NKVDemon

NKVDemon
The NKVDemon in his first appearance
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Batman #445 (March 1990)
Created by	Marv Wolfman Jim Aparo
In-story information
Alter ego	(I) Gregor Dosynski (II) Nicodemus (III) Unknown
Abilities	Steroid-enhanced strength Artificially hardened skin Extremely resistant to physical pain Exceptional hand-to-hand combatant Weapons and explosives expert Master of disguises

The NKVDemon is the name of three fictional characters appearing in DC Comics as an opponent of Batman. The character's name comes from the former secret Soviet Police called the NKVD.

Fictional character biography

First NKVDemon

The NKVDemon appears in the storyline "When The Earth Dies". ^[1] He is a protege of the Russian assassin the KGBeast, and was trained by him. The NKVDemon is systematically trying to kill a list of 10 pro-Glasnost Soviet government officials, considering them traitors to the cause of communism.^[2] The tenth person on his list is then president Mikhail Gorbachev.

After murdering the first nine people on his list, interspersed with increasingly violent confrontations with Batman, who has travelled to Moscow in an attempt to stop him, the NKVDemon is killed by police gunfire while trying to assassinate President Gorbachev on Earth Day.

His costume bears a striking similarity to DC Comics assassin Deathstroke.

Second NKVDemon

An assassin named Nicodemus takes up the mantle and costume of the original NKVDemon, and is hired to kill Aquaman. NKVDemon II is defeated by Aquaman and Batman, and eventually killed while in jail.^[3]

Third NKVDemon

The third character works for Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong (The General), in his attempt to incite a war between two Middle Eastern nations. During this affair, he runs afoul of Robin and Nightwing, who have come to apprehend the General.^[4] More recently he serves as the bodyguard to the head of the Gotham Odessa family, and is killed in the shootout that incites the Gotham gang war.

Little is known specifically of this Demon's skill. He is more of a bruiser, using overwhelming physical size to take on his opponents, as opposed to the skill used by previous incarnations.

References

1. ^ Batman #445-447
2. ^ McHoul, A. W. (1996). Semiotic Investigations: Towards an Effective Semiotics. U of Nebraska Press. pp. 159–160. ISBN 0803231911. http://books.google.com/books?id=YEOzTN7L8goC&pg=RA1-PA130-IA9&dq=KGBeast&sig=wvrvJn-mgLcPIt-h9AMBc71tssU#PRA1-PA130-IA9,M1. 
3. ^ Aquaman vol. 4 #8 (July 1992)
4. ^ Robin vol. 2 #47 (November 1997)

• NKVDemon I at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
• NKVDemon II at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
• NKVDemon III at the Unoffiial Guide to the DC Universe

See also

• List of Batman Family enemies