The Sin-Eater is an enemy of the Phantom Stranger.
History
As an adult, Philip Stark lived in Long Island, New York, working as a writer to support his wife Elena and his two children, Allie and Tim. In secret, however, Philip Stark was a serial killer who periodically lured victims into a soundproof room in his home's basement that his family did not know existed, killing murdering and burying them underneath the house. In his delusions, Philip believed that killing others protected his family, though he took pleasure in the act. Over time, Stark determined that his wife and children were "too good" for the world and decided that he would kill them before they could become "corrupted."
Philip Stark's actions caught the attention of The Voice, who instructed Phantom Stranger to observe as Philip murdered his family and then subsequently expose his crimes. The Stranger befriended Stark under the guise of "Joshua," eventually receiving an invitation for dinner on the night Philip planned to murder his family. After dinner, Philip offered to show Joshua his home office in the basement. Once they were downstairs, Philip attempted to stab Phantom Stranger, who revealed himself and confronted Stark over choosing to perform these terrible deeds rather than appreciate his blessings, particularly his family.
Ultimately, the Phantom Stranger defied his orders. Instead, Stranger dissolved Philip Stark's soul into a raw, swirling mass of consciousness that he dispersed through time and space. During the process, the Stranger removed Philip's tainted love for his family from his spirit, purified it, and took those feelings of love within himself. Phantom Stranger then possessed and merged with Philip Stark's vacant body, thereafter adopting Stark's life as his own to be a reprieve between his responsibilities as an agent of The Voice.[1]
Over time, the original Philip Stark's consciousness reformed and physically manifested inside a Limbo-like dimension he called the Land of Non. Now possessing abilities he did not have in his mortal body, Philip Stark began observing Phantom Stranger's actions, including those the Stranger performed while posing as Philip Stark. Eventually, Philip, dubbing himself Sin Eater, developed the ability to shift between Non and Earth. Sin Eater, devoid of love, kidnapped his family and murdered them in an unknown secondary location.[2] He then hid their spirits away in Hell. As a means of punishing Phantom Stranger, Sin Eater robbed Elena, Allie, and Tim of their ability to love, rendering them feral and unable to express coherent thoughts.
When The Question convinces a reluctant Terrence Thirteen to pierce an unsuspecting Phantom Stranger from behind with the Spear of Destiny, the Stranger enters a state of undeath that allows Sin Eater to bring his spirit to Non, where Sin Eater reveals his origins and identity. The Sin Eater then brings Phantom Stranger's spirit to hell to torment him further until Nightmare Nurse mystically heals Phantom Stranger's body, which was left at the doorstep of the House of Mystery, Justice League Dark's headquarters. Stranger's spirit leaves hell and returns to him.
Phantom Stranger, with Zatanna's aid, opens a door to hell so that he can rescue his adoptive family. In Hell, Sin Eater brings Phantom Stranger to where he stashed away the Starks. Seeing them in their mindless state, Phantom Stranger offers to suffer Hell's torment in their place, an offer Sin Eater accepts under the stipulation that Sin Eater remove Phantom Stranger's love for his family — so that the Stranger cannot find peace in his reasons for making the sacrifice. Satisfied, Sin Eater leaves Hell so that Phantom Stranger's torture may begin.[3]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Magic[1]
- Pyrokinesis: Sin Eater can manipulate flames both on and around his person.[1]
- Dimensional Travel: Sin Eater can travel between the material world and a Limbo-like world he calls the Land of Non, though he also learned to travel to Hell as well.[1][3]
- Transdimensional Senses: Even before Sin Eater could travel between Non and Earth, he could peer into Earth and keep tabs of Phantom Stranger's actions whilst possessing his body and living "Philip Stark's" life in the original's stead.[1]
- Emotion Manipulation: Sin Eater has demonstrated the ability to remove a person's capacity to love, leaving them as emotionless husks.[3]
Abilities
Related
- 9 Appearances of Philip Stark (Prime Earth)
- 1 Images featuring Philip Stark (Prime Earth)
- 1 Quotations by or about Philip Stark (Prime Earth)
- Character Gallery: Philip Stark (Prime Earth)
Footnotes