Happy Birthday Mirror Master!!!
For those of you who don't know, April 19th is Sam Scudder's birthday. For his birthday present, he gets an entire week of blogging dedicated to him and his villain persona! Welcome to the 2nd day of Mirror Master Week, a post full of information on the one and only Mirror Master! Well... actually there were multiple Mirror Masters, but whose counting?
Who is Mirror Master?
In case you have no idea who Mirror Master is, let me explain. Mirror Master's gimmick is in his name. He uses mirrors in different ways, such as making clones or hypnotizing others, to perform crimes. He can also travel through mirrors into a "mirror dimension". Their are two main incarnations of Mirror Master, the first being Sam, and the second being Evan. Evan took on the role after Scudder died. Captain Boomerang even posed as Mirror Master for a short period of time after Sam's death. In the New 52 reboot, Sam Scudder is the main Mirror Master, and there has yet to be any mention of Evan McCulloch.
Sam's Backstory
Unfortunately nothing is known about Sam's childhood, but we do get a glimpse at his pre-villain days. Sam started out as a criminal even without his gun. He stumbled upon the ability to capture images in mirrors after pouring various chemicals on a mirror in a mirror factory. He began to conduct research and discover more ways to control reflections. His character is especially cool, because he used his brain to gain his powers rather than falling into a vat of toxic waste or being born with them. In a way, he's like Iron Man in DC villain form.
Over the years, Sam learned to make mirrors and duplicate reflections, and he discovered another dimension he called the Mirror World. He once broke out of prison by traveling to this world, where he met telepathic Orinocas who granted his every wish. After growing unhappy with getting everything he wanted, he traveled back to the real world to battle Flash once again.
Mirror Master's death was a sad one. He was killed along side Maaldor the Darklord and Icicle in the evil villain Krona's lab. At the time, he was actually trying to save the world in a hero-villain team up led by Lex Luthor himself. Of course, he didn't stay dead forever. He briefly reappeared as a Black Lantern zombie in a Blackest Night Flash crossover, where he battled the future version of Mirror Master, Evan. It was pretty epic.
In the New 52, Sam is dating Captain Cold's little sister, Lisa Snart. They are my favorite Rogues OTP, which is saying something since I got into this whole Rogues mess by shipping Lisa and Cisco on CW's The Flash. If you don't know about the New 52, all the Rogues weapons are incorporated into their bodies as super powers. For a while, Sam actually becomes trapped in the mirror dimension because of his powers. Eventually his girlfriend is able to help him escape. Even though Sam does not need his gun because he has super powers, he keeps it for sentimental reasons.
In the New 52, Sam is dating Captain Cold's little sister, Lisa Snart. They are my favorite Rogues OTP, which is saying something since I got into this whole Rogues mess by shipping Lisa and Cisco on CW's The Flash. If you don't know about the New 52, all the Rogues weapons are incorporated into their bodies as super powers. For a while, Sam actually becomes trapped in the mirror dimension because of his powers. Eventually his girlfriend is able to help him escape. Even though Sam does not need his gun because he has super powers, he keeps it for sentimental reasons.
Evan's Backstory
Evan's back story is a tragic one, as all good super villains' are. Evan was unable to grow up with his parents. He was abandoned at an orphanage in Kirkcaldy, Scotland run by a kind lady, Mrs. McCulloch. When he was still very young, Evan killed an older boy out of self defense after the boy tried to sexually attack him. Evan was never charged for the crime, and remained at the orphanage until 16. Afterwards, he decided to go out into the world and make a life for himself in Glasgow.
In Glasgow, McCulloch began to turn to crime. He became a hired assassin across Europe. One day, Evan was hired to kill two men. At the time, he had an eye injury, and was unable to see who he was shooting. Only after he pulled the trigger did he realize that the second target was his father. He recognized him from a picture of his parents he had kept since his childhood. Evan attended his father's funeral and wanted to comfort his mother. Before he could work up the courage, his mother committed suicide. Devastated, Evan decided to turn himself in for his crimes.
Before he is able to, he is contacted by the United States government. They give Evan the suit and weapons of the original Mirror Master and hired him to kill the super villain Animal Man. Unfortunately, they also want him to kill Animal Man's wife and children. Evan refuses and instead kills the people who hired him. He keeps the suit and becomes his own villain-for-hire. Eventually, the Scotsman moves to the gem cities and becomes involved with fighting the Flash and being a member of the Rogues.
Sam vs Evan
Since Evan and Sam wear the same costume, it is hard to immediately tell them apart. Often television shows will combine the two characters, which makes it even more difficult. Here are five tell-tale ways to ensure which villain you are viewing.
1. Evan almost always speaks with a Scottish accent.
2. McCulloch fought Wally West, a later version of the Flash, while Sam fought Barry Allen. This is because McCulloch appeared in Flash comics in the 1990s, after Barry had been killed.
3. While Sam can only travel through mirrors, Evan was able to figure out how to do it through any reflective surface. However, Sam can travel through any reflective surface in the New 52 reboot.
4. Evan often uses a mirror gun, while Sam simply uses small, hand held mirrors. The only exception is, you guessed it, the New 52 comics, where Sam was the one to invent the gun.
5. Evan is known to have a huge problem with his drug addiction. One of the Rogues rules is no drugs, so this causes problems with Captain Cold. The leader is very strict about Evan not taking drugs, since it makes the team members less sharp. So if you see any mention of coke, then it's probably not Sam unless its talking about the soda.
Bonus. Evan is often portrayed in films or fan art with a gap in his teeth.
My Favorite Mirror Master Comics
For Sam Scudder:
Hands down, my favorite comic ever!!! Basically imagine every DC villain ever teaming up to fight the Rogues, and you have Rogues Rebellion. I don't want to spoil anything, but I give a quick summary. Basically Captain Cold and Golden Glider both get separated from the gang, and Mirror Master has to lead what remains of the team back to Central City to protect Lisa. I love how they portray everyone's character in it. The Trickster is an absolute hoot. And seeing Sam as the leader of the Rogues is really interesting. This is a must read. (Also, I counted, Sam calls Captain Cold "Lenny" 6 times. They are the cutest brother-in-laws, and my brotp.)
For Evan McCulloch:
I would suggest Geoff Johns collection of comic books from the 1980s simply titled "The Flash" Book One. It has #164-169 of volume 2, which center around a Mirror Master-Captain Cold-Flash team up. When the heroes/villains get trapped in an alternate dimension, the three must work together to get back home safely. It also has Heat Wave as a police officer, which I find the idea mildly amusing. And it shows off Evan's adorable accent, which is a lovely bonus.
And now, you finally know everything about Mirror Master. Happy birthday Sam! Hope you get lots of kisses from Lisa and lots of good presents. And hopefully Axel won't pull any birthday pranks on you, but if he does, try to be a good sport. See you soon.
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