Darrin W. Dingle III

DARRIN W. DINGLE III

Real Name: Darrin W. Dingle III

Class: Human

Occupation: Businessman, founder of The Right-Wing Legacy Institute

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Washington, D.C.

First Appearance: Demon III #26 (August, 1992)

Powers: Dingle was politically savvy, possessed vast wealth, and was attended by a team of highly trained and heavily armed security agents.

History: (Demon III #26, 27) - Wealthy conservative Darrin W. Dingle III thought the country had gone to Hell ever since Roosevelt’s New Deal, and wanted to find the perfect far right candidate for president who would support the interests of millionaires such as himself. He employed political pollster Phil Harrity, who used Dingle’s list of traits of the ideal conservative to create a computer algorithm. Harrity ran the program three times on Dingle’s hi-tech computers, which inadvertently cast a conjuration spell that summoned Etrigan. The perfect conservative turned out to be a demon from Hell. Harrity fainted when he saw the demon, and Etrigan was peeved at being called forth like a minor demon, so he attacked Dingle’s security staff, and hopped a flight from Dingle’s mansion in Washington, DC back to his home in Gotham City. At Dingle’s request Harrity ran his algorithm again, bringing Jason Blood, the human host of Etrigan, back to DC. Jason transformed into Etrigan and after tearing through Dingle’s security once more threatened to push the wheelchair bound man down a flight of stairs until Dingle convinced him to listen to his proposition. He told Etrigan he wanted him to run for president, and the demon asked what was in it for him. When Etrigan learned that as Commander-In-Chief he’d have authority over the U.S. army and the country’s stockpile of nuclear weapons his interest was suddenly piqued. Etrigan fantasized about invading Hell and nuking it into a smoldering crater. He told Dingle he was his man, and would gladly run for president. To announce Etrigan’s entry into the Republican Party presidential primaries he put out a book entitled America Rules!, which also spelled out his platform of creating more jobs for the military-industrial complex and starting more wars against America’s enemies. Etrigan’s bellicose message resonated with Republicans, and he polled well. Dingle gave a television interview, saying Etrigan’s competition Pat Buchanan was far too left-wing for his liking. Jason, posing as one of Etrigan’s entourage, joined Glenda, Harry and Randu on the campaign trail. Glenda disliked the idea of Etrigan in office, but Jason said Etrigan didn’t have a chance of winning, and was happy to keep the demon occupied. .

(Demon III #29) - Etrigan had a daydream about making America into a military power that would conquer the world, and then storming Hell and nuking Heaven. Dingle’s think tank started a rumor that Superman was a close personal friend and advisor to Etrigan, causing him to once again surge in the polls. Superman gave a highly publicized speech, denying he had any affiliation with Etrigan, denouncing his warlike ambitions, and telling the American people that he could save them from supervillains, but only they could save themselves from Etrigan. Dingle and his think tank met with Etrigan to discuss his prospects, since he no longer had a chance at the Presidential nomination after Superman’s speech tanked his momentum. Dingle rejected his team’s ideas of running as an independent or throwing in with the Democrats. Dingle had connections to the White House, and Bush was offering to dump Dan Quayle and offer Etrigan the vice-presidency if he threw his support behind Bush at the Republican Convention. Etrigan approved, making a veiled threat that he’d end up being President anyway after Bush died. Jason’s friends Glenda Mark, Harry Matthew and Randy Singh made sure Etrigan turned back into Blood and sat out the Republican Convention. Dingle nearly had a stroke when Etrigan’s speechwriter Patty Nonage conceded the nominations he’d gotten to Bush. Bush / Quayle won the Republican nomination, but weeks later Etrigan met with Superman, telling him he intended to run again in four years.

Comments: Created by Dwayne McDuffie & Val Semeiks.