Boogieman

Context

Milestone Comics was one of the more interesting new super-hero publishers that popped up during the comics boom of the early 1990s.

One of their higher-profile books was the Blood Syndicate – heroes organised as a street gang in a majority African-American city.

Background

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Powers and Abilities

Martin Berger has the ability to change into a humanoid man-sized rat. In this form he has much greater physical prowess and strength and can communicate with rats.

Boogieman has established an excellent rapport with the local rat population. They routinely inform him of unusual situations, and will track him down even in his human form.

His years of illicit activities have also given Martin some skill as a thief.

History

Boogieman is a Bang Baby. That is, a gang member who received superhuman powers in the wake of the Big Bang. The Big Bang was supposed to be a rumble between all of the major gangs of Paris Island to settle their turf wars, once and for all. The Dakota City Police Department learned of the impending showdown and developed a special tear gas that also contained a radioactive marker.

Their plan was to use the gas to break up the Big Bang and then trace the gang members down the next day by tracing the radioactive “tags.” Instead, most of those exposed to the tear gas died. The handful of surviving gang members that lived had all developed superhuman abilities.

One of the Bang Babies, Rolando Texador, took the name Tech-9 after his favorite type of pistol. He gathered his fellow survivors together with a proposal. Tech-9 wanted to form a new gang, the Blood Syndicate, to achieve substantive positive social change.

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Social justice gangstas

They took over an abandoned door factory, which they simply dubbed The Factory. From there, the Blood Syndicate smashed crack houses throughout Paris Island. While ridding the neighborhood of the dealers the used money captured in these operations to fund their activities. In the course of their work they would acquire new members, and put an end to many threats in Paris Island.

Boogieman joined the team soon after they formed. He proved himself by defending Brickhouse when she was ambushed by a rival group, and then battling alongside the Syndicate. When the Syndicate learned that Boogieman’s alter ego was White, they became suspicious of him. Boogieman demonstrated himself to be a loyal team member and their doubts eventually faded (no pun intended).

One of the Blood Syndicate’s greatest enemies was the Demon Fox. After numerous battles, the Blood Syndicate finally defeated the Demon Fox at the cost of Syndicate member Kwai’s life. After this final battle, Aquamaria and the rest of the Blood Syndicate disbanded and went back to their separate lives.

Holocaust play

In the wake of the original Syndicate’s disbanding, former Syndicate member-turned-criminal Holocaust began forming a new Blood Syndicate. This version was more sympathetic to his schemes. He recruited villainous Bang Babies as well as some former members of the first Syndicate. He then arranged a confrontation with Icon to remove that hero as an obstacle to his plans.

This became Holocaust’s ultimate undoing.

1. Icon had brought Hardware, Static, and Rocket as backup.
2. One of Holocaust’s new recruits was an undercover federal agent.
3. All of the members of the previous Syndicate who had joined had only done so to uncover Holocaust’s plots and partners.

With the rest of the original Blood Syndicate also arriving to support their friends, Holocaust’s crew was quickly subdued and taken into custody.

In a last ditch dominance play, Holocaust challenged Wise Son to a one-on-one duel for leadership of the Blood Syndicate. Wise Son agreed and capably battered Holocaust. Frustrated, Holocaust grappled Wise Son and pushed his powers to the limit. The conflagration consumed Holocaust, leaving naught but a skeleton behind, while leaving Wise Son unharmed.

Having earned the Blood Syndicate’s respect anew, Wise Son took leadership of the reformed team with a promise to focus on fighting for justice.

Milestone Forever

One result of the Final Crisis series was the integration of the Milestone Universe into the mainstream DCU. The cataclysmic events therein destroyed the universe in which Milestone took place. But the powerful psychic Dharma was able to harness the power of Rift, the powerful being behind the original Milestone/DC crossover. This saved his universe’s inhabitants.

The two realities have been merged as if they were always one. Dharma altered “histories and memories of both, but only enough to smooth out any inconsistencies.”

The only people currently aware of the transition are Icon, Superman, and Dharma. Icon and Superman have agreed to keep the secret and help Dharma when necessary to complete the interweaving of realities.

This process was hindered by Starbreaker’s attempt to steal Dharma’s powers. It is thus on-going. Dharma stated that it would be months, if not years, before it was complete. This was likely also a metatextual statement on the incorporation of the Milestone characters into DC Comics’ mainstream titles.

As of this writing (February 2010) it is unclear what alterations to the Blood Syndicate’s history may have occurred as a result of the merging.

Description

In his human form, Martin Berger is a non-descript Caucasian teenage boy.

As Boogieman, he is a man-sized humanoid rat covered with short brown fur and usually wears black spandex jogging shorts, black wristbands, and a red baseball cap turned backwards with the word “Slam” written on the front in white.

Though he is bipedal in his rat form, Boogieman has a hunched posture, and runs using his arms and legs.

Personality

Martin is a typical teenaged boy. He’s protective of his friends, thrilled by adventure (especially the adventures that come with being Boogieman), and reluctant to do his chores at home.

Boogieman was particularly excitable. He tended to speak in rushed shouts when feeling anxious.

Quotes

“Aw shit, Ma, I’m tryin’ to sleep !”

“I ain’t scared of you! I AIN’t!”

DC Universe History

The Big Bang and the Blood Syndicate can dropped into any urban area where gang activity plays a major role.

Boogieman can be used individually in any urban setting, and might be very useful in a scenario where the PCs have to enter the sewer system. He might be able to reason with the Ratcatcher.

By Kynn Bartlett, edited by JD and Roy Cowan.

Source of Character: Milestone Imprint, DC Comics.

Helper(s): David J Oakes, milestone.luthor.com (defunct).