Ragman

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Lore & Background

Rory Regan is a Vietnam War veteran and the sole survivor of an attack on his father and friends, inexplicably gaining their collective skills and strengths. Wearing a costume his father made out of rags, he uses these abilities to protect his neighborhood from criminals. Starting in 1991, Rory Regan's origin and nature were revised, making him a Vietnam veteran of Jewish heritage who inherits the mystical Suit of Souls after his father was killed by criminals. Worn by many champions over the centuries, each patch of the costume possesses the soul of a corrupt person who offers their skills, knowledge, protection, and strength to Ragman to earn redemption and release. The series Shadowpact said Ragman's costume was first created in 1812 BCE and has taken on different forms in different eras, but this idea has not been recognized in other stories. In 2017, a revised version of Ragman was introduced with a new origin, appearance, and nature.

In Their Own Story

In his original stories, Ragman is a Vietnam War veteran and the sole survivor of an attack on his father and friends, inexplicably gaining their collective skills and strengths. Wearing a costume his father made out of rags, he uses these abilities to protect his neighborhood from criminals. Starting in 1991, Rory Regan's origin and nature were revised, making him a Vietnam veteran of Jewish heritage who inherits the mystical Suit of Souls after his father was killed by criminals. Worn by many champions over the centuries, each patch of the costume possesses the soul of a corrupt person who offers their skills, knowledge, protection, and strength to Ragman to earn redemption and release. The series Shadowpact said Ragman's costume was first created in 1812 BCE and has taken on different forms in different eras, but this idea has not been recognized in other stories. In 2017, a revised version of Ragman was introduced with a new origin, appearance, and nature.

Reader's Guide

Ragman appeared in the fifth and final seasons of the Arrowverse television series Arrow, portrayed by Joe Dinicol. During an interview, Kubert discussed how the idea for the character originated: "We thought that a superhero character dressed in rags might be a little bit different. What we were looking for, of course, was something along the lines of a superhero, but different from those that were already out. The character was to be dressed in rags. Then we gave him an identity. We went backwards and gave him a history. His father was to be an old circus performer and owning a junkyard now." In June, 1976, DC Comics began publishing the bi-monthly comic book series Ragman (volume 1). The series began in June 1976 (cover dated September 1976) and only lasted 5 issues before ending in April 1977 (cover dated July 1977). Ragman was created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Joe Kubert. The title character Rory Regan was presented as a vigilante who focused on standard urban crime threats such as gangsters, drug dealers, and thieves. After criminals cause power lines to fall to the ground, Rory, his father, and some friends of the family are simultaneously electrocuted. Rory is the only survivor, gaining the collective abilities and physical traits of the other men. The mini-series depicted Rory Reagan as a young man and former active member of the US Marine Corps who had served during the Vietnam War. The letters page of Ragman #3 specifically stated the character was intended by Kanigher and Kubert to be of Irish descent.

Did You Know?

• Ragman was originally created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Joe Kubert in 1976.
• The character was revised to have Jewish heritage and a connection to the Golem of Prague in a 1991 mini-series.
• The Ragman costume is a mystical "Suit of Souls" that grants the wearer the power and skills of the souls it collects.
• The series Shadowpact said Ragman's costume was first created in 1812 BCE, but this idea has not been recognized in other stories.
• Ragman appeared in the fifth and final seasons of the Arrowverse television series Arrow, portrayed by Joe Dinicol.