From DC Database
Aliases
The Devil; The Living Dead Man; The Haunted Horseman
Base Of Operations
California in the late 19th century.
Characteristics
Status
Occupation
Former bank clerk; former vigilante
Origin
Place of Death
Unknown; the final fate of El Diablo has yet to be chronicled.
History
In the late 19th century, a gang of criminals broke into a bank and assaulted the tellers. One of the bank clerks, Lazarus Lane, failed to take action against the thieves, and as a result, the criminals mercilessly gunned down one of the other clerks.
Stricken by guilt for his own inaction, Lazarus sought to avenge his fallen friend by confronting the bank robbers. They easily outnumbered him however and tossed him into a shallow stream. Some time after they had left him, a bolt of lightning crackled from the sky striking Lazarus in the chest. Lane slumped over, lapsing into a coma.
His trusted friend, Wise Owl – an Apache Native American, discovered Lane's body and brought him back to his hacienda. He placed him before the fireplace and kept a close vigil over him for two days and nights. There was no ready explanation for why Lane was even still alive, but Wise Owl continued to care for him, administering aid in the form of strange roots and powders.
Three nights later, Lazarus, like his namesake, seemingly rose from the dead. Whether Wise Owl's medicine and prayers had any influence on his friend’s resurrection would never be known. Grabbing hold of his new lease on life, Lazarus decided to become a dark, driven avenger of the night. Dedicated towards righting wrongs, he adopted the name and guise of El Diablo.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
El Diablo appeared to have possessed an uncanny stamina and ability to survive insurmountable danger. Whether this was a reflection of Wise Owl's Apache magic upon him, or his own natural heartiness has yet to be explained.
Abilities
El Diablo was an expert rider and hand-to-hand combatant. He was proficient with several different types of weapons, but preferred his bullwhip or bolas.
Strength level
In his prime, El Diablo possessed the strength level of a man his age, size and weight who engaged in intensive regular exercise. In certain circumstances, El Diablo displayed feats of strength and speed which could be described as super-human.
Paraphernalia
Transportation
El Diablo rode a black stallion named Lucifer.
Weapons
A six-shooter, a Bowie knife, a bullwhip and bolas.
Notes
- Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-One era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985-86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and should be considered apocryphal.
Trivia
- El Diablo is Spanish for The Devil.
- El Diablo has made one appearance outside of the comic book medium. An animated version of El Diablo appeared alongside his allies, the Justice Rangers, in the Justice League Unlimited episode "The Once and Future Thing, Part I: Weird Western Tales". Actor Nestor Carbonell provided the voice for El Diablo.
- In 1990, Star Trek: Voyager's Robert Beltran played a character named El Diablo in a made-for-TV movie by the same name. Beltran's El Diablo bears no relation to the comic book character.
- A character named El Diablo is likewise featured in the PC platform video game, Freedom Force. Again, this version of El Diablo has no relation to the DC Comics character.
- El Diablo's first name, Lazarus, is taken from a biblical figure who, like El Diablo, rose from the dead.
See Also
Recommended Reading
Related Articles
Links and References
Footnotes
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Lazarus Lane (New Earth) was a monthly Main Page Featured Article on the DC Database Project for its degree of quality, excellence, and general not-suckiness.
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