BROTHER VOODOO

 

BROTHER VOODOO

Real Name: Jericho Drumm

First Appearance: Strange Tales (Vol. 1) #169, September 1973

Powers: Dr. Jericho Drumm was originally a baseline human with no superhuman powers. A prosperous psychologist, his powers as the Houngan Brother Voodoo are drawn from belief: His belief in his own power, and the belief of others in his power to affect them. If other people believed strongly enough in the power of voodoo in general, or Brother Voodoo in particular, those beliefs could be used to affect the perception of reality or even reality itself. For example, when two men who believed in the Loa (spirit) were caught in a storm on their fishing boat, Jericho appeared to them as a giant, god-like figure able to easily tow them to shore. Their belief calmed them enough to turn perception into reality. Because he so rarely encounters people with such a strong natural belief in his abilities, however, Brother Voodoo has many powers that he can call upon through his own beliefs.

His body is inhabited by the spirit of his dead brother Daniel, which he can summon from within him at will. By adding Daniel's spirit to his own, Jericho can double his physical strength and endurance. He can also send Daniel out to possess other people's bodies, making them subject to his will. This control can be subconscious, allowing the person to continue acting normally except for Brother Voodoo's silent will imposed on certain thoughts or actions, or it can completely overtake others as they act as an extension of himself in all things, as if he is literally in two bodies at once. Jericho also has a hypnotic power over all living things, including plants, animals, and other people. This power is weaker than his possession ability, preventing him from forcing people to do anything more than drop their weapon or momentarily stop what they are doing. His control over non-sentient things is far stronger, allowing him to compel creatures to perform a wide variety of tasks under his instruction. This power is limited by the fact that he can only hypnotize one creature at a time, though. Brother Voodoo also has power over smoke and fire. He can cause a thick smoke to materialize at his feet and grow to considerable size. Jericho can mystically see through this smoke unaided, and uses it to disguise his entrances and exits or mask his movements in a given area. Rhythmic voodoo drums magically accompany this smoke, and can prove unnerving and spine-tingling on the weak of spirit. He can also use smoke as a conduit for teleportation, truly appearing or disappearing out of smoke. Similar to a limited pyrokinetic, he can control fire but not create it. Jericho can manipulate the shape and path of flames, and cause them to grow to tremendous size and temperature, or douse them with a thought. He can also become immune to heat and flame for a time with a mental command.

As Houngan Supreme and later Sorcerer Supreme for a time, Jericho's powers increased further as Doctor Voodoo. He employed the Amulet of Agamotto during his time as Sorcerer Supreme, and began wielding the Staff of Legba, channeling great power from the Loa. It also seems to be the source of his self-levitation. Jericho was attuned to the spiritual world, causing him to perceive ghosts and the restless spirits of the unavenged dead. He can help guide the deceased to the true afterlife, depending on their circumstances, or restore the spirits to their bodies in order to resurrect the recently deceased, assuming their bodies are in a condition to support them.

Dr. Jericho Drumm holds a Ph.D. in psychology and has extensive training in vodu (voodoo). He is possessed of extensive knowledge of vodu (voodoo), conventional medicine, and psychology.