Savant (comics)

Superherobox

caption=Savant,_art_by_Joe_Bennett
comic_color= background: #8080ff
character_name=Savant
real_name=Brian Durlin
publisher=DC Comics
debut= "Birds of Prey" #56 (August, 2003)
creators=Gail Simone
Ed Benes
alliance_color=background: #ffc0c0
status=Active
alliances=
previous_alliances=Birds of Prey
aliases=
relatives=
powers=genius, exhibits forgetfulness due to chemical imbalance |

"For" Wildstorm's "character of the same name, see" Savant (Wildstorm).

Savant is the name of a comic book character from DC Comics.

History

Brian Durlin, better known as Savant, is the spoiled heir to an enormous fortune. Savant had moved to Gotham to become a self-styled vigilante. However, after Batman discouraged his involvement in vigilantism because of his lack of care to protect others, he turned his own formidable computer skills into a profitable blackmailing business. Savant was joined in this by an ex-Russian KGB agent named Creote. Creote is Savant's devoted follower and secretly in love with Savant.

Savant later kidnapped and brutally tortured Black Canary in hopes to get the real identity of Batman from Oracle. He was, however, defeated by her team in "Birds of Prey" issue number 59. Oracle then made the decision to attempt to rehabilitate him, mainly in order to keep his data files on hundreds of real villains. Like his namesake, he is a genius; however, due to a chemical imbalance he exhibits a non-linear memory and seems to be quite forgetful. Savant has also exhibited feelings for Oracle, probably rooted in his envy of her computer skills.

Savant went on, under Oracle's control, to clean up a Gotham neighborhood. However his unique methods lead Oracle to regret her decision. Savant and Creote then joined forces with The Huntress to take over the Gotham mafia by placing Huntress as capo.

As part of a plan by Calculator to get to Oracle, Savant was kidnapped and tortured by agents of the Secret Society of Super Villains. However his non-linear memory helped him to resist the interrogation, making it appear to last only a few hours rather than the days it had really been. He was rescued by the Birds of Prey and out of anger pushed the villain Black Spider out of a window. Spider survived, meaning the Birds did not have to arrest Savant for murder, though he did end his association with Oracle.

Later, in #108, he turns up alongside dozens of former Birds of Prey and friends of Barbara to confront Spy Smasher.