Try our affiliated browser extension - redirect to BreezeWiki automatically!

Tempter (New Earth)

We didn't come to trade wits, Tempter. We came to administer last rites. You're an outdated concept, an obsolete thoughtform.
— Zatanna src

The Tempter was a minor devil who tried to manipulate Superman and Hawkman into nurturing a destructive interpersonal rivalry which would build up to destroying Midway City.

The Tempter set several variables of his plan in motion, planning on exploiting Superman's arrogance and indignation at the apparent ingratitude of humankind and Hawkman's resentment of Superman's greater level of power and more universal popularity. The catalyst for the confrontation between Superman and Hawkman was a Kandorian rogue scientist who had grown impatient with Superman to find a solution to the bottle-city's shrunken condition, and the payoff for the cascade of events this would cause was for Superman to initiate a nuclear explosion that would wipe Midway City off the map. Fortunately, the intervention of Hawkgirl and Lois Lane to appeal to their lovers' heroic natures against their human pettiness reached them, and the situation was defused before it could spark into a true catastrophe. The power of love and conscience proved mightier than the Tempter's appeal to the base selfishness in the nature of mortals.[1]

Years later, the Tempter found his job of tempting mortal men to their own destruction and damnation far more difficult, as commercialism had made it socially acceptable for people's wants to be put on display for all the world to see and eradicated taboos against base desire's fulfillment by encouraging indulgence through consumption as the automatic response. As such, the Tempter was forced to perpetuate his evils through pettier and more mediocre channels, such as tempting a woman with an eating disorder into consuming chocolate in excess to the point of death from resulting health complications (i.e. congestive heart failure). Zatanna and Misty Kilgore deprived the demon of whatever power he had left by belittling his contemporary relevance as the personification of an outmoded concept, specifically the concept of self-destruction through surrender to forbidden desires, and ritualistically banished him from existence.[2]

Powers

Abilities


  • 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.

Related

Footnotes

  1. ↑ World's Finest #209
  2. ↑ Seven Soldiers: Zatanna #3


Superman Villain(s)

This character has been primarily an enemy of Superman in any of his various incarnations, or members of the Superman Family. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Superman Villains category."

Hawkman and Hawkgirl Villain(s)

This character, team or organization, is or was primarily an enemy of the Hawkman, or his associates Hawkgirl and Hawkwoman. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Hawkman Villains category."

Zatanna Villain(s)

This character, team, or organization, is or was primarily an enemy of Zatanna Zatara. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Zatanna villains category."