Nightmaster, Jim Rook, is one of my favorite characters. It was through reading Shadow Pact, DC comics 2005-2008, I became fully aware of the character. Everything negative he had he would find a way to make it positive. I think that’s what I liked the most about Jim Rook. He turned his problems into solutions.

Disabilities

“I think it’s just that kind of attitude that shows why you weren’t cut out for the superhero business. Your disabilities are just a crutch you use to hide a profound selfishness.” - Nightmaster*

Lead singer for “The Electrics”, Jim Rook enters into the bar, Oblivion Inc, to check out the sound system and stage for the band. Somehow he is instantly teleport to the Myrra dimension. Here he learns that his absentee father was also teleported there and became the hero, Nacht of Myrra. Jim takes up his father’s mantle using the Sword of Night to battle evil. This magical blade can cut through anything, can ward off danger and force someone to tell the truth. After his adventures in Myrra, Jim returns to our dimension with the Sword of Night. He buys the Oblivion Inc, and opens a Bookstore. He finds other dimensional doorways and opens a bar, the Oblivion Bar, for magical beings.

Disabilities are difficult to discuss. For those of us that do not have a “disability” we would never try to hinder someone from experiencing a full and rich life. But we do understand character defects. We all have “character defects”. Some of us may have issues with trust or faith. Some of us may be judgmental or moralistic. The truth of the matter is when our character defects act up we are trying hide from the truth or keep things from changing. Sometimes these character defects make us seem selfish. We start to use the defect as a crutch. These actions will eventually keep us from living the life we want. Try to recognize the character defect and start turning the defect into a character asset.

Nightmaster
First Appearance: DC Showcase, #82 DC Comics May 1969

Creators: Dennis O’Neill (writer) Jerry Grandeneti (art)

* “The Laws of Battle”, Shadowpact, #7, January 2007, DC Comics