Roland Desmond (Prime Earth)

Now the city Mark and I grew up in has been abused by outsiders. It's asking for a savior to stand up for it. And I can't turn my back this time.

— Blockbuster ^src

Roland Desmond was the second Blockbuster and brother of the original, Mark Desmond. Unlike his brother, Roland possessed a high level of intelligence as well as great strength, which he used to become the leader of Bludhaven's crime families and one of Nightwing's most dangerous foes.

History

At some point, Blockbuster sold his soul to Neron in exchange for greater intelligence. Some years after that, he fathered a daughter called Olivia with Jezebel Jet, a member of the notorious Black Glove. He renegotiated his deal with Neron such that upon Blockbuster's death, Neron would take Olivia's soul rather than his.^[1]^[2]

Bludhaven billionaire Dick Grayson promised to use his wealth to remake the city from the ground up, which would threaten the power of the city's crimelords. Blockbuster hired multiple assassins to kill Grayson, but they were all foiled and captured by superheroes who had placed Dick under their protection. Even the legendary La Agente Funebre failed. Eventually Lady Shiva met with Desmond and told him that no assassin would accept a contract on Dick Grayson, and that if he wanted Dick dead he would have to kill him himself.^[3]

A new villain known as Heartless broke into Blockbuster's skyscraper headquarters and offered to buy control of Bludhaven from him, so he could allow Grayson to give the city hope and then snatch it away. Blockbuster refused and threw Heartless out of a top storey window.^[4]

The superheroes cracked down hard on Blockbuster's criminal activities, crippling his operation. Enraged, he attacked Haven, a community centre Dick Grayson had financed on the site of a former homeless camp. He battled Nightwing when the hero came to stop him, and during the fight he knocked off Nightwing's mask, revealing that he was Dick Grayson.^[5]

Dick defeated Blockbuster, and the people of Haven stood up to him, no longer afraid of him. Even Blockbuster's henchmen deserted him when Batgirl revealed that he owned Bludhaven Private Prison, a hellish jail where they had all served time. Blockbuster fled into the alleys of Bludhaven where he was murdered by Heartless, taking the secret of Nightwing's identity to the grave.^[6]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Enhanced Intellect: Roland received greater intelligence after making deals with Neron.^[1]
Transformation: Using an improved version of the Blockbuster Serum developed by his brother, Roland could transform into a hulking powerhouse while still retaining his full intellect.^[7]
- Superhuman Durability
- Superhuman Strength

Abilities

Business Management: Roland rose to become the owner and general manager of the Marcus Casino and was selected to be a speaker for the Business Leaders of Tomorrow Forum in Bludhaven.^[8]
Deception: Roland effectively manipulated both Nightwing^[7] and Tiger Shark^[9] in a successful bid to take over the Marcus Casino and the Blüdhaven underworld.
Hand-to-Hand Combat (Basic): Roland was able to parry a coordinated melee assault from Nightwing^[10] and outbrawl several aggressors hopped-up on the Blockbuster Serum.^[11]
Tactical Analysis
Thievery: Roland's thieving exploits ranged from picking pockets^[10] to robbing banks^[7].

Weaknesses

Power Instability: Remaining in his Blockbuster state for prolonged periods put a strain on Roland's body and resulted in pain.^[11]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Blockbuster Serum

Notes

Roland Desmond was created by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, and Phil Bourassa, first appearing in Detective Comics #345. However, in the Prime Earth continuity, Roland Desmond first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in Nightwing (Volume 4) #22 by Tim Seeley.

Roland Desmond (Prime Earth)

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