PYTHON

Real Name: Jacob Bernstein, aka Jack Benoir

Class: Human

Occupation: Fitness trainer, serial killer

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: Joseph Bernstein (father, deceased), Ruth Bernstein (mother, deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: NYC, NY, 1930s era

First Appearance: Sandman Mystery Theatre #33 (December, 1995)

Powers: Python possessed peak human strength and was a gifted athlete.

History: (Sandman Mystery Theatre #33-36) - Jacob Bernstein's father died when he was young, and his alcoholic mother sexually abused him until she disappeared one day. He was taken in by the kindly Thelma Adams until child services took him away because she was black. As Jack Benoir he founded a gymnasium and promoted the Benoir way, a regiment and vitamin regiment he claimed originated in Central Europe, where he claimed people were of a hardier and superior stock. He'd developed a pathological hatred of the overweight, associating all fat people with his mother, and became obsessed with the Bible. His mother wrote him asking for money, and he went to see her, strangling her to death. Benoir strangled wealthy banker Emmett Beedle, who was visiting a brothel, and quoted Bible verses at the dying man. The next night he killed his adoptive mother Thelma Adams in the same manner. The police made the murders a high priority, and coroner Hubert Klein showed his results to mysteryman Sandman. Thelma Adams had huge ligature marks, as though a python had squeezed her neck. The Python's next victim was a drunk named Roger, who managed to spill some of Jack's blood before dying. His next victim was a butcher, and he kept his gymnasium classes going, inviting his students to a weekend nature retreat. Any minor slight from an overweight person drove him to kill at this point. Lieutenant Burke found him out, and Jack tried to kill him, but was stopped by the Sandman, who subdued him, and forced him to confess.

Comments: Created by Matt Wagner, Stephen T. Seagle & Warren Pleece.