Carl Draper
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| Deathtrap | |
 Art by |
|
| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Superman vol.1 #331 (January 1979) |
| Created by | Curt Swan (writer) Martin Pasko (artist) |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Carl Draper |
| Team affiliations | Checkmate |
| Notable aliases | Master Jailer, Castellan |
| Abilities | Skilled strategist and engineer |
Carl Draper is a fictional character in DC Comics, an enemy of Superman. He has gone by the names Master Jailer and Deathtrap. Draper made his first appearance in Superman Vol 1 #331 (Jan 1979), written by Curt Swan and drawn by Martin Pasko[1].
Contents |
[edit] Pre-Crisis
In Pre-Crisis comics, Carl Draper grew up in Smallville. He was in love with Lana Lang, and therefore resented Superboy. In later years, Draper became an expert locksmith and architect, designing an inescapable prison. When the prison was placed on an antigravity platform by Superman and called Superman Island, Draper snapped. Donning a costume, he attacked Superman and kidnapped Lana under the name the Master Jailer. Superman defeated him, and he was sent to his own prison.
[edit] Post-Crisis
In Post-Crisis comics, Carl Draper first appeared in Adventures of Superman #517 (Nov 1994). This was during the Dead Again storyline, when Superman was suspected of being an imposter after his body was found still in his tomb (from The Death of Superman). Draper was hired by S.T.A.R. Labs to design a holding cell for Conduit, when his daughter, Carla, asked him if he could build a prison that could hold Superman. Draper initially designed a trap that only the real Superman could escape from, explaining this to Superman by way of a hologram of a costumed figure named Deathtrap. However, when Superman escaped the trap, Draper became obsessed with proving he could capture the real thing.
Draper made several other attempts to capture Superman, often programming the Deathtrap hologram in advance so he could be publicly elsewhere. On one occasion, in Superman: The Man of Steel #43 (Apr 1995), he programmed Deathtrap to appear during a Draper Security press conference, and display how Draper's devices were being "subverted", this both removing suspicion and acting as an advertisement.
[edit] Carla Draper
Carla Draper made an appearance in Superboy #26 (May 1996), under the name Snare. She responded to a request from the Hawaiian Special Crimes Unit to Draper Security for assistance in capturing the supervillain Knockout, who was on the run with a misguided Superboy in tow. Snare, aware of her father's obsession, tried to prove she could do something he could not by capturing Superboy. This led to a fight with the SCU, during which Superboy and Knockout escaped.
In Action Comics #739, Superman (in his blue energy form) was captured in an "energy hobble" by Deathtrap, now calling himself Locksmith. At the end of the story, it was revealed to the reader that Carla Draper was running the hologram this time, and her father was unaware of this.
The Master Jailer was one of the villains controlled by Manchester Black in the 2002 storyline "Ending Battle".
[edit] Checkmate
Draper has recently appeared in Checkmate #17 (Oct. 2007). At some point, Checkmate discovered his multiple identities, and used this to force him into becoming a security consultant, protecting Checkmate itself from attack. In the issue, he prevents numerous assaults on Checkmate headquarters and is promoted to head of security, with the title Castellan. Although he has not told his superiors, he strongly suspects Carla is involved in the attacks. The issue also contains an easter egg- computer displays mention a website, http://www.gideonii.com/, a real site that can be accessed with the username "CARL DRAPER" and password "wilhelmina". The site is written from Draper's perspective as a combination journal/database. In his journal he claims to have only ever been Deathtrap and that he is unconnected with the Post-Crisis Master Jailer.
