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    Benjamin Raymond

    Character » Benjamin Raymond appears in 5 issues.

    A servant of Mammon.

    Short summary describing this character.

    Benjamin Raymond last edited by NightFang3 on 09/29/23 03:29PM View full history


    Benjamin Raymond is the owner of the Paradise Resort but it turns out Raymond made a deal with the avarice demon known as Mammon back in 1947 just about the time Las Vegas was being established. According to Raymond, he built several structures in Las Vegas to honor Mammon's greed. Raymond was obligated to sacrifice innocent souls to Mammon and in exchange Mammon would grant Raymond a long lifespan. It would appear that Mammon may have had a hand in granting Brother's Night longevity just like Raymond.  Raymond has ran the Paradise Resort in Las Vegas for the last sixty years but now he poses as his supposed son by using the name "Sonny Raymond", in order to avoid any suspicion on why Raymond has never aged a day. Zatanna met "Sonny" Raymond after she retrieved the resort's prize money from the latest Royal Flsuh Gang who looked alot like Sinatra's Rat Pack aisde from the Queen. Raymond informs Zatanna that thirty years ago, her father performed at his "father's" first hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.   

    Later on, Zatanna goes to her room to get some rest for her opening night at the resort. Unfortunately, Raymond told Mammon about Zatanna's stay at his hotel so Mammon sends three fiery elementals to kidnap her. Zatanna defeats the elementals by interrupting a wedding taking place downstairs. She asks the priest presiding over the wedding, to bless the pool and Zatanna sends the sanctified pool water straight at the elementals. The elementals were sent back to hell and Mammon decides if he can't capture Zatanna then he will have Raymond forcibly marry Zatanna in order to condemn her soul later. Mammon gives Raymond a love potion that will make Zatanna 100% devoted to Raymond.

    At first, the potion doesn't work because Zatanna can sense something unholy about Raymond and his office. Raymond takes the initiative by summoning all of the souls that he has sold to Mammon. The zombified corpses of Raymond's wives, lovers and employees start springing from all corners of Raymond's office to subdue Zatanna. The zombies pin down Zatanna and Raymond forces the rest of the love potion down Zatanna's throat. Raymond then begins the preparations for the wedding. Unfortunately, for Raymond, the wedding was called off by Zach Zatara, Zatanna's cousin, and Zatanna manages to escape Raymond's trance. Zatanna chants a spell that forces the corpses to reveal Raymond's true identity as well as their own. Raymond's former corpse brides revealed that Raymond sold their souls to Mammon in order to maintain his youth.

    Since Raymond failed, his agreement with Mammon was void and Mammon began to age Raymond rapidly. Zach saves Raymond by crashing a car into Mammon. Raymond, Zatanna and Zach escape Mammon for a brief moment. Raymond knew that Mammon intended to collect his soul so he pleaded with Zatanna to spare him from his grizzly fate. As much as Raymond disgusted her, Zatanna acknowledged Raymond's pleas. Zatanna knew she could not intervene in metaphysical affairs like "giving a devil his due," but she could play on a devil's vanity. Zatanna decided to transform Raymond into a boulder of gold thus making him untouchable to any torments that Mammon would inflict. At first, Mammon was angered over Zatanna's interference but he was just as pleased when Zatanna presented Raymond's golden form as a gift to avarice and greed, concepts that Mammon always has a hand in.               

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