Simon Dark

Origin

Simon Dark is a creature similar to Frankenstein's monster in that he's made from stitched together pieces from the bodies of 20 boys by a desperate medical genius who was part of Geo Populus. His face and size reveal that he's approximately 17 or 18 years old, but he usually wears a mask to cover it. Simon doesn't know who he is or how he got to Gotham City. He can remember everything he's ever read or seen, but he can't remember his past. He lives in the remains of an old, blown up church with his pet cat and things he's scavenged. He protects his neighborhood and even made friends with a few of the locals. However, he is still skittish around new people.

Creation

Simon Dark was created in the first issue of the series of the same name by Steve Niles and Scott Hampton

Rhyme

Simon Dark is named after a children's nursery rhyme popular in Gotham City.

"Lurks in the shadows. Hides in the park.

Simon. Simon. Simon Dark.

If you're good he'll stay away.

If you're bad he'll make you pay.

Lurks in the shadows. Hides in the park.

Simon. Simon. Simon Dark."

Character Profile

Simon clearly suffers from amnesia and protects a neighborhood in Gotham called "the Village". Those who live their are glad to have him as a vigilante, including Gus Webb, the local grocer who is secretly the scientist who created Simon. He was created to defeat the same cult that created him. Sometimes he's scared, confused childish and doesn't know all his powers. His familiars are three strong shape-changing servants who he freed from the cult. He stole Rachel Dodds' book but later saved her from a serial-killer and is an ally of Tom Kirk.

Major Story Arcs

Mendo Soap

Simon got reckless, which got him hurt. This caused him to cross paths with Beth Granger, a Gotham coroner, Tom Kirk, a detective who was stitched back together by Geo Populus to be a mole in the GCPD, and Rachel Dodds, a new girl who just moved to town. The three humans quickly bonded over their shared interest in Simon’s well-being. Unfortunately, this also got the attention of Geo Populus, who had been looking for Simon. This forced Kirk to reveal his true nature to Simon, so that he could save both of them from under the cult’s thumb. Unfortunately, Simon’s nerves got the best of him. He ran away from Kirk and ran right into a trap. He was forced to fight and kill Geo Populus goons, but he couldn’t escape the feeling that the cult was about to do something big.

Simon was right. Geo Populus had contaminated a local shipment of Mendo soap bars. The bars were filled with small demons that would bite and burrow into the skin like ticks, turning the bather into a zombie. That morning, the instances of zombie attacks spread across the city. Luckily, Simon had a book of incantations his father left him. Rachel helps Simon collect ingredients for a special incantation while Kirk and Beth work to investigate individual instances. Simon’s spell gives him visions which he informs Kirk of so that they can stop the infection. Together, they ambush the Geo Populus mansion headquarters, where they are waiting for their demon test run to finish.

With the help of demons that they had freed, Kirk and Simon took on the cult. This forced a confrontation between Simon and his “twin,” a darkness that was summoned when Simon was first revived. This darkness gave Simon three options. Simon could choose the Black Door and become his twin’s second in command in Geo Populus. Choose the Red Door and Simon dies, sacrificing his neighborhood and friends for the rest of Gotham. Choose the White Door and Simon still dies, but his friends survive and the rest of Gotham is sacrificed. Thanks to his vision spell, Simon could read the mind of his “brother.” He knew that there was enough light in himself that if he chose the White Door, the darkness would not have enough energy to burn Gotham after killing Simon. So, he chose that door, ending the infection and returning Gotham to a status quo.

Gus’ First Experiment

Ever since the incantation, Simon continued to have precognitive visions. One was of a photographer with fantasies of preying on children. When he finally decided to cross the line, Simon was plagued by visions of him because he was staking out Rachel’s school. Simon did what he thought he had to and beheaded the man before he could hurt any children. Unfortunately for Simon, more bodies that had been torn to pieces kept showing up. Kirk and Beth naturally thought of Simon but hoped it wasn’t him.

The killer turned out to be a dead junkie who Gus had first experimented on. Gus had thought he destroyed the revived body, but he was wrong. This junkie was stronger than Simon and had similar telepathic abilities. After a run in with Kirk, the junkie was able to learn Simon’s location. Because the telepathy works two ways, Kirk also learned that the junkie was planning on killing Gus. After he informed Simon, the two of them partnered up to stop him.

Unfortunately, they were too late. While Kirk tried to hold off the junkie, Gus died in Simon’s arms. Angry, Simon let loose his full strength and ripped the junkie in two. Unsatisfied with Gus’ death, Simon reached out to the same death zone he did during his incantation. By giving up the souls of two of the boys he was made up of, Simon was able to give Gus life again. Afterward, Simon and Gus decided to leave Gotham, leaving nothing behind but Simon’s old mask. He didn’t even give Rachel, Kirk, or Beth a proper goodbye.

Abilities

Simon is very stealthy, often appearing behind enemies without them knowing it. He is also exceptionally agile and strong for his size. Though Simon walks and talks like a normal person, he may be just a living corpse. He was able to travel across Gotham's rooftops shortly after being shot repeatedly by police and pronounced dead by a coroner, so he probably doesn't react to physical trauma the same way other people do. However, he was not totally unharmed by the shooting, so exactly how his body works is unknown. He exhibits some super-human abilities such as enhanced speed, agility and strength. He also states that he remembers everything he reads, which implies he may have a photographic memory. Uses vaguely-defined occult superpowers that are used only once because he hasn't got their fully knowledge and control. He also read minds, pasts and futures by touching people and can change his face. Resurrects people by sacrificing one of his 20 souls and controls supernaturalism in Gotham. Casts rituals to allow him to see other places and the future, transport himself and others to other dimensions. He's got a bit of telekinesis.