(Strange Tales I#169 (fb) - BTS) - It is believed that for many generations Papa Jambo taught people in the way of the Houngan.

   Daniel Drumm became Papa Jambo's student and eventually mastered the way of the Houngan to become Brother Voodoo.

(Strange Tales I#169 (fb)/Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#16 (fb) ) - Before Daniel was killed by Damballah he told his brother to seek out Papa Jambo and ask him to return to his people and help them. Jericho took his brother Daniel's corpse into the jungle and carried him until he collapsed. Papa Jambo found him and took care of Jericho, but he was not willing to return to Jericho's village to defend the people from Damballah. He instead promised to teach Jericho voodoo and turn him into the new Brother Voodoo.

(Strange Tales I#170) - Jericho was learning from Papa Jambo the old ways of the Voudoun and as Jambo's finest student became the new Brother Voodoo in a very short time. Papa Jambo helped Jericho summoning the soul of his dead brother Daniel so he could help him to defeat Damballah. Jericho ended the Dance Vaudou possessed by Daniel's soul.

   The Old Man died at the end of the ritual saying that he should have passed a long time ago but couldn't because no one was worthy taking his place as the greatest houngan of the Earth. His last words were that he and Jericho would meet again. Jericho buried the old man and, thanks to his newly acquired powers, Brother Voodoo defeated Damballah in a contest of powers.

(Tales of the Zombie#10 - BTS) - Dramabu, a Houngan of the Loa of Death, resurrected the dead as Zombies Papa Jambo was the only one to resist his resurrection. Dramabu made the Zombies attack people including one of Jericho's friends Sarah Le Jeune, who faced her dead husband Charles. After she was killed and her daughter captured as a future sacrifice for the Houngan of Death, Jericho came to the graveyard where the malefic Houngan was raising the dead.

(Tales of the Zombie#10) - The girl couldn't be sacrificed by the evil Houngan Dramabu because the Loa would only accept the sacrifice of a powerful Houngan so he resurrected Papa Jambo. While under Dramabu's control Papa Jambo was going to slay Sarah's daughter, but Brother Voodoo sent his brother Daniel's spirit out to possess Papa Jambo and stop him from killing the girl. Under Daniel's control Papa Jambo tossed a knife at Dramabu, then Brother Voodoo pulled Daniel's spirit from Papa Jambo's zombie form. Finally, Brother Voodoo defeated Dramabu by throwing him to his death on the rocks in the canyon below. After Dramabu's death Papa Jambo and the other zombies crumpled to the ground, finding peace in death once again.

(Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#16/2, 20/2) - Doctor Strange read about the origins of Brother Voodoo and the history of his predecessors including Papa Jambo in the Book of the Vishanti.

Comments: Created by Len Wein (writer), Gene Colan (pencils) & Dan Adkins (inks).

Several different types of Voodoo cults have developed during the centuries.

In some areas of the Caribbean, the traditions of one African tribe or people tended to become dominant.

Also, the culture of each colonial country (England, France, Portugal and Spain) influenced the slaves, often in unexpected ways.

Although the rituals and ceremonies of all the different traditions work in the same manner, there are cultural differences between them, from which gods or saints they worship to the language they speak.

How old was Papa Jambo? In Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#20/2 4 people besides Papa Jambo were depicted as Lord of the Loa or Brother Voodoo. Laurent (active during the 17th century), an unidentified Brother Voodoo active during the 18th century, and presumably Daniel and Jericho Drumm. Papa Jambo was possibly active throughout the 19th century up to the modern era.
--Markus Raymond

Brother Voodoo's origin from Strange Tales I#169-170 was reprinted in Doctor Voodoo - The Origins of Jericho Drumm#1 (January, 2010). A quick retelling of his origin was part of the Book of the Vishanti back-up in Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#16 (April, 1990), which was later reprinted in Doctor Voodoo's own title in 2010.

Profile by Julien Vivé (with help from Markus Raymond).

CLARIFICATIONS:
Papa Jambo has no known connection to:

• Papa Doc, grandfather of Layla, led Zombie (Simon Garth) to rest, killed by Calypso @ Tales of the Zombie#8
• Papa Hagg, spiritual advisor of Nighthawk (Kyle Richmond) @ Defenders II#1
• Papa Nebo, voodoo priest, converted Angelina Beliard into zombie, killed by Zombie (Simon Garth) @ Strange Tales IV#1/3
• Papa Shorty, legless voodoo priest, briefly controlled Zombie (Simon Garth), later killed by him @ Tales of the Zombie#5
• Papa Verite of Ultraverse, voodoo priest @ Prime I#14
• any other papa or character with a similar name

images: (without ads)
Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#16/2, p2, pan1 (main image)
Strange Tales I#170, p5, pan (head shot)
Tales of the Zombie#10, p11, pan5 (as zombie)

Appearances:
Strange Tales I#169 (September, 1973) - Len Wein (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Dan Adkins (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Strange Tales I#170 (October, 1973) - Len Wein (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Dan Adkins (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Tales of the Zombie#10 (March, 1975) - Doug Moench (writer), Tony De Zuniga (artist), Dave Kraft & Don McGregor (editors)
Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#16 (April, 1990) - Roy Thomas & Jean-Marc Lofficier (writers), Geof Isherwood (artist), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#20 (August, 1990) - Roy Thomas & Jean-Marc Lofficier (writers), Geof Isherwood (artist), Ralph Macchio (editor)

First Posted: 12/09/2015
Last updated: 12/09/2015

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

Back to Characters