Crassus was one of Anton Arcane's Un-Men.
History
Decades ago, the mad geneticist Anton Arcane used his talents to create a race of subhuman monstrosities known as Un-Men. Crassus was part of Arcane's original batch, and became subservient to Arcane's whims. In the late 1960s, Crassus and a group of Un-Men relocated to the swamps of New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1969, the United States government sent the army to quarantine the Un-Men for the sake of further genetic experimentation. Though the army managed to round up most of the Un-Men, some of them managed to escape into the bayou, including Crassus. These Un-Men later had an encounter with one of Arcane's adversaries, the Swamp Thing. Whether Crassus was present during this incident is unknown. Crassus began living in a cemetery where he remained for decades, fueled by dreams of gaining revenge against the man who created him. Crassus was aware of a prophecy circulated amongst the Un-Men that spoke of one who would come from the world of man to unite them. He believed that a unified family of Un-Men, committed to a single goal, would be strong enough to overthrow Arcane.
In 1994, he discovered that a twenty-three year old man named Damien Kane was the offspring of two Un-Men from the 1969 round-up. Unlike other Un-Men however, Damien Kane appeared completely human - the result of a serum developed by the scientist Doctor David Manguy. The process had grown unstable however, and Damien's body began to slowly reject the treatments that kept him looking human. Crassus called out to Damien and beckoned him to follow him to his home in the swamps. he convinced Damien that Doctor Manguy could not halt the regression and that the only man who could help him was Anton Arcane. He convinced Damien to accompany him on a search for the twisted scientist. Almost immediately however, Damien began to suspect Crassus' true motives. The real reason why Crassus wanted Damien by his side, was to use him as an instrument of revenge against Arcane. Crassus recalled the prophecy and believed that Damien was the deliverer the prophecy spoke of.
Crassus and Damien stowed away on a freighter bound for Europe and eventually made their way to the Romanian countryside. Crassus began receiving telepathic messages from a fellow Un-Man named Scylla. He followed the impressions in his mind and found Scylla's camp. He left Damien in her care, despite the fact that Scylla's brood were slaves in the service of a rich Romanian named Alexiev Gogol. Crassus knew that in order to fulfill the prophecy, Damien had to completely embrace his Un-Men heritage. To accelerate the rate of his transformation, he needed to intensify Damien's rage and bitterness. When Gogol discovered Damien amongst his Un-Men slaves, he brought him into his castle to be displayed before his party guests. As Crassus predicted, the humiliation stimulated Damien's mutated genes and he began to transform with greater rapidity. As his body grew stronger, Damien was able to break free and he led an Un-Men revolt against Gogol and his guests.
Crassus prodded Damien even further and convinced him to hijack an airplane to take the Un-Men back to the United States. His plan was to raid the lab facilities at Lafayette Air Field and extradite the first generation Un-Men that once gave birth to Damien. Fueled by anger and hatred, Crassus killed an army officer and broke into the lab. He freed the original Un-Men only to discover to his horror, that these creatures were even more horrific than Scylla's brood. They were completely mindless monstrosities that understood nothing but pain and fear. Crassus' dreams of forging a unified race of Un-Men came crashing to a halt. Rather than joining with him, the first generation Un-Men instead preferred to take their own lives by immersing themselves in a vat of acid. Army soldiers burst into the lab, and Crassus fought back. He killed a scientist named Doctor Hutcheson and accidentally shot his close ally Scylla, killing her. Stricken by the gravity of his actions, Crassus fled the facility and ran off into the night. Neither Damien nor any of the other Un-Men ever saw him again.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Telepathy: Crassus has mild telepathic abilities. He can broadcast his thoughts across short distances, such as when he first communicated with Damien Kane. He can also receive psychic impressions, such as when he spoke with Scylla in Romania.
Paraphernalia
Transportation
- Crassus owned a small pirogue that he had stolen from some poachers.
Notes
- This version of Crassus is not to be confused with the Roman villain Crassus from The Brave and the Bold (Volume 1) #1.
Related
- 3 Appearances of Crassus (New Earth)
- 1 Images featuring Crassus (New Earth)
- 1 Quotations by or about Crassus (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Crassus (New Earth)
Footnotes
This character exists under the Vertigo Imprint which is intended for Mature Readers.Their continuity takes place within the context of Vertigo titles although they may cross over into regular DC continuity.
  This character specifically relates to the Swamp Thing and is predominantly seen in the Swamp Thing family of titles. This character may be part of the Swamp Thing's supporting cast, a minor acquaintance, or one of his adversaries. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the Swamp Thing Characters category. |