Extrao

Extrao (Spanish for "strange" or "odd") is a fictional superhero magician

Extrao
published by DC Comics. Created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Joe
Staton, he first appeared in Millennium #2 (January 1988).

Contents
1 Fictional character biography
2 Powers and abilities
3 References
4 External links

Extrao in Millennium #8 (February

1988).
Fictional character biography Art by Joe Staton.
During the 1988 "Millennium" storyline, Extrao was part of a group selected Publication information
by the Guardians of the Universe to take part in an experiment in human Publisher DC Comics
evolution. Extrao was a Peruvian man named Gregorio De La Vega, from
First Millennium #2 (January
Trujillo City, South America. As a minor magician, his magical powers were
appearance 1988)
heightened by the procedure, and his fellow participants gained new abilities as
well. Together, they formed the superhero team New Guardians, and took it
Created by Steve Englehart (writer)
upon themselves to fight evil wherever it lurked on Earth.
Joe Staton (artist)
In-story information
Extrao initially wore loose colorful garments and refers to himself as "Auntie",
Alter ego Gregorio De La Vega
usually imparts parental advice to his teammates. Serving as the team's resident
magician, he could fire blasts of energy from his hands, levitate, and perform a Species Human
large number of "stage tricks, including ping-pong 'balls'" to outwit his foes. He Place of Earth
had an earnest sense of justice and love of life that made him popular with his origin
teammates. During The New Guardians' short run, Extrao acquired a powerful Team New Guardians
crystal skull (which seemed to greatly amplify his abilities) and a more affiliations
traditional, "masculine" superhero costume, perhaps as a reaction to the
Abilities Magic
comments of readers.

In The New Guardians, Extrao helped his team defeat a number of supervillains while trying his best to assist them with personal
problems. On one mission in particular, he was attacked by an "AIDS vampire" called the Hemo-Goblin. He was subsequently
confirmed to be HIV-positive but it is unclear whether he was infected by Hemo-Goblin or had already been infected prior to his
introduction. Though he showed no outward signs of the disease, his infection remained a somewhat unorthodox plot point. Although
the Guardians continued to fight evildoers behind the scenes even after their comic ended, their island base was attacked and
swallowed up by the villain Entropy in the pages of Green Lantern. For a time it was assumed Extrao died during this incident, but
the subsequent reappearance of other New Guardians throws this into doubt.

After the timeline-altering events of the 2016 DC Rebirth relaunch, Henry Bendix tries to recruit Extrao against Midnighter and
Apollo, but Gregorio De La Vega now shuns his previous persona, and refuses.[1] Midnighter subsequently journeys to Gregorio's
Lima, Peru home, The Sacrarium, that Gregorio shares with a man named Hugh and an adopted girl with wings named Suri. Gregorio
agrees to help Midnighter, and locates Apollo's soul in Hell, where it was relegated after Apollo's encounter with Mawzir.[2] Writer
 Steve Orlando, who is bisexual, explains his decision to reintroduce the character,
saying, "With a book like Midnighter & Apollo, which from cover to cover is a love
letter to queer characters and our struggle to live, be visible and love, it felt right to
[3]
return to one of the first and reintroduce Gregorio to a new generation."

The post-DC Rebirth incarnation of

the character, from Midnighter and
Apollo #1 (December 2016). Art by
Fernando Blanco.

Powers and abilities

Being a magician, Extrao has a number of abilities linked to his trade. Unlike stage parlor tricks, these spells rely on real sorcery and
can be used for a variety of effects.

References
1. Steve Orlando (w), Blanco, Fernando (a).Midnighter and Apollo #1 (December 2016). DC Comics.
2. Steve Orlando (w), Blanco, Fernando (a).Midnighter and Apollo #2 (January 2017). DC Comics.
3. Gustines, George Gene(March 26, 2017). "Adventures in Comics and the Real World" (https://www.nytimes.com/20
17/03/26/books/comics-diversity-america-chavez.html?_r=1)
. The New York Times.

External links
Extrao (Pre-"Flashpoint")at the Comic Book DB
Extrao (Post-DC Rebirth)at the Comic Book DB

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Extrao&oldid=802030566

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This page was last edited on 23 September 2017, at 14:53.

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