A Brief History of Persuader on TV
One of the Legion of Super Heroes Main Foes on Screen Appearances
Jan 15, 2009
Created by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan in 1967, Persuader has been a fixture in the Legion of Super Heroes comic book ever since. The character is part of a group known as "The Fatal Five" and regularly menaces the Legion.
Persuader wields a weapon known as an "Atomic Axe" which is apparently sharp enough to cut through anything. This ability isn't limited to physical objects but can also cut through various forces (like gravity) and even cut through the barriers that separate alternate dimensions.
There have been three incarnations of the character in the comic books, but on television every appearance of Persuader has been that of the original version, a man who's real name is Nyeun Chun Ti. The original version wears a metal mask that covers his entire face, but for his eyes.
Justice League Unlimited
The Fatal Five manage to defeat and mentally enslave every member of the Legion of Super Heroes with the exception of Brainiac 5 and Bouncing Boy. The two remaining heroes use a time travel device to snatch three heroes from the Twenty-First Century and bring them a thousand years into the future to help them rescue their team mates and defeat the Fatal Five. Supergirl, Green Lantern and Green Arrow turn the tide and the Fatal Five, including Persuader, are defeated.
Persuader's few words in the episode are provided by an uncredited actor.
Legion of Super Heroes
During the two seasons of Legion of Super Heroes, the Fatal Five return again and again to battle the Legion. Persuader appears each time and each time the Five go down to defeat. Although he is a series regular, the character only speaks in a single episode.
Actor David Sobolov brings Persuader to menacing life in an episode in which Brainiac 5 transfers part of Persuader's consciousness into the shape shifting Chameleon Boy, allowing him to pose as the villain and gather intelligence on the Legion's foes. Naturally, things go horribly wrong and Chameleon Boy winds up believing that he really is Persuader and the two Persuader's clash before the Legion is able to rescue their team mate.
Live Action
In "Legion", the January 15, 2009 episode of Smallville, three Legionnaires, Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad and Cosmic Boy travel a thousand years into the past to help Clark Kent defeat Brainiac and Doomsday. Persuader arrives to try and stop them. In his first live action appearance, Persuader is portrayed by actor/stunt performer Fraser Aitcheson.
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