Unlike the first two characters we have reviewed, DC’s Ragman has a more contemporary beginning. While Namor or Dr. Fate, had origins that traced back to the 1940’s, Ragman made his first appearance in his own magazine in 1976 and was created by writer Robert Kanigher and veteran artist Joe Kubert.
Rory Regan was a Vietnam veteran. He had grown up helping his father, a junk man who owned a pawn shop named Rags ‘n’ Tatters. A man of meager means, his father always dreamed that one day he would make a better life for Rory. One night, while drinking with his friends, his father discovered 2 million dollars stuffed inside an old mattress that had been pawned just recently. With his promise in mind and the fact that he and his friends were too old to benefit from the money, he and his friends decided to hide the money for Rory. As you might assume, when that much money is missing, someone will come looking for it. In this case, the money turned out to be the loot from an armored car heist and naturally the hoods involved came to the shop to get it. They shot down some electrical wires and used them to torture Rory’s father and his friends in order to get them to reveal where the money was hidden. Rory arrived soon after and, upon seeing his father in agony, he attempted to free him from the wires. Before he could rescue him, a final surge of power ran through the old men and grounded out at Rory, knocking him unconscious. Upon regaining consciousness, he found his father and friends were dead and those responsible were gone. Using a costume made out of old rags his father had purchased from a stranger, he became Ragman, “the Tatterdemalion of Justice.” Due to electric shock, Rory appeared to have gained the physical abilities of the men who were electrocuted. Their abilities were transferred to him as they were all touching when the final charge of electricity flowed through them and into Rory. Through this transference, he had an acrobat’s agility, a strongman’s strength, and a boxer’s skills. This was the pre-crisis (Crisis on Infinite Earths) version and as such Rory was Irish and not Jewish as he would become in the post-crisis version.
As is the case with most characters, Ragman’s origin changed some after the post-crisis. In this 
version, Ragman was originally a mystical hero created by a 16th century Jewish community to replace the Golem that was protecting them. The last European Ragman, named Jerzy Reganiewicz, fled to the United States after he his belief that he failed to protect his people from the Nazis. With the move came a name change to Gerry Regan and he eventually passed the mantle of Ragman on to his son Rory. In this story the suit is just not made of rags. Each of the patches in the suit is made from the soul of an evildoer that Ragman had punished and absorbed. During this early time, Rory meets Rabbi Luria who knows the history of the Ragman. The Rabbi then trains him on how to use the suit properly. He tells Rory that the rags are evil souls. Each rag being one soul. He explains that whenever the Ragman fights crime he also has to fight the evil spirits that inhabit each rag. It is ever the rags intentions to try to control the wearer and destroy him.
Just as the Rabbi warned, when you spend your time absorbing the souls of evil-doers, it is inevitable that bad things might happen. The absorption of these souls eventually became a problem for Rory, when the evil souls he absorbed hungered for murder and finally were able to free themselves of Ragman. It was only with the support of Batman and the Rabbi that he regained control, though it came at the cost of Rabbi Luria’s life. Ragman’s powers have increased since then. He can call upon the souls in his costume to lend him their attributes or power. He is also a very proficient magic user.
With the Ragman’s popularity, the character eventually found his way into the CW’s Arrowverse. This was in season 5 of The CW’s Arrow. For the series, he retains his abilities, looks, and Jewish identity, but his origin has been changed to fit with events in the show’s continuity. Ragman/Rory Regan is played by Joe Dnicol. With Rupert Wyatt’s recent comments about the possibility of Ragman Film, is that something you would like to see? Share your thoughts about a film starring the “Tatterdemalion of Justice” with us at GVNation.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
