- No one drags R.J. Brande, lad... not even you. But if you want your shape-changing powers, you had to come back here -- and I'll be damned if I'd let you do it alone.
- — R.J. Brande src
R.J. Brande was the financier of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Few people knew he was actually a Durlan named Ren Daggle.
History
Origin
Ren Daggle was a Durlan, born in the 20th Century, who originally served on the intergalactic police force L.E.G.I.O.N., which he also helped found. He is most well known though for his advocacy and immense financial support of the Legion of Super-Heroes, who he came in contact with after being transported 1000 years into the future.
Ren Daggle was born on the planet Durla, where his people exist as non-humanoid shape-shifters. In Durlan society, it was not common for individuals to take their own names. On other planets, they are regarded with great suspicion because of their abilities.
Ren Daggle was very different from other Durlans and left his people in search of adventure, but soon crash landed on the planet Colu. He did not find adventure but he was forced in to a life of slavery under the evil Brainiac. Brainiac was the lead scientist of the Coluans, where emotion had long been forgotten in favor of science and logic. Brainiac's cloned son Vril Dox II was also treated like a slave, and so the Durlan took the young boy under his wing.
Over time the Durlan and Vril Dox II became friends. At times, the Durlan would take a more humanoid form, which his people would find to help put humanoids more at ease.
Brainiac was then over thrown and banished from the planet by the Computer Tyrants. The young Vril Dox II is given to the Dominators by the Computer Tyrants as a gesture of good faith in their Invasion of the planet Earth. As a result, the Durlan stowed away in Vril's body in order to help his friend.
He was detained in the Starlag prison, where he befriended some other prisoners such as Stealth and Captain Comet.
Along with Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek and Strata, he helped to defeat the Dominators.
L.E.G.I.O.N.
After their victory, the group went with Vril Dox II to his home planet of Colu. They were successful in shutting down the Computer Tyrants who had conquered his people. But without the Computer Tyrants to guide it, Coluans society practically self-destructed.
Vril Dox II then became a messiah to his people, which gave him the idea to form a new police force to replace the former Green Lantern Corps. The others were hesitant to join, but ultimately decided that it might be a good idea to stick around, so as to keep an eye on Vril Dox II.
The band then journeyed to Cairn to take out Kanis-Biz, and afterwards they turned the entire police force into the group called L.E.G.I.O.N.. The Durlan remained with the team as an adviser, but he also aided the team as a medical technician. After Stealth went into a mating rage and attacked Dox, the Durlan informed her she was pregnant with Dox's child. While Vril Dox II was still in recovery, the Durlan disappeared without explanation and was replaced with Phase, a woman claiming to be from the 30th Century with Phasing powers.
Pre-Zero Hour
Ren Daggle found himself in the 30th Century, where he became lost and confused. Eventually, he returns home to Durla. Ren soon met and married Zhay Daggle. The couple had two boys named Reep Daggle and Liggt Daggle. Ren gave birth to one child and Zhay the other.
Due to the warlike tendencies of the Durlans, the planet entered a world war which culminated in the Six Minute War when Reep was only a young boy. The planet was left a nuclear wasteland. The people were forced to survive in the wreckage, but due to their powers they were able to adapt to their surroundings.
Zhay died when the children were small and their father abandoned them afterward so as to be raised by Zhay and Theg's sister, Ji.
Ren Daggle then contracted Yorggian Fever and left the planet, trapped in the guise of a Human. After being frozen in a human form, he amassed a vast fortune by making stars, using advanced technology to create suns for clients. He eventually became one of the richest men in the galaxy, and bought a private planetoid where he built his mansion. In human form, Daggle has taken on the name René Jacques Brande, more commonly shortened to "R.J. Brande."
On a trip to Earth R.J. Brande met three young heroes; Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl. They saved his life from an assassination attempt, and as a result of this, R.J. Brande then uses his vast fortune to help fund the young heroes in creating the Legion of Super-Heroes.
He was eventually assassinated by his arch-rival, Leland McCauley, during the events of Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Abilities
- Business Management
- Mimicry
- Martial Arts: During his days in L.E.G.I.O.N, Ren was shown to be a skilled martial arts fighter.
Weaknesses
- Power Duplication Limitation: Ren is limited to the physical capabilities of the form he takes. For instance, he cannot gain a Kryptonian's enhanced cells nor can he split himself like Triplicate Girl. However, he can fly like a bird and/or sting like a bee.
Other Characteristics
- Yorggian Fever: Ren contracted Yorggian Fever which trapped him in the form he was in at the time. He now appears as a human with all the strengths and weaknesses this form provides.
Notes
- In Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 6) #10 there is a character named R'Aesha who claims she is RJ's sister and she raised his son Reep. Reep was actually raised by his mother's sister Ji. This is either a continuity error or a change to continuity.
Recommended Reading
- Legion of Super-Heroes Recommended Reading
- Adventure Comics (Volume 1)
- Adventure Comics (Volume 2)
- The Legion (Volume 1)
- Legion Lost (Volume 2)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 2)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 3)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 4)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 5)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 6)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 7)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 8)
- Legionnaires (Volume 1)
- Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 1)
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 1)
Related
- 80 Appearances of Ren Daggle (Pre-Zero Hour)
- 7 Images featuring Ren Daggle (Pre-Zero Hour)
- 5 Quotations by or about Ren Daggle (Pre-Zero Hour)
- Character Gallery: Ren Daggle (Pre-Zero Hour)
Footnotes
Legion of Super-Heroes member |