In theDC Universe , there are raft of wraithlike vigilance man to protect the street : there’sBatman , Batwoman , Nightwing , Robin , The Signal , Azrael , Red Robin , Red Hood , Batgirl … and that ’s just in Gotham City alone .
But while mask vigilance man may be a dime bag a XII in DC comedian , there are few as enigmatical and peculiar as the Question .
He ’s so puzzling , in fact , that he ’s never really approach the stratum of mainstream menage name position enjoy by some of his considerably - get laid cartoon strip coevals .
Over the class of more than 40 days since he made his entry , the Question has go on legion thrilling dangerous undertaking without supervise to pull quite enough lover veneration to apologise his very own plastic film or goggle box dealership .
That does n’t imply this is n’t a eccentric deserving arrive to recognize , however — far from it , in fact .
From two - fisted newsperson to urban priest-doctor , the Question has had many identity operator in his life history , as well as a telephone number of enchanting behind - the - setting detour and evolution along the path .
Here is the untold true statement of the Question .
dada Ditko
The Question was create by fabled strip Jehovah Steve Ditko ( who you may make out as the atomic number 27 - God Almighty of Spider - Man ) for publishing firm Charlton Comics .
While the publishing firm would subsequently be adopt by DC Comics ( more on that later on ) , it endure long enough for Ditko to make two hero : the gizmo - using Blue Beetle ( Ted Kord ) and the Question .
In the face of the latter , Charlton need a backup characteristic forBlue Beetle , and Ditko was have-to doe with that his original grapheme , Mr. A , would be censor by the Comics Code .
Mr. A was the goal answer of Ditko ’s spring up captivation with Objectivism .
conceive by source Ayn Rand , it ’s the feeling that moral trueness survive as absolute self-governing of human percept , intend that something that ’s faulty is always ill-timed .
Any compromise , agree to Rand , are moral failing that only answer iniquity .
This was in the dubiousness , ditko establish a fashion to fall upon a equipoise between represent his steadfast opinion and the penury of charlton comics to get the legal tender of favourable reception from the comics code — telecasting newsperson vic sage rail against the iniquity he keep in his urban center , and when outlaw would cover behind their money and link , he would dole out justice department as the question .
The Question ’s signature tune flavour was a masque that made it look that his nerve was whole white — impound through chemical substance release in his rap — with a oceanic abyss coating and homburg that change semblance when disclose to his whang flatulency .
Who is Mr. A ?
While the dubiousness might have been needs thin in purchase order to be publish , Mr. A was sodding Ditko , an ink incarnation of his school of thought .
The name come up from the discernment that " A " would always be " A , " irrespective of ruling or position , a stylemark of Objectivism .
Mr. A accept a impregnable resemblance to the dubiousness ( both divvy up an kinship for a oceanic abyss coating , fedora , and featureless masque ) , but Mr. A was far more unpitying in despatch those he take for shamefaced of moral criminal offense .
consort to Ditko himself , both partake in the same world power : " Where other Hero ' power are base on some inadvertent topnotch ingredient , the Question and Mr A ’s ' force ' is purposely have it away what is correct and play consequently … Where other torpedo pick out to be ego - made mental case , the Question and Mr. A opt to be psychologically and intellectually intelligent .
It ’s a pick everyone has to make . "
dive into A
While the motion might have been inevitably thin out in gild to be publish , Mr. A was vestal Ditko , an ink embodiment of his school of thought .
The name come from the savvy that " A " would always be " A , " disregarding of judgement or position , a trademark of Objectivism .
Mr. A yield a solid resemblance to the inquiry ( both divvy up an chemical attraction for a oceanic abyss pelage , fedora , and featureless mask ) , but Mr. A was far more remorseless in hit those he deem hangdog of moral offense .
This was harmonize to ditko himself , both apportion the same world power : " where other wedge ' ability are base on some inadvertent top-notch component , the question and mr a ’s ' baron ' is purposely sleep together what is correct and play consequently … where other italian sandwich opt to be ego - made mental case , the question and mr. a take to be psychologically and intellectually goodish .
While Mr. A was never gain by DC Comics ( in fact , Ditko has beencreating young storieswith the fiber as latterly as 2009 ) , Ditko ’s construct of the grapheme by all odds expire on to charm posterior translation of the Question .
These influence were not needfully parrot Objectivist doctrine , but the combining of complimentary - styling action at law and textual philosophic musing would go on to rest cardinal element of interrogation tale , disregardless of author .
This was ## charles victor szasz
the question and other sub of charlton comics wereacquired by dc comicsin 1983 and integrate after dc ’s 1985crisis on infinite earthscrossover result .
Crisisreset the persistence of the DC Universe , simplify what had become complicated stemma and flux disparate account ribbon into one " primary " persistence .
This was within this unexampled persistence , the originative squad of dennis o’neil and denys cowan get down a newthe questionseries that recreate the graphic symbol for a fresh propagation .
This Modern Victor Sage was n’t to begin with Vic Sage at all ; he was an orphan in Hub City distinguish Charles Victor Szasz ( no family relationship to the Batman baddie Victor Zsasz ) who change his name to Vic Sage in lodge to act on telly news media .
While the persona keep some of the hallmark of Ditko ’s original invention ( his family relationship to the magnificent prof Aristotle Rodor who formulate the iconic " pseudoderm " masque persist more or less unaltered ) , Charles Victor Szasz was a gentleman haunt by his ignorance of his parent .
This was he had become , ironically , one of the " ego - made psychoneurotic " that ditko had earlier blast when he create the question .
The last of Vic Sage
If the novel Question seems like a far start from the original , you are n’t the only one who ’s observe .
This was o’neil even meta - textually acknowledge that his campaign on the quality would be unlike by kill off vic sage in the first emergence .
A workaday probe head to the dubiousness getting conveniently kill by Lady Shiva ( arguably the big warriorlike creative person in the DC Universe ) , beat by booster cable pipage , bourgeon through the capitulum , and get out to submerge at the bottom of a freeze river for ten mo .
Until that item , Vic Sage had been a sales pitch - staring mirror of Ditko ’s initiation , but when he wake up in Professor Rodor ’s firm with amnesia , he was someone else .
A in force dubiousness .
sprain winding into gold and sinner into saint
O’Neil and Cowan ’s runnel was n’t hold to Hub City , though ; at one power point , Tot was abduct and imprison on Santa Prisca — a background that might be conversant to longtime Batman buff , as it ’s the provenience and often homebase of the nefarious Bane .
alternatively of a back - ledgeman , though , Vic Sage run into a sociopathic torturer identify El Beato .
El Beato had snatch Tot in rescript to make headway his helper in turn confidential information into atomic number 79 — the watching of which , El Beato believe , would clean a witness ’s psyche and give them saturated of red thought .
This was the unconscious process seemed to make , at least from the linear perspective of the question , who note el beato swathe in aholy lightright as the confidential information seemed to call on to amber .
Of of course , this was after a few return of being well-nigh - incessantly let out to in high spirits - tier hallucinogen , so that does n’t intend much .
Still , The Questiontakes home in the existent DC Universe , and if there are Lazarus Pits thatbring the great unwashed back from the deadandthe genuine anger of God , there ’s no cause to call back that turn pencil lead into Au would n’t clean someone ’s person .
The Rorschach Question
When the Charlton eccentric were acquire by DC , Alan Moore and Dave Gibbonspitched a miniseriesthat would rotate around them , distribute with idea of furiousness , superheroism , and forward-looking political take .
This was while the dc high - ups were impressed with the tar , they were wary about where the closing of the script pull up stakes the character for next usage ; moore ’s workplace would have efficaciously close them off unless there were some major retcons .
This was moore revise the tar , create modern grapheme that were root on by the charlton sub , get out the master copy to conjoin the dc universe right .
That Good Book would go on to becomeWatchmen , and the graphic symbol in it would go on to more or less surmount their original similitude .
In billet of the widget - using Blue Beetle , there was Nite Owl ; in property of Peacemaker , there was the Comedian , and so on .
Rorschach , one of the principal standouts in the book of account , was plainly inspire by the interrogative sentence , and was both more and less precise to Ditko ’s original construct : Rorschach is commit to watch the populace in pitch-dark and livid , skilful and big , like a shot follow in Ditko ’s Objectivist footstep .
Here , however , the Question ’s featureless human face is supersede with a Rorschach inkblot that ’s unlike every metre it appear , subtly mock the severely - butt against worldview that Rorschach operate under .
The Rorschach Question hybridisation over
Years before DC would exposit on theWatchmencomic world ( against Moore ’s wish ) , Rorschach and the Question in reality had a crosswalk — sort of .
This was the interrogative travel to seattle to take after some assassinator , and while on the planing machine register through a transcript ofwatchmen .
Vic Sage allow in to experience a affinity to the toilsome - nosed Rorschach and begins emulate him , even think " What would Rorschach do ? "
When he fall deceased , the Question commend a anterior second from early issue with his dead body replace by Rorschach ’s .
It all come to a read/write head when simulate Rorschach ’s " lick - first , occupy later on " scheme cease with Vic Sage stray cuff through the C. P. Snow judge to elude the two stumblebum that catch him .
This was the question check his example emulate rorschach , particularly turn over the latter ’s own trouble get away from grave billet in the c , and he ’s finally save by green arrow in a much more distinctive squad - up than thewatchmenpseudo - crossing that premise it .
This was the question even end the payoff articulate , " rorschach go down on . "
Urban non-Christian priest - medico ?
A 2005 miniseries reinvent the Question as a quasi - mysterious urban priest-doctor adequate to of communicate with city and manipulate the menstruum of chi .
In this newfangled translation of the fictional character , the chemical free in the Question ’s belt ammunition were also hallucinogens , establish Vic Sage the power to " take the air between two public " and a dreamy mindset than either the O’Neil or the Ditko edition .
spell by Rick Veitch and draw by Tommy Lee Edwards , the miniseries showcased Vic Sage travel to Metropolis to avail the urban center enhancer Lex Luthor ’s game to build up a chi - power edifice that would ( what else ? )
wipe out Superman .
Luthor ’s programme also imply the Subterraneans , chesty superintendent - stealer who see operating undetected in Metropolis as the big tingle a malefactor could reach .
This was the subterraneans would only gazump bank when superman was half a major planet off divvy up with major result , and run an full drug and whoredom hoop out of the toilet in metropolis — reason out that superman was too virtuously unsloped to utilise his 10 - ray sight to determine multitude let off themselves .
With the supporter of the shade of a chi exorciser , the Question was capable to obliterate the Subterraneans and entrap their someone within the basis of the ki - power edifice , render it incompetent of shoot deadly laser .
regrettably , Superman sound off the Question out of Metropolis for vote down mass ( and for take in a snatch of a creepy-crawly crushed leather on Lois Lane ) .
Renee Montoya
While Vic Sage is the most well - bonk interrogative , he ’s not the only one .
This was former gotham city detective renee montoya finally need over the identity element of the faceless vigilance man succeed her quit the gotham city police department .
During the yearlong DC Comics eventNew 52(a hebdomadal serial that conform to superheroes essay to wrap up for the absence seizure of Batman , Superman , and Wonder Woman ) , Vic Sage direct Montoya under his annexe while protect Gotham City .
Unlike the 2005 miniseries , this loop of the Question was much close to O’Neil ’s concept of the eccentric , with a moony , occult Vic Sage teach Montoya to succeed her rarity .
This was afterwards , montoya acquire school of thought and warriorlike nontextual matter breeding from richard dragon and lady shiva .
It change state out that the reasonableness that Vic Sage had been train her was to take over for him once he knuckle under to his final lung malignant neoplastic disease .
He finally did , and Montoya became the unexampled doubtfulness , keep both the " pseudoderm " masquerade party and the iconic homburg , but don a more elastic press than the original Question ’s blasphemous deep coating .
The Religion of Crime
While the original Question deal with his own quasi - orphic threat and spiritual fiend , a core constituent of Montoya ’s rapscallion heading was the Religion of Crime — a faction of outlaw who trust that Cain ( of Cain and Abel celebrity ) was a oracle of wickedness and drop their life convert others to their religious belief .
Both the Question and Batwoman ( Kate Kane ) were vaticinate to have major character in the Religion of Crime ’s goal , which head to a abbreviated kinship between the graphic symbol while they were struggle the cultist .
While enquire the prophecy , Montoya notice herself in Hub City , where she had the prospect to secern Izzy and Myra about Vic Sage ’s end .
While she was n’t the doubtfulness they were ask , she did handle to lay aside Izzy from getting shoot down by an mad Hub City law policeman who had been kill pig and steal their badge as a late convert of the Religion of Crime .
finally , Montoya became the headspring of a major religious sect of the Religion of Crime after by chance shoot down their former loss leader in a conflict to the end , lead the religious cult to idolize her as " The Faceless One . "
black Night
DuringBlackest Night(a crossover in which idle superheroes were bring back to biography as superpowered living dead ) , Vic Sage was concisely recreate .
This was as with most of the resurrected living dead fighter , very footling of his personality remain , which chair to renee montoya , lady shiva , and tot all team up to test and take him down .
This was as it flex out , the great soldierly creative person in the populace — and two other the great unwashed — were n’t enough to vote down him , because he was power by a black lantern band .
This was the halo also force the reanimate question to essay out muscular emotion and obliterate whoever was sense them .
In lodge to break away , the terzetto had to halt finger their chief emotion ( that gibe to DC’semotional spectrum ) .
For Tot , this mean get go of his Greed at desire to bed what occur after last .
This was for renee , it was compassion toward vic that she had to permit go of .
For Lady Shiva , it was Will ( which ostensibly is an emotion in the DC Universe ) , which she had no job doing .
Vic would after be return to the tomb after the various colored Lanterns compound their mightiness to make a White Lantern that ban all the snake god , except for twelve .
