Doctor Voodoo: The Origin of Jericho Drumm #[nn]
Released cover-dated February 2010, this 64-page one-shot served as the dedicated origin primer for Jericho Drumm at the precise moment Marvel had elevated him from a decades-dormant supporting player to Earth's Sorcerer Supreme, replacing Doctor Strange during the Dark Reign era. By gathering the foundational Strange Tales #169–170 stories — the first appearances of Brother Voodoo, Daniel Drumm, Papa Jambo, Bambu, and the villain Damballah — alongside a Tales of the Zombie #6 reprint in a single accessible package, it ensured that new readers drawn in by the ongoing Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural series could ground themselves in a mythology that had been largely inaccessible since 1974. The issue also stands as the first place all of those character debuts were reprinted together under modern production values, cementing the narrative foundation of Haitian voodoo tradition in the Marvel Universe's mystical hierarchy at a culturally significant moment for the character.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The one-shot was conceived editorially as a companion piece to Rick Remender's Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural ongoing (itself launched October 2009), capitalizing on Jericho Drumm's high-profile elevation to Sorcerer Supreme in New Avengers. Rather than commission an entirely new origin retelling, Marvel's editorial team brought in Roy Thomas — who had been editor-in-chief at Marvel during the character's original 1973–74 run — to write a brand-new framing sequence illustrated by Alex Massacci, which bookended remastered reprints of the Len Wein–scripted, Gene Colan–drawn Strange Tales material with updated modern coloring. The cover was provided by Billy Tan, who had penciled the New Avengers issues in which Drumm first claimed the Eye of Agamotto, neatly tying the package's visual identity to that landmark storyline. The one-shot was released on December 23, 2009, carrying a February 2010 cover date.
Trivia · 8 facts
- The issue is a 64-page one-shot (cover date February 2010, on-sale December 23, 2009) published by Marvel Comics.
- It reprints Strange Tales #169 (September 1973) and Strange Tales #170 — the first appearances and origin of Jericho Drumm as Brother Voodoo — along with a story from Tales of the Zombie #6 (July 1974).
- Strange Tales #169–170 were originally written by Len Wein and drawn by Gene Colan; the new framing sequence in this one-shot was written by Roy Thomas and illustrated by Alex Massacci.
- The cover is by Billy Tan, who penciled the New Avengers issues in which Drumm became Sorcerer Supreme.
- The reprinted content is presented with fully remastered modern coloring, distinguishing it from the original bronze-age print versions.
- Characters making their in-universe debut in the reprinted Strange Tales #169 material include Jericho Drumm (Brother Voodoo), Daniel Drumm, Papa Jambo, Bambu (unnamed), and the villain posing as the serpent-god Damballah; Daniel Drumm dies in that story but his spirit is bound to Jericho.
- The character was originally created when Marvel publisher Stan Lee proposed a heroic voodoo practitioner; then-editor Roy Thomas suggested the name 'Doctor Voodoo,' and Lee countered with 'Brother Voodoo,' with Len Wein and John Romita Sr. assigned to flesh the concept out.
- The one-shot was also later included as bonus material in the Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural trade paperback collection of Remender's five-issue series.
Cast · 11 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Papa Jambo trains Jericho Drumm to be Brother VooDoo. Brother VooDoo then returns and stops Damballah.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).