Barter

BARTER

Real Name: Unrevealed

Class: Human magic-user

Occupation: Businessman.

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Dimensionally mobile pawn shop.

First Appearance: Hawk and Dove III #1 (June, 1989)

Powers: Barter was a shrewd businessman who was extremely long-lived. He could take anything from a customer that was freely offered, including the years of their life, their talents or superpowers. Barter Trading pawn shop existed in its own dimension, and could travel through space at his leisure. Its doorways could open to any other doorway in existance that did not possess mystical wards. Barter Trading was protected with a number of security measures; laser-beams, Omega beams, conjured demons, and Jadoo, a Durlan shapeshifter that could not leave the shop.

History: (Who's Who In The DC Universe #4) - Barter claimed he had been cursed by a power more ancient and mighty than the Lords of Order and Chaos, and thereafter was obliged to never give without taking. He opened Barter Trading, an interdimensional pawn shop, and began business. He had his own sense of honor, and usually told the truth in his dealings, but was more than willing to take advantage of a customer who didn't pay strict attention to everything he said. He never took money as payment, always demanding things like information, years of his customers life, or first-born sons. He rejuvenated his youth through mystic bargains.

(Hawk and Dove III #6 (fb)) - Barter was over a century old, and plied his trade to anyone who could pay for it during WWII.

(Hawk and Dove III #1, 2) - Barter set up his trading shop with all varieties of objects, from superhero memorabilia, to bottles of century-old wine to entire worlds. Sensing mystic vibrations Barter investigated and found them coming from Hawk and Dove. He thought they could be useful in future transactions, and contacted Lord of Chaos Child, who he tricked into revealing that Hawk and Dove were created by the Lords of Order and Chaos in hopes of forestalling the Kali Yuga. Barter rewarded Child with a hypno-hat from his store, but Child also wanted an old tattered Superman cape and threatened Barter. Barter admitted he was a mere mortal, but promised that if Child turned on him he'd see him utterly demolished. He wanted Child to obtain more info on Hawk and Dove and promised him either a world to play with or a shard of Flaw, Child's old servant whom he could recreate with the fragment.

(Hawk and Dove III #5) - Barter's Paris deal was almost finished, and he observed Hawk through a scrying crystal, planning his upcoming trade with Hawk and Dove.

(Hawk and Dove III #6, 7) - Count St. Germaine wanted to trade Barter for his painting The Night Moths by Jean Beraud which portrayed both of them. Barter wasn't interested in a trade, so Germaine started an escalating rivalry. Barter owned the Eiffel Tower and leased it to the French government for free meals in France's most exclusive restaurants, so Germaine had it closed down after an attack by his alchemical monsters. Barter summoned Hawk and Dove to his shop and offered to reveal the truth behind the mysterious voice that gave them their powers if they stole a priceless bible from his old enemy Count St. Germaine. They agreed, and he sent them to find the Alchemist's tomb in Paris. Once they found the bible he revealed that it contained Germaine's true name and age. Germaine led others to believe he was much more ancient, and this information would ruin him, so Barter assumed Germaine would now stay out of his affairs. Barter told them that the Lord of Chaos T'Charr gave Hawk his powers, and Lord of Order Terataya gave Dove hers. When they waited for more of an explanation he told them he only promised the names and nature of the mysterious voices, nothing more. Disappointed and angry, the heroes left the shop. Dove was still haunted by the possibility that gaining her powers caused Don Hall's death and thought about seeing Barter again

(Hawk and Dove III #14-17) - Hawk and Dove contacted Barter when they needed travel to a dimension where Kestrel, who'd possessed their friend Ren, had fled. After they described where they wanted to go he named his price as just the name of their destination. He opened a portal to Druspa Tau and wanted to bargain for their return ride when Hawk, sick of haggling, knocked him out and took him with them. Lord of Chaos M'Shulla had conquered Tau, and when he separated Hawk and Dove Barter was taken to the city of Capella. Ren, temporarily freed from Kestrel after Hawk agreed to be M'Shulla's warlord, made a reconnaissance of Capella, and found the bound Barter, whom she released. Barter knew he'd have to pay her back, and intended to seek revenge against Hawk and Dove as well. Leaving the city Barter found the arm of Flaw, a Lord of Chaos who'd been injured by Dove, and took it with him. He met Rome, a historian who despaired that he couldn't summon M'Shulla's archenemy because he didn't know his true name. Barter made a deal, revealing that M'Shulla's opposite was the Lord of Order Teratya. Rome summoned the Lord and the final battle for Tau was fought. Barter found Ren, who was being attacked by Child, and Barter used Flaw's arm to attack him. Child hurtled off a cliff and Barter told Ren he was now square with her. Ren had been permanently freed from Kestrel by Hawk, but Barter purchased her memory of Kestrel and put them in a vial in exchange for a return trip for her to Earth.

Comments: Created by Barbara Kesel, Karl Kesel & Greg Guler.

Barter received a profile in Who's Who In The DC Universe #4.