By Richard Rodrigues and Arune Singh
This October, there's a new Sorcerer Supreme in town, and he's unlike any you've ever seen before.
In the first part of a three-part feature, Marvel.com takes you behind the scenes of DOCTOR VOODOO: AVENGER OF THE SUPERNATURAL #1 with series writer Rick Remender to discuss his plans for this new ongoing series and get a look at the main players.
Up first, the man himself: Jericho Drumm, aka Doctor Voodoo!
Marvel.com: What should readers know about Jericho Drumm when jumping into DOCTOR VOODOO?
Rick Remender: He's a classic Marvel character: tragic past, position of power thrust upon him. He'd left Haiti to live in the [United States] where he went to medical school. His brother Daniel remained behind and took the role of Houngan Supreme, the Sorcerer Supreme of Voodoo. Daniel ran afoul some bad mambo jambos and was cursed; end result, Daniel died and Jericho had to pick up his mantle to save his home city and to make good on his promise to his brother. Currently Jericho lives in New Orleans where he runs a non-profit clinic and keeps the evil Loas at bay. Then one day-pow-he's the Sorcerer Supreme and every major bad ass in the [Marvel Universe] is out to take him down.
Jericho Drumm, aka Doctor Voodoo, is stuck between two lives; that of a voodoo healer and psychologist serving the impoverished communities of New Orleans and that of the new Sorcerer Supreme, defender of the unknown.
As [Daimon Hellstrom] prophesized in NEW AVENGERS #54] there are supernatural forces, beings of malevolence and supreme arcane power that lurk in the shadows, conspiring to spread their festering darkness to our world. With premonitions as to the arrival of these terrible forces, the Eye of Agamotto has passed the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme onto the one man who has the unique gifts to stave off the shadows; a man who recognizes how to combat the coming darkness-as it was his birthplace.
Marvel.com: We've seen Stephen Strange as the Sorcerer Supreme and he's been pretty integral to the Marvel Universe-will this hold true for Drumm?
Rick Remender: For sure; if you're going to put the spotlight on him you have to give a character like this a pertinent role, something important to the Marvel Universe. There are bad things looming on the horizon and they all revolve around Jericho.
Marvel.com: Now that Drumm is stronger than he's ever been, what inspired your take on him? He's never had this role before.
Rick Remender: I see him as a guy who has his own thing going on, his own life; he's content to protect New Orleans and he's content as the Houngan Supreme. He's not Doctor Doom, he's not the guy who feels entitled to this, it's thrust upon him and it devastates his old life. I like the idea of someone who didn't need the job but once he's got it everyone is looking at him to rise up to the responsibility. He does too, though he over compensates at first.
As for his strength, Jericho is up against
Dormammu and Doctor Doom; he's up against world-class huge [Marvel] villains. He could take his old foes down without breaking a sweat with his current power levels. It's a new world for Jericho; he's in the major leagues now.
Marvel.com: In those big leagues we're accustomed to seeing Doctor Strange wielding pretty heavy magical powers. How does Drumm approach it in contrast to Strange?
Rick Remender: Stephen Strange is more centered and thoughtful; Jericho is a man of passion. He's equally intelligent, and now equally powerful, though he has a lot to learn about that power. When I say he runs passionate, he's almost obsessive, in that he's very eager to prove that he's worthy of the title of Sorcerer Supreme. He's out to prove it to himself and his ancestors. Stephen Strange was the type to often wait back and take care of things as they occurred; Jericho is a more pro-active and aggressive Sorcerer Supreme.
Marvel.com: The covers so far show Doctor Voodoo wielding the Staff of Legba. Is it like his Eye of Agamotto?
Rick Remender: It is the Houngan Supreme's version of the Eye. It holds the power of the crossroads, the ability to dimension jump. Jericho does a lot of jumping into the stream of the Everdimensions and we run into some of Marvel's biggest bad guys.
Tomorrow we're back with part two of Just Voodoo It, as Remender sheds some light on the supporting players! Don't miss DOCTOR VOODOO: AVENGER OF THE SUPERNATURAL #1, on-sale October 7th!
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