Art by Jesus Saiz
Damon Mathews is federal prosecutor Kate Spencer’s assistant. We first see Damon during Spencer’s closing argument in the trial to prosecute Copperhead. In a brief scene he tires to cheer up Kate while the jury deliberates. Unfortunately, the jury acquits Copperhead.
Damon is next seen in issue #5 when JLA members arrive at the Los Angeles Federal Building. They’ve come to talk with Spencer about the murder of Firestorm (Ronny Raymond) by the Shadow Thief. Damon does his best to make an impression on the Leaguers, especially Hawkman, with whom he flirts and tries to ask out for sushi. Issues #6, 7, and 9 have brief appearances related to work matters with Kate.
Some friendly banter between the pair in issue #11 reveals that Damon is going out on a date with a man. Cameron Chase of the DEO becomes a recurring character with the next issue. She compliments Damon on his “super-heroic physique” as he dashes off to the gym, but not before lamenting that Hawkman wasn’t impressed. He and Kate have a brief conversation in the Federal Building in which she tells him to take charge in a case, but he’s also left wondering how straight men date women because of her secretiveness (issue #16).
A big development comes in a scene in issue #18. Todd Rice (AKA Obsidian) arrives at the front desk asking to speak with Damon, which is quite a surprise for Damon. Todd had hoped to persuade Damon to play hooky with him for the afternoon. Damon begs off though because of heavy caseload and then asks if their date for that night at a sushi place is still on. It seems Damon really does like sushi. They kiss goodbye at the elevator while the on-looking secretary smiles.
Issue #19 has a two-page scene. It opens in Todd’s apartment with Damon and Todd snuggling under the sheets after sex as they try to make plans for the rest of the night. Todd decides to take a shower that is cut short when Damon calls out he has a visitor. Damon is shocked to see projected image of Green Lantern (Alan Scott), and even more surprised when Todd calls him “Dad.”
It’s “One Year Later” in issue #20, and we learn through an “on the super-hero job” conversation between Kate (Manhunter) and Todd (Obsidian) that he and Damon are still dating. In fact, Todd’s returned to surprise Damon for his birthday.
In World War III #3 Federal prosecutor Andrew Bates confronts Damon and boss Kate after an investigation implicates Damon in the theft of items from the Los Angeles police department evidence lockers. Computer logs show his badge was used to gain entry, but there are no videotapes, which would show Kate as the culprit stealing confiscated weapons. Damon calls Bates’ bluff about prosecution. Kate follows suit, a decision softened by a deal struck moments before with DEO Director Mr. Bones to clear Damon’s records and set her up in her own law office. Kate hires Damon to be a defense attorney. (Thanks to Jay for writing and sending scans.)
Most recently in JSA 80 Page Giant #1 (published 10/10) writer Marc Andreyko shows a further development with Damon and Todd trying to start a family by applying to adopt a child which provides a framework for Obsidian’s history to be recounted to the the adoption specialist. Their request is turned down. Andreyko doesn’t clue the reader as to why though we’re told through Todd it has nothing to do with being a superhero, and the couple’s decision to raise a family is reaffirmed with the statement that they’ll continue the effort.
At some point between the time of this story and the approximate 15 year flashforward in Manhunter #37 and 38 show they succeed in creating a family. There is a daughter named Jenny and son Alan, named respectively after Todd’s sister and father. They’re in highschool and Jenny has some kind of ability riffing on Jade’s (whose name she’s taken) while it’s unknown if Alan has powers. Jenny’s power implies she’s the biological child of Todd though it’s uncertain if the same should be said of Alan, and as the reality of family goes, is ultimately irrelevant.
Damon first appears in Manhunter #1 (vol 4) and is outed in Manhunter #5. See the bio for Obsidian and Ramsey Robinson.
© and ® DC Comics. Used without permission.
Tags: couple, DC, gay, Manhunter, Marc Andreyko
And speaking of alternate realities…
With DC’s line wide relaunch that started last month we have no info on whether Damon will exist in the DCNu.
He started out as a character directly connected to Kate Spencer, another character who may or may not now exist. I’m not sure if DC has any plans for the Manhunter character in the DCNu and if they have any we have no way to know if Kate will be mentioned or not.
If we lose Kate that would kind of suck but DC’s trying to get new readers and the Manhunter concept may well have become too convoluted and confusing.
Then Damon became the boyfriend/domestic partner of Obsidian/Todd Rice which gave him a somewhat stronger pre-relaunch DCU link.
But like with Katie, we have yet to know if Todd exists in the DCNu and may have to wait until the new JSA series comes out next year to see whether there’s any chance of Todd being revived or if he’ll be left in limbo.
And even if Todd if revived, will he get enough character focus to give Damon some screen time?
I’d really hate to see 3 cool characters just swept under the rug like this but its totally beyond our control.
The only thing we can do is keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best for Damon, Todd and Kate.
Hello, Maxine,
I think we share the same concerns about Obsidian and Todd and their relationship. Before the Crisis of Infinite Earths series in 1985/1986, DC had multiple, alternate Earths. This concept started in the early 60′s as a way to explain the original versions of heroes in the JSA in relation to versions in the JLA. It was also probably an attempt to boost sales. But I may not be paying attention to what you’ve written because it seems you’re familiar with the concept. What I think may, and may is a big conditional word, happen is there will be a JSA book which Robinson will write and Nicola Scott will draw (and it should be beautiful!) and there will be another book that either directly or indirectly reinvents the Infinity Inc comic, which featured the children of JSA members in the early 1980s.
So far we know that Renee Montoya/ the Question and Mikaal Tomas, the blue Starman, are part of DCNU. Of course, that doesn’t guarantee anything about Todd and Damon. Crossing fingers here too.
Joe
Hi back Joe,
Hope your recovery is continuing to go well!
Yeah you have several good points. I’m not sure if DC would go so far as to have a new Inf Inc comic for E2 but I’d certainly enjoy a new JSA legacy team.
And another thing to ponder on that would Todd be de-aged to his earlier days as a superhero, possibly before he came out or met Damon?
I totally forgot that Todd and Damon would be one of the easiest options James R. could use as an E2 gay couple, that is if he doesn’t scroll Todd back to earlier in his timeline.
And Kate would be easy to revive as well! Not only does Dan Didio like her (which definitely helps her cause) but she could be integrated into the DCNu in a style similar to Cait in the new Superboy series i.e. she could start out as a prosecution or defense attorney representing either superheroes or supervillains and her superhero ID could either evolve or be revealed from there.
If using the Manhunter ID for her is too murky DC could always revive another superheroic ID for her (hmmm, she used a Darkstar uni, perhaps she could be a street-level Darkstar?) or perhaps try and create a new one.
And if Kate returns, her son Ramsey most likely will as well!
Maxine
Also on the subject of Todd and Damon’s possible future family, one idea that popped into my head when I recently thought it over was this:
What if we have a reverse gender version of the story in that indy movie “The Kids Are All Right” where the guys used the same surrogate birth mother to have their kids with each of them fathering 1 of them. So you could have Todd being the bio dad of Jenny (which would explain her powers) and Damon being the bio dad of Alan (which would explain why he might be powerless but the guys are most likely having him trained in self defense anyway just in case)?
But to give a reader’s digest version of the familial origin plot of “The Kids Are All Right” for any readers of this post who haven’t seen it yet, it was about a lesbian couple with 2 kids, also a son and a daughter. They had used the same sperm donor to father both children and each of the women had a pregnancy and birth for one of the children.
I hope that’s not too confusing!
With DCNu though this “possible future” will probably be swept under the rug but I couldn’t resist thinking about it anyway!
Maxine
Hi Maxine,
“Infinity Inc” as a team name always seemed a bit off to me, so I wouldn’t mind one bit if there’s a team book like we’ve been talking about for it to have a new name. Not that there aren’t or shouldn’t be concerns about Todd’s (and Damon’s) possible reintroduction, there are or will be. I hope that the reactions to events in JLA Cry For Justice concerning Tasmanian Devil, Blue Jay, and blue Starman’s still dead boyfriend Tony are still fresh enough in James Robinson’s and DiDio’s minds. Robinson did write some very good scenes with Mikaal and Tony back in the day in Starman, so I’m hopeful he could do similar with Todd and Damon. Gosh, I’d almost forgotten about Ramsey too! Andreyko wrote him so well.
Yes, I’m all back to normal it seems. That is, pending any news my doctor tells me this coming Tuesday.
Joe