Wotan (comics)

Wotan is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Gardner Fox and Howard Sherman, first appearing in More Fun Comics #55 (1940). The character is a major antagonist to Doctor Fate and serves as their archenemy.

Wotan
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceMore Fun Comics #55 (1940)
Created byGardner Fox (writer)
Howard Sherman (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoKarel Wotan (Earth 2)
Team affiliationsInjustice League
Notable aliasesWotan
Abilities
  • Mastery in black magic
  • Can selectively reincarnate at will
  • Skilled scientist and inventor

Originally, Wotan was a prehistoric woman of a primitive tribe of humans who was raped and beaten by the male members of her tribe. Eventually, the prehistoric woman would come to study under a sorceress, becoming curious to the source of human cruelty. When the sorceress master died and Wotan inherited the sorceress's position, they became revered as a godlike figure and used her magic to prologue her life by implanting their soul into numerous bodies, both male and female, while preferring the former. He would also adopt the name "Wotan" after the Germanic and Norse mythology figure. Wotan would gain a lust for power and knowledge, pitting him at odds with Kent Nelson incarnation of Doctor Fate and other mystical characters such as Zatanna, Zatara, and the Spectre. After the New 52, Wotan would exist in Earth-2 with a similar history with an enmity with Nabu and later Khalid Ben-Hassin although the character's original incarnation is also seen briefly in DC Rebirth.

Wotan has appeared in several media, having been adapted in both Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Young Justice animated series. A version of Wotan also appears in the Wonder Woman television series.

Publication history

Wotan first appeared in More Fun Comics #55 (May 1940) and was created by Gardner Fox and Howard Sherman.[1]

Fictional character biography

The being now known as Wotan started out life as a Stone Age woman who was raped 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.[2] In the Golden Age, Wotan encountered first Green Lantern and then the sorcerer known as Doctor Fate where he became Fate's nemesis.[3]

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 from interfering in his attempt to change the events of Pearl Harbor. Wotan uses his magic aura to hold the JSA captive in caves beneath an island. The plan is foiled by the actions of the All-Star Squadron. 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.[4]

During the second volume of The Spectre in the eighties, he tries to take over the body of the sorceress Zatanna, but fails.[5] In the early nineties, Wotan discovers the temple where the last body of the being known as Yahweh - God Himself - lay entombed, still seething with mystical power.[2] While fighting the current Doctor Fate and the Justice League, Wotan enters the tower with the intention of absorbing the power, confronting God himself, and supplanting Him. Instead, he emerges blinded, his evil having been burned out by God's power. Declaring that Wotan will never menace anybody again, one of Yahweh's servants spirits Wotan away.[6]

Other versions

Earth 2

In The New 52 (a reboot of DC's continuity), Wotan is reintroduced in issue #9 of Earth 2 as Karel Wotan. Appearing once again as a woman, Wotan is "the mage of an organization that seeks to augment its control of magic in the world".[7] She is portrayed as an ancient sorcerer who started life as a female Viking and later mastered the arts of sorcery having lived several lifetimes with altered genders. An encounter with Nabu the Wise left her skin forever green and unable to enter the Tower of Fate which held the helmet he/she desperately sought after.[8]

Wotan II

In DC Universe, the continuation of DC Rebirth, there is a character called Wotan II who is part of a group of alien children called the Injustice Army. As the group idolized Earth's villains, Wotan II idolized the original Wotan.[9]

Powers and abilities

Due to centuries of sorcerous studies, Wotan is a master sorcerer and whose forte is black magic. Among their capabilities in magic includes dimensional travel, spell-casting, and has the power to transfer their soul into another body, directing their own form of reincarnation. At the height of Wotan's power, he is powerful enough to directly challenge Doctor Fate. In addition, Wotan is a skilled and capable scientist, having created technology considered far more advanced than anything created in the 20th century.[10] However, Wotan possesses poor skills in hand-to-hand combat and instead relies on magical powers.[11]

In other media

Television

References
  1. Golden, Christopher; Bissette, Stephen R.; Sniegoski, Thomas E. (2000). The Monster Book. Simon & Schuster. p. 196. ISBN 9780671042592.
  2. Doctor Fate (vol. 2) #14. DC Comics.
  3. Secret Origins (vol. 2) #24. DC Comics.
  4. All-Star Squadron #1-3. DC Comics.
  5. The Spectre (vol. 2) #7-8. DC Comics.
  6. Doctor Fate (vol. 2) #15. DC Comics.
  7. James Robinson (w), Nicola Scott (p), Trevor Scott (i). "The Tower of Fate: Prologue; The Man Who Was Scared" Earth 2 #9 (April 2013)
  8. Earth 2 #11. DC Comics.
  9. Adventures of the Super Sons #7. DC Comics.
  10. Who's Who in the DC Universe #1. DC Comics. 1990.
  11. Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Vol. XXVI. DC Comics. 1987.
  • Who's Who:The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe, volume 26
  • Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Update '88, volume 4
  • Who's Who in the DC Universe 1990, #1 (this last is the first Who's Who issue to reveal Wotan's full origin for the first time).
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