Here’s someone the fans have been enjoying quite a bit of lately: Ragman. His appearance on Arrow Season 5 is definitely a welcome surprise, especially as he’s technically a lesser-known superhero in the DC universe. Who is he, and what does? Well you’re about to find out. Ragman was created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Joe Kubert, and there are actually two incarnations of this superhero. Fun fact, The Ragman is actually a lesser-known defender of Gotham City, whch has led to more than a few encounters with Batman in the past.
Rory Regan: The Ragman, Pre-crisis
Pre-crisis, Ragman was originally conceived as an Irish superhero. Rory Regan’s father Gerry owned a pawnshop, and one day, stumbled upon two million dollars stuffed inside a mattress. Gerry and his friends decided to stow it away for Rory, as they wouldn’t be able to make use of it anymore in their old age. Unfortunately, the money apparently came from a recent bank heist, and the robbers eventually came looking for it, which led to the torture and deaths Gerry and his friends. Rory arrived at the pawnshop and tried to free the old men from the wires, which led to him being electrocuted as well. When Rory woke up, he had the combined strength, speed, and agility of the electrocuted men added onto his own.
The Ragman, Post-crisis
Rory Regan was reworked to fit into the post-crisis universe in 1991. In this incarnation, his powers no longer came from the deceased men. Rather, they came from the rags he wore. The Ragman Suit was created in the 16th Century by a Jewish population to serve as their protector. When World War II began however, Gerry Regan failed to protect his people from Nazi oppression and genocide, and fled to the United States in shame. He later opened a pawnshop, and raised his son to later take the mantle of the Ragman himself.
The Ragman In CW’s Arrow
Again, The Ragman (portrayed by Joe Dinicol) retains certain aspects of his comic book origins. Arrow Season 5 Episode 4 reveals that Rory’s father Gerry still owned a pawnshop, and that the rags were indeed passed through his family through generations.
The difference is that the rags Rory wears in Arrow so far do not appear to contain the souls of the damned. Rather, they seem to have their own innate occult properties that grant Rory enhanced physical prowess, even surviving the blast, heat, and radiation of a nuclear attack. The rags in the TV show are also much older than their comic book counterparts, dating back to the seventh century BC – the time period when the core parts of the Jewish Devarim are believed to have been written.
The Ragman’s Powers And Abilities
The Ragman’s suit is made of the souls of the damned. Regan’s rags allow him to absorb evildoers into his suit, where they then must undergo penance for their crimes before being allowed to pass on to Heaven. Ragman can draw upon the strength, speed, and durability of the men and women trapped in his suit. Once a trapped soul has serviced Ragman enough times, it is allowed passage into the afterlife.
Each soul in the suit protects Rory from harm, taking physical damage in his stead. The Ragman is also capable of moving and manipulating his rags at will, even turning them into weapons.
Interestingly, this suit doesn’t seem to share a weakness to fire as it does in the comic books. In fact, Rory’s father even wrapped him in the rags specifying that they would protect him from the fires of the nuclear explosion.
The Ragman did not have a very long-lived comic book arc, however he took part in many potentially world-ending events, including the Day of Judgment, where the Spectre releases all of hell on Earth. Ragman manages to fend off hordes of demons. Ragman is one of the few heroes with the courage to face off against the Spectre – the incarnation of God’s vengeance.
The New 52
Ragman has not had many comic book appearances since The New 52 began, leading the character to be nearly forgotten. The last Ragman comic arc I recall was launched way back in 2010, and was titled Suit of Souls.
The truth is, Ragman’s only picking up interest now because of his appearances on Arrow, but honestly he’s been impressive so far. Will we be seeing a new incarnation of Rory Regan soon? We don’t know. Honestly, I’m hoping for it.
The Last Interpretation Of Ragman
What do you think of The Ragman? Does he deserve to be revamped? Do you find his comic book incarnation entertaining? Let us know what you think.
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