Bloodsport (character)

The character is Robert DuBois, a Vietnam draft evader, who had a mental breakdown and became obsessed with the Vietnam War after learning that his brother had gone in his stead.[13] DuBois was drafted to serve in the United States Armed Forces. But upon receiving his induction notice, DuBois fled to Canada, not because he was morally opposed to the war, but because he was afraid of death.[14][15] DuBois' younger brother, Michael, reported for induction in his place, passing himself off as Robert.[16] Michael DuBois was sent into combat in Vietnam, where he lost both his arms and legs.[17] On learning that his brother had lost his limbs, DuBois went insane from guilt.[18] He spent years in and out of psychiatric hospitals in Canada.[15] Robert became obsessed with the Vietnam war.[19]

Robert was finally contacted by individuals in the employment of billionaire Lex Luthor, who sought a pawn to assassinate Luthor's archenemy Superman.[20] Operatives of Luthor, under the direction of a man named Kimberley, played upon DuBois' fixations on Vietnam in order to condition him psychologically to want to kill Superman.[21] They also equipped DuBois with an arsenal of powerful, advanced weapons, including a gun that fired needles of Kryptonite.[22] DuBois then went into action in Metropolis, calling himself Bloodsport.[23] He now claimed that both his brother and he had served in combat in Vietnam and had been injured there.[23] Professing rage at the citizens of Metropolis for wasting the freedom he claimed both his brother and himself fought to defend, Bloodsport indiscriminately slaughtered dozens of innocent people.[23] In his first clash with Superman, Bloodsport severely weakened him with a Kryptonite needle.[24] After receiving medical aid, Superman confronted Bloodsport once more. Even Luthor, outraged by Bloodsport's murders of so many people, attempted to stop the mad killer.[25] Superman succeeded in causing the teleportation device Bloodsport used to bring weapons to himself to malfunction.[26] Bloodsport then threatened to detonate his teleporter's power pack, blowing up ten square miles of the city.[27] However, Superman's friend Jimmy Olsen had leaned of Bloodsport's true identity and located his brother.[28] Confronted by Michael, Bloodsport collapsed in grief and was taken into custody.[29]

DuBois has a brief encounter with Deadshot, which was eventually broken up by Superman and Batman.[30] He also appeared in JLA/Avengers as a villain who ambushes Vision and Aquaman with a group of other villains.[31] He laters fights Iron Man, but is restrained by Hal Jordan.[32] DuBois remained in prison for several years, and eventually earned the enmity of another prisoner on Stryker's Island who had since taken up the name Bloodsport: Alexander Trent.[33] As racial tension began to overwhelm Stryker's Island, the prison warden decided to host a boxing match between DuBois and Trent.[34] He believed that this was the ideal way to allow the inmates to vent their frustrations without inciting further acts of violence.[35] To safeguard the situation, the warden asked Superman to referee the match.[34] However, a riot broke out,[36] resulting in DuBois getting his hands on one of Trent's weapons and using it to blast a hole in the prison wall.[37] DuBois ran for freedom, but was apparently shot dead by armed prison guards in the watchtower.[38]

Panel from Adventures of Superman #507 of Bloodsport II.

The character of Alex Trent is a fanatical racist, a member of the white supremacist group that both Perry White and Franklin Stern encountered in their youth. He adopts the name Bloodsport, ironically used previously by an African American.[39] He also has a similar teleporter grafted into his body, which he can likewise use to summon weapons.[40] He is captured by Superman after Ron Troupe destroys the warehouse from which he was teleporting his weapons.[41] Some time later, in an effort to provide an outlet for rising tensions at Stryker's Island Prison, a boxing match between the two Bloodsports is organised.[42] Trent is able to activate his teleporter and bring in weaponry.[43] In the resulting confusion, DuBois is killed while trying to escape.[43] Trent is later burned in his prison cell by the Brotherhood for showing weakness in front of DuBois.[44][45] The teleporter technology has since been used by the anti-corporate vigilante Demolitia.[46][43]

A unknown character took up the mantle of Bloodsport, and eventually teamed up with Hellgrammite, Silver Banshee, Kryptonite Man, Toyman, Puzzler, Livewire and Riot to take on Superman.[47] Superman attempted to stop all the villains, especially as Bloodsport shot at Jimmy Olsen, to which the bullet was stopped.[48][49] After these events, Bloodsport turned up in the crowd of villains transported to another planet in Salvation Run;[50] and to be a quickly defeated menace by Guardian.[51][43]

DuBois pretends that he is a bitter Vietnam veteran who feels greatly betrayed and rejected by his country, thus he enjoys powerful and righteous anger toward his fellow Americans for wasting the freedoms invading Vietnam supposedly helped preserve.[52] However, he has no first-hand experience about this war, ergo, his speeches and character are largely drawn from movies about the war and folk representations of Vietnam War veterans. Though at first he seemed aware that his vet persona was fictional, he grew increasingly delusional and dissociated.[53][54] Described as a very violent and powerful man, DuBois was plunged into a permanent fantasy about being a soldier, and was even feared by the other dangerous prisoners at Stryker's Island Prison in Metropolis.[55]

• The Robert DuBois incarnation of Bloodsport appeared in the animated series Justice League Unlimited.[70][71][72] Introduced in the episode "Fight Club", this version was a fighter in Roulette's Meta-Brawl. When Green Arrow and Black Canary tried to end the Meta-Brawl, DuBois and the other fighters attempted to fight them, but were subdued. As of the episode "The Great Brain Robbery", Bloodsport later became a member of Gorilla Grodd's Secret Society.[72] When Lex Luthor led a mutiny, Bloodsport joined Grodd in his unsuccessful attempt to regain his position as leader of the group.[73] However, Bloodsport later defected to Luthor's side.[73]
• A character based on Bloodsport named Van McNulty (played by Jesse Metcalfe) appeared in the live-action series Smallville episode "Extinction".[74] Van was a high school graduate turned special forces Marine operative specialized in long range combat. His father and fellow army brat, Ray McNulty, was killed by the metahuman shapeshifter Tina Greer while she was impersonating Whitney Fordman. After being infected and resurrected by a meteor, Van took his vengeance out on the rest of the superpowered community in Smallville, Kansas, tracking and murdering other "meteor freaks" through Chloe Sullivan's media blog whilst leaving Green Kryptonite rocks behind etched with the words "Freak" on them. He is stopped by Clark Kent and incarcerated at the Belle Reve Sanitarium, where he would reconvene with some of Clark's other enemies, such as Ian Randall and Eric Summers. In the episode "Asylum", Van later picked up a piece of Kryptonite to kill Clark, but he is betrayed and had his neck snapped while weight lifting.[75]
• The Robert DuBois incarnation of Bloodsport appears in the Supergirl live-action series season three episode, "Girl of Steel", portrayed by David St. Louis.[76] This version was originally part of the military until he was caught stealing weaponry and became a mercenary and terrorist.[77] DuBois is hired by Morgan Edge to attack the Girl of Steel statue unveiling and destroy the surrounding are.[78] However, Supergirl notices the attack while DuBois is underwater and raises his ship, foiling his plans and seeing him arrested.[79]

• The Alexander Trent incarnation of Bloodsport appears in the DC Universe Animated Original Movie, Justice League vs. the Fatal Five, voiced by Tom Kenny.[80] This version is depicted as a deranged conspiracy theorist rather than a white supremacist.[81] He holds a newsroom hostage until Miss Martian and Batman arrest him.[82]
• The Robert DuBois incarnation of Bloodsport will appear in the upcoming 2021 live-action film The Suicide Squad, portrayed by Idris Elba.[83][84] This version of DuBois is depicted as a convicted felon armed with the most weapons out of any character in the film,[85] who is serving time in prison for shooting Superman with a bullet made of Kryptonite.[86][87] Elba was originally cast as Floyd Lawton / Deadshot, replacing Will Smith from Suicide Squad (2016).[88] However, Warner Bros. and director James Gunn eventually decided to have Elba play a new character, allowing Smith the opportunity to return in a future film.[89]