Throwback Thursday: Brother Voodoo, the Supreme Practitioner

Oct 28, 2021

Jericho Drumm, aka Brother Voodoo, is a Marvel hero and master of mystical powers. He can command living things through hypnosis, summon his brother’s spirit and use it to enhance his strength, speak to the Loa (spirits), and generate smoke to conceal his location. Created through the collaborative effort of Len Wein, John Romita Sr., Stan Lee, and Roy Thomas, Brother Voodoo made his debut in Strange Tales #169 (September 1973).

Jericho studied and practiced psychology in the US for 12 years, then returned to his native home of Haiti. There, he learned that his brother Daniel, the local houngan, was dying by the hands of a voodoo sorcerer who asserted that he was possessed by the spirit of serpent god Damballah. As Daniel died, Jericho promised to go see his brother’s mentor, Papa Jambo to become a master of voodoo practices. Once Jericho attained the powers, Papa Jambo summoned Daniel’s spirit and connected it to Jericho.

Now going by Brother Voodoo, he sought the priest who killed his brother, who had adopted the name of Damballah. Brother Voodoo took Damballah’s artifact of power (the wangal) causing the priest’s snakes to turn on him and his cult followers. His brother avenged, Brother Voodoo became Haiti’s houngan supreme and champion.Established as a hero, he faces down artificial zombies created by AIM, the original Black Talon, Mama Limbo, and the Dark Lord Cult. He also aided heroes like Black Panther, the Thing, Spider-Man, and Moon Knight.

The power that Damballah’s wangal offered enticed him to try it on. The god took over Daniel’s soul inside Jericho, then he traveled to New York City with plans to possess Doctor Strange. The Sorcerer Supreme detached Damballah from Brother Voodoo and confined him back in the wangal. Brother Voodoo recovered by working with the supernatural version of the Howling Commandos and he worked with SHIELD.

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This article originally appeared in Gemstone Publishing’s e-newsletter Scoop.

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Amanda Sheriff is Gemstone Publishing’s Associate Editor, serving as the writer/editor of the e-newsletter, Scoop. She is the author of The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Movie Posters, The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Concert Posters, and The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Horror, and co-author of The Overstreet Price Guide to Star Wars Collectibles and The Overstreet Price Guide to Batman.