The Confessor

This Herocopia entry discusses events that occurred in an issue of Astro City Comics published within the last 90 days. Feel free to "comment out" this alert anytime after March 11, 2014.

Confessor I © Juke Box Productions AstroFacts Status: Deceased- August 4, 1997 Real Name: Jeremiah Parrish Earliest Appearance: 1950s Origin: Kurt Busiek's Astro City Vol.2 #7 Base of Operations: Grandenetti Cathedral, Astro City Personal Data Occupation: Priest InfoDump Appearances (in Publication Order): Kurt Busiek's Astro City Vol.2 #4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Astro City: Local Heroes #1 Event Timeline Confessor II © Juke Box Productions AstroFacts Status: Active Real Name: Brian Kinney Origin: Kurt Busiek's Astro City Vol.2 #4-9 Base of Operations: Astro City First Appearance: Late 2001 Personal Data InfoDump Appearances (in Publication Order): Kurt Busiek's Astro City Vol.2 #9 Astro City #1, 7 Event Timeline The Confessor Based out of an abandoned vestry in Grandenetti Cathedral, the shadowy figure known as the Confessor was -- and if rumors are true -- still is a vampire. He began his vigilante career, prowling the rooftops and dark corners of Astro City in the early 1950s. History The Sin and Redemption of Jeremiah Parrish Jeremiah Parrish, a young priest, had first come to what was then Romeyn Falls in the late 1800s. He had been brought to the city to oversee the importation of eastern European goods. He managed negotiations and relationships with the foremen and workers that lived in the foothills of Mount Kirby,an area now know as Shadow Hills. Much of the labor force had migrated from southeastern Europe to help build Cardinal Grandenetti's magnificent Cathedral. In the process of his work, Jeremiah became enthralled by an young female who was cursed as a vampire. She drained him of his blood, and left him in a waste pit to rot. He rose again three days later, a vampire himself. The last mention of Jeremiah Parrish is from an entry in the diary of Enzio Grandenetti; "The Creature that now inhabits poor Father Parrish's body has again eluded the godly efforts of those that hunt him. It seems we will now never be able to destroy him, and grant peace to his soul. We must seal him in his lair, away from those he would prey upon, as his thrice-accursed kind always do. I have set the masons to this task and hear them already about their godly work. May God bless their efforts, that we may have peace from this blasphemous creature." The efforts of the priests and workers were semi-successful. Although Jeremiah Parrish survived, he retreated from life and choose to live in the sealed section of the Cathedral for decades. His humanity dwindled, his interest in life faded, until the emergence of the first public superheroes showed him the possibility of doing good work amongst the community while keeping his shame a secret. He became a shadowy stalker, feared by the criminal fraternity, little seen and never photographed. The Confessor and Altar Boy In 1997, the Confessor's path intersected with that of Brian Kinney, a new arrival in Astro City. Brian was working at the restaurant Butler's, which discretely caters to off duty superheroes, when the villain Glue-Gun broke in and attempted to take him hostage. Witnessing the young man's fighting prowess in swiftly dispatching Glue-Gun, the Confessor took him on as a sidekick. In truth, the ex-priest also wanted a confidant, someone to share his secrets. Across that summer, the two had an assortment of adventures. Among other accomplishments, they captured the Gunslinger after the criminal's killing spree. Darker events were befalling Astro City. Events conspired that slowly turned the citizens against their super-powered guardians, a movement that turned out to be part of an elaborate plot by an alien species called the Enelsians to weaken Earth for imminent conquest. The Confessor sacrificed his secret and his existence to reveal the real enemies threatening Astro City and the world. His final act was exposing Mayor Stevenson of Astro City as an Enelsian spy. Brian Kinney Carries on the Tradition Before coming to Astro City, Brian Kinney had been brought up by his single father, a small time doctor. The elder Kinney, always compassionate, treated everyone in the community who needed his help, even those who were too poor to pay their medical expensives. As a result, he developed a reputation as a sucker who could be taken advantage of, and Brian grew up in miserable economic straits. Brian came to greatly resent his father for this, and he vowed to become someone people respected when he grew up. He vowed to become a superhero. He spent years preparing for this goal, learning martial arts at dojos and doing research. When he reached adulthood in 1997, he took a one-way bus to Astro City. Hoping to be taken under one of the city's many heroes' wing, he took a job at the superhero bar Bruiser's. Its owner, KO Carson, sensed Brian's goal and so referred him to Butler's, that suit-and-tie restaurant being where he'd more likely meet the type of heroes he needed, and thus Brian came to the Confessor's attention. Over his time as Altar Boy, in large part through the Confessor's mentorship, Brian came to understand that being a superhero was about helping others, not whatever acclaim or respect that could result in. He came to understand that his father, regardless of how others viewed him, had been a hero in his own right. After the Confessor's death, Brian chose to carry on his mentor's identity and name. He spent four years training all over the world before he was ready, then returned to Astro City. And the criminals of the city soon realized the masked monster they thought dead was back once more to bring terror down on their heads... Powers The vampiric powers of Jeremiah Parrish granted him preternatural strength and speed, the ability to transform himself into mist, and a resistance to conventional weaponry. He could not be seen in mirrors or captured by photography. He also possesses an ability to be supernaturally persuasive, able to glean information from criminals. Over his long discipline years, he developed into an exceptionally capable martial artist, superior athlete, and a highly accomplished sleuth. He also had weaknesses. As a vampire, the Confessor had an aversion to garlic, and a vulnerability to blessed weapons, holy water and sacred symbols. Despite the pain, the Confessor emblazoned a cross over his costume front as a form of penance. He craved fresh blood...the pain of the cross helps to distract and overcome this desire. The current Confessor has no powers, instead using voice modulators and tricks to inspire fear in the minds of criminals. However, Brian Kinney is trained in martial arts, possesses keen detective skills, and maintains a rigorous physical training schedule. As part of his incubation period, Brian spent four years doing intensive training around the world before donning the guise of the Confessor. Footnotes Prior to his first appearance in an actual story (Kurt Busiek's Astro City Vol.2 #4), The Confessor appears on the cover of the promotional comic, Wizard Presents: Kurt Busiek's Astro City #1/2. A poster of him is also part of the material used by the creative team to initially "sell" the Astro City series to publishers. Some of this material is shown in the letters pages and back covers of Kurt Busiek's Astro City Vol.1.