This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at several obscure characters from around the world whose horror-tinged natures make them ideal for Halloween Season.
THIS FIRST ENTRY IS FROM BRAZIL. For Brazilian superheroes who aren’t horror-based click HERE.
PENITENTE (Penitent)
Secret Identity: Not revealed as yet.
Debut Year: 2006
Origin: This character had been a professional hitman for organized crime in Brazil for several years. One night he was killed in his sleep on orders of his own bosses, but Heavenly forces offered him a chance at redemption. In exchange for them allowing this figure’s soul to animate his now dead body they would grant him supernatural abilities.
To redeem himself in the eyes of Heaven, the Penitente had to save seventy times seven the number of innocent victims he had killed while alive. As part of this purgative servitude he would also be periodically pitted against dark forces which had escaped from Hell.
Powers: The Penitente pursued his activities in his own dead body, which was now unstoppable, albeit bearing many, many scars. He was immune to much physical pain, and his greater than human strength and uncanny skill with guns and other weapons were crucial to his mission.
Comment: Our hero rose from his grave and masked his decaying, scarred face behind a red cloth like those worn during Brazil’s Procession of the Penitents.
And yes, I know this character’s general origin is, uh, reminiscent of an American creation of the 1990s but at least the Penitente’s power set is more grounded, and his “look” is pretty cool. Continue reading
LYNX VS LIBERTY: GAME ONE – The MINNESOTA LYNX visited the NEW YORK LIBERTY to get the Finals started. 
A MAN CALLED SLOANE (1979) – Robert Conrad, often called the ultimate man’s man, was famous for several television series over the decades, especially The Wild Wild West and Black Sheep Squadron. Here is a look at his modern-day spy series from 1979, the last Quinn Martin Production. 
Sultry Michelle Carey, daughter of MacDonald Carey and a veteran of many Wild Wild West episodes herself, provided the voice of EFFIE, the supercomputer at UNIT headquarters. Dan O’Herlihy played UNIT’s director. 
Halloween Month continues as Balladeer’s Blog takes an anticipatory look at Terrifier 3, which hits theaters tomorrow, October 11th. Despite making his first appearance in 2008, Art – the blood-and-gore-soaked supernatural killer of the Terrifier franchise – still gets hailed as a “new” figure because general audiences were unaware of him until 2016. 
THE JOKER (1919) – With the Joker sequel reportedly stinking up theaters around the country I figured why not look at the 1919 pulp magazine hero who used that nom de guerre? 
The previous installments of Fool Killer lore have seen the neglected 1800s folk figure in a variety of roles: 
In honor of the Halloween season this post will look at the Fool Killer as a 1980s slasher. 
THE FOOL KILLER – As we all know, Anthony Perkins starred in the eerie 1965 movie The Fool Killer as an amnesiac Civil War veteran who came to believe he was really the legendary title figure. A 1980s slasher version of the Fool Killer could feature a deranged killer who has similarly come to regard himself as the “real” one.
LIBERTY VS ACES: GAME FOUR – The NEW YORK LIBERTY were on the road against the WNBA’s two-time defending national champions – the LAS VEGAS ACES. 
EZRA PEDEN – This was Allan Cunningham’s tale about the deeds of Scottish Presbyterian Minister Ezra Peden and his encounters with the forces of the supernatural in Scotland from the late 1600s to around 1706. It makes for nice Halloween Season reading and practically makes you feel the chilliness of Scotland in late October as Cunningham depicts the brave, if humorless, Ezra adventuring in the moonlight. 
DOWN GOES NUMBER TWO – In the NAIA the CONCORDIA (NE) BULLDOGS visited the number 2 team in the nation – the NORTHWESTERN (IA) COLLEGE RED RAIDERS. A 7-0 1st Quarter lead for the Red Raiders turned into a 7-7 tie by Halftime. From there the Bulldogs outscored Northwestern College 22-10 to win this Upset 29-17. 
KNOCKING OFF NUMBER FOUR – Over in NCAA Division Two the UNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS COUGARS took it on the road against the 4th ranked MINNESOTA STATE MAVERICKS. At the Half the Cougars led 23-9, but the Mavericks cut that to a 30-23 edge in the 3rd Quarter. USF finalized the Upset in the 4th 40-36. 
ACES VS LIBERTY: GAME THREE – This series moved back to Sin City as the two-time defending national champions, the LAS VEGAS ACES welcomed the NEW YORK LIBERTY. 
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