Ravan (comics)
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Ravan is a DC Comics villain. His first appearance was in Suicide Squad vol. 1 #1 (1987), he was created by John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell.
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[edit] Publication history
First appears as a member of the villainous mercenary team Jihad (renamed the Onslaught later). In an encounter with the Bronze Tiger his back was broken [1]. He re-appears alongside the Onslaught in Suicide Squad vol. 1 #17, and is recruited for the Suicide Squad in his second encounter with the Bronze Tiger [2]
[edit] Fictional character biography
Part of the thuggee cult, Ravan tries to stop the coming of Kali and thereby the Kali Yuga, the Age of Chaos. By killing, he delays the coming of Kali another thousand years. It is through this practice that he both prevents and worships Kali. In this, his primary enemy is the villain Kobra who wishes to bring forth that same Age [3].
Ravan joins the Suicide Squad, so he can continue these efforts while actually being sponsored by the American Government [4]. He proceeds to develop a strange bond with Bronze Tiger, whom he swears to kill for his earlier defeats, but the two also form an effective team. He becomes instrumental to Amanda Waller's plan to finish of the LOA, a drugdealing organisation, who expose that the Suicide Squad is still being run by Amanda Waller (the general public had been led to believe a Mr. Kale had taken over, but he was only an actor, used as a front so that Waller could still run the Squad) [5].
With the Suicide Squad on the verge of disbanding by her superiors, Amanda Waller gathers Ravan, Poison Ivy and Deadshot in an assassination mission of the LOA, a group that is planning to create a zombie army. The deal for the villains is simple: The three will help Waller in killing the LOA, and afterwards they are set free [6].
The mission succeeds, and Amanda Waller goes to jail on charges of murder, while Ravan leaves for London, where he sets up a 'cyberchurch' as a front for his assassination organisation. A year later, Batman kidnaps Ravan from this 'church' (blowing it up in the process) for the new Suicide Squad run again by Amanda Waller [7].
With this Squad Ravan goes to Israel in order to capture Kobra. But Kobra, had already been captured by the Israeli government's superteam the Hayoth. Ravan easily manipulates one of their agents, and thereby giving him access to their highly advanced A.I. computer Dybbuk. While Kobra's plans are being thwarted by the rest of the Suicide Squad, Ravan faces Kobra in combat, but Kobra has the upper hand and is close to killing Ravan.
At the last moment, the third Atom appears on the scenes, striking down Kobra. Ravan's last wish is for either him or the Atom to kill Kobra, but Atom denies him that final wish, and as Ravan himself says, he dies unfulfilled. Ravan dies in Suicide Squad #47 [8]. According to Suicide Squad (vol. 2) #11 however, Ravan is incapacitated, rather than deceased, as is shown on a computer screen being viewed by Rustam.
[edit] Bibliography
Ravan was created in the Suicide Squad title and appeared exclusively either alongside or against them, racking up a total of 22 appearances, of which only 2 were outside of the Suicide Squad title (Checkmate and Firestorm, the Nuclear Man) who were both involved in a Suicide Squad storyline.
- Checkmate #18
- Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #87
- Suicide Squad (vol. 1) #1-2, 17-18, 24-25, 27, 29, 31-33, 36-37, 39, 41-43, 45-47
