DEACON

Real Name: Joey Farrell

Identity/Class: Human, mutate

Occupation: Gangster, religious zealot

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Cat, Kathryn Cinnibar, Jimmy "Greasy" Genova, Mouse, the Shroud, Charlie Sicillian

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Los Angeles, California

First Appearance: Marvel Super-Heroes III#7 (October, 1991)

Powers/Abilities: Deacon could generate light from his hands, generate rings of flame, and cast bolts of lightning from the sky. The light he generated could disrupt the Shroud's mystic senses, making him blind.

History: (Marvel Super-Heroes III#7/3 (fb))- Joey Farrell was once in love with Kathryn Cinnibar, a gangster, and performed a crime for her. When he was captured, she abandoned him to the courts. In prison, Farrell discovered the Bible, and became a born again Christian. Upon his release, he learned that Kathryn had become married. He cast himself out into a desert, hoping to purge himself of his sins, and wandered for five days without food or water. Collapsing in a pool of water, Farrell was transformed when a bolt of lightning hit the water, somehow granting him superhuman powers.

As the Deacon, Farrell returned to Kathryn and made an alliance with her as they planned to take out each of Los Angeles' crimelords.

(Marvel Super-Heroes III#7/3)- As the Deacon held a gathering with his followers in the streets of Los Angeles, an assassin sent by Charlie Sicillian attempted to shoot him, but his aim was thrown off by the Shroud. The Deacon used his powers to blind the assassin, and he fell from his rooftop to his death. The Deacon then used his powers against the Shroud, while simultaneously inciting his followers to cause a riot. The Shroud managed to elude the mob, and Deacon was forced to break up his activities when the police arrived. He left in a car with Kathryn, who informed him that Charlie Sicillian had given up.

The Deacon met with another rival gangster, "Greasy" Jimmy Genova, who at first seemed to pay him off, but then attempted to bring him down with his men. The Deacon defeated Genova's men and informed him that the protection money was now doubled. The Deacon then visited the Cat's Jazz Club where he presented his protection demands to Mouse, threatening her. The Shroud came to her rescue, but the Deacon fought him off, nullifying his mystic senses with his powers. He then destroyed the Cat's Jazz Club with a lightning bolt and departed.

With the Shroud and Kathryn Cinnibar now his only remaining rivals, the Deacon turned on Cinnibar, raiding her base with his men. The Shroud came to Cinnibar's rescue, but the Deacon caught up to him quickly and had his men knock him out. He had the Shroud and Kathryn placed on wooden posts which he would dunk into a pool of water, testing to see if they were witches, while instructing his men to shoot them if they surfaced.

However, the Shroud escaped his bonds and confronted the Deacon. Concentrating, the Shroud was able to resist the effects of his powers, forcing the Deacon to use more and more power, until he released too much energy at once and overloaded himself while standing in the pool of water. The Shroud dragged his body out of the pool and left him for the police.

Comments: Created by Steven Grant, Steve Ditko and Steve Leiahola.

by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
Deacon should not be confused with:

• Deacon, of Earth-MC-2, ally of Doc Magus, @ J2 #4

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