Ragman (Rory Regan) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was originally created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Joe Kubert in 1976. Originally presented as a man of Irish descent, the character was revised to have Jewish heritage (his family name originally being Reganiewicz) and a connection to the Golem of Prague (a figure of Jewish folklore) in a 1991 mini-series by Keith Giffen, Robert Loren Fleming, Pat Broderick, and Anthony Tollin.Ragman (vol. 2) #1–8. DC Comics, July 1991 to March 1992. The same mini-series established Ragman's costume as a "Suit of Souls", and repeatedly drew him into conflict with mystical threats and granted him the power and skills of the souls it collected. The suit sometimes desired to collect new souls, forcing Ragman to exert great will if he did not wish the suit to do so.
In his original stories, Ragman is a Vietnam War veteran and the sole survivor of an attack on his father and friends, inexplicably gaining their collective skills and strengths. Wearing a costume his father made out of rags, he uses these abilities to protect his neighborhood from criminals. Starting in 1991, Rory Regan's origin and nature were revised, making him a Vietnam veteran of Jewish heritage who inherits the mystical Suit of Souls after his father was killed by criminals.Ragman's Jewish heritage is discussed in the nonfiction book From Kraków To Krypton, written by Arie Kaplan (Jewish Publication Society, 2008), p. 125 Worn by many champions over the centuries, each patch of the costume possesses the soul of a corrupt person who offers their skills, knowledge, protection, and strength to Ragman to earn redemption and release. The series Shadowpact said Ragman's costume was first created in 1812 BCE and has taken on different forms in different eras, but this idea has not been recognized in other stories. In 2017, a revised version of Ragman was introduced with a new origin, appearance, and nature.
Ragman appeared in the fifth and final seasons of the Arrowverse television series Arrow, portrayed by Joe Dinicol.
Development During an interview, Kubert discussed how the idea for the character originated: "We thought that a superhero character dressed in rags might be a little bit different. What we were looking for, of course, was something along the lines of a superhero, but different from those that were already out. The character was to be dressed in rags. Then we gave him an identity. We went backwards and gave him a history. His father was to be an old circus performer and owning a junkyard now."
Publication history
In June, 1976, DC Comics began publishing the bi-monthly comic book series Ragman (volume 1). The series began in June 1976 (cover dated September 1976) and only lasted 5 issues before ending in April 1977 (cover dated July 1977). Ragman was created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Joe Kubert. The title character Rory Regan was presented as a vigilante who focused on standard urban crime threats such as gangsters, drug dealers, and thieves. After criminals cause power lines to fall to the ground, Rory, his father, and some friends of the family are simultaneously electrocuted. Rory is the only survivor, gaining the collective abilities and physical traits of the other men. The mini-series depicted Rory Reagan as a young man and former active member of the US Marine Corps who had served during the Vietnam War. The letters page of Ragman #3 specifically stated the character was intended by Kanigher and Kubert to be of Irish descent.
After his mini-series, this incarnation of Ragman did not appear regularly in the DC Comics universe beyond a minor cameo during the company-wide crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths. This same crossover resulted in much of DC Comics superhero canon being revised or rebooted. A new incarnation of Ragman with a new origin story was then presented in an 8-issue mini-series Ragman (vol. 2) which was published from July 1991 (cover dated October 1991) until March 1992 (cover dated July 1992). The mini-series was plotted by Keith Giffen, scripted by Robert Loren Fleming, illustrated by Pat Broderick, and colored by Anthony Tollin. The mini-series reinterpreted Ragman as a magic-empowered character native to Gotham City who deals not only with urban crime but also mystical threats. Rory Regan is still a veteran of the Vietnam War, with the story establishing him now as a divorced man who is "pushing middle age" when he first dons the costume. The mini-series reveals that Rory's father was a Jewish man born with the name Reganiewicz, which he changed and shortened after immigrating to the United States. The mini-series established the Ragman costume as a mystical "Suit of Souls" created during the 16th century by the same people who created the Golem of Prague (a figure of Jewish folklore). After the Golem is deemed dangerous, it is decided a human champion should be empowered rather than a soulless being made of clay. The mini-series establishes there have been several to carry the mantle of Ragman before Rory, including his own father Gerry, who attempted to protect Jews from Nazis during World War II. Now inheriting the costume and role, Rory Regan is depicted as a hero who struggles to control the Suit of Souls and not give into his emotions when facing criminals. The mini-series includes a cameo by Batman and ends with Rory leaving Gotham to relocate to New Orleans.
A year later, Ragman appeared again in the 6-issue mini-series Ragman: Cry of the Dead, published from May to November 1993. The story takes place in New Orleans and involves Voodoo magical practices and beliefs. The story also details more of Rory's romantic past concerning a lost love and his later marriage and divorce involving another woman.Ragman: Cry of the Dead #1–6. DC Comics, 1993.
Ragman appeared again in a two-part story published in Batman #551 and 552, published in December 1997 and January 1998, respectively (though the issues are cover dated as February 1998 and March 1998). The story depicts Rory returning to Gotham City from New Orleans, only to then lose control of his Suit of Souls as it hunts down evil men to kill and absorb. After seeking aid from Batman and a rabbi, the story ends with Rory regaining control of his suit.Batman #551–552. DC Comics, 1997–1998.
In 1999, Ragman plays a role in the Day of Judgment mini-series, acting as a defender for Earth against a demon invasion. At the conclusion of the Day of Judgment mini-series, he joins a loose organization of mystically empowered heroes known as the Sentinels of Magic.Day of Judgment #1–5 (DC Comics, 1999). Day of Judgment Secret Files and Origins #1 (DC Comics, 1999).
In the 2005–2006 mini-series Day of Vengeance, a tie-in to the company-wide crossover Infinite Crisis, Ragman joins Shadowpact, a group of magic-users who oppose the Spectre. Following Infinite Crisis, Ragman was a regular cast member of the Shadowpact comic book series. The series was published from 2006 to 2008, ending after 25 issues, and revised parts of Ragman's history, saying the costume had originally come into being in 1812 BCE and could take on different forms (such as a knife or spear) without altering its powers.Shadowpact #8 (DC Comics, 1997). In the series, the Shadowpact group faces a group of villains known as the Pentacle, a member of whom is an evil Ragman counterpart known as Bagman.Shadowpact #2 (DC Comics, 2006). The team, Ragman included, then appeared in DC's Reign in Hell crossover mini-series in 2008.
In 2010, a one-shot comic entitled Ragman: Suit of Souls was produced by writer Christos N. Gage, artist Steven Segovia, colorist David Curiel, and letterer Rob Leigh. The one-shot did not reference revelations about the character made in the Shadowpact series. While retelling the origin established in the 1991 mini-series, the comic added that Gerry Regan had already been middle-aged or older when Rory was born and that Rory still seemed to be a man in his 40s due to the Suit of Souls slowing down his aging. This was to allow for Rory to continue being a Vietnam War veteran with a father who had been active as Ragman during World War II. The one-shot established that the souls of Ragman's costume are redeemed in part by acknowledging and understanding the harm they caused.Ragman: Suit of Souls (DC Comics, 2010).
In 2011, DC Comics revised its entire superhero universe with its "New 52" line of comic books. In 2015, the New 52 version of Rory Regan appears as someone identical in nature and appearance to his Post-Crisis/Pre-New 52 incarnation.Batwoman (vol. 2) #35 (DC Comics, 2014). DC Comics then revised large parts of its New 52 canon during the 2016 event DC Rebirth.
Another version of Rory Regan appeared in the 2017 six-issue mini series Ragman (vol. 3). The mini-series was written by Ray Fawkes, illustrated by Inaki Miranda, and colored by Eva de la Cruz, with covers by Guillem March. This mini-series depicts a Ragman with an entirely new appearance and slightly different abilities, now using souls directly as fuel for his powers.
Fictional character biography
Pre-Crisis A Vietnam veteran, Rory Regan had grown up helping his father, a junk man who owned a pawn shop named Rags 'n' Tatters. His father always dreamed of making a better life for Rory and constantly promised that someday he would make Rory rich. While drinking with his friends one night, his father discovered two million United States dollars stuffed inside an old mattress that had been pawned just recently. He and his friends decided to hide the money for Rory, since they were too old to truly benefit from it. The money turned out to be the loot from an armored car heist and when the hoods came to the shop to get it, they shot down some electrical wires and used them to torture Rory's father and his friends into revealing where the money was hidden. Rory arrived soon after and, seeing his father in agony, attempted to free him from the wires. A final shock of power ran through the old men and grounded out at Rory, knocking him unconscious. When he regained consciousness, his father and friends were dead and the hoods responsible were gone. Using a costume made out of old rags (his father had bought it from a stranger before he died and left a note saying Rory could wear it to a costume party) he became Ragman, "the Tatterdemalion of Justice". Rory appeared to have gained the physical abilities of the men who were electrocuted since they were all touching as the final current of electricity flowed through them and into Rory. He gained an acrobat's agility, a strongman's strength, and a boxer's skills.
In his pre-Crisis incarnation, Rory Regan was Irish, not Jewish, as explicitly stated in the letters page of Ragman #3.
Post-Crisis Rory Regan is a junk man, doing good in his community by buying used items from people who need money. The suit of rags that he wears, as mentioned above, was originally just a costume made from materials found around the rag shop, Rags'n'Tatters, that he shared with his father. This was retconned in a 1991–92 eight-issue limited series, and currently each of the patches in the suit is made from the soul of an evildoer that Ragman had punished and absorbed.
The absorption of these souls caused a problem for Rory at one point, when the evil souls hungered for murder and finally freed themselves of Ragman. It was only with the support of Batman and Rory's old friend, Rabbi Luria, that he regained control, though at the cost of Luria's life. Ragman's powers have increased since then. Currently, he can absorb souls into his costume. With each new soul added, a rag is added. He can call upon the souls in his costume to lend him their attributes or power. He is also a proficient magic user.
Judgment and vengeance