RUBACHRUBACH
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Human variant (the Blood), magic user
Occupation: agent of Zarathos
Affiliations: The Blood, the Fallen, Zarathos; formerly the Spirits of Vengeance;
Enemies: The Blood (esp. Raydar); Midnight Sons (Blade, John Blaze, Frank Drake, Dr. Strange, Ghost Rider/Dan Ketch/Noble Kale, Hannibal King, Morbius, Vengeance)
Known Relatives: possibly the Blood
Aliases: None
Base
of Operations: currently unknown; the catacombs below Cypress
Hills Cemetery; an unnamed dimension
First Appearance: (Shadows) Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance#17 (December, 1993), (seen) Nightstalkers#15 (January, 1994), (named) Morbius#17 (January, 1994)
Powers/Abilities: Rubach possessed superhuman
speed to an uncertain degree. He also could create energy packets
that could be set off at a later time, exploding or generating a
rocket-like thrust (kind of along the lines of Gambit or Time
Bomb/Boom Boom/Boomer/Tabita Smith).
He was apparently immune to conventional disease and the effects
of aging.
History: BTS-Long ago, Rubach was one of
the Blood, who fought against the evil of Zarathos. He may even
date back as far as 20, 000 BC.
At some point, Rubach turned from the Blood, and became one of
the Fallen, who instead worshipped and served Zarathos.
(Midnight Sons Unlimited#4 (fb) - BTS) - Centuries, or perhaps millennia ago, the Fallen assaulted a South American tribe (Incan? Aztec? Mayan?).
BTS - The Fallen were banished to an unnamed dimension in the distant past, and Rubach presumably was among them.
BTS - The Fallen regained access to Earth via the machinations of their own sorcerous ally, Salomé.
(SoV#17) - Several
of the Fallen, including Rubach, appeared in Cypress Hill
Cemetery, rescuing Zarathos from defeat at the hands of the
Midnight Sons.
(Nightstalkers#15) - Zarathos and the Fallen attacked the Midnight Sons briefly, then abducted Caretaker and invaded and took over Caretaker's former base below the cemetery. The Nightstalkers (Blade, Frank Drake, and Hannibal King) followed them, but Drake was trapped and the others for forced to temporarily flee.
(Ghost Rider III#45-BTS) - Patriarch joined the Fallen.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#145) - Rubach and the Fallen observed as Patriarch and Zarathos plotted against the Blood and continued to torture Caretaker.
(Morbius#17) - Rubach and Embyrre were sent to locate and recruit or slay the Blood member Raydar. Rubach laid the smackdown on some people in a bar until they told them what they wanted to know. When they found Raydar, they also encountered Morbius and Hannibal King, who had been tracking down th Blood to recruit them for the other side. King summoned a legion of rats that apparently devoured Rubach.
Comments: Created by Howard Mackie and...it's hard to tell...everyone who wrote and drew the "Siege of Darkness" had a part, I guess.
Of a poorly defined group (the Fallen and/or the Blood), Rubach is the least defined. He was a scribble in the background in the first couple issues, and it wasn't until re-reading the Siege of Darkness in order that I learned his name, abilties, and fate.
Is the name Rubach supposed to have some significance? The only thing I could see out of it would be Rubik, like the cube, which makes no sense.
CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connections to:
Rhubarb, that red celery-stuff that makes sweet
pie....mmm...rhubarb.
Appearances:
Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance#17 (December, 1993) - Howard Mackie (writer), Henry Martinez (pencils), Bud La Rosa (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Nightstalkers#15 (January, 1994) - Steve Grant (writer), Andrew Wildman (pencils), Frank Turner (inks), Chris Cooper (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#145 (January, 1994) - Chris Cooper (writer), Reggie Jones (pencils), Fred Harper (inks), Richard Ashford (editor)
Morbius#17 (January, 1994) - Gregory Wright (writer), Isaac Cordova (pencils), Andrew Pepoy (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Midnight Sons Unlimited#4 (January, 1994) - D.G. Chichester (writer), John Hixson & John Bridges (pencils), Bill Anderson, Rich Rankin & Scott Koblish (inks), Evan Skolnick (editor)
Last updated: 08/01/02
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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