Sebastian Faust, commonly known as Faust, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mike Barr and Paul Pelletier, he first appeared in Outsiders (vol. 2) #1: Alpha (November, 1993). Having been portrayed as both a superhero and tragic villain, the character is the son of mystic supervillain Felix Faust, whose surname is inspired by protagonist of the eponymous German legend.
The eldest son of Felix Faust, Sebastian gained his powers when his soul was sold by his father in a Faustian bargain with demon lord Nebiros to regain his mystical powers. Trained by his abusive father in the mystic arts, he eventually runs away to escape his influence. In his adulthood, he emerges as a mystic superhero and paranormal investigator often partnered with Blue Devil. Due to his callous methods, powers in black magic, and parentage, he garners a controversial reputation within the superhero community in the DC Universe. Following DC Rebirth, he is reinvented as an anti-villain and former spymaster of A.R.G.U.S.'s mystic branch who comes to conflict with Amanda Waller, culminating to her founding a mystical derived of her team, the Suicide Squad Black.
Publication history
Sebastian Faust was first introduced in the Outsiders (Vol. 2) No. 1 Alpha in November 1993. Serving as the mystical member of the Outsiders team, he also guest starred alongside his teammates in Action Comics and Deathstroke the Terminator series. After the series' end in 1995, Sebastian made occasional appearances in other comics such as Superboy and the Ravers but later had a larger role in the 1999 Day of Judgement crossover; he would initially appear with a revised history and detailing involving the Enchantress in the DCU Villains Secret File and Origins comic released ahead of the event depicting him as a villain. In the actual crossover event, however, much of the details was changed though he still held a significance with Enchantress and was among the characters within the Sentinels of Magic team.
Faust would later star in the 2001 JLA: Black Baptism storyline as one of the main characters, his origin from the Outsiders run revised as well as the nature of his powers. Although the character was unused for a few years afterward, he would reappear in the 2006 Checkmate series, depicting under the new designated name of "Rook Gamma" as an elite operative & mystic consultant of the fictional intelligence agency, Checkmate. Sebastian would also have a supporting role in other crossovers, including the Brightest Day crossover, appearing in the Justice League of America and Justice Society of America series though seemingly no longer a member of Checkmate.
In 2016, the DC Rebirth event relaunched DC Comics' entire line of comic book titles. A rebooted version of Sebastian Faust debuted in the backdrop story of Suicide Squad: Black Files with a new origin, connections to the fictional agency, A.R.G.U.S., and characterization as an eco-terrorist and anti-villain.
Characterization An English-born warlock, Sebastian is a black sheep of the Faust family, leaning toward heroics. He is known for lacking a soul from a demonic bargain wherein his father attempted to sell his soul for power, granted it instead. One side-effect granted him no pupils, leading him to obscure this with aviators and, while not impossible, finds difficult in formulating meaningful relations (platonic and romantic). He also considered among the most dangerous black magic practitioners on Earth (on par with Wizard (William Zard) and the Enchantress), also having a negative reputation due to his ties with his father. Following DC Rebirth, his reputation shifted more positively as a A.R.G.U.S. director and most proficient wizard in its ranks until his defection.
The most reoccurring theme of the character is his relationship with his dysfunctional family; as an infant, Felix once used him as a bargaining tool and taught him the mystic arts. Despite his abuse, Sebastian often yearns to make amends with his father and respects his skills. The older brother of Fauna, the pair hold a rivalry but he holds sympathy and care for her due to also being similarly abused. Sebastian and Fauna's unnamed mother remains his favored parent although she delved into the dark arts due to Felix's influence.
Love interests Faust's first love interest was Halo, whom Faust initially was portrayed as having feelings for and Halo skeptical and rejecting of his advances due to the mistrust the Outsiders team had for him initially. Eventually the two would pursue a romantic relationship for a time. Later, Faust was slated to be June Moone's love ahead of the Day of Judgement crossover; developing feelings for her, he reluctantly nearly slays her Enchantress personality in a complex bid to reignite the flames of Hell with a truly evil act to restore balance, culminating to becoming guilt-ridden and sacrificing his soul he had briefly regained moments prior. In succeeding events, he frequently visits her in psychiatry ward as the experience rendered her catatonic and vows to fix the damage he caused. Later, June is forced to merge with Enchantress, restoring her and birthing a brief new persona who is moved by his later "sacrifice" while battling a powerful sorcerer whom has possessed Felix Faust's body. When June opts to reignite her relationship with Alan Dell, he decides to keep his distance. In DC Rebirth, Faust becomes involved with a dryad, whom he later marries. While pregnant with his son, she contracts a mystical illness and is a major catalyst for his eventual betrayal of A.R.G.U.S. and goal to eradicate the world of magic, which would also cease the mystical illness.
Fictional character biography
Origin and background In his original origin, he is the British eldest son of Felix Faust and older brother to future villainess, Fauna Faust. Trained relentlessly in the mystic arts, an older Sebastian is later made to undergo an initiation ritual by Felix. However, it is revealed the "initiation" was actual a sacrificial ritual and Faustian bargain to restore Felix's former power to naturally initiate magic. Tricked by the demon, Sebastian instead gains the power and flees, abandoning his sister to Felix's machinations. His origin is later revised, his soul having been sold as an infant (as opposed to being a teenager) and the demon specified as Nebiros, enemy of Swamp Thing and Blue Devil, granting him soul magic and the power to initiate magic but at the cost of an uncontrollable negative emotion projection power, causing others to become more angry or tense the longer they are around Sebastian and renders emotional connections with others more difficult.
Other aspects of his revised background amplifies mystical abusive tendencies from Felix, having branded magical symbols onto his body (implied to eb hidden via charms in adulthood) and seduced Sebastian and Fauna's mother into the dark arts to alleviate pain when she developed acute myeloid leukemia after birthing Fauna until she is killed in a car crash.
Sorcerous superhero In the second Outsiders, Faust works with the Outsiders and assists the team when they reform under the threat of a vampire invasion of Markovia. When Technocrat's bodyguard Charlie Wylde is attacked by a bear but saves his life by fusing him with the bear, granting him super-powers but at the cost of losing his human life. The Outsiders are on the run for some time, having been framed by the head vampire, Roderick, for the murder of the traitorous Queen Ilona. It is not known that Ilona is trying to kill the Outsiders. Eventually the team clears their names. Throughout his tenure, Faust is not trusted by many of his teammates. Despite this, he develops a romantic relationship with Halo. Soon, Felix, along with Fauna, attacks the team, drawing them into a different dimension. The team suffers various tortures, and survives only due to the flexible laws of reality in this realm. Faust leads an escape attempt. After the team breaks up, Faust tries to pursue a solo career. Faust became a frequent guest at an intergalactic rave known as the "Event Horizon". When Raver hero Half-Life required new reanimated body parts, Faust agreed to help. While performing an incantation, Klarion the Witch Boy sabotages his incantation and causes his ectoplasm to gain sentience. When knocked out, Hero Cruz used the H-Dial to acquire Faust's powers and banishes the entity that taken over his ectoplasm.
Day of Judgement and the Black Baptism During the 1999 DC Comics crossover event, Day of Judgment, Faust joins with other magical characters of the DC Universe to form the Sentinels of Magic. The denizens of Hell have invaded Earth, led by Asmodel, an angel with the powers of the Spectre. Faust teams up with a varied group of superheroes, including Atom, Superman, Firestorm and Enchantress. They travel to Hell itself and eventually, to the City of Dis, Hell's center of power, to relight its fires. During the trip, the heroes are temporarily trapped under the frozen River Styx. Faust manages to rescue Enchantress first; since he has no soul, he is not tormented by the river's waters. Inside the city, the heroes discover the demon Nebiros, who has stayed behind to guard the frozen fires. In battle, Faust releases Blue Devil, whose bones he had apparently bought from a mysterious marketplace. Nebiros is slain due to Firestorm changing the water in his body to cement. Faust regains his soul. When the combined forces of the superheroes are not enough to relight the fires. Faust realizes what must be done and murders Enchantress, losing his soul, restarting the fires, and saving the Earth all at once.
In the aftermath of this event, Faust, having developed romantic feelings for Enchantress, would work to find ways of reviving Enchantress. Faust next appears during the Black Baptism event. Over the course of the story, he works both with and against the Justice League, before ultimately tapping their souls to stop the mighty sorcerer Hermes Trismegistus. Faust comes to realize his newfound friend, Blue Devil, is only staying with him because of the magical nature of his revival. Not willing to risk Blue Devil's safety, he eliminates the magical connection by plunging the last of Blue Devil's bones into his back. Following the battles, Faust fakes the death of both himself and his father. Blue Devil soon dies in battle against Hermes but is revived.
Checkmate (2006–2008) and later stories Faust was first mentioned in the 2006 Checkmate series as a consultant brought in by the intelligence organization to program magical capacities and defenses into their technological creation, Gideon-II. Later, he is revealed to be a member of the clandestine spy organization as one of their elite teams, "The Rooks". His callsign designation in Checkmate is "Rook Gamma". He is called upon to help neutralize a medical facility occupied by Kobra cultivating mutant, snake-like infants through the use of blood magic to be future soldiers of Kobra.
Faust would make an appearance in the aftermath of the Brightest Day as he helps the Justice League of America and Justice Society of America contain the chaos created from the revival of the Starheart, which causes metahumans of magical origin around the world to go wild. Using his expertise in the occult, he helps the Justice League and the JSA defeat the consciousness of the Starheart, who has taken the form of famed hero and Green Lantern Alan Scott and taken control of the newest incarnation of Doctor Fate, Kent V. Nelson. He also helps the superhero Jade come to terms with her resurrection and newfound heighten levels of power resulting from her coming back from the dead.
DC Rebirth onward