- "Name it and claim it."
- —Papa Midnite to John Constantine
Papa Midnite is a voodoo priest, an enemy of John Constantine and the brother of the late Cedella. Midnite also reluctantly works for Manny.
Biography[]
Original multiverse[]
Early life[]
Midnite spent his lifetime practicing the voodoo arts and became an extremely powerful magician. He had numerous dealings with John Constantine, and the two quickly became heated enemies.[1] Sometime prior to late 2014, Midnite's sister, Cedella, died and was sent to Hell. Midnite was somehow involved in her death.[2]
The Rising Darkness[]
At some point, Midnite became aware of Willie Cole's acetate, a recording that was rumored to hold the voice of the Devil himself. In late 2014, he traveled to Chicago hoping to find it as insurance should any of his schemes go awry. He contracted a soul broker named Anton who claimed to be able to get the acetate for him; unbeknownst to Midnite, this also involved Anton making a deal with Jasmine Fell, a woman who had sold her soul to the devil. Anton claimed that he would void her contract with the devil, thus saving her soul, should she retrieve the acetate. Though she was successful, she ended up taking the acetate to music producer Bernie Reed to verify its authenticity. Curiosity got the better of Reed, and he played the recording, resulting in his death. Reed's obituary drew the attention of John Constantine, who traveled to Chicago to investigate the death of his friend.[1]
When Fell was to meet with Anton, Constantine went in her stead to ensure her safety. There, he was confronted by Midnite, who expressed pleasure at being able to settle their score. He incapacitated Constantine and, learning of Fell's identity through Anton, sent his men to her home to retrieve the acetate. Midnite proceeded to tie up Constantine in a deserted building, where Midnite gave him an anti-coagulant and a cut on his arm, leaving him to die. John managed to escape and ended the Papa's plans.[1]
Later, Papa Midnite brought the spirits of several dead back. When these spirits started to kill people on the streets, John Constantine suspected Midnite and went after him. Upon discovering what was going on Midnite worked together with Constantine to take the spirits where they belong.[2]
After the last event. Midnite vowed a zombie to kill Constantine, but failed. Upon discovering, he went after Constantine to kill him with his own hands. Papa was defeated by Constantine and imprisoned. Later, he was released by Manny.[3]
Anti-Monitor Crisis[]
During the Anti-Monitor Crisis, Papa Midnite as well as everyone in the multiverse except for the seven Paragons, was killed in an antimatter wave by the Anti-Monitor on December 10, 2019,[4] only to be restored a month later, after the Paragons and the Spectre created a new universe.[5]
New multiverse[]
In the new universe, Constantine's will mentioned both Papa Midnite and Chas Chandler.[6]
Powers and abilities[]
Powers[]
- Voodoo: As a voodoo priest, Papa is highly skilled in the mystical art of voodoo.[1]
- Necromancy: Through his use of voodoo, Papa was able to allow the spirits of the dead to enter his body so they could communicate with their loved ones. He is also able to communicate with his dead sister through her skull that he keeps.[3]
Abilities[]
- Occult knowledge: Papa has extensive knowledge of the supernatural.[1]
- Skilled marksman: Papa has shown extensive skill with his rifle, claiming it never misses its target.[1]
Equipment[]
- Ace of Winchester: Papa's favorite and primary firearm; according to his claims, it never misses its target, and used to belong to a mystic in the Old West.[1]
Appearances[]
Constantine[]
DC's Legends of Tomorrow[]
Season 5[]
- "Mortal Khanbat" (name seen)
Behind the Scenes[]
- In the DC comics, Linton Midnite better known as Papa Midnite is a powerful Jamaican voodoo magician. Operating out of New York City using his dead sister's skull as a totem for his magic, Papa Midnite has found himself to be a rival, sometime ally and even an enemy to John Constantine. In the New 52 reboot, Papa Midnite's nationality is changed to be Haitian, but his rivalry with Constantine remains the same.