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in: Dick Giordano/Executive Editor, Jim Aparo/Cover Artist, Mike W. Barr/Writer,
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Secret Origins Vol 2 10

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"Tarry Till I Come Again": On a Christmas Eve night, a priest despairing that good will win out in the world is visited by the Phantom Stranger, and hears of how he was once known as the Wandering Jew, a man who lost his child when King Herod had all the babies in Bethlehem destroyed while Jesus

Quote1 We are wanderers in a foreign land between the furrow and the stars. Quote2
— Phantom Stranger

Secret Origins (Volume 2) #10 is an issue of the series Secret Origins (Volume 2) with a cover date of January, 1987.

Synopsis for "Tarry Till I Come Again"

On a Christmas Eve night, a priest despairing that good will win out in the world is visited by the Phantom Stranger, and hears of how he was once known as the Wandering Jew, a man who lost his child when King Herod had all the babies in Bethlehem destroyed while Jesus escaped, and so purchased his way to pose as a Roman soldier to scourge Jesus during His crucifixion. Expecting Jesus to speak vile curses to him, He instead told the man he will "tarry till I come again". After Jesus' death and resurrection, the man found himself wandering through the earth, trying to remove the curse placed on him, until he comes to the rescue of a woman during the Inquisition period who died at the hands of her torturers. From that point on, the man used the curse as a blessing to help those who were suffering, and even though God eventually offered to remove the curse, the man chose to remain under the curse until Jesus came again. The priest eventually believes the story and is renewed in his faith that good will overcome evil.

Appearing in "Tarry Till I Come Again"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • Father Knox, a priest
  • Jesus Christ
  • God (as words into flames)
  • Rebecca (Dies in flashback)
  • Isaac's son (Dies in flashback)

Antagonists:

  • Herod (Behind the scenes) (Flashback only)
  • Roman Empire (Flashback only)
  • Nero (Flashback only)

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:


Vehicles:




Synopsis for "...And Men Shall Call Him Stranger"

A man in an ancient Middle Eastern country who lost his family in a divine judgment that befell his city committed suicide, but was prevented from joining the dead by an angel sent to him, telling him that he must now walk the earth as a stranger.

Appearing in "...And Men Shall Call Him Stranger"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:


Other Characters:

  • Joshua

Locations:

  • A sinful city

Items:


Vehicles:



Synopsis for "Revelations"

In a future time when society has reached its nadir, scientists were on the verge of discovering their universe's origin when the Phantom Stranger visits them, warning them that they could destroy their universe. One of the scientists believe what the Phantom Stranger tells him while the other scientists were unswayed, and so wears a protective spacesuit while the universe around him was destroyed, resulting in both a new creation of the universe and the scientist becoming the Phantom Stranger.

Appearing in "Revelations"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:


Antagonists:

  • Science council

Other Characters:


Locations:

Items:


Vehicles:



Synopsis for "Footsteps"

During the time of the rebellion against Heaven by a third of the angels, one angel chose neither side, and, as a result, had his wings torn away and was accepted by neither side in turn. Thus, he became the Phantom Stranger. In the present, he comes upon a man beaten and rejected by both Guardian Angels and Subway Survivalists, and offers the man his hand, as a brother who can walk with him for a little while.

Appearing in "Footsteps"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • A gang member

Antagonists:

  • Etrigan (Flashback only) (as an angel)
  • Asmodeus (Flashback only) (as an angel)
  • Leviathan (Flashback only) (as an angel)
  • Satan (Flashback only)
  • Guardian Angels
  • Subway Survivalists

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:


Vehicles:


Notes

  • This is "chapter 6" of the Legends crossover. The previous chapter was Justice League of America #258. The next chapter is Firestorm (Volume 2) #55.
  • This issue shows four possible origins of the Phantom Stranger. They all contradict each other, and none of them were intended to be canon. This was done to reinforce the status of the Phantom Stranger an an enigmatic character with an unknown past.
    • "Tarry Till I Come Again" would not be the true origin, as Phantom Stranger has been roaming the world at least since the time of Moses, what is prior to the birth of Christ,[1] but in this point of time this detail is unknown.
    • "...And Men Shall Call Him Stranger": the sinful city is never referred by name; it may be a Canaanite or Hebrew city, as the Stranger's son is named Joshua, an Hebrew name; even Sodom or Gomorrah, but details of the destruction are different.
    • In "Revelations" the Phantom Stranger warns about "other who thought to witness the creation... destroyed their worlds". This is a reference about Krona and Pariah.
    • Despite those intentions, some future writers would make references to "Footsteps", implying that it might be the Stranger's true origin. The other three stories were not ever referenced in that way.[citation needed] It is also aligned with a hint from Stranger's words in Swamp Thing Annual #2 from 1985. But Footsteps has contradictions. The story shows Etrigan as an angel in the heaven; Etrigan actually was born already a demon in Hell and son of Belial. However, in that point of time these details about Etrigan were not known.

Trivia

  • The title for the story "Tarry Till I Come Again" comes from John 21:22,23.


See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References

  1. ↑ Spectre (Volume 3) #14
Legends TP
DC Bullet 2024

Legends Crossover
The events from this issue or series are related to the Legends crossover event.
This template will categorize articles that include it into the Legends category.

Core Issues
Legends #1 • Legends #2 • Legends #3 • Legends #4 • Legends #5 • Legends #6
Tie-Ins
Batman #401 • Detective Comics #568 • Green Lantern Corps #207 • Cosmic Boy #1 • Justice League of America #258 • Secret Origins (Volume 2) #10 • Firestorm (Volume 2) #55 • Cosmic Boy #2 • Justice League of America #259 • Firestorm (Volume 2) #56 • Blue Beetle (Volume 6) #9 • Warlord #114 • Cosmic Boy #3 • Justice League of America #260 • Blue Beetle (Volume 6) #10 • Warlord #115 • Superman (Volume 2) #3 • Adventures of Superman #426 • Action Comics #586 • Cosmic Boy #4 • Justice League of America #261 • Secret Origins (Volume 2) #14
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