Silver Banshee

Silver Banshee
Silver Banshee (Siobhan McDougal) Cover of Supergirl vol. 4, 11 (July, 1997 DC Comics), art by Gary Frank
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Action Comics #595 (December, 1987)
Created by	John Byrne
In-story information
Alter ego	Siobhan McDougal (earlier real name) Siobhan Smythe (The New 52 real name)
Team affiliations	The Society
Abilities	Superhuman speed, durability, the strength of ten men Hypersonic Screams Hypersonic Screeches Her sonic abilities also allow her to teleport via sound waves Perfect fluency in any language just from hearing a few words

Silver Banshee is a fictional comic book supervillain appearing in books published by DC Comics, primarily as an opponent of Superman. However, she is a superheroine in DC Superhero Girls, similar to the Batman villainesses.

Publication history

Silver Banshee's debut in Action Comics #595 (December 1987). Cover by Byrne.

Silver Banshee first appeared in Action Comics #595 and was created by John Byrne.

Fictional character biography

Siobhan McDougal

Siobhan McDougal was the first-born child of Garrett McDougal, the patriarch of an old Gaelic clan that has occupied an island midway between Scotland and Ireland for a thousand generations. On that island is Castle Broen, where first-born McDougals undergo a ritual to prove themselves worthy to lead the clan. When Siobhan was young, she traveled the world, only returning to Castle Broen when she heard of her father's death. Her uncle Seamus determined that no woman would lead the clan and intended her brother Bevan to become the new patriarch. She went ahead with the family ritual by herself, which involved calling on supernatural forces for power. She was interrupted by Bevan, and the distraction proved disastrous as she was dragged away into an infernal netherworld. An entity called "the Crone" granted her powers and the ability to return to Earth as the Silver Banshee, but demanded payment in the form of an occult book that belonged to her father. She found that her father's book collection had been shipped off for sale in the United States. Her quest brought her to Metropolis. Killing anyone that stood in the way of her search attracted the attention of Superman, who was able to defeat her when he realised that she could only kill a person once as she turned away from someone who resembled a previous victim; by faking his death, Superman was able to enlist the Martian Manhunter to attack Banshee by posing as Superman's ghost. Unable to defeat Superman, she chose to retreat and continue her mission at a later date.

Silver Banshee returned to Metropolis twice more, but was halted both times by Superman. It was Batman who finally found the book among some stolen goods in Gotham City. Superman brought the book to Castle Broen where he was confronted by Silver Banshee. The Crone appeared at the castle, and after an enigmatic warning to Superman, she dragged the Banshee, Bevan, and Seamus off to her Netherworld.

In Leesburg, Supergirl rescued Silver Banshee from Satanus' Netherworld when the chaos flow brought the river Styx to the town. Silver Banshee was left in a confused state, eventually going back to her psychotic persona and using Supergirl's friend Mattie as a host while rampaging on the streets. Mattie and Silver Banshee thus proceeded to nearby Schnaffenburg where Mattie tried to get revenge on Gerald McFee, who killed her brother during Final Night while in thrall to Gorilla Grodd. Supergirl calmed Silver Banshee, separating Mattie from her, which led to Silver Banshee temporarily vanishing.

Silver Banshee was one of the final four villains- along with Bizarro, Mongul, and the Master Jailer- sent against Superman by Manchester Black, Black using his powers to make Banshee and Bizarro sane enough to tactically outthink Superman, also granting Banshee awareness of his Kryptonian name so that she could use her magic against him more effectively. Despite this, Superman was able to defeat the four, forcing Mongul to expend his energy before dropping a nuclear-powered superhuman onto the deserted island that they were currently inhabiting.

Silver Banshee attempted to collect the billion dollar bounty Lex Luthor placed on Superman’s head in Superman/Batman #3, but failed, with Batman using an ultrasonic generator to keep her nullified.

Silver Banshee later joined the Secret Society headed by Alexander Luthor. She was one of the members who turned on Black Adam when Luthor needed him for his machine. She also took part in the Battle of Metropolis.

Silver Banshee battles Supergirl in Supergirl #34, and is expected to be a recurring nemesis for Supergirl, as well as Superman, as part of an attempt to tie Supergirl's book in with Superman's titles.

In Superman #682, Supergirl was used as a diversion as some members of Kandor captured Silver Banshee, placing her in the Phantom Zone. Later, Superman freed Silver Banshee to be taken to Belle Reve.

Inspector Henderson with other police officers break into an apartment, but it explodes and then they find a corpse covered in runes. Kara meets with Inspector Henderson, who's following a case his old mentor was never able to close, and thinks it has to do with items Silver Banshee needs to lift her curse. Inspector Henderson finds his mentor had the item, but it imbeds itself in Inspector Henderson's hand, allowing Silver Banshee to track him. Silver Banshee shows up and fights Supergirl, but Supergirl opens a package from Henderson and becomes possessed by a Banshee hybrid. Banshee-Supergirl and the Silver Banshee battle each other as events are recapped. Supergirl tells Silver Banshee they hid the artifacts in people, in order to keep them hidden from her. Apparently all the items were hidden not as a curse, but as a test for prospective clan leaders. Henderson punches Banshee-Supergirl, which is effective because of the artifact in his hand. Supergirl tries to exorcise the spirits possessing her but fails. Henderson realizes the spirits are tied to the artifacts and can be used against them. He then stabs his hand and breaking Supergirl free from her spirits. Silver Banshee then uses her wails to disperse the spirits. She finally uses magic to remove the artifacts from Henderson's hand and lets him know she is indebted to him.

Siobhan Smythe

In the 2011 reboot of DC's superhero continuity, The New 52, Siobhan Smythe first appears in Supergirl vol. 6 #7 as a girl from Dublin who had immigrated to the United States to start a new life after her mother died, and to escape her father (the also-dead Black Banshee). She befriends Supergirl, and stood up to the National Guard who tried to gun Supergirl down, as she could clearly see that Supergirl had saved the city from Kryptonian Worldkillers, but is the only one who can speak her language. She invites Kara to live with her, and brings her along to a cafe where she will perform music when her dead father, the Black Banshee, attacks, prompting her to transform into the Silver Banshee. It is unclear at this time whether her alignment will remain good.

Powers and abilities

Silver Banshee has superhuman strength, agility, speed, endurance, and a high degree of resistance to physical and energy-based attacks. Her incredibly strong and destructive hypersonic wails, sonic screams, and sonic yells can kill anyone within a certain range as long as she can see her victim and knows their secret true name. Victims are usually reduced to desiccated husks. Silver Banshee is able to use her sound/sonic-based abilities to teleport via sound waves.

As Siobhan Smythe in The New 52 continuity, she has also exhibited a gift for language, becoming fluent after hearing merely a few words in not just humanoid languages, but also animal languages (she shows off to Supergirl by talking to doves), though she tends to speak every language with a strong Irish accent.

Other versions

In the 2003-04 limited series JLA/Avengers, Silver Banshee appears as a villain in Metropolis under Krona's control. She helps to take down Aquaman while he is searching the city with the Vision, but is ultimately defeated by Wonder Woman.

In the 1998 miniseries JLA: The Nail, the Silver Banshee makes an appearance in Professor Hamilton's Cadmus Labs.

In other media

Television

Live action

Italia Ricci as Siobhan Smythe/Silver Banshee in CBS television series Supergirl.

• Silver Banshee appeared in the Smallville episode "Escape" played by Odessa Rae. This version is a deceased Gaelic heroine who was cursed and placed in the underworld. Just like her recent appearances in the comics, this version needs to possess a host. She can sonic scream and possesses superhuman strength, stamina and durability. When she utilizes her powers, her irises glow white.
• Italia Ricci appears as Siobhan Smythe / Silver Banshee in Supergirl starting in episode 14. Smythe is hired by Cat Grant as her new primary assistant to the displeasure of Kara, as Kara sees Siobhan as a threat. She begins a relationship with Winn Schott. When Cat isn't interested in surveillance footage showing a Red Kryptonite-influenced Supergirl letting a crook go, Siobhan sends it to her old employer The Daily Planet. However, Kara prints the email and shows it to Cat, who fires Siobhan for her disloyalty. Shortly after this, Siobhan returns to CatCo and sends Cat a scathing message from Kara's computer, hoping to frame Kara and get her fired as well. However, after having Winn analyze the letter, Cat sees through Siobhan's game. She not only refuses to rehire her, but threatens to have her arrested if she ever returns. Later, Winn confronts a drunken Siobhan on top of a high rise. In the midst of a tirade against Kara and Cat, one of her spike heels snaps, sending her screaming from the ledge. Just inches before she is about to fall to her death, the sound waves from her screams break her fall and blow a hole in the concrete, with Winn witnessing the whole spectacle from atop the roof. It is revealed that her family was cursed generations ago by a banshee. It causes the women in her family to be possessed by a banshee spirit when they are particularly angered; they develop a sonic scream that they can potentially send anywhere in the world. However, unless they kill the object of their rage, the banshee spirit will take their souls. She breaks Livewire out of her DEO cell so that the two of them go after Supergirl, Cat Grant and Kara Danvers. After she and Livewire defeat both Supergirl and Flash- temporarily in National City after traveling from his world by accident while testing a tachyon device he is wearing in effort of defeating Zoom. After the heroic duo regroup, the scarlet speedster adapting the earpieces he has used in his world against Hartley Rathaway to protect them from Banshee's sonic screams. She is knocked out by a blast Livewire intended for a large crowd, and incarcerated National City's new prison for metahuman criminals after the Flash helps them of building it.

Animation

• Silver Banshee appears in the Justice League Unlimited. This version can fly and can drain her opponents of their life energy at will which will age them in seconds. She is seen as a member of Gorilla Grodd's Secret Society as seen in "I Am Legion." In "Chaos at the Earth's Core," Silver Banshee accompanied Metallo to Skartaris to retrieve a large chunk of Kryptonite that is in the custody of Warlord and his allies. She is captured by Green Lantern after he uses his power ring to gag her. She escaped soon after being captured. Kim Mai Guest is credited for voicing Silver Banshee even though she has no identifiable dialogue. Silver Banshee is shown with the Secret Society shown on "Alive". As she is seen fighting on Grodd's side during his mutiny against Lex Luthor, but is not shown among those frozen by Killer Frost or those who survived Darkseid's attack. It is likely she was killed by Star Sapphire during the mutiny, as said was seen knocking Banshee out with her energy beam and later hitting her again multiple times.
• A character named "Scream Queen" appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold television series. She is based on Silver Banshee, and her outward hooded appearance is similar to Raven.

Film

• Silver Banshee appears in the animated movie Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. This version can also fly. She is one of the many supervillains that wants to collect the $1 billion bounty that President Lex Luthor placed on Superman. She is defeated when Superman takes her to the upper limits of the atmosphere where she cannot breathe, and while she is unconscious, Batman puts a device on her that would nullify her power by turning it against her will
• Silver Banshee, along with Parasite, Brainiac, and Doomsday, were considered as the main villains in Superman Reborn, but the film was cancelled before it began production.
• The Siobhan McDougal version of Silver Banshee appears in Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem, voiced by Kari Wuhrer. She (along with Scarecrow, Solomon Grundy and Clayface) joined the Joker's gang of monsters to wreak mayhem on Gotham City.

See also

• List of Superman enemies

External links

• Silver Banshee at DC Universe.