Cicada (character)

Cicada
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	The Flash v2, #171 (April 2001)
Created by	Geoff Johns Scott Kolins
In-story information
Alter ego	David Hersch
Team affiliations	Secret Society of Super Villains
Abilities	Can steal someone else's life force to keep alive

Cicada is a fictional DC Comics supervillain. Cicada first appeared in Flash (v.2) #171 (April 2001).

Fictional character biography

During a thunderstorm sometime in the early twentieth century, David Hersch murdered his wife. Regretting what he had done, he sought to end his own life, only he was struck by lightning before he could carry it out... and had a vision: He had been chosen to live forever, and he would bring his wife back as well.

Hersch was able to transfer a person’s life force to himself to keep himself alive. Calling himself Cicada, he began accumulating followers, including Magenta, planning for the day when he would be able to resurrect his wife. Yet he and his followers faced a dilemma: to achieve his vision of immortality, he needed to sacrifice the lives of others; yet how could he truly justify that? Certainly his followers would lay down their lives for him, but would it be enough to raise the dead?

Then the answer came: Cicada learned of the Flash, and saw in him a brother blessed by the lightning. And the Flash had been saving people’s lives. Here were people who, without the Flash’s interference, would have died anyway, and in Cicada’s mind, he could take their lives with a clear conscience.

As the appointed day approached, Cicada sent his followers out through Keystone City, armed with daggers that collected life energy, killing those whom the Flash had saved. The killings overwhelmed the police, and the Flash was kept busy dealing with Magenta, who finally captured him and brought him their sanctum to witness the resurrection. Cicada succeeded, briefly, in bringing his wife back, only to have her reveal the truth of his original crime. The Flash broke free, and in the ensuing fight Cicada drained the life from all his followers.

Cicada now resides in Iron Heights, living a simple life of contemplation and prayer. Of course, he may have a way out: during the battle, he slashed Detective Morillo with his dagger, granting the detective healing powers...and establishing some sort of hold over him.

He has joined the Secret Society. He is one of the villains featured in Salvation Run.

Powers and abilities

Cicada has the ability to steal the life-force of other living beings and use it to prolong his own life and regenerate physical damage. He carries a hilted blade capable of absorbing the life force of its victims in order to resurrect the dead. Cicada is an immortal and cannot die.

External links

• Hyperborea entry for Cicada
• Crimson Lightning - An online index to the comic book adventures of the Flash.