Deadman

A circus aerialist murdered in his prime, Boston Brand haunts the Earth in search of justice.

In life, Boston Brand was one of the world's greatest acrobats. But in death, he became one of its greatest heroes. Brand performed as a trapeze artist using the stage name "Deadman" due to his death-defying acts, ghostly white face paint and flamboyant costume. But during one of his performances, he was murdered in midair by a mysterious assassin known only as "The Hook." When he died, his spirit was granted the power to possess any living being by the Hindu god Rama Kushna, so that Boston could search for his killer and receive a measure of peace. Now a literal Deadman, he was both a ghost and a DC superhero.

Although Deadman would eventually catch his murderer, who'd killed him as part of an elaborate initiation ritual to join an elite group of assassins, he continued to use his abilities to help people in the mortal world. While the majority of Earth's heroes don't know about Brand's existence as Deadman, there are a select few who do. He's worked several times with Batman, as well as more supernaturally inclined heroes like the Spectre and the Sentinels of Magic. In more recent years, he's served as a member of the Justice League Dark. Whether solo or partnered with other heroes, Deadman continues to haunt the Earth, protecting the innocent and working to balance the scales of justice.

For more on Deadman's history, visit his page on DCUniverse.com.