Made awhile about a week ago that went over a character or storyline idea I had that received some attention, so I thought I’d make an updated version with more info on them. . .
This character's name is Zoran Morden, and to really understand his character, we gotta get into his backstory (I know, eyeroll, stick with me).
Both of Zoran’s parents were members of the military, but for different countries. Zoran’s mother was named Somoni; she was a well-known KGB officer. His father was named Denali, and he was a member of the United States military as a medical scientist. Somoni and Denali met each other during a campaign in Alaska, where both Russian and American troops were stationed. From there, the rest is history.
Two people deeply in love, yet quite literally caught between two "worlds" and opposing countries. Eventually, through less-than-legal means, the two deserted their responsibilities and posts, running away and hoping for a new life. Over the course of the next ten years, Somoni, Denali, and their son Zoran settled down and attempted to live a normal life, yet the time they had would eventually be cut short.
While Zoran was away, someone broke into their home and killed Denali and Somoni, ending the lives of the two lovers who had tried to outrun their past sins. With his parents gone, a 14-year-old Zoran was now left alone in the little house that his parents had wanted to be their new beginning, which ended up being their tomb. (This backstory was heavily inspired by the story of the Marston family from the Red Dead Redemption series, with the atmosphere regarding Zoran’s life mirroring that of what’s seen by adult Jack Marston in the epilogue of the first RDR uncomfortably quiet, eerie, and tunnel-visioned by revenge! ) Zoran would eventually devote his time to tracking down and likely avenging the death of his parents and the life they lived, donning the name “Guts”.
Over time, Zoran’s campaign would lead him to Gotham, where, of course, he came into contact with Batman and his "associates." While it took some time, as expected, Zoran would eventually be accepted and welcomed by Bruce and the rest of the Batfamily, yet Zoran would also feel like a bit of a black sheep, or not as close to them as they might’ve thought.
Eventually a wedge was beginning to from between Zoran and the rest of the batfamily, a conflict over morals, ethics or the question of them. A huge turning point for Zoran would be gaining superpowers. After a heated exchange and a quiet excommunication on Zoran’s part from Bruce and rest of the batfamily he mad his way to a site he was investigating. Eventually a fire broke out and Zoran was caught within it, with a connection to his Chiton’s membrane armour while being burned alive his body was systematically rebuilt.
Their main power is opening a crack or portal on their back that spews a spiritual energy. With this energy, they can form very large spiritual butterfly wings that they can use to fly and protect themselves. With this they don the new name "Monarch" in reference to their butterfly-like appearance and eventual tyrannical turn. (I know Monarch is already a DC character, but tons of DC characters share names, so it's not that big of a deal.)**
Their character would begin to devolve as they become more ruthless, apathetic, and absolute, doing things like capturing various mob bosses (like Penguin and Black Mask), publicly tying them up in the center of the city, and proceeding to give all their money away to civilians right in front of them, effectively flooding the Gotham economy with cash. They’d then start doing other extreme things, like destroying Mr. Freeze's suit to force him into a cryostasis chamber or die, or publicly branding the Riddler's face with the word "Loser."
This whole shift would ultimately culminate in them adopting the mindset: \*"If everybody is equal, everything is fair and there will be no conflict; if there is no conflict, absolute efficiency can be achieved."\* Very "Vox Populi, Vox Dei" (the voice of the people is the voice of God). This character would gain a public following not through scheming in the shadows, but by being social, charismatic, and speaking with a manipulative silver tongue. A major contrast between Monarch and the rest of the Batfamily would be that he represents light and public charisma, compared to the others who scheme and operate in the dark, away from the masses. It flips the classic trope of light = good and darkness = bad.
Monarch would draw heavy motifs from eusocial insects and angels. The eusocial insects connect to Monarch's butterfly inspiration and him propping himself up as the absolute leader of the hive (Gotham), while the angels represent his growing God complex. Visually, a pose where Monarch covers his legs, body, and face with three distinct segments of his wings would draw clear comparisons to a Seraphim, the highest order of angels standing before God.
This is just an idea, but if this were to happen in a story, how do you think the Batfamily members would react? And what do you think about the concept?
Just for last “author notes”, I just thought i’d share a fact that Somoni and Denali’s name are derived from the tallest mountains in the USA and USSR respectively; Mount Denali in Alaska and Ismoil Somoni Peak in what’s now Tajikistan. Zoran’s name itself is slavic in nature, translating/meaning ‘New beginning’ which reflects his character in multiple ways
