Blockbuster (DC Comics)

Blockbuster is the name of four fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe. The first one was primarily a foe of Batman and Robin, while the second frequently fought Nightwing (formerly Robin). The latest Blockbuster first appeared in the pages of the series 52 wherein he is directed into battle against Lex Luthor's team of superheroes, Infinity, Inc.

Fictional character biography

Mark Desmond

Blockbuster
As drawn by John Byrne in Legends #3.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Detective Comics #345 (November 1965)
Created by	Gardner Fox Carmine Infantino
In-story information
Alter ego	Mark Desmond
Team affiliations	Secret Society of Super Villains Suicide Squad
Abilities	Superhuman strength, stamina, and endurance High resistance to physical and energy attacks

The first Blockbuster was Mark Desmond, a chemist who desired to increase his physical strength. Experimenting on himself, he succeeded in making himself stronger and taller, but as a side-effect of the process he also became almost mindlessly aggressive. The mentally debilitated Desmond was cared for by his brother Roland, a local criminal, who kept their mother from discovering what Mark had done to himself.^[1]

Roland manipulated his brother into committing crimes on his behalf until they came into conflict with Batman and Robin. Bruce Wayne had once rescued a young Desmond from drowning, and he discovered that he could calm the enraged adult Desmond by removing his cowl, showing him his face, though when Blockbuster first appears he has to leap into a swamp and thrash around like him to remind Blockbuster of this. Desmond later found himself clashing with Batman on various occasions. He joined the Secret Society of Super Villains briefly for a battle with the Justice League. Later, Amanda Waller recruited Desmond for her revived Suicide Squad. He was killed fighting Darkseid's creation Brimstone.^[2]

In Pre-Crisis, Blockbuster absorbed energies from the Alfred Memorial which gave him some powers and was once substituted for the super-strong undead villain Solomon Grundy from Earth-2 due to a machine that was substituting people from both Earths. Green Lantern caused him to fight Solomon Grundy, leading to them both briefly getting the fight knocked out of each other.

In The New 52, Mark Desmond is a patient of Dr. Phayne's. He lives on the este and at night her undergoes procedures to enhance his intelligence. He is exposed to a small amounts of a green compound via intravenous. An accident is caused by a new patient believing he is in pain and the cascade of green liquid overdoses Desmond and creates an explosion. The overdose exposes a super strong man calling himself Blockbuster. He rampages from the building in pain and knocks an attacking Hawkman over into a well bringing unconsciousness.^[3] Blockbuster was later mind-controlled by Necromancer to help her steal an artifact from a Washington DC museum which brought the attention of Hawk and Dove. They teamed up with Batman and Robin to stop Blockbuster and Necromancer.^[4] Mark Desmond appears as a member of the Secret Society of Super Villains. When Catwoman breaks out of Arkham Asylum, Mark Desmond and Signalman confronted Catwoman on the rooftop which ended with Catwoman being knocked out.^[5]

Roland Desmond

Blockbuster
Blockbuster as he appears in Impulse #8/Underworld Unleashed #1 (November 1995).
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Starman #9 (April 1989)
Created by	Roger Stern Tom Lyle
In-story information
Alter ego	Roland Desmond
Team affiliations	Underground Society Black Lantern Corps
Abilities	Genius-level intellect Superhuman strength, stamina, and endurance High resistance to physical and energy attacks

Roland Desmond became the second Blockbuster after a severe illness forced him to be treated with experimental steroids. Like his brother Mark, Roland became a child-minded super-strong monster. He ran wild in the Southwest, but Batman and Starman (Will Payton) brought his rampage to an end.^[6][7]

Desmond became obsessed with elevating himself greatly above his debilitated intellect. A pact with the demon Neron granted him a genius-level intellect, and Desmond embarked once more on a career of crime and destruction. He began his revived criminal career by causing chaos in the town of Manchester, although his schemes were foiled by the speedster Impulse.

Desmond then moved to his mother's home town of Blüdhaven. He forced the crime lord Angel Marin out of power and took over the city's criminal rackets. Roland's plan was to build a criminal empire in the 'Haven, that would eventually enable him to extend his dominion over Gotham, Star City, Metropolis, and New York's underworlds. For that purpose, he bought the corrupt elements of the city's police department, most notably the Police Chief Redhorn and Inspector Dudley "Deadly" Soames.

Despite his swift and vicious consolidation of power, Blockbuster's hold on Blüdhaven's organized crime was nevertheless weakened by the intervention of the city's new protector, Nightwing (Dick Grayson, the former Robin), who, with Oracle's help, foiled Desmond's plans at every turn. Oracle often removes money from Blockbuster's accounts and he has a man working to stop and find Oracle, named Vogel.^[8]

Desmond's primary goal became the elimination of the young vigilante. He placed a contract on Nightwing's life, employing the services of several assassins, including Lady Vic, Stallion, Brutale, the Trigger Twins, and Shrike.

As a further result of his initial transformation, Desmond later developed albinism and a heart defect. He was restored to (comparative) health by a heart transplant from one of the talking apes of Gorilla City, and was consolidating his control over Blüdhaven and contemplating a takeover of Gotham City, when he was killed by the new Tarantula, Catalina Flores.^[9]

As part of the Blackest Night event, Roland's corpse is reanimated by a black power ring and recruited to the Black Lantern Corps in Blackest Night: Batman #1 (October 2009).

Blockbuster III

Lex Luthor created a new Blockbuster in the pages of the miniseries event 52 to serve as an opponent of his manufactured hero team, Infinity, Inc.

Little is revealed about this Blockbuster, save for the fact that Luthor possesses some measure of control of his actions and level of strength. Luthor also comments that he is stronger than either of the two previous Blockbusters. This brute's cognitive abilities and appearance are very similar to the original. Blockbuster, with controlled interference from Lex Luthor, kills the superhero Trajectory.

A Blockbuster appears amongst the villains exiled to an alien world in Salvation Run. In issue #3, it is revealed to be a disguised Martian Manhunter.

Female Blockbuster

A newer, female Blockbuster appears in the swamps of Louisiana and fights Mon-El in Superman #689 (August 2009).

Powers and abilities

All Blockbusters have superhuman strength, stamina, and endurance. They also have a high degree of resistance to physical and energy attacks.

After selling his soul to Neron, Roland Desmond gained super intelligence.

In other media

Television

• Blockbuster (Mark Desmond) was first seen in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Kid Stuff" voiced by Dee Bradley Baker. He, Cheetah, Copperhead, and KGBeast were robbing a gold vault. Blockbuster was also a member of the Secret Society in the series."I am Legion" However, after siding against Lex Luthor during the mutiny in favor of Gorilla Grodd, "Alive" he was frozen by Killer Frost and blown up by Darkseid, along with the other mutineers.

• Mark Desmond appears on The Batman episode "Meltdown" voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson. Desmond is a scientist working for Wayne Enterprises who is in charge of Ethan Bennett's (Clayface) parole agreement to not use his shapeshifting powers. Unlike the comics, he is African-American.

• The Mark Desmond version of Blockbuster appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Death Race to Oblivion!", with Mark Desmond voiced by James Arnold Taylor and Blockbuster voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson. Batman confronts evil child genius Desmond (who Batman has been keeping an eye on since he stole some chemicals from S.T.A.R. Labs) at a museum with a plot to steal a diamond called the Star of Bialya. The crowd objects to Batman grabbing Desmond until the boy drinks the serum that transforms him into Blockbuster. As Blockbuster, he subdues Batman. When Billy Batson steps forth, Blockbuster grabs him. When Blockbuster asks Billy if he has any last words, he shouts "Shazam!" and transforms into Captain Marvel, who manages to defeat Blockbuster. In "Night of the Batmen," Blockbuster assists Bane, Killer Croc, and Solomon Grundy in stealing a statue only to be thwarted by Captain Marvel dressed as Batman.

Blockbuster as seen in Young Justice.

• The Mark Desmond version of Blockbuster first appears in the two-part Young Justice episode "Independence Day", with Mark Desmond voiced by René Auberjonois. This version of Blockbuster is very different in appearance to any of his comic book incarnations, having purposefully been redesigned as it was felt the original version was too similar to the Hulk.^[10] His transformation in the series involves his "Blockbuster" form ripping through his human skin. He is shown as a senior member of Project Cadmus who takes his orders directly from the Light and uses the Blockbuster serum in order to combat Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad and Superboy. The serum to take this form seems to have decreased his intelligence as Aqualad said "I doubt he is planning anything anymore". He is defeated by the four by the time the Justice League arrived and is taken away by some of the Justice League members. In "Terrors," Blockbuster was seen as an inmate at Belle Reve and was acting as muscle for Icicle Sr. alongside Mammoth. He and Mammoth were defeated by Superboy. In "Ususal Suspects," Blockbuster joins Lex Luthor, Queen Bee, Sportsmaster, and Bane into meeting with Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis. During the fight between the young heroes and the assembled villains, Lex Luthor mentioned that Dr. Desmond wasn't able to add the other programs to control Superboy and blamed Dr. Desmond for it. Superboy manages to defeat Blockbuster.

Film

• Blockbuster is reportedly featured in David S. Goyer's script for an upcoming Green Arrow film project entitled Super Max, supposedly as one of the primary antagonists.^[11]

Video Games

• Blockbuster will appear as a boss in the upcoming video game Young Justice: Legacy.

See also

• List of Batman Family adversaries

References

External links

• The Unofficial Blockbuster Chronology