El Diablo is a name shared by several characters appearing in media published by DC Comics: Lazarus Lane, Rafael Sandoval, and Chato Santana. Santana appears in the 2016 Suicide Squad film, set in the DC Extended Universe.

Publication history

The Lazarus Lane incarnation of El Diablo first appeared in All-Star Western #2 (October 1970), and was created by Robert Kanigher and Gray Morrow. The character starred in a four-issue miniseries published by DC Comics through their Vertigo imprint as a mature readers title; El Diablo #1 (March 2001) was written by Brian Azzarello and drawn by Danijel Zezelj.

The Rafael Sandoval incarnation of El Diablo first appeared in El Diablo #1 (August 1989), and was created by Gerard Jones and Mike Parobeck.

The Chato Santana incarnation of El Diablo first appeared in El Diablo #1 (September 2008) and was created by Jai Nitz, Phil Hester and Ande Parks.

Fictional character biography

Lazarus Lane

Lazarus Lane is the original iteration of El Diablo, operating in the later half of the 19th century in the American Old West. Lane was originally a bank teller who is nearly killed by a gang of thieves and put in a coma after being struck by lightning. After being revived by Native American shaman "Wise Owl", Lane becomes the vigilante El Diablo.

Rafael Sandoval

The concept for the character was initiated by editor Brian Augustyn, who wanted to come up with a new angle on the name El Diablo. He stated, "Forget the old west setting and the paralysis gimmick of the old El Diablo, make up a new character in the new west a city in Texas, and play off the Spanish name by making him Mexican American. He'll be a councilman, because all of his Anglo cohorts treat him like just a token Hispanic, So he decides what he can do for the underdogs of the city in his own time, under an assumed name, and a mask".

Rafael Sandoval was the second iteration created in 1989 by writer Gerard Jones and artist Mike Parobeck as a title set in the modern DC Universe. This title lasted 16 months. As created by Jones and Parobeck, Sandoval is a rookie member of the city council of Dos Rios, Texas, who creates his version of El Diablo (from a festival costume and an old boxing persona and local legends surrounding the Devil) after being stymied by officials while trying to pursue the case of a serial arsonist. It is written by Jai Nitz, pencilled by Phil Hester, with inks by Ande Parks.

In The New 52 reboot of DC's continuity, Santana's El Diablo is a member of the Suicide Squad. He joins Checkmate under the leadership of Uncle Sam, until he realizes that he is being lied to and abandons them in search of the truth.

In other media

Television

  • The Lazarus Lane incarnation of El Diablo appears in the Justice League Unlimited episode "The Once and Future Thing Part One: Weird Western Tales", voiced by Néstor Carbonell.
  • The Chato Santana incarnation of El Diablo appears in the Teen Titans Go! episode "TV Knight 2". This version's design is based on the DCEU incarnation (see below).

Film

thumb|Chato Santana / El Diablo as he appears in Suicide Squad.

The Chato Santana incarnation of El Diablo appears in Suicide Squad, portrayed by Jay Hernandez. This version was previously a gang leader before accidentally destroying his family home in a moment of anger, killing his wife and two children in the process. Guilt-ridden, he is incarcerated in Belle Reve Penitentiary and vows to never use his powers again. Despite being forced into Amanda Waller's Task Force X program, Diablo maintains his vow until Deadshot goads him into helping defend the squad from the Enchantress' forces. El Diablo later helps his squad-mates resist the Enchantress' illusions before sacrificing himself to kill her brother Incubus.

Video games

  • The Chato Santana incarnation of El Diablo appears in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham via "The Squad" DLC.
  • The Chato Santana incarnation of El Diablo appears as a playable character in Suicide Squad: Special Ops.

Miscellaneous

The Chato Santana incarnation of El Diablo makes cameo appearances in DC Super Hero Girls as a student of Super Hero High.

References

  • Newsarama: El Diablo Returns at DC in 2008 – Interview with Jai Nitz (November 17, 2007)
  • DCU Guide: El Diablo 1
  • DCU Guide: El Diablo 2
  • EL Diablo #1 & #2: Review of the Vertigo mini-series