Mister Twister (comics)

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Mister Twister is the name of three supervillains appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.

Contents

Publication history

The Bromwell Stikk version of Mister Twister first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #54 (July 1964), and was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani. [1] The character was the villain in the first story that brought together Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad — a group that would later become the Teen Titans. [2]

The demon version of Mister Twister first appeared in Titans Hunt #2 (January 2016), and was created by Dan Abnett and Stephen Segovia.

Fictional character biography

Dan Judd

Dan Judd is a writer who researched his latest crime novel by becoming a criminal and forming a gang. When Superman stumbles upon his crime sprees, Mister Twister gets away by having Superman rescue some bystanders from danger. When Dan's gang discovers that they are being used for his novel, they double-cross him and rob him. Upon deducing Mister Twister's identity, Superman rescues Dan and rounds up his gang. Dan ends up in prison where he decides to write a novel on prison life. [3] This is the character's only appearance.

Bromwell Stikk

Mister Twister
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance The Brave and the Bold #54 (June-July 1964)
Created by Bob Haney
Bruno Premiani
In-story information
Alter egoBromwell Stikk
Notable aliasesGargoyle
AbilitiesMister Twister:
  • Wields a weather-controlling stick.

Gargoyle:

  • Super-strength, durability, and stamina

The second Mister Twister is Bromwell Stikk. He was born in the small town of Hatton Corners. His ancestry can be traced back to Colonial times where his ancestor Jacob Stikk leased the town to the Colonists for the price of a feather from a passenger pigeon. Each year, the town elders gave the pigeon feather to the Stikk family as payment. Now in the present day, Bromwell Stikk leaves the town to live in exile on Goat Island. While there, he discovers a Native American cave and an old Shaman's medicine staff. When Bromwell dips the staff in a special brew, he discovers that he can control the forces of nature. With his new powers, Bromwell becomes Mister Twister and returns to Hatton Corners to take revenge on the people who spurned him. He demands payment of the feather of a passenger pigeon that was never given to his later ancestors. Due to the passenger pigeon going extinct in 1913, the mayor is unable to pay. Mister Twister punishes the town by summoning a tornado that whisks away the town's teenage populace. Upon enslaving the teenagers, Mister Twister brings them to Goat Island where he has them erect a twister-shaped stone tower in his honor. Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad arrive in Hatton Corners and learn of the incident, and head off to Goat Island. Kid Flash manages to erect the tower for the children, as Aqualad summons a large whale to move the island. When Mister Twister discovers the island is not in its usual location, he causes havoc in Hatton Corners. He manages to subdue Aqualad and Kid Flash before Robin uses his Batrope to disarm Mister Twister of his staff. Mister Twister is taken into custody and the children are reunited with their parents. Afterwards, Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash form the Teen Titans. [4]

It is later revealed that the Teen Titans' battle with Mister Twister caught the attention of the malevolent entity known as the Antithesis, who transforms him into the Gargoyle. In this new form, Gargoyle fights the Teen Titans and sows doubt in all of them except Robin. Robin surrenders, allowing him to be transported to Limbo so that he can fight Gargoyle, eventually destroying his ring and trapping him in Limbo. [5] While the Teen Titans are on a mission overseas, Mal Duncan accidentally releases Gargoyle from Limbo before re-imprisoning him. [6]

Gargoyle later hypnotizes the Titans to make them enjoy life as if they were never Teen Titans. [7]

Many years later during the Infinite Crisis , Mister Twister (who has apparently returned to human form) is among the mystics in Stonehenge using magic to bind the Spectre to Crispus Allen. [8]

One Year Later, Bromwell Stikk is shown amongst the homeless living in a soup kitchen during Christmas. He encounters Roy Harper who has volunteered at the soup kitchen. Though Bromwell was bitter at first, he makes peace with Roy and is grateful that someone remembered him. [9]

Demon

In "DC Rebirth", Mister Twister is re-established as a demon. [10]

Powers and abilities

The first Mister Twister has no powers.

The second Mister Twister wields a stick that enables him to manipulate weather and generate force fields. However, its power depletes over time unless he uses a special potion to replenish it. As the Gargoyle, he has superhuman physical abilities and hypnotic powers.

The third Mister Twister possesses telepathy and mind-control, which are enhanced by his staff.

Other versions

An alternate universe variant of Bromwell Stikk / Mister Twister appears in Flash (vol. 2) #165. In a world without speedsters, he killed Speedy and Aqualad and put Wonder Girl into a coma during his first fight with the Teen Titans. Subsequently, the Amazons beheaded Stikk and left his head on a spike outside the Justice League's headquarters. [11]

In other media

The Bromwell Stikk incarnation of Mister Twister appears in the Young Justice episode "Welcome to Happy Harbor", voiced by John de Lancie. [12] [13] This version is an assistant to T.O. Morrow and member of the Light who uses armor with weather-controlling capabilities.

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References

  1. Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019). DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle. DK Publishing. p. 105. ISBN   978-1-4654-8578-6.
  2. Wells, John (2015). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1960-64. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 177–178. ISBN   978-1605490458.
  3. Action Comics #96 (May 1946). DC Comics.
  4. The Brave and the Bold #54. DC Comics.
  5. Teen Titans #14 (March-April 1968). DC Comics.
  6. Teen Titans #35 (September-October 1971). DC Comics.
  7. Titans #15 (May 2000) and #16 (June 2000). DC Comics.
  8. Infinite Crisis #6 (May 2006). DC Comics.
  9. Justice League of America vol. 2 #16. DC Comics.
  10. Titans Hunt #3. DC Comics.
  11. Flash (vol. 2) #165 (October 2000). DC Comics.
  12. "Brom Stikk Voice - Young Justice (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved July 7, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
  13. "Mr. Twister Voice - Young Justice (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved July 7, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.