Spoilers for Future State: Justice League #1 ahead!
Etrigan has been an integral part of the DC Universe for almost 50 years now, and now DC is set to reveal the truth about the demon and his human host Jason Blood. In DC’s Future State, Etrigan has a shocking new status quo: he is no longer bonded to Blood, but to Detective Chimp instead. The big reveal is teased in a back-up story in Future State: Justice League by writer Ram V, artist Marcio Takara, and colorist Marcelo Maiolo; the issue is in stores now.
Created by the legendary Jack Kirby, Etrigan first appeared in The Demon #1 in 1972. Initially summoned from Hell by Merlin to help defend Camelot, Etrigan was later bonded to the human Jason Blood, who could summon the demon through a simple rhyme: “gone, gone o’ form of man/rise the demon Etrigan.” The character has gone on to become a fan favorite and has appeared in many DC titles, even having a few of his own; he has also made the leap to other media too, appearing in Justice League Unlimited and the Justice League Dark animated movie. The character still holds secrets, however, and now they are poised to be revealed to the world.
In the dark world of Future State, Merlin came to Earth, using his legions to hunt down magic users, burning them alive one by one and forcing others to watch. Many magic-based heavy hitters are killed and others, such as John Constantine and Doctor Fate, have disappeared. Zatanna and Detective Chimp set out to find Ragman and make one last stand against Merlin’s legions. Their quest takes them to two homeless men on a bench, one of whom is revealed to be Doctor Fate. He tells them he has come back to help defeat Merlin, but first, he must tell a dark secret about Jason Blood, Etrigan’s former host.
The issue ends before Doctor Fate can spill the beans, which raises the question: what is Blood’s secret? And how will it save the Zatanna and company from Merlin and his soldiers? Etrigan was bonded to Blood by Merlin, and Etrigan cannot attack Merlin’s legions because of this—could the secret have something to do with this? Is the secret way for Etrigan to attack and kill Merlin? And is Blood dead? Can he be bonded once again with Etrigan?
Etrigan has been a popular character since his creation, and his new status quo in Future State is shocking. Much of what we know about the character has already been upended, and it looks like more revelations are on the way.