zatanna
Zatanna Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson, Zatanna first appeared in Hawkman vol. 1 #4...
, but failed miserably. Later on, in the early nineties, Wotan discovered the temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
where the last body of the being known as Yahweh
Yahweh
Yahweh is the name of God in the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jews and Christians.The word Yahweh is a modern scholarly convention for the Hebrew , transcribed into Roman letters as YHWH and known as the Tetragrammaton, for which the original pronunciation is unknown...
- God Himself - lay entombed, still seething with mystical power. Wotan entered the tower with the intention of absorbing the power in that body, confronting God himself, and supplanting Him. But he then emerged blinded, his evil having been burnt out by God's power. Declaring that Wotan would never menace anybody again, one of Yahweh's servants spirited Wotan away so that he could begin his new life.
Physically, Wotan was a tall man with a slender build and green skin. He had black hair and purple eyes. He dressed in a red costume with a green cape and green boots.
Powers and abilities
Wotan is a master sorcerer and a brilliant scientist who has created technological wonders that are far in advance of 20th century science. Through centuries of study, Wotan has mastered the black art of sorcery, becoming powerful enough to challenge even Doctor Fate. Wotan can project powerful bolts of mystical force, fly, travel between dimensions, change shape and cast a wide range of spells. His magical aura was able to hold the JSA and All-Star Squadron, even Superman and the Spectre were unable to break loose without outside help. He can absorb the souls and powers of other beings, transfer his soul into other bodies, and even direct the course of his own reincarnation.Television
- Wotan appeared in the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode "The Eyes of Despero!" voiced by James Arnold TaylorJames Arnold TaylorJames Arnold Taylor is an American voice actor, Impressionist, and Announcer. He is the current voice provider for Fred Flintstone as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and also the movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Johnny Test in Johnny Test...
. He attempted to break into the Library of Infinity, only to be stopped by Doctor FateDoctor FateDoctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
and BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
.
- Wotan is featured in Young JusticeYoung Justice (TV series)Young Justice is an American animated television series created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti for Cartoon Network. Despite its title, it is not an adaptation of Todd Dezago and Todd Nauck's Young Justice comic series, but rather an adaptation of the entire DC Universe with a focus on young...
voiced by Bruce GreenwoodBruce GreenwoodBruce Greenwood is a Canadian actor and musician. He is generally known for his roles as U.S. presidents in Thirteen Days and National Treasure: Book of Secrets and for his role as Captain Christopher Pike in the 2009 Star Trek film...
. In "Independence Day," ZataraZataraGiovanni "John" Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Universe. He first appeared in Action Comics #1 , and was created by writer and artist Fred Guardineer. He is a stage magician who also practices actual magic...
contacts the LeagueJustice LeagueThe 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....
telling them that Wotan is planning to blot out the sun with a mystical amulet. In "Revelation," Wotan appears as a member of the Injustice LeagueInjustice LeagueThe Injustice League is the name of two fictional teams of supervillains in the .-Original League :The original Injustice League was the brainchild of the interplanetary conqueror Agamemno. Bored of his dominion, he set out to conquer Earth and their champions, the Justice League...
.