From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Spellbinder (DC Comics)
Spellbinder (DC Comics)
Spellbinder
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First Delbert
appearance Detective Comics #358 (December 1966)
Unnamed
Justice League International vol. 2, #65 (June
1994)
Fay
Detective Comics #691 (1995)
Created by Delbert
John Broome (writer)
Sheldon Moldoff (artist)
Fay.
Fay
Chuck Dixon
Staz Johnson
Scott Hanna
In-story information
Alter ego - Delbert Billings
- Unnammed
- Fay Moffit
Notable Fay
aliases Lady Spellbinder
Abilities All
Illusion-casting
Spellbinder from Detective Comics #358. Art by Carmine Infan-
Spellbinder is the name of three fictional characters that
tino.
appear as villains in comic books published by DC Comics.
Versions of the character have appeared on the animated
series Batman Beyond and The Batman. After leaving prison, Spellbinder faced off with Su-
perman in Superman #330 (1978). Using a miniature
turntable, he was able to create sonic blasts that would
Fictional character biography make targets more susceptible to his hypnotic sugges-
tions. The addition of a shock absorbing chin-guard to his
Delbert Billings helmet protected him from being knocked out by Super-
Spellbinder (Delbert Billings first appeared in Detective
Delbert Billings) man, and special lenses protected him from hypnosis by
Comics #358 (December 1966), and was created by John the Man of Steel. He was finally defeated when his own
Broome and Sheldon Moldoff. He was a painter who used sonic blasts were echoed back on him (rendering him un-
optical illusions and hypnotic weapons to commit crimes. conscious). This issue also revealed how Superman uses
Delbert was a forger of pop art who decided to put sub-conscious hypnosis (heightened by the Kryptonian
his talents to use as a supervillain. He created the Spell- lenses in his glasses) to successfully disguise himself as
binder identity, designed hypnotic weapons, and assem- Clark Kent.
bled a team of henchmen. He ran into Batman during his Spellbinder joined a loosely knit conglomerate of
first robbery, but hypnotized the crimefighter into be- crime organized by the Monarch of Menace. He was the
lieving he was involved in an entirely different situation, first member of the group to be captured by Batman,
as his gang made their getaway. This ploy worked twice, who later disguised himself as Spellbinder to infiltrate
but on his third robbery, Batman was able to overcome it the group and capture the Monarch.[1]
and send him to jail. Later, Spellbinder was on the run from the law with
his new girlfriend, Fay Moffit, when he was confronted
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Spellbinder (DC Comics)
by the demon-lord Neron. Neron made an offer of im- area of influence. Robin acts as Batman’s eyes once Spell-
mense power in exchange for Spellbinder’s soul, but he binder is tracked down by the police, guiding him using
declined. Fay, however, thought it sounded like a great a version of virtual reality technology. Once captured,
idea, so she shot Spellbinder in the head and accepted the Spellbinder discovers that her deal with Neron was not
offer for herself. Neron was not surprised and explained all she had hoped — if her eyes are covered, her illusion-
that he had never actually been addressing Spellbinder casting abilities no longer function.
with the offer; he had been addressing her all along. She subsequently appeared in Birds of Prey, where she
created an illusory world in which Barbara Gordon was
Unnamed Batgirl (although she did not realize this had once been
A second Spellbinder appeared in Justice League Interna- true). She had been hired by Blockbuster to kidnap Bar-
tional vol. 2, #65 (June 1994), as a member of the govern- bara. Barbara was able to defeat Spellbinder when she at-
ment sanctioned "League-Busters". tacked her with a fire extinguisher (to blind her and pre-
vent her from casting illusions) and a club, and then tied
Fay Moffit her up for the cops.[3]
Spellbinder returned to Birds of Prey when Black Ca-
nary and Catwoman were kidnapped by the rogue pa-
rademon Pharzoof. She was being transported with sev-
eral fellow villains when their train was hi-jacked and
taken to Apokolips. The villains battled the parademons
and eventually were returned to Earth where they were
taken to the Slab.[4]
Spellbinder returned again in the mini-series The Jok-
er: Last Laugh. In Birds of Prey #36, she battles Black Canary,
who is trapped inside Slabside Penitentiary along with a
host of villains infected by the Joker, making them even
more crazed than ever. Black Canary’s sonic cry is able to
give most of them pause, but the Joker sends Copperhead
and Hellgrammite after her, as neither have ears. After
dealing with them, she is briefly confronted by the Shad-
ow Thief before meeting, to her great relief, Batman, Su-
perman, and Mary Marvel. However, Black Canary soon
notices that Marvel’s lightning bolt is backwards, and the
heroes are revealed to be an illusion created by Spell-
binder, who was the first of the female villains infected
by the Joker.
Spellbinder was apparently killed alongside the Trig-
ger Twins by a group of gun-toting superheroes during
Infinite Crisis. It is noted that she bears a striking resem-
blance (both physically and in terms of powers) to the
mysterious Harlequin. Although very similar, they ap-
Lady Spellbinder. pear to be two separate characters.
During the Underworld Unleashed crossover, Delbert
Billings (the original Spellbinder) turned down Neron’s Powers and abilities
offer of immense power and was shot by his girlfriend, The Original Spellbinder used a number of optical and au-
Moffit,
Fay Moffit who then became the third Spellbinder (also ral devices of his own invention to hypnotize others. His
known as Lady Spellbinder [2]
Spellbinder). fighting skills were minimal. The Second Unnamed Spell-
Neron granted her the ability to induce genuine hal- binder had genuine mystical abilities. The Third Spell-
lucinations. She was followed by Batman and Robin, but binder, better known as Lady Spellbinder, can create ter-
they did not know the scale of her illusion-casting abili- rifying realistic illusions, and the recipients can feel the
ties, which extend to making absolutely everything dis- actual pain of the illusions. If she is blinded or has her
appear. She escaped from the heroes due to her ability eyes closed, she is unable to cast the illusions.
to create a total illusion in her immediate vicinity, which
remains even if they close their eyes. They realize that
the only way to be able to approach her safely is if the ap-
proach is controlled by someone outside her immediate
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Spellbinder (DC Comics)
In other media unguarded. Spellbinder later appears "Rumors". He
was voiced by Michael Massee.
• In Batman Beyond, Spellbinder is the alter-ego of Ira
Billings, the psychologist at Hamilton High. He wears
a costume featuring an orange-and-black swirl
See also
design, and uses a large floating "eyeball" that allows • List of Batman Family enemies
him to project images into the minds of others using
hypnosis. He appears in the episodes "Spellbound",
"Hooked Up", and "Eyewitness"; and was voiced by
References
Jon Cypher. One question that has been raised about [1] Batman #336
this Spellbinder is how he came to acquire his [2] Detective Comics #691-692
advanced mind-warping technology on his meager [3] Birds of Prey: Batgirl
salary, especially since the most advanced virtual [4] Birds of Prey #12-14
reality technology in the Batman Beyond universe still
requires larger immobile machines.[citation needed] It
can be assumed, given his knowledge and intellect,
External links
that he created his devices from scratch. Bruce • Cosmic Team profile
Wayne even admits that his technology is highly • The Unofficial Spellbinder I Biography
advanced, meaning much more so than standard • The Unofficial Spellbinder II Biography
consumer technology. • The Unofficial Spellbinder III Biography
• In The Batman, Spellbinder has a third eye which he • Spellbinder (Batman Beyond) on the DC Animated
acquired while meditating in the Far East. This third Universe Wiki, an external wiki
eye gives him the ability to induce hallucinations in • The Batman profile at World’s Finest Online
others, a power he uses to steal from Gotham City’s
wealthiest citizens. This Spellbinder wears a red cape
over a grey suit with three black-rimmed eye holes.
In "The Butler Did It", he came close to discovering
Batman’s secret identity when Batman responded to
a hypnotic command directed to Bruce Wayne.
Fortunately, thanks to Alfred’s timely intervention
and his audio link to Batman, he breaks free from the
hypnosis and Spellbinder believes that Batman just
pretended to be under his command to catch him
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spellbinder_(DC_Comics)&oldid=463500943"
Categories:
• Comics characters introduced in 1966
• DC Comics supervillains
• Fictional murderers
• Comics characters introduced in 1995
• Fictional psychologists
• Fictional scientists
• Characters created by John Broome
• Characters created by Chuck Dixon
• DC Comics characters who use magic
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Spellbinder (DC Comics)
Spellbinder on The Batman animated series.
Batman Beyond character design for Spellbinder.
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