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Blue Devil is a fictional DC Comics superhero. Originally a man in a high-tech costume, he has since been transformed into an actual demon. Blue Devil first appeared in Fury of Firestorm #24 (1984)
Background / History
Dan Cassidy was a special effects wizard and stuntman hired to create and play the title character in the movie "Blue Devil". To that end Cassidy created a full-body costume with a hidden powered exoskeleton and built-in special-effects devices. When two his co-stars accidentally freed a demon named Nebiros, Cassidy used his costume to drive the demon back, but not before being blasted with mystical energy. After the fight, Cassidy found that the blast had permanently grafted the Blue Devil costume to his body.
Cassidy quickly found himself embroiled in repeated adventures and conflicts with supervillains. Apparently, the blast that fused him with his costume had also turned him into a sort of "weirdness magnet". Although he continued to seek a way to regain a normal life, Cassidy became more comfortable as a superhero over time, eventually joining the Justice League of America.
When the demon Neron took control of Hell and began seeking souls on Earth, Blue Devil was one of those he approached. Neron freed Cassidy from his costume in exchange for his soul, but neglected to mention that the bargain would also result in the death of one of Cassidy's closest friends. In the end, Cassidy cheated Neron of his prize but died in the process. Cassidy was soon reincarnated as an actual demon. Now, instead of a man in a costume, he was an actual Blue Devil.
Cassidy rejoined the Justice League and remained with them until his second death, this time at the hands of the villainous Mist. His bones were secretly recovered by the magician Faust, who eventually restored Blue Devil to have him destroy Nebiros. Cassidy then joined the Sentinels of Magic and eventually gave his life a third time fighting Hermes Trismegistus. He did not remain dead long, however, and now roams the Earth banishing demons back to Hell.
Powers
Even before he became Blue Devil, Dan Cassidy was a highly trained martial artist and acrobat. His costume included Kevlar body armor, visual and auditory amplifiers, radio gear, and servo-motors which increased his strength at least twenty-fold. After being grafted to Cassidy's body the costume became organic and gained the ability to self-repair at an extremely fast rate (effectively a healing factor). Cassidy's abilities seem to have been changed little by his transformation into an actual demon.
Originally, Blue Devil wielded a trident of his own design which included, among other things, rocket engines capable of carrying two people at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. He now carries the Trident of Lucifer, which allows him to find demons on Earth and banish them to Hell.
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