ORLEANS COOPER

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Demon (Presumably Class II)

Occupation: Demon, jazz club owner

Group Membership: Presumably a former member of one of the Hell-lords' courts

Affiliations: Alphonse, Lili Penrose;
    formerly "Fast" Jack Jessup, Pythias, his demon associates

Enemies: Gambit, "Fast" Jack Jessup, his demon associates and an unidentified master

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Orleans Cooper is presumably not his real name;
    the godfather of New Orleans

Base of Operations: Club Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana;
    formerly unidentified realm of Hell

First Appearance: Gambit IV#1 (November, 2004)

 

Powers/Abilities: Orleans had certain magical powers, including communicating with and summoning beings from the Netherworld. He was presumably superhumanly strong, durable, and long-lived, and he had sharp horns, fangs, and talons. He employed a large number of criminals to enforce his operations.

 

 

 

 

 

History:

(Gambit IV#6 (fb) - BTS) - A demon, "Orleans" was banished from his netherworld to Earth under unspecified circumstances.

(Gambit IV#1 (fb) - BTS) - Posing as a mutant, "Orleans Cooper," he made a base in New Orleans, opening the jazz club "Club Orleans" and other establishments, and establishing himself in organized crime. He eventually proclaimed himself the godfather of New Orleans. Any extralegal activities took place only with his consent and if he got a percentage. Those who failed to follow this policy met with harsh penalty.

(Gambit IV#6 (fb) - BTS) - Orleans allied with occultist Lili Penrose to obtain the powerful (and allegedly first) tarot deck, the Inficio Aquilus. They agreed to manipulate the mutant Gambit and his rival thief "Fast" Jack Jessup to get the cards for them. Both Penrose and Orleans planned to betray each other.

(Gambit IV#1 (fb) - BTS) - Orleans hired Jack Jessup to obtain the Inficio Aquilus.

(Gambit IV#1) - Watching Gambit avert an assault on a young woman, Orleans mused on the excitement of the city. He then paid Jessup a portion of the money they had agreed on but then took Jessup off the job, telling him his expertise was no longer required and warning him to stay out of his business. Orleans next greeted Gambit, who had recently returned to New Orleans. Gambit then met with Lili who hired him to obtain the tarot cards.
    During the above encounter, Jessup stole Orleans' wallet (as they shook hands), his Hydra-designed twin-laser hand cannon kept under his desk (when Orleans stopped to take a call), and the rare Benin Dagger (picked from his lock when Orleans glanced at Gambit stopping the assault.
    Jessup later stabbed Orleans' bartender's hand with the Benin Dagger and instructed him to tell Orleans that he was going to get the cards anyway and then re-negotiation his fee.

(Gambit IV#2) - Jessup contacted Orleans, telling him that he intended to steal the cards from occultist Morgan Penrose. Meeting with a demon (presumably his demon master, summoned via pentagram), Orleans told Jessup he should have his kneecaps broken for his stunt at Club Orleans, but was secretly pleased that everything was proceeding as planned.

(Gambit IV#6 (fb) - BTS) - Orleans presumably made a deal with his demon master to return to the netherworld in exchange for giving him the Inficio Aquilus.

(Gambit IV#3) - As Gambit broke into Morgan Penrose's mansion, Orleans arrived at the mansion in time for Penrose's showing of the Inficio Aquilus. Orleans secretly smiled as Penrose found his cards were missing.
    Meanwhile, Jessup ambushed Gambit (who had stolen the cards), shocking him into submission with an electrical weapon and then stealing the cards for himself.

(Gambit IV#4) - Orleans met with Morgan Penrose whose security systems showed Gambit as the thief (thanks to Jessup reactivating the cameras after Gambit had deactivated them) and who demanded Gambit's death as punishment. Orleans sent his personal assistant, Alphonse, a mutant top-ranking member of the Assassins Guild, to carry out Penrose's request. Subsequently, Orleans -- while meeting with Lili -- ignored Jessup's calls requesting a meeting to sell him the cards, figuring that given a few hours, Jessup would take care of Gambit, or vice-versa.
    Gambit soon stole the cards from Jessup, but Alphonse and his allies then confronted Gambit, beat him senseless, and took the cards.
    Jessup located and killed Gambit's friend Dan Downs, but not before Downs could call the X-Mansion, reaching Wolverine.

(Gambit IV#5) - Orleans was displeased to find Jessup had broken into his office, but rejoiced as Alphonse delivered the Inficio Aquilus. Receiving a call informing him that Gambit had escaped, Orleans kicked out Jessup, warning him that further interference would be met with harsh penalty, and then instructed Alphonse to make sure Gambit did not interfere with his plans for the cards.

(Gambit IV#5 - BTS/ Gambit IV#6 (fb) - BTS) - Gambit & Wolverine destroyed Orleans assets and operations.

(Gambit IV#5 - BTS/ Gambit IV#6 (fb) - BTS) - Duping Alphonse into believing the entire team of X-Men were in town, Gambit terrified him into stealing the Inficio Aquilus from Orleans, replacing it with the "Spongebill Squareshorts" special edition of Uno cards, and then leaving town.

 

 
(Gambit IV#6 (fb) - BTS) - Orleans performed the ritual to summon his demon associates: "Okraas," "Malonch," and "Cephyr."

(Gambit IV#6) - Orleans revealed to his demon associates his intent to not offer up the Inficio Aquilus to his master, but instead to use the card's power to rule Hell, growing in size as he spoke. He handed the cards to the three demons, telling them that the cards power enslaved their will to his and that they would lead armies in his name to raze Earth into a fiery Hell. The demons took the cards and immediately recognized the swap. Dumbfounded, Orleans stood helplessly as the red-skinned demon ("Malonch") reached forward and seared his face. They left him behind, still banished to Earth, but now with his New Orleans career in shambles as well.
    Believing Jessup had swapped the cards (as he was the last thief who had access to them), Orleans sought him out and took his vengeance.

(Gambit IV#7 (fb) - BTS) - Orleans slaughtered Jessup, leaving him looking "like he was turned inside out slowly."

(Gambit IV#7 (fb) - BTS) - Orleans disappeared from New Orleans.

 

 

Comments: Created by John Layman, Georges Jeanty, and Don Hillsman II.

Cephyr, Malonch, Okraas and Pythias were named in the Demons entry update in OHOTMU A-Z Softcover (2012).

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No KNOWN connections to:

 

 

demon associates

 

    Okraas, Malonch, and Cephyr (from left to right) were summoned to Earth by Orleans, intending to accept the Inficio Aquilus for their master. Orleans attempted to use the cards to enslave them and then use them to conquer both Hell and Earth, but they swiftly realized that the Inficio Aquilus had been switched with a powerless deck of cards. Furious, "Malonch" scorched Orleans face and left him banished on Earth.

(Journey Into Mystery I#627 (fb)) - Malonch attended the Devil's Advocacy to talk about the Serpent (Cul)'s actions on Earth.

--Gambit IV#6 (Journey into Mystery I#627

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pythias

 

 

    An unspecified time in the past, Orleans was banished to Earth, presumably by Pythias.

 

 

    Orleans recently contacted Pythias, making an agreement. It was planned that by soaking the Inficio Aquilus in the blood of a freshly removed human heart and then invoking the true name of "the evil one," Orleans would offer up the cards to his master. As reward for the delivery of the powerful cards, Orleans was to be admitted back to the netherworld. Orleans instead betrayed his alliance, intending instead to use the cards to rule Hell. Foiled by Gambit, Orleans remained trapped on Earth.

(Journey Into Mystery I#627 (fb)) - Pythias attended the Devil's Advocacy to talk about the Serpent (Cul)'s actions on Earth.

--Gambit IV#2 ([6], Journey into Mystery I#627

 

 

 

images: (without ads)
Gambit IV#1, p14, panel 3 (human form)
    #2, last page, last panel (with demon master?)
    #5, p20, panel 5 (ritualistic costume)
    #6, p6, panel 3 (demon associates)
        p7, panel 5 (main image, demon form)
        p8, panel 8 (slight profile, demon form, showing beard better)
        p9, panel 5 (burnt face)

Appearances:
Gambit IV#1-2 (November, 2004) - by John Layman (writer), Georges Jeanty (penciler), Don Hillsman II (inker), Stephanie Moore & Sean Ryan (assistant editors), Mike Marts (editor).
Gambit IV#3 (December, 2004) - by John Layman (writer), Georges Jeanty (penciler), Don Hillsman II (inker), Stephanie Moore & Sean Ryan (assistant editors), Mike Marts (editor).
Gambit IV#4 (January, 2005) - by John Layman (writer), Georges Jeanty (penciler), Don Hillsman II (inker), Stephanie Moore & Sean Ryan (assistant editors), Mike Marts (editor).
Gambit IV#5 (February, 2005) - by John Layman (writer), Georges Jeanty (penciler), Don Hillsman II w/ Dexter Vines (inker), Stephanie Moore & Sean Ryan (assistant editors), Mike Marts (editor).
Gambit IV#6 (March, 2005) - by John Layman (writer), Roger Robinson (penciler), James Pascoe w/ Don Hillsman II (inker), Stephanie Moore & Sean Ryan (assistant editors), Mike Marts (editor)
Journey Into Mystery I#627 (November, 2011) - Kieron Gillen (writer), Richard Elson (art), Ralph Macchio (senior editor)

First Posted: 06/18/2007
Last updated: 08/16/2012

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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