Demi-Jon

Name: Demi-Jon First Appearance: Belch Dimension Comics #19, | 2006 ("Demi-Jon"). Abilities: super strength, flight, super speed, telescopic vision, morphing, telepathy, superhuman intelligence Affiliations: The Nefarious Four

Demi-Jon is a Smoking Cat Productions supervillain. Created by Jonathan M. Sweet, he first appeared in The Belch Dimension Comics (|November 2006.

Fictional character biography
Hiss Hole and Prof. Fruitcake created a clone of Jonathan Sweet using a mass of raw stem cells. The cells were infused with Jon's DNA (using a device that read, ionized and transferred a copy of his genetic code onto special disks). They morphed into an exact double of Jon, which they dubbed "Demi-Jon" and trained as a soldier (as well as Hiss Hole's adoptive son).

Demi-Jon--after causing some minor vandalism and violence about town and getting his twin in trouble--infiltrated the group and began to act rude and abusive towards Jon's friends. Josh and Angela wondered if maybe Jon was starting to crack under the strain of leadership. Josh even suggested the chemicals that had given him his powers five years before could be affecting his mind.

Demi-Jon then put the second half of his plan into action. He sent two forged notes--one to Jon, one to Angela and Josh--requesting to meet in the junkyard outside town. When Josh and Angela showed up, Demi-Jon (as Jon) met them. However, the real Jon then showed up, and Demi-Jon immediately claimed that he was a fake created to fool them. Josh, however, had brought with him a weapon that would temporarily nullify Jon's powers (he had anticipated to use it on their leader as a last resort). He elected to use it on the fake; however, Josh and Angela couldn't decide which was which. Moreover, Josh said the weapon might even kill Jon, and he would rather, if anyone died, it be the impostor. After some deliberation--and some punches thrown between the two Jons--Josh decided he had no choice but to shoot them both. Angela then realized the fake Jon wouldn't be circumscised and ordered them both to "drop trou" (though, suddenly overcome by girlish modesty, she chickened out, instead pointing out Demi-Jon's lack of a bellybutton (as he wasn't "born"). Josh shot Demi-Jon with the neutralizer, knocking him unconscious.

Demi-Jon's next appearance was as field leader of his "father" 's handpicked team of ne'er-do-wells, along with with Ichabod P. Freely, Captain Maggot, and Dung Tung Wu. He pretended to be Jon and attacked his sister Marcie, knocking her cold, then, with his three associates, kidnapping her. In the Black Labyrinth he attacked Jon, using a special ring that allows him to use his powers despite Hiss Hole's placing of a barrier that blocks all magical or supernatural abilities. The ring was later used against him when Jimmo transmogrified the band into lead, weakening him.

Demi-Jon appeared two issues later in "Double Trouble", disguising himself as Jon and committing a series of crimes all over town in order to ruin his reputation. A flashback was scripted in which several Warriors return to the wilderness to bring in Demi-Jon, but find nothing but a blood-stained stone and the shattered remains of the lead ring. Demi-Jon later reveals he got the ring off by smashing his hand against a rock repeatedly until the leaden band was cracked, though it was "excruciatingly painful" and his fingers were a bloody mess when it was over. One the ring was off, his powers returned, and the lacerated flesh mended in seconds. Interpol took Freely, Maggot and Wu away, but Demi-Jon--who watched his companions being taken off from a distance--eluded capture and returned to America alone, using his morphing ability to disguise himself as a tourist. Due to space constraints the sequences werecut.

Jon raced to stop his twin, but Demi-Jon cleverly put Jon to sleep with a toxic lead bomb, saying "For Father". He planted stolen money on Jon while he was passed out. Jon woke up later to find himself in the custody of the police, with incriminating evidence on his person and no alibi. He was placed in the county jail. However, his friends paid his bail, and he was released on probation. Jon cleared his name by luring Demi-Jon into a building--by claiming it to be the temporary home of a large shipment of gold bricks on its way to the next town--which had electrified lead bars on the doors and windows and lead pipes in the walls. However, when Demi-Jon broke free by punching through a rear wall (a newer add-on to the older structure and, thus, lead-free), Jon stopped his twin cold by tearing up a grounded electrical cable and inserting it up Demi-Jon's rectum. (This action is not seen on-panel; Jon talks about it later while at at his dead ex's grave.) Demi-Jon was caught, exposed as the true criminal, and sent to Apex Asylum for rehabilitation.

Inspiration
Since a number of superhero characters in comics and cartoons have evil twins, or doppelgangers, creator Jonathan M. Sweet  Jonathan Sweet felt it only natural to give his character one. He named the new character "Demi-Jon", after demijohn, a large bottle with a narrow neck ("demi-" also means "half"). Much of Demi-Jon's attitude, voice, and mannerisms are  Darkwing Duck villain Negaduck; also, both characters head a group of villains and malcontents (Negaduck has his Fearsome Five; Demi-Jon the Nefarious Four) dedicated to destroying the hero. Sweet also says Demi-Jon is "a lot of The Joker to him, which you'll see more as the series goes on". He describes the character as "an overgrown and severely disturbed child, with no morals or remorse and an utter lack of self-control". He also says, "Where Jon would be a staunch conservative, Demi-Jon is even more liberal than John Murtha. He's a huge troublemaker. He's actually my favorite villain to write for because I really get to explore my darker side with him. He's me without brakes."

Design
Demi-Jon looks exactly like Jon, but wears a black cape, lined with blood-red, and a black cap with no buttons. His shoes and the frames of his glasses are also black.

Powers/Abilities
Since Demi-Jon was infused with Jon's DNA, he has the same battery of superhuman powers. He also has the gift of "dark magic" in his blood (in a cut panel from Demi-Jon, it is shown that Hiss Hole added a drop of his own blood to the experiment). In his debut appearance, he demonstrates strength and endurance equal to Jon's, as they fight for a good long while with neither giving in despite being covered in bruises (their fists seeming to be the only thing that can hurt one another, assuming all is equal). In "The Nefarious Four!" Demi-Jon uses his powers of flight, morphing, and superspeed, and mentions his telescopic sight. He is also highly intelligent, and very canny at devising schemes to harm or embarass his twin. However, like Jon he is weak against magic, toxic lead, and electricity. In both "Demi-Jon" and "Nefarious Four" he is rendered helpless or unconcious through the use of a device or object that strips him of his powers for a time.

Appearances

 * Demi-Jon, #19 (Nov 2006)
 * ''The Nefarious Four!, #37 (May 2008)
 * Double Trouble, #39 (Jul 2008)