In 1976, "weird" heroes were in. DC was searching for new characters to compete with rival Marvel Comics. Marvel was a hit with the new comic reader who wanted something more than the two dimensional do-gooders that had been the norm when DC was the top selling comic company. DC's best selling books during this time were its' mystery books such as House of Secrets and House of Mystery. This, along with the popularity of Marvel's more unusual heroes such as Warlock and the revamped X-Men (introduced one year earlier), prompted DC to try its' hand at a line of offbeat characters. One of these was Ragman.

The first series was a truly fascinating series. Although the villains were of the relatively unoriginal mobster type, the character of Ragman himself was truly unique. Where Spider-Man introduced the concept of a superhero whose personal life was laced with problems, Ragman went one step further. The neighborhood of Rory Regan was a hotbed of gang crime as opposed to Aunt May's secure picture of suburbia.

The Ghetto was a dangerous place, and the Ragman didn't have a utility belt, fancy armor or any of the usual superhero gimmicks. His costume was composed of rags that were sewn together. He mirrored his worn out surroundings. Amongst a populace of poor, of homeless and those without hope, he was the essence of what a hero there would be. he was someone who had not been dealt the hand that he wished, yet fought the good fight anyway.

Another interesting tidbit, before alien symbiotes drooled their way into mainstream comics and hellspawn parasites flung chains to defend the innocent, the Ragman suit acted of its' own accord. It defended its' wearer. It enabled him to perform amazing feats. And it did it eight years before the next runner up would appear.

Originally scripted by Robert Kanigher and illustrated by the Redondo Studio, Ragman was created by Robert Kanigher and none other than comic artist supreme Joe Kubert! Unfortunately, by the time the series appeared, the fans were already tiring of "weird" superheroes. Ragman was canceled after only five issues. Crisis on Infinite Earths erased the history of the first Ragman tales and the character could have been forgotten. In 1992, DC decided to take another stab at the unusual hero. This time the character was completely stripped down and reinvented by comic veteran Keith Giffin.

In this mini-series, entitled simply Ragman, Rory Regan is a fairly average man. He and his father, Gerry Regan, own a pawn shop called Rags'N'Tatters in Gotham City's ghetto district. The Regan's are a generous family, paying money for things that they don't even need just so they can help the people who come into their shop. The story begins when local thugs attempt to force the Regans to give up their business so that the thugs can use it as a front for their drug operation. After refusing their demands, Gerry and Rory are beaten. In a final act of cruelty, the criminals scar Rory and leave him to die. Luckily, he is found by a homeless friend and taken to the hospital. The crooks believe that Rory is dead and kill his father while Rory is in the hospital. believing that both Ragans are out of the way the crooks take over Rags'N'Tatters using a man and woman who pose as Rory's uncle and aunt. Rory recovers and attempts to break into his old shop to find any evidence which might help him regain ownership of his fathers business. While there he discovers a box that, when opened, releases a flood of multi colored rags which sear themselves to Rory's skin and transform him into the Ragman.

The second issue begins with Ragman entering Rags'N'Tatters. At first he is ruthless, killing his "uncle" and absorbing the soul of his "aunt", transforming it into a patch on his suit. It's at this time that he begins systematically working his way up the criminal ladder, finding and killing the criminals whose drugs he believes has poisoned his neighborhood. After killing a few of these criminals, Rory is approached by an elderly Rabbi who claims to know the history of the suit. It turns out that Rory is only the latest to carry the mantle of the Ragman. Originally the suit of rags was created in the 16th century to protect the Jewish people and be their abator of truth and justice. However, the people feared the Golem because it was mearly a mindless creature made of clay. Thus it was decided that they would create a suit of rags to be controlled by a human to replace the Golem. The Ragman was created.

Rory's father was the Ragman during World War II and fought the Germans. While he did not defeat them all, he inspired hope among the people he protected. When the German troops set fire to the Jewish community that the Ragman was protecting, the Rabbi believed that the suit had been destroyed. The Rabbi, a young man at the time, knew that fire could destroy the suit of rags. Knowing that his people needed a protector more than ever at that point, the young Rabbi created a new Golem. This Golem protected his people and had continued to do so up until the present day. In the intervening years the Golem evolved, becoming more human like with each passing year. The Rabbi warned that there was not enough magic to power both the Ragman and the Golem and the creature would undoubtedly be coming for him. The Rabbi guides Rory, teaching him how to use the evil souls that compose the rags of his costume, how to find and fight evil but not succumb to the evil impulses that the costume gives him.

The criminals who killed Rory's father were under the instructions of a man named Howard Spratt. Spratt pits two rival gangs in the ghetto against each other to essentially destroy the neighborhood. Ragman comes between the gangs and makes himself a target for both. Since their weapons cannot hurt him, no lives are lost. Shortly after, he meets the Golem. While fighting the Golem, Rory begins to succumb to the urges of the costume, becoming more and more ruthless as the fight progresses, essentially becoming the villain of the situation.

The Golem bears a single word upon his brow, EMET (the Hebrew word for truth), which gives him life. The homeless woman who had helped Rory and had also befriended the Golem convinces the Golem that the Ragman must survive. She erases the word from the Golem's brow, causing it to crumble into dust.

Rory continues on his mission, unaware that the two rival gangs have learned that they had been manipulated by Spratt and killed him. When he learns this, Ragman takes satisfaction that his community is safe and believes that his fight is over- until he meets Batman. Batman had taken an interest in the activities of this unknown costumed avenger and confronts Ragman. Across the rooftops and alleys, Batman pursues the Ragman. Ragman, however, finds himself aided by the many people that he has helped in the Jewish community. These people shield Rory from Batman, making the protector the protected. Once the people learned to act as one, the Ragman was no longer needed. The rags whisked Rory away to another place that he was needed, to New Orleans and other challenges.

Rory would return to Gotham City, however. In Batman 551 and 552 he again encountered the dark knight. This time he feels that he can no longer control the evil impulses that the rags are providing. "Rory Regan is gone, now their is only the Ragman" he tells the Rabbi who had originally set him on his path. Drawn against the Aryan Reich, a white supremist group operating in the Gotham ghetto, Ragman finds himself unable to control the rage of the souls contained in the rags. Ultimately the Rabbi is killed by the Reich and Rory has to choose between God's law as taught by the Rabbi and the vengeance cried out for by the rags. The Ragman grasps the Rabbi's hand as death is near, gaining the strength to control the rags once more.

Written by Doug Moench, this story had the benefit of art by Kelley Jones. Jones work was stunning, providing the Ragman's strongest visual look yet. It was a promising, if short tease to all of Ragman's fans. Whether the Ragman will return remains to be seen. He is one of the more interesting characters languishing in DC limbo. He has great potential, but only when handled capably. As a lessor known hero, all of his appearances can be had for a cheap price. All it takes is a little persistence in seeking them out. A related series to try is DC's Primal Force #0-14. This series featured the Golem along with a number of DC's lesser known characters, including another underused great- Red Tornado! As for the future of Ragman, only time will tell.