History
The man currently known as “Joe Smith” and his brother were born with incredible powers, and were initially lauded as being “miracle” children. As they grew, however, they became feared and loathed by the citizens of Granite City after they unintentionally injured some school bullies. Their family home was set on fire in the hope that it would kill them, but both Joe and his brother escaped unharmed. The same could not be said for their parents, who were burned alive.
Joe’s brother eventually chose to forgive the peoples’ ignorance, and used his powers to fight crime as the “Samaritan.” Joe, however, was obsessed with avenging his family, and embarked on a campaign of terror against the city as “Nemesis.”
The brothers’ tale supposedly ended with them dying in battle against each other, though many believe that Samaritan is still alive. The truth, however, is that Samaritan did in fact die during that final battle, having fallen to his doom after sparing his brother’s life. It was only then that Nemesis realized the error of his ways. Joe walked away from a life of crime, consumed by the guilt of his twin brother’s death…
Powers & Abilities
While the original Samaritan is long dead, his brother Joe, now an elderly man, has unwittingly taken up the mantle. His powers appear to be identical to those of the original Samaritan. However, during his time as Nemesis, he wielded a glowing hammer that had been enhanced by his own superhuman blood.
Super Strength – Samaritan possesses a degree of superhuman strength, enough to flip a car with ease, smash through brick walls and send men hurtling through the air. He claims to be slightly weaker in his old age, however.
Superhuman Durability – Samaritan is highly resistant to damage. He can easily withstand most gunshots, though higher-caliber bullets do appear to be capable of harming him. He was also able to take multiple hits from his enhanced hammer before he finally started to bleed.
Healing Factor – Samaritan is capable of rapidly healing from almost any injury. His bones were able to completely re-knit themselves after he was hit by a speeding car, and he can casually withstand and heal from stab wounds. In his old age, a side effect of his healing appears to be an intense generation of body-heat, essentially “overheating” him if his wounds are serious enough. In these instances, he needs to be cooled down quickly or he may die.
In Other Media
Samaritan
Sylvester Stallone portrays the titular character in the Amazon Prime Video movie adaptation of Samaritan. The movie was released on August 26th 2022.