Ramsey Murdoch (New Earth)

This project page needs to be cleaned up.
This article needs maintenance and organization, as it may have become cluttered or confusing. Its heart is in a good place, it's just a little special. Won't you please help out an article in need? This template will categorize articles that include it into the Clean Up task category.

Savior

Mainstream Universe‎, 1986‎-2011‎

Gallery

Real Name

Ramsey Murdoch

Main Alias

Savior

Base Of Operations

Metropolis

Status

Characteristics

Gender

Male

Eyes

Blue

Hair

Red

Origin

Universe

New Earth

Creators

David Michelinie · Jackson Guice · Denis Rodier

First Appearance
Action Comics #705 (December, 1994)

Ramsey Murdoch considered himself the Savior. He was a serial killer and enemy of Superman.

History

Ramsey Murdoch was a loser who one day started to suffer from terrible migraines. In addition to the migraines, Murdoch believed that he was being spoken to by God, instructed to punish all deceivers. Ramsey believed that his ultimate goal was to kill Superman --he believed that the real Superman never came back to life after being killed by Doomsday, and this belief was reinforced when Brainiac created an illusion of a dead Superman in the tomb. Ramsey began his crusade by murdering a young woman named Sylvia Feltman.^[1] Murdoch's belief that Superman was a phony were only reinforced when Brainiac subjected Superman to a series of mental manipulations, prompting him to appear to be "flipping out" in public.^[2]

Murdoch would later murder U.S. Senator Charlie Fulton in the mens room of a hotel. He sent a note to the Daily Planet that said "Death to all deceivers is at hand! Vengeance is Mine!! Savior". Lois Lane took up the case. Murdoch had apparently sent in a note when he murdered Feltman as well. It was said that he sent in two other letters prior to Feltman's murder, but it is believed that these were merely "prep talk" and not connected to any actual murders. Murdoch had slipped up, however, during the murder of the senator and left a bloody handprint, allowing police and FBI to arrest him.^[3]^[4]^[5]

After following the case for weeks, Lois Lane had to abandon following the story when a killer named Conduit forced her to go into hiding. Ron Troupe was assigned to take over the story and he was present at Murdoch's initial hearing. The migraines being worse than ever, Murdoch began to scream and rant and had to be dragged out of the courtroom, prompting his attorney to call for an insanity plea. While in prison awaiting trial, his headaches begin to subside as his true power begins to manifest itself--he could summon nearly anything he could imagine.^[6]^[7]

When Lois was able to return, she resumed her place in charge of following the case. She interviewed Savior in prison, where he told her that his headaches had stopped.^[8] During a prison riot at Stryker's Island Penitentiary, Murdoch was able to escape.^[9]

Once out, Murdoch began to experiment with the full range of his powers. Satisfied his moment had come at last, he decided to have a showdown with Superman--after carving an "S" shield into his forehead. He grabbed Ron Troupe off the street and held him at knifepoint in a public square until Superman showed up. Savior battled Superman in front of a crowd of people, using his powers to make himself invulnerable as well as summoning creatures to battle Superman. While the Man of Steel worked to put out a fire Savior started in the fight, Ron Troupe confronted Murdoch, taunting him that he was really just a small man who could never admit to himself that he was a failure. Murdoch reverted back to normal long enough for Superman to knock him out. He was subsequently kept under heavy stasis.^[10]

Savior was later freed by Morgan Edge who showed him pictures of Superman--only at this time, Superman was in his energy man "Superman Blue" phase, and the alien Scorn was running around in Supe's classic costume. This infuriated Savior, denouncing them both as deceivers.^[11] Superman and Scorn engaged Savior in a running battle across Metropolis, ending on a garbage scow. During the battle, Scorn was knocked clear out into the bay. Superman managed to short out the energy source Savior was drawing from, rendering back to his normal self. While Superman fished Scorn out of the water, Savior escaped.^[12]

Murdoch withdrew to an abandoned building and watched a news report about Superman's new powers on television. Making a "cheat sheet," he transformed himself into a being like Superman and prompted a battle on a GBS television studio. During the fight, Savior enlarged himself to be several stories tall, but with some more help from Scorn (and Bibbo) Savior was put down for the count again.^[13]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Almost godlike powers -- essentially can transfer "psychic energy" into anything he imagines, the limits so far stem to a number of feats he can materialize weapons of any kind (like knives, laser guns, small bazookas etc.) he can alter himself physically and metaphysically giving himself superhuman Strength, Speed, Invulnerability, Heat vision, flight (possibly). turning himself into rubber or sprout wings. and even resemble both Superman Blue & scorn in a fight. he can even manipulate matter and energy to some degree he once imagined a horde of pink elephants to battle superman, made a pair of handcuffs to bind superman's energy form or engulf scorn in a sticky cloud of smog that almost suffocated him. at one point Savior even converted himself into pure energy to fight superman blue. of course his powers are limited but only by imagination.(although he has been shown to have almost no imagination).

Paraphernalia

Weapons

Prior to his powers developing, his modus operandi involved a knife.

Notes

Excerpt from Lois Lane's article "Why the Savior Must Stay in Prison" (Superman (Volume 2) #103) "Remember Sylvia Feltman? Apparently, our court system very nearly forgot her. Sylvia Feltman was knifed to death in her hallway by a man who was upset with her employer, D.A.S.H Telephone Systems, Inc. In his deranged mind, she was a sinner, for he did not save as much money as D.AS.H. promised when he dumped Lexphone in favor of their service. Outraged by this perceived indignity, this man took Sylvia Feltman's life. Because he was outraged at the loss of a mere savings of three cents, he took Saul and Betty Feltman's only daughter from this world, isolating them in grief and sorrow for the rest of their days. The killer's name is Ramsey Murdoch. And in a cruel joke he wishes to perpetrate on us all, he also calls himself the Savior. We must save ourselves from him."

Ramsey Murdoch (New Earth)

Contents