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Batman Mikishawm: I think I know who you are! |
| Author | Topic: Mikishawm: I think I know who you are! |
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Scott Thiel
Member |
posted May 24, 2000 04:01 AM
I was looking at some old DETECTIVE COMICS from the early 80's and there is a letter in one them that blasts Gerry Conway fairly good. I disagree with your sentiments. I am biased because the Batman I grew up with was written by Len Wein, Conway, and Doug Moench. How about some info on the following people, please! Dr. Double X Thanks. |
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John Moores
Member |
posted May 24, 2000 12:35 PM
Well, I'm not Mikishawm, but I can give you the info you require: Mad Hatter : Mad Hatter appears quite regularly these days, most recently in HOURMAN #1 and DCU 2000 SECRET FILES, but it's the story of three criminals. The original Mad Hatter appeared once, as a stooge to Tweedledee and Tweedledum in DETECTIVE #74, April 1943. He looked like a rabbit, with the Hatter's garb on. The second Mad Hatter, Jervis Tetch, is the one we see most often today. He looks like Tenniel's drawings from the original Alice... books. He first appeared in BATMAN #49, Oct/Nov 1948, in the same story which introduced Vicki Vale. Tetch attempted to steal a trophy from Gotham Yacht Club, but was foiled by Batman and Robin. He didn't appear again until DETECTIVE #510, 1981, with a mind control thing going on, and a monkey. He appears next with many of Bats' foes in DETECTIVE #526, 1983; controlling the Scarecrow with a hat. Tetch seemingly dies under the wheels of a train, but apparently survived. He's made a few more appearances since, (ie. BATMAN #378/9, THE LONG HALLOWEEN) and has also been beaten by Starman, according to an early issue of that title. (#10?). He falls afoul of the JLA in HOURMAN #1, too, and almost the entire Batman family in DCU 2000 SECRET FILES. The third Mad Hatter is a red head with a big mustache, and he first appeared in DETECTIVE #230, April 1956. He has an obsession with hats, and goes by the name Jervis Tetch, but that's just an alias in this case. He attempts to get Batman's cowl for his hat collection, but fails. He appears again in BATMAN #161, Feb 1964, attempting to avenge himself on the jurors that sent him to jail, by committing crimes based on their occupations. He is beaten again. He appeared on the 1966 Batman TV Show, played by David Wayne, who looked exactly like the comic book character, and made a few appearances in the comics between 1964 and 1979, including a stint as juror himself - at a trial where Bats' foes claimed to have killed the Dark Knight - which of course they didn't. He claimed to have gone straight in BATMAN #297, but he couldn't. When the original re-appeared in 1981, he claimed to have "killed the imposter", but the Silver Age Mad Hatter returned alive, well and nutty as ever in DETECTIVE #573, 1987. I don't think he's been seen since, however. Dr. Double X : This villain is really Simon Ecks, a scientist with an energy duplicate. The energy duplicate is Double X, while Ecks himself is referred to as Dr. X. They have the same outfit, but the solid human form of Ecks wears one X, to the crackling energy form's two. In his first appearance, Dr. X is a well meaning guy, while Double X is the evil, repressed side of his personality given shape and form. (DETECTIVE #261, Nov.1958). Dr. X is dominated by Double X, and forced to commit crimes, which X has no recall of afterwards. He turns resentful when he is captured by Batman and Robin for a crime he has no knowledge of. He appears next in DETECTIVE #316, Jan 1963, and this time Dr. X is portrayed as an evil mastermind, who suffers no dizziness or forgetfulness. Batman invents his own energy duplicate, Double Batman, to defeat Dr. Double X. Appearances after this are sparse, until he is persuaded by a Prof. Andrea Wye to switch foes with the Rainbow Raider, to attempt to defeat the second Flash, Barry Allen. This ends in defeat also. (BRAVE AND BOLD #194, 1982). Double X has electrical powers, and can 'fly' and turn intangible. Linda Page : Linda was a society girl and Bruce's girlfriend beginning with BATMAN #5, Spring 1941. Her father is an oil magnate, but she turns her back on society to become a war nurse. She is a redhead, but appears blonde in one story, and she also appeared in the 1943 'Batman' movie serial. Linda doesn't do much, except scold Bruce for being a waster, and occasionally, a coward, when he runs off from danger (to become Batman). She was captured by criminals a couple of times, but rescued by Batman, and uncovered the identity of one criminal, Mr. Baffle, which temporarily landed her in hot water. The last time she appears physically is DETECTIVE #73, March 1943, but Bruce is still with her in BATMAN #32, Dec 1945/Jan 1946, when it is mentioned Bruce purchased a sapphire for her birthday. There is no text which details the reasons for any break up. Hope this helps! |
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Mikishawm
Member |
posted May 24, 2000 08:20 PM
Scott: I'm sure that was me in the letter column. I was rather opinionated as a teenager but I'd like to think I've mellowed a bit since then. I certainly don't think as badly of the Conway run on BATMAN as I did at the time. Thinking back, the only stuff that still sticks out negatively are the Monk story and the episode in which Catwoman went bananas and tried to murder Vicki Vale. Even though I hated the idea of Gerry's rehashing of Englehart's Rupert Thorne and Hugo Strange story at the time, I really enjoyed the climax of the Thorne plot with Batman on the lam and the bloody showdown at City Hall. The finale of the Jason Todd was really good, too. LOVE that Newton-Alcala art in both stories. It would have been nice if Gerry could have done something with Batgirl, though. In a time period when her self-esteem and confidence were at a career low in her own series, the Barbara in Conway's BATMAN was portrayed as a tough, caring defender of her father. And I LOVED the scene in DETECTIVE # 526 when Robin learns that Batgirl still knew his and Batman's true identities (she'd supposedly lost her memory in a truly AWFUL issue of DETECTIVE in 1980): "I'm not STUPID -- and I AM a detective." "But we were SURE you'd been thrown off the scent MONTHS ago ..." "It seemed so IMPORTANT to you I let you believe you HAD." Anyway, John Moores has answered all of your questions so I don't have much to add other than their appearances. Doctor Double X hasn't been seen since BATMAN # 400 and, as John noted, the Silver Age Mad Hatter (implied to have been done away with by the Golden Age version) returned once in DETECTIVE and again in the final arc of the non-canonical BATMAN comic strip (compiled in COMICS REVUE). The Jervis Tetch name first appeared in the Silver Age Hatter's debut (DETECTIVE # 230) but it's since been asserted that this was the Golden Age version's name and that the Silver version STOLE it. (By the way, the story that introduced the Mad Hatter in 1948 was ALSO the first appearance of Vicki Vale!) Steve Englehart has created a new Mad Hatter who'll be debuting sometime soon in a format to be determined. Linda Page showed up a few more times, once in a flashback in BATMAN # 208 (her only Earth-One appearance) and twice in THE BRAVE & THE BOLD. Marv Wolfman used her in a World War Two story with Batman and Blackhawk that was set on Earth-Two. Also on Earth-Two, Alan Brennert opened his famous Batman-Catwoman story in B&B # 197 with Linda's wedding in 1955. Linda tells Bruce that "I had no right to try and CHANGE you. I just couldn't figure out why someone with your INTELLIGENCE would want to spend his life ... PLAYING POLO." DOCTOR DOUBLE X: THE MAD HATTER I: This was published (as part of a Sergio Aragones spotlight) after all the others but features the "real" Mad Hatter that all the others based their identities on. THE MAD HATTER II: THE MAD HATTER III: THE MAD HATTER IV (Earth-Two): THE MAD HATTER IV (Jervis Tetch; Earth-One): THE MAD HATTER IV (current): THE MAD HATTER IV (Earth-992): THE MAD HATTER IV (Earth-10): THE MAD HATTER IV (variants): THE MAD HATTER V ("Jervis Tetch"; Earth-One): THE MAD HATTER V (current): THE MAD HATTER V (variants): LINDA PAGE (Earth-Two): LINDA PAGE (Earth-One): |
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John Moores
Member |
posted May 24, 2000 09:58 PM
Excellent as ever, Mikishawm! I forgot about the Linda appearance in B&B, in the Batman/Catwoman story, which disappointed me as an eight year old, because the Scarecrow wasn't caught in the end. Co-incidentally, Crane was also the villain in the story which contained Linda's last Golden Age physical appearance, in 1943! The listings were great, and no doubt the Mad Hatter III in the SUPERMAN story is part of "Alice's Modern Adventures in Wonderland" or somesuch, where the Man of Tomorrow aids a country girl turned heiress expose her crooked boyfriend, if I remember rightly. That was reprinted in a SUPERMAN 100-PAGE GIANT, I recall! Doesn't the red-head/moustache, "Fake Tetch" also appear in cameo in UNTOLD LEGEND OF THE BATMAN, either issue #2 or #3? One addition to the listings: CAPTAIN CARROT: THE OZ/WONDERLAND WAR #1-3, 1985. Bye! |
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Scott Thiel
Member |
posted May 25, 2000 06:23 AM
Thanks John Moores and Mikishawn. Re-reading those old letter columns, Editor Len Wein kept mentioning they were going to re-vamp Batgirl. But it never happened. I really hated those Batgirl backup stories by Cary B. and Jose Delbo. In fact, I wasn't that fond of the Green Arrow series, either. For me the high points of Gerry's run was: OK guys, here are some more. Gentleman Ghost. I like his appearances in BATMAN #310, #319, and DETECTIVE #526. I think he fought Hawkman before that. Prof. Milo. Cavalier. Clayface II. Mikishawn. You were a teenager back in '81?! WOW. I was thinking you were over 50. You know your Bat-History. Your letter appeared in DETECTIVE #525. I had a letter printed in BATMAN #399. I was complaining about the quotes from the Film Freak. Because of the Batman movie, I become interested in old movies. These days I like it when those old quotes are mentioned. Nice to know that I am not the only Iowan on these broads. |
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Superstone
Member |
posted May 25, 2000 07:31 AM
Very interesting! Scott, Apparently, Timely/Marvel had a Mad Hatter of its own. A while back, I got the Golden-Age cover of MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS # 80 off of eBay. The cover blurb reads: THE MAD HATTER MURDERS! The cover shows a giant Mad Hatter coming out of a storybook, clutching a woman in his left hand. This Hatter has an orange-and-blue tophat, and wears a yellow bowtie with black spots, a green coat, a pink-and-black checkerboard bodysuit, green socks, and brown or orange shoes. He has fanged teeth, and pointed ears. His dark hair has a widow's peak. The Human Torch and his sidekick Toro are flying at the Hatter, and the Sub-Mariner is running at the villain. The Mad Hatter is hitting the Sub-Mariner over the head with a wand or walking-stick. The stick breaks over Namor's head. The cover also mentions that Captain America is in the issue, but I don't know if Cap also meets the Hatter. Since Batman met Cap (and probably Subby) in DC VERSUS MARVEL, I thought Marvel's Mad Hatter was worth mentioning. Maybe someone else can fill me in on what happens in the story from MARVEL MYSTERY # 80.
As I once mentioned to Scott on another thread, the Mad Hatter appeared in at least one episode of Filmation's BATMAN cartoons from the late 1960s. Here the Hatter was voiced by Ted Knight, who of course voiced most of the male villains on the show. He had henchmen dressed up like characters from ALICE, including a Tweedledee and a Tweedledum, and a rabbit or hare. I don't think this version of the Hatter had a mustache, but I haven't seen the episode in a few months. You guys probably also knew about this, but I thought it worth mentioning since Roddy McDowall's version wasn't the first DC version to be animated.
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John Moores
Member |
posted May 25, 2000 01:44 PM
The Gentleman Ghost : Once an English highwayman, "Gentleman" Jim Craddock vowed on the
gallows to return... but his story is not quite as straightforward as that!
The "Earth-Two" version of this character, called simply The Ghost, first appeared in the Hawkman story in FLASH COMICS #88, October 1947. No real name or origin was given in this or any other Golden Age appearance (FLASH #90, 92, or 103 - all stories but the last were reprinted in the '70s), and indeed, no one was sure if the Ghost was a real ghost or just an elaborate prankster. Most clues pointed to the latter. The "Earth-One" version, referred to as the Gentleman Ghost, first fought the Katar Hol Hawkman in THE ATOM AND HAWKMAN #43 and #44, June/July and Aug/Sept 1969. This time given an origin, as noted above; his real name and a love interest with, I think, a blind mystic called Zaza, or something very much like that; the Gentleman Ghost seemed more ghostly and less fraudulent; he appeared again during Hawkman's stint as a back-up strip during the 70s, before alighting as a Batman foe in BATMAN #310 and #319, 1979-80. The same old doubts re: his ghostly credentials appeared, and in one tale, as you know, the Ghost kidnapped and hypnotized Alfred. The Ghost next clashed with Batman in DETECTIVE #326, 1983. His next appearance confirmed the Earth-One's Ghost as more of a rogue than a true villain (The Earth-Two Ghost was, I think, pictured killing someone, though don't quote me on that); when he appeared in HAWKMAN (second series) #6 onwards, 1987-1988, as something of a hero, swashbucklingly defeating evil-doers, and even protecting the injured Hawkman. It was in this "heroic" capacity that the Ghost, now definitely a real ghost, appeared in the SPECTRE (second series) #11, 1988, discussing the effects of 'Millenium' with other supernatural DC characters, like the Phantom Stranger. Bafflingly, the Ghost also appeared in FLASH (secod series) #19, 1989 as a supposed old foe of Barry Allen! I can only assume that Barry was the hero who replaced the now-non-continuity second Hawkman as the guy who faced down Craddock before he first clashed with the Batman..... I also assume the Silver Age Ghost had the 'Gentleman' added to his name due to the Captain Atom foe called the Ghost. The Gentleman Ghost has appeared sporadically since then. Maybe he could support a mini-series, as a roguish ghost detective or somesuch?!! Professor Milo : The good Prof., with his 'Moe/Guy Gardner' haircut, first appeared in DETECTIVE #247, Sept 1957, drugging Batman with a phobia of anything bat-shaped, forcing him to come up with a new identity - Starman! In this guise, Bats wears the same costume used by James Robinson for the Starman of 1951, over in, well - STARMAN! Bruce uses a "starplane", "star-a-rang", etc, but Milo soon guesses the new hero's id, and attempts to use more paralysing bat shapes in his crimes, until Robin talks the Dark Knight into overcoming his fear. Starman and Robin then bring Milo to justice. (Co-incidentally, Bats also fought a villainous Star-Man, in DETECTIVE #286, Dec 1960!) Milo returns in BATMAN #113, Dec 1957, with a different physical look, this time gassing Batty with a compound which causes the victim to lose the will to live, unless he is kept moving for 24 hours. To this end, Robin and Alfred pretend that Bruce is a loon, and not really Batman, so Bruce runs himself ragged, and therefore safe, proving that he is really Batman. Milo loses again. Milo appears next in BATMAN #255, April 1974, a 100 page issue, manipulating lycanthrope Anthony Lupus into doing his twisted bidding. Lupus seemingly mauls Milo to death in the end, but the evil Prof. survives, and has control of Arkham Asylum by some means which escape my memory at the moment, in BATMAN #327, 1980. The Wolf story was adapted into an episode of the Batman animated series in 1993. Letting out criminals from the Asylum, and attempting to make Batman (in disguise as an inmate) crazy through a gas, this plan backfires when Milo's protective helmet is smashed by Arkham's inmates, rendering him a gibbering wreck. Milo's appearances have also been sparse since then, but I may mention ARKHAM ASYLUM, 1989. Clayface II : Yeech! Matthew Hagen, treasure hunter finds a strange rainbow coloured goo in a grotto, which transforms him into a brown pile of malleable goo, who can change his appearance and shape into anything. This power lasts 48 hours, after which time Batman chins him and hauls him off to the pen. (DETECTIVE #298, Dec 1961). Matt appears again, in 'TEC #304, June 1962, posing as "John Royce", a member of an exclusive club to commit robberies due to idle gossip gleaned from conversations with other members. Batman, uncovering the plot, freezes the villain into suspended animation. Matt, third time unlucky, is also bested in DETECTIVE #312, Feb 1963, when Bats trails him to his grotto, where Hagen receives his powers, receiving the powers himself, and overcomes the criminal, who'd planned to steal some art treasures. Bats seals off the grotto, but the crafty Hagen had also secreted some reserve goo away. Hagen appears next in BATMAN #159, Nov 1963, engaging in a feud with the Joker, each proving that they can easily adapt to the 'oafish' methods of each other, but they're both beaten by Batman, Robin, Batwoman, and Bat-Girl anyway. Clayface escapes jail and clashes with Batman, Robin, and Superman in WORLD'S FINEST #140, March 1964, when he takes on Superman's form (and, inexplicably, his powers) until Supes exposes him to some Red Kryptonite, which, equally oddly, makes Hagen behave erratically enough to facilitate his capture. Hagen joins forces with Superman foe Brainiac in WORLD'S FINEST #144, Sept 1964, but both villains again meet defeat. Hagen also appeared in the credits of the Batman TV Show, but never in the show himself, because obviously, the SFX would have been far too primitive at the time. The next important Hagen appearance is really the first part of the story of his sucessor, Preston Payne, who takes a sample from Hagen's body to become Clayface himself! (DETECTIVE #478, 1978). (The next Clayface to be seen is the original, Basil Karlo, who is killed by his own successor, Jonathon Carlinger, in 'TEC #496. This story was oddly ignored Post-Crisis, which is a bit of a shame, to be honest!) Hagen appears next in DETECTIVE #526, and then in CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #12, 1986, where he is killed, along with the original Bug Eyed Bandit, by the unearthly Shadow Demons. An attempt to revive Hagen by a rag tag bunch of Clayfaces (including Payne, Karlo, and "Lady Clay") dubbed the Mud Pack, ends in failure, and SECRET ORIGINS #44, 1990, brings his tale full circle, by revealing his origin, with a tongue-in-cheek slant. Matt Hagen is the animated series Clayface, but he's an actor a la Basil Karlo. He finally looks sinister and a threat, however! The Cavalier : Leaving aside the Cavalier featured in LOTDK #32-34, we're talking about the chivalrous Mortimer Drake, who first spewed his flowery turn of phrase out at the Dynamic Duo in DETECTIVE #81, Nov 1943. Drake is a playboy and friend of Wayne's, who has a private museum, in which he places curios. In his first appearances, he steals a load of crap rather than anything valuble. He has an electrified sword and gadgets, which enable him to escape Bats, resurfacing in BATMAN #22, April/May 1944, where he manages to elude Bats in his curio-grabbing sprees. The Cavalier returns to steal an old typewriter in DETECTIVE #98, July 1944. He fails, yet escapes yet again, this time shooting himself in the foot by egotistically placing a clue to his real identity as Mortimer Drake at the club where Bruce is a member. In his next appearance, Cavalier finally goes after something worthwhile, robbing a masquerade ball, before trying to make off with Gotham Museum's live whale(!). Finally, Bats captures him. The Cavalier's appearances planed out after that, and now he starts his career as a bit of a joke, appearing in the 70s as a member of the jury in the "trial" for the "murder" of the Batman mentioned in my Mad Hatter ramble, or as a partner to Killer Moth and co. in BATMAN FAMILY #2. He also appears, out-of-character, in the big villain gathering in DETECTIVE #526, (attempting to harm a woman, which he steadfastly refuses to do - in one Golden Age story, the gallant rogue stops a caper to help an old lady carry her shopping!!! WHO'S WHO #3, 1985 notes that the Earth-Two Cavalier paid his debt to society and lived quietly in retirement, till the white wall of Crisis took him away. "Our" Morty next appeared in JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA #43-44, 1990, losing his sword to Wally Tortellini in a poker game. In this story Drake is, of course, a real turd, and is usually seen in a cluster of loser villains for comic relief. To think that in the Golden Age he considered himself superior to the Joker!!! Mikishawm? |
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Mikishawm
Member |
posted May 25, 2000 06:11 PM
John: Scott: Thirty years after his last appearance in BATMAN # 26, the Cavalier returned in Len Wein's first issue of WONDER WOMAN in 1974. In order to make the character a bit more formidible, Wein gave him a chemically-enhanced power to force women to his will, a detail that was abandoned when he returned to the Batman books. A few months after WW # 212, the Cavalier's last Golden Age appearance was reprinted in BATMAN # 258. His first and third appearances can be found in BATMAN ARCHIVES # 3 and 4. In current continuity, Batman fought a Cavalier early in his career who died at the conclusion of that adventure. The affluent Mortimer Drake (who may or may not be related to Jack and Tim) later took the persona for himself and, despite no evidence of insanity in his pre-Crisis appearances, ended up in Arkham. He was freed during "Knightfall" and was last seen getting slammed in the face by the Dark Knight's feet (DETECTIVE # 661). THE CAVALIER I (Hudson Pyle): THE CAVALIER II (Mortimer Drake; Earth-Two): THE CAVALIER II (Earth-One): THE CAVALIER II (current): After first appearing with a group of villains in a battle with the Justice League in ACTION COMICS # 443, Clayface II narrowly missed out on being a member of the Secret Society of Super-Villains. He was in the original version of SSOSV # 1 (seen in AMAZING WORLD OF DC COMICS # 11) but was excised when the story was rewritten. Possibly as a result of his blood transfusion in DETECTIVE # 478, Hagen was forced to immerse himself in the mystic pool each time he made a transformation (WORLD'S FINEST # 264), a rather severe limitation that he'd overcome by the next time he appeared ('TEC # 526). The origins of the first four incarnations of Clayface appeared in SECRET ORIGINS # 44, continuing into the Mudpack serial in DETECTIVE # 604-607 (where a portion of the late Mister Hagen's clay corpse appeared throughout). The villain's spirit showed up in HAWK AND DOVE ANNUAL # 1 alongside other deceased baddies. A 1996 LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT two-parter depicted a new origin for Clayface. In this version, Hagen was the first Clayface, fighting Batman before Robin came along. The story also provided a new origin for Matches Malone, contradicting Denny O'Neil's account in BATMAN # 242. The latter-day account may be regarded as a "legend" but Hagen DID show up as Clayface again in the pre-Robin era of JLA: YEAR ONE. CLAYFACE II (Matt Hagen; Earth-One): CLAYFACE II (Earth-32): CLAYFACE II (current): CLAYFACE II (Earth-992): CLAYFACE II (variant): The first three Golden Age Ghost stories were reprinted in 1973's SECRET ORIGINS # 1, WANTED! # 7 and DETECTIVE COMICS # 439, respectively. The Earth-One Gentleman Ghost was a Hawkman foe through 1975's JLA # 128 (where he had a cameo). His entrance into the Batman rogues gallery was actually something of an accident. At the time, Len Wein was writing the Hawkman back-up in DETECTIVE COMICS as well as the lead in BATMAN. Wein was going to do a Hawkman-Batman team-up (with the Ghost as the villain) that began in 'TEC # 482 and ended in BATMAN # 310. When the DC Implosion shifted the contents of BATMAN FAMILY to DETECTIVE and left Hawkman homeless, Wein rewote the Batman story as a solo adventure. Following the Jason Todd origin story, the Gentleman Ghost returned to the life of Hawkman and Hawkwoman, becoming their ally in the shadow war with Thanagar (HAWKMAN SPECIAL # 1). After the Hawks' series was cancelled (and their history about to be rewritten), the Ghost fought to a draw with the Teen Titans in 1988 and appeared in an issue of FLASH (referring to "epic clashes" with Barry Allen and behaving as if he and the other members of the Flash's Rogues Gallery had joined forces often). In 1995, a new Gentleman Ghost was introduced, this one a silver-haired "society jewel thief" who swept into his victim's homes as discreetly as a specter. This new version did not catch on and, after a cameo in IMPULSE # 54, the original recently returned in IMPULSE # 61. THE GHOST (Earth-Two): THE GENTLEMAN GHOST I (James Craddock; Earth-One): THE GENTLEMAN GHOST I (current): THE GENTLEMAN GHOST I (Earth-96): THE GENTLEMAN GHOST II (Jim Craddock): Both 1957 Milo stories were reprinted in 1962's BATMAN ANNUAL # 4 (coincidence?) and Len Wein explicitly identified them as one and the same in BATMAN # 255 (1974). Wein returned to Milo in the last story of his regular run on BATMAN # 326 & 327 (1980), which ended with Milo rendered insane. As noted, Milo was still confined to Arkham in ARKHAM ASYLUM but has since been released. Now a trembling wreck, Milo agreed to provide information to Batman that the Joker secretly wanted him to reveal in BATMAN: JOKER's APPRENTICE # 1 (1999). Afterwards, Milo declared that "I am RETIRED as of tonight!" PROFESSOR MILO (Earth-One): PROFESSOR MILO (current): |
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John Moores
Member |
posted May 25, 2000 07:39 PM
Yes, it was BATMAN FAMILY #10 in which the Cavalier appeared. I got it mixed up with an appearance by another third rate schmoe, The Cluemaster, who did appear in BF #2. Thanks! The first comic I ever read, at the tender age of four, is from the Len Wein era; "The Riddler's 1,001 Crime Clue Caper!" from BATMAN #317, Nov 1979! I always had a fondness for the Riddler because of that, and though I like the "carny" suit, I wish we could see the green jumpsuit more often! |
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Lord of Chaos
Member |
posted May 25, 2000 10:28 PM
Miki and John (and Scott, too), you're making me joyfully re-live my childhood. You have no idea how much I need that right now -- I'm lovin' this, many thanks... The Conway Scarecrow story in DETECTIVE is one of my absolute favorites, and one of a handful of Conway's Batman stories which I actually enjoyed... "Six Nights of the Scarecrow". Was that the title? I DO remember that it was illustrated by the great Don Newton, with a surprisingly stunning cover by Jim Starlin... I LOVED those goofy Bob Rozakis-written Killer Moth/Cavalier team-ups in the pages of BATMAN FAMILY! Wasn't one of those drawn by Bob Brown? |
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Scott Thiel
Member |
posted May 26, 2000 03:04 AM
Thanks Guys. You are right, Lord. "Six Days of the Scarecrow" is the title for DETECTIVE #503. Wish I could help you Superstone. I rarely read any Marvel Comics. I wish I would have kept all my comics. I had to get rid some of them like: WHO'S WHO, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, ALL-STAR SQUADRON, and first WONDER WOMAN series. Okay guys, here are some more. Kite-Man. I know he appeared in BATMAN #315 and HAWKMAN #4 (2nd series). Crime Doctor. DETECTIVE #494-495. Mike W. Barr wrote a story for DETECTIVE. Don't recall the number. But it had quite possibily Norm Breyfogel's first Batman art. Arthor Reaves. Wannabe Mayor and Batman hater. Getaway Genius. Briefly appear in DETECTIVE #526. Killer Moth. Thats it. I will bother you no more. Have a great weekend everyone. Love those 4 day weekends. |
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Superstone
Member |
posted May 26, 2000 04:04 AM
You have a great weekend, too, Scott! I went over to the Grand Comic Book Database to look up MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS # 80. It says the issue is dated January 1947. The Hatter story is called "The Mad Hatter Mystery", which sounds a bit tamer than the cover blurb of THE MAD HATTER'S MURDERS! It's a twelve-page Sub-Mariner story, so I guess the Human Torch and Toro only battled the Hatter on the cover. The Mad Hatter's real name in the story is Roy Clark (no connection to the country singer by the same name, I'm sure). MAYBE in an untold story from the ELSEWORLD where Batman and Captain America's lives crossed in the 1940s, Batman and Robin battled both Roy Clark and Jervis Tetch. Anyway, I'm always interested when DC and Marvel have characters with the same public-domain names, like how each company has a villain named "Scarecrow" and characters named "Sandman". Public-domain words, legends, and literary works certainly inspire a host of comic-book characters! |
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T5
Member |
posted May 27, 2000 05:55 AM
Dear oldtimers
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John Moores
Member |
posted May 27, 2000 10:03 AM
If I remember rightly, T5, that story was "A View From The Grave!", DETECTIVE #410, April 1971. Anyway, I've got a few minutes to spare, before I'm put in an old folks home
Kite-Man : Loser! He first appeared in BATMAN #133, Aug 1960, with his collection of gimmicky kites, "flash bulb" kite, "net" kite, etc. Batman and Robin beat him after he rescued some crooks from the big house. He next appeared in BATMAN #315, Sept 1979; this time with a visor over his eyes, which he didn't have in the original story. After betraying some of his hired goons, Bats beats him again, flying his own bat-shaped kite. Hawkman, Hawkwoman, and Zatanna beat him next, in HAWKMAN (second series) #4, 1987. In this story he was given a real name: Charles Brown (where's Peppermint Patti?) and one of those origins which begins "When he was a small boy, Charles Brown was fascinated... blah, blah, blah" and from this he got his page in WHO'S WHO: UPDATE #3, 1987. He may have appeared since, but he's so lame no-one should even care. Ironic, that he's actually the world's best at something; hang-gliding. Actually, he's far from the lamest villain Batman fought, i.e. Mr. Polka-Dot, Zodiac Master, etc... Killer Moth : Aha! The ol' K.M. is a little more meaty. When we first met him, in BATMAN #63, Feb/Mar 1951, he is posing as wealthy socialite Cameron Van Cleer, who is, once again, an acquaintance of Bruce Wayne. But when the "moth-signal(!)" is seen over Gotham, Van Cleer becomes Killer Moth, "Guardian of the Underworld!". (The signal means that a crook needs help). Mothy-boy has a mothmobile and sundry gadgets, and manages to overpower Robin, whose life he wishes to exchange for a chance to pick up a few more ideas for his moth-cave, with a visit to the original. Batman agrees, but Robin escapes on his own, so Killer Moth tries to make a getaway, knowing his hold on Bats is gone, but falls off a bridge and is thought dead. He returns soon, in the very next issue of BATMAN (#64) using his influence as Van Cleer, on the museum board of directors, to import a moth collection from South America, so he can steal it, and therefore revive Moth's shattered image. He tries too, but is thwarted twice, becomes suspicious of Bruce being Batman, is then put off the scent by Bats, makes a slip revealing his own identity, and is finally arrested at home by B & R. Phew! In DETECTIVE #173, July 1951, Killer escapes and, his Van Cleer i.d. useless, kidnaps a Gotham millionaire. You can guess which one. However, rather than ransoming Brucey, he hires a plastic surgeon to change his face into an exact double of Wayne's. Dick doesn't realize at first, so the canny Killer Moth works out Batman's i.d.! (This poses the question, is the real Cameron Van Cleer at the bottom of the river, while the Moth made his own face an exact duplicate of Van Cleer's?). The Moth goes out as Batman, making it appear that Bats is scared of the Moth, but Wayne escapes, just in time to see the Moth riddled with bullets by one of his own gang, who thinks he's been doublecrossed. Moth's face is wrecked by bullets, and the portion of his brain which remembers recent events is removed, by necessity, at the operation to save Moth's life. Moth is none the wiser about Wayne. Killer Moth gets a protection racket going in his next real appearance in DETECTIVE #359, Jan 1967, (having made his first Silver Age appearance in JLofA #40, 1965). This protection racket is thwarted by Batman, Robin, and in her "million dollar debut", Batgirl, a.k.a. Barbara Gordon! Moth was also apparantly the villain in the never seen "Batgirl" pilot from 1967, to introduce Babs into the TV show.... Mothy is seen at all the major gatherings; the "Batman murder trial", the losers first team up in BATMAN FAMILY #10, DETECTIVE #526, BATMAN #400, etc. He was a member of the Secret Society of Super Villains, briefly, and also appeared, with a host of losers, in SHADOW OF THE BAT #7-9. He was a dependable group scene face, nothing more, nothing less, until UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED, when Neron boosted his power and he became the fearsome man-moth Charaxes! He also gained a "real name", Drury Walker. Walker/Van Cleer/Killer Moth/Charaxes was last seen in JLA #34, eating some prison guards! Yecch! Interestingly, in BATMAN #141, Aug 1961, there is an unrelated green-clad foe called simply The Moth. He's got the wings, and a similar costume, but is brought down by Batman, Robin, Batwoman, and Bat-Girl. Maybe he was intended to be Van Cleer/Walker, but the "Killer" was dropped from his name in those sanitized, post-Comic Code days..... The Crime Doctor : The Earth-Two Crime Doctor, a.k.a. Matthew Thorne, first appeared in DETECTIVE #77, July 1943, dispensing prescriptions on how to commit better crimes, while posing as a regulr, respected surgeon. After Batman captures Thorne by tracking him to his home after a crime, he escapes, but is captured again soon after, reappearing in BATMAN #18, Aug/Sept 1943. He saves the prison warden, wounded in a jailbreak, then escapes himself, setting up mobile "crime clinic", traveling from city to city. Batman tracks him down, posing as a criminal, and traps him, but in the melee, a henchman shoots Robin, which outrages Thorne, who is ... "a doctor, not a killer!" Thorne performs surgery on the Boy Wonder, saving his life, and escapes soon after to California, where for the first time, he commits a crime, rather than trying to save someone's life; the sick wife of a henchman. She dies, and the henchman, Mocco shoots Thorne dead. Thorne dies with concern for Robin on his lips.... The Earth-One Thorne appears in DETECTIVE #494-495, 1980. At the end of this story, for reasons which escape me at the moment, he is turned into a mental vegetable by the crime boss Sterling Silversmith. I'll get back to you on the why. However, Crisis did him a favour, because he appears, shipshape, in DETECTIVE #579, 1987. (The first Batman art by Norm Breyfogle.) Again, a henchman proves his undoing, as his hands are crushed by a fire extinguisher by an unwilling guinea pig. Has Thorne appeared since?? I can't recall, and I'm out of time, so I can't do Roy "Getaway Genius" Reynolds and co... See you later, same Bat-Time, etc. |
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Mikishawm
Member |
posted May 27, 2000 02:07 PM
My turn! John beat me again! I had already written up all the bios offline so, if you don't mind the repetition, I'll just run everything here: Middle-aged physician Matthew Thorne professed to "love surgery ... yet crime excites me! It's like a drug inside my body! I can't help it ... but I ENJOY acting criminally!" And so he concocted the alias of the Crime Doctor, offering a "diagnosis" for crooks preparing a robbery or making a "house call" to those whose crime threatened to go awry. For all that, Thorne had a strict code against killing, as Batman learned first hand in the midst of their first encounter. Here, the Doctor stopped everything to operate on a patient suffering from appendicitis (1943's DETECTIVE # 77, by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and George Roussos). The Crime Doctor was taken into custody but escaped only one month later (BATMAN # 18), now forced to operate across country in a trailer rather than set down roots and risk capture. The inevitable Batman & Robin encounter had horrifying consequences when the Boy Wonder was shot (against orders) by one of the Doctor's underlings. Thorne saved Robin's life before fleeing to California and hooking up with a gang, one of whom had a wife in dire need of surgery. Neglecting the woman to complete a theft had dire consequences for Thorne. The woman died and her enraged husband gunned down the Crime Doctor in retaliation. A dying Thorne told Batman that "any doctor who deserts a patient should be shot! Going to die now ... glad it's all over! Won't have to go on fighting myself anymore ..." Years later, Michael Fleisher, who'd researched the series for his 1976 BATMAN ENCYLOPEDIA, revived the Crime Doctor in 1980's DETECTIVE # 494 and 495 (art by Don Newton and Dan Adkins). With much the same motivation and scheme as his Golden Age counterpart, Bradford Thorne made a fateful discovery that his Earth-Two double had not. Early in # 494, Thorne had treated Bruce Wayne for a shoulder injury. During a subsequent clash with Batman that tore the Dark Knight's costume, Thorne recognized his bandage -- and said so out loud. In # 495, word of the discovery was relayed to smuggler Sterling T. Silversmith, who abducted Thorne and administered a potentially lethal dose of quicksilver, offering an antidote in exchange for Batman's real name. Before Thorne could reveal the secret, an unwitting Dark Knight crashed the scene, learning of the Crime Doctor's plight in time to rush him to a hospital but too late to prevent him from being rendered a vegetable. Still, doctors held out a slim hope for recovery and a man fitting the Crime Doctor's description later surfaced during a crisis of the multiverse. Mike W. Barr confirmed the Crime Doctor's continued survival in 1987's DETECTIVE # 579 (drawn by Norm Breyfogle), though Thorne's continued knowledge of Batman's true identity was in doubt. He was now running an underworld hospital for criminals seeking low-profile treatment. Batman captured the Crime Doctor once more but his legacy continued a few more issues thanks to his transformation of actor Paul Sloane into a double for Two-Face. Barr later co-wrote the 1993 episode of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES entitled "Paging the Crime Doctor". The story cleverly linked Matthew and Rupert Thorne as siblings, with younger brother Rupert forcing Matt to lose his medical license and become an underworld physician on his behalf. Allied with Leslie Thompkins, Matt finally escaped his brother's grasp. THE CRIME DOCTOR (Matthew Thorne; Earth-Two): THE CRIME DOCTOR (Bradford Thorne; Earth-One): THE CRIME DOCTOR (? Thorne): Reasoning that Batman and Robin were undefeatable, Roy Reynolds focused instead on devising foolproof escape routes for each crime that he prepared, quickly garnering a reputation as the Getaway Mastermind. Though Reynolds managed to stay out of the Dynamic Duo's grasp, his henchmen were more gullible and Batman and Robin managed to convince them that they had been brought down by a non-existent villain known as the Hexer. Capturing the crooks when they tried to kill the "helpless" heroes, the duo quickly got information on Reynold's whereabouts (1965's BATMAN # 170, by Gardner Fox, Sheldon Moldoff, and Joe Giella). Six months later, Reynolds was broken out of jail by the Big Game Hunter, who held the Getaway Genius hostage in exchange for tips on capturing Batman. Though convinced that such a goal could not be achieved, Reynolds had no choice but to cooperate and happily turned himself over to Batman's custody after the Dark Knight defeated Hunter (BATMAN # 174). In 1968, Reynolds returned the favor when, as part of the major Bat-villains' plan to quell an incursion of a west coast crime syndicate, he saved Batman from a gangland execution by rigging a trap door (BATMAN # 201). Reynolds returned for a final foray in Gotham in the Frank Robbins-scripted BATMAN # 254 (1973), where Irv Novick gave the Getaway Genius a more stylish pair of tinted glasses and muttonchop sideburns to go with his mustache. Determining that Reynolds was behind a series of robberies, Batman directed his attention at finding his getaway vehicles. Unfortunately, he missed Reynolds' back-up, a helicopter that took him out of reach of the Dark Knight. Elsewhere, Kirk Langstrom had finally synthesized a serum that would enable him to control his Man-Bat identity and, for his trial run, he forced the Genius' copter back to Earth and Reynolds himself into the waiting fist of The Batman. THE GETAWAY GENIUS (Roy Reynolds): Introduced in a 1951 trilogy, the Killer Moth was born in the mind of an unnamed convict, who resolved to use his hoard of stolen treasure to become a virtual anti-Batman upon his release from prison. Like the Crime Doctor before him, the Killer Moth sold his services to the underworld. Tapping into the Batman mythology, he also created a mothmobile and a moth-signal, even a moth-cave beneath a Gotham mansion. Striking perilously close to the truth, the Moth even fabricated the persona of a millionaire named Cameron Van Cleer. The Moth's first encounter with Batman and Robin ended on a stalemate with the villain seemingly drowned (BATMAN # 63). Within two months, he had returned but, this time, Batman finally unearthed his millionaire alias and had him arrested (BATMAN # 64). With his Cameron Van Cleer alias lost to him, the Moth decided to steal the identity of a pre-existing socialite -- and chose Bruce Wayne (whom he imprisoned in a vault). With plastic surgery altering his looks, the Moth fooled Dick Grayson and quickly learned just what an incredible piece of luck he'd stumbled onto. As Batman, he decided to enhance his criminal alter-ego's reputation by making it appear that the Dark Knight feared the Killer Moth. The true Batman escaped, returning in time to find the Moth with a facial disfigurement courtesy of a gunman's bullets and, conveniently, stricken with amnesia regarding recent events (DETECTIVE # 173). Gardner Fox returned Killer Moth's COSTUME to action in 1965's JLA # 35 (it was animated by the Three Demons) but Fox didn't bring back the rogue himself until 1966's DETECTIVE # 359, the "Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!". Here, the Moth was extorting money from the same Gotham millionaires he'd once socialized with. He was exposed by fledgling heroine Batgirl. Bob Rozakis revived the Moth as a Batgirl foe in late 1976's BATMAN FAMILY # 10 (illustrated by Bob Brown and Vince Colletta), pairing him with another former Gotham millionaire, the Cavalier. The union continued for one story (# 15) before the Moth took a step up as part of the Secret Society of Super-Villains, now charged with destroying the Freedom Fighters (SSOSV # 15). In the wake of that debacle, Killer Moth went solo against Batgirl once more (BATMAN # 311), returning to his roots as a paid defender of the criminal element in the Jack C. Harris-scripted DETECTIVE # 386. Now regarding himself as a second-stringer, the Killer Moth resolved to come up with a scheme guaranteed to put him and other "misfits" like him (Calendar Man, Catman, Chancer) on top by abducting and seeking a ransom on Gotham's mayor, police chief and frequent Moth target Bruce Wayne. Once again, the scheme ended in failure (SHADOW OF THE BAT # 7-9). The lure of power offered by the demonic Neron was, therefore, more than the Moth could resist (UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED # 1). The enhancement came with a price: The Moth was now a six-foot-two insect with great flight and strength capabilities who discharged an acidic solution. Now overpowered by the primal drive for food, the rechristened Charaxes had lost most of his mental faculties but had become a dangerous threat to the world around him (ROBIN # 23-24). Charaxes has since been seen almost exclusively in the company of other, more lucid villains though he did have one brief solo clash with Starfire and Troia (TITANS SECRET FILES # 1). KILLER MOTH (? a.k.a. Cameron Van Cleer; Earth-Two): KILLER MOTH (Earth-One): KILLER MOTH (Drury Walker, a.k.a. Arthur Leland and Cameron Van Cleer;
current; also see CHARAXES): KILLER MOTH (Earth-96): KILLER MOTH (variants): CHARAXES (Drury Walker): Kite-Man was a one-shot villain from a Dick Sprang-illustrated story in 1960's BATMAN # 133. He possessed a variety of gimmicked kites, including a jet-powered hang glider that allowed for quick escapes and a mammoth kite that the Kite-Man used to shuttle criminals out of Gotham's prison. Using kites of his own, Batman tracked down and captured the criminal. He might have remained in obscurity but for the reprinting of that episode in 1975's BATMAN FAMILY # 3. Len Wein brought the villain back in BATMAN # 315 (1979), this time setting Kite-Man's sights on a high-rise payroll heist. The more gimmicky kites were restricted to a fireworks display used as a distraction while Kite-Man primarily operated with a hang-glider. In 1986, Tony Isabella brought the character back again for a light, change of pace episode of HAWKMAN (# 4). The Kite-Man's target was a treasure known as the Golden Eagle but the real point of the story was the villain's real name: On page four, he was referred to as "Brown" and on page sixteen as "Chuck." Crash-landing into a tree not unlike the "kite-eating" variety that Charles Schulz once drew, the Kite-Man cried, "Rats!" Outside of a couple walk-ons at a gangland bar, he hasn't been seen since. KITE-MAN (Charles Brown; Earth-One): KITE-MAN (current): KITE-MAN (variant): When Denny O'Neil signed on to the Batman series in 1969, he tried to reinstate the mood of the early days but couldn't actually make the Dark Knight an outlaw again. Instead, he introduced a spokesman for the anti-Batman front in the form of Public Works Commissioner Arthur Reeves in DETECTIVE # 399 (art by Bob Brown and Joe Giella). Condemning Batman's decision to hide behind a mask, Reeves replied to the Dark Knight's questioning that he was "absolutely" in favor of full disclosure. Without another word, Batman peeled off Reeves' toupee and dropped it in the councilman's palm. O'Neil continued in that vein for five subsequent appearances through 1972, most hilariously in the Neal Adams-illustrated "Half An Evil" (BATMAN # 234). As Reeves regaled Commissioner Gordon with an account of how he'd take the Dark Knight "down a peg or two", Batman slipped up behind him, said "Boo!" and let a smile crack through his stoic facade as the councilman charged out the door. Gerry Conway revived Reeves in 1976 for DETECTIVE # 463 & 464's account of the Black Spider, a much more sinister vigilante. Len Wein featured him briefly in BATMAN # 315 (1979) as part of a meeting on a possible move by a major Gotham business, informing readers that the councilman's life did not revolve entirely around tirades against The Batman. Conway brought Reeves back into the picture in a 1981 subplot that found the councilman running for Mayor on an anti-Batman platform while his opponent, Hamilton Hill, wanted a shake-up of the Gotham Police Department (DETECTIVE # 503). Within days of the election, Reeves was provided with photographic evidence of the Dark Knight's real identity (BATMAN # 343), which he gleefully provided to the press. The pictures, alas, revealing Batman as a crime boss, were easily proven as fakes (# 344) and the ensuing scandal cost Arthur Reeves the election. And that was exactly what Hamilton Hill's backer, disgraced political boss Rupert Thorne, had wanted when he gave the photos to Reeves (DETECTIVE # 511). Weeks later, Reeves confessed about Thorne's role in the election debacle (BATMAN # 353). He has not been seen since. Reeves turned up in the animated Batman continuity by way of 1993's "Mask of the Phantasm" feature film. Still a councilman with an anti-Batman agenda, Reeves was now the same age as Bruce Wayne and a potential rival for Wayne's lost love, Andrea Beaumont. Thanks to a shady past, Reeves fell under the shadow of the Joker and ended up laughing maniacally in a hospital ward, joker-venom coursing through his veins. A sequel in 1996's BATMAN & ROBIN ADVENTURES ANNUAL # 1 (written by Paul Dini) found Reeves completely unhinged by the experience, his facial muscles contorted into a permanent smile. He took Andrea's Phantasm persona for his own and attempted to kill the young woman. Instead, she manipulated Reeves into leaping from a skyscraper balcony to his death before leaving Gotham forever. ARTHUR REEVES (Earth-One): ARTHUR REEVES (Earth-992): |
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John Moores
Member |
posted May 27, 2000 02:58 PM
Mikishawm, I salute you! I can only add one thing to that: |
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Mikishawm
Member |
posted May 27, 2000 04:30 PM
Thank you VERY much, John! I missed that appearance completely. |
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Hellstone
Member |
posted May 28, 2000 10:17 AM
Thank you for pointing me to this thread, John. Mikishawn, you continue to baffle me. But I guess that's no big news to you.
How about: |
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Hellstone
Member |
posted May 28, 2000 01:18 PM
Oh, and could you please give me the brief history of one of my favourites (whom I have - sadly - only read the first appearance of)... THE TEN-EYED MAN! |
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Mikishawm
Member |
posted May 29, 2000 08:14 PM
Mobster George "Boss" Dyke died in the gas chamber of the Gotham State Prison on a cold, rainy evening late in 1952. He was reborn the following morning, looking quite a bit worse for the wear. On Dyke's orders, his body was retrieved by members of his gang and presented to disgraced surgeon Doc Willard. Performing radical surgery, Willard transplanted the hood's brain into the body of a towering gorilla. Though no longer capable of speech, the Gorilla Boss continued to communicate with his men via pencil (a very BIG pencil) and paper. Unable to stop the great ape's reign of terror, Batman began to realize that the creature was not merely well-trained. It was obviously in the service of a human brain. Having stolen a satisfactory sum of money, the Gorilla Boss captured Batman and returned to his lair, where he commanded Willard to put his brain in the Dark Knight's body -- and vice versa. Unaware of this, the Gotham Police Department converged when (straight out of "King Kong") they spotted the gorilla climbing a TV tower with an unconscious Batman in tow. As the disoriented gorilla fell to its death, Robin swept in and caught his mentor -- unmasked as Doc Willard! Batman had faked unconsciousness and switched places with Doc just as the enraged Gorilla Boss awakened (BATMAN # 75, reprinted in 1976's SUPER-HEROES VS. SUPER-GORILLAS # 1). The latter-day Ultra-Humanite wasn't done yet, though, thanks largely to Batman's penchant for saving mementoes of his cases. One such display in the Batcave was the supposedly-dead brain of George Dyke. Through unknown circumstances, the brain was revived by alien colonists, who offered Dyke a new body if he would use the form to erase Earth's chlorophyll, which was toxic to them. Manipulating Batman into placing the brain in the disintegration pit of Superman's Fortress of Solitude, Dyke burst forth in a new form, a massive green flying manta-like entity made up of vegetable matter. Still craving a human body, Dyke sought out Doc Willard, who actually fulfilled the Boss' long-held goal of acquiring The Batman's body. The fortuitous arrival of the aliens, angry that Dyke had reneged on their deal, alerted Superman to the swap and he hastily performed surgery that placed Bruce Wayne's brain back in Batman's body. In the meantime, Willard (with Dyke's brain in his possession) escaped (1978's WORLD'S FINEST # 251, by Bob Haney, George Tuska and Vince Colletta). Willard returned in # 253, hoping to confirm that Batman was in fact Bruce Wayne, as he'd suspected ever since he'd seen the Dark Knight's face during the operation. Though frustrated in his efforts, he escaped custody once more. In # 254, Willard was finally apprehended, now an incoherent madman babbling about Dyke's brain being lost to aliens. The alien in question was no less than ex-Green Lantern Sinestro, who had expanded the cerebellum to the size of a planet (located in the anti-matter universe of Qward) and was using the mutated brain as a power source. With his x-ray vision, the Man of Steel destroyed the unnatural extension of George Dyke once and for all. Late in 1955, a rumor uncovered by Gotham Gazette editor John Hall suggested that a figure known as the Mole was planning a major caper in the city. With Hall hospitalized from stress and overwork, Lois Lane and Clark Kent (on loan from the Gazette's sister paper in Metropolis, the Daily Planet) took over the case. With the aid of Bruce Wayne, details of the Mole were turned up in Batman's crime file. "An expert miner and tunneller", the Mole had successfully "tunnelled out of prison" and "never been caught". It was Robin who broke the case. While investigating all businesses involved in excavation, he discovered suspicious details at Harrah Construction Company. Their sewage project was actually a cover to disguise their tunnelling into Gotham's major bank. Slipping ahead of the Mole (a.k.a. Harrah) and his gang, Superman carved a detour that led them directly into a prison cell (WORLD'S FINEST COMICS # 80, reprinted in WFC # 188 and WFC ARCHIVES # 1). Years later, a new Mole appeared in Gotham, one who had much more in common with his namesake. He was humanoid but covered with fur, possessed of night-vision and capable of burrowing through the ground at great speeds. In a tip of the hat to MAD # 2's 1952 classic "Mole", writers Gerry Conway & Roy Thomas named the Mole's victims Kurtzman and Elder. Trying to end the marauder's murder campaign, Batman finally connected him with Harrah, who had escaped from prison again after being turned down for parole. Discovering that the members of the parole board were Harrah's victims, Batman set a trap around the last surviving target at Wayne Manor. In a final battle with the Mole, Batman learned that Harrah's condition had been caused by a wave of toxic sewage that engulfed him during his prison escape. Knocked into a flooded cavern of the Batcave, the Mole was washed away, his ultimate fate still unknown (BATMAN # 340, 1981). If alive, his knowledge of what lies beneath Wayne Manor adds another element of danger should he return. In the earliest days of Batman's career, the Monarch of Menace represented the Dark Knight's only failure. Dressed in a fur-trimmed red robe with a purple face mask and a gaudy crown, the so-called king of crime's appearance belied his true threat. A variety of devices, from adhesive released through his boots to poison gas emitted from his cloak to an electrified sceptre, were capped by his hypnotic crown. Virtually stymied, the novice crimefighter was left without closure when the Monarch left Gotham with a fortune in stolen goods. Now living a life of luxury in a palatial castle in the tropics, the Monarch mocked his teenage son, whom he described as "a failure" and forced to wear a jester's costume. Determined to prove himself, the young man stole one of his father's outfits and headed for Gotham to launch a crime wave of his own. Instead, Robin handed him his head. Hoping to lure the boy's father out of hiding, Batman decided to play up the capture in the press as if he were the real Monarch of Menace. The plan worked and, using simple precautions, the Dark Knight evaded the villain's weapons and finally overcame his earliest failure. Elsewhere, the Monarch's son found himself inspired by the heroics of Batman and Robin and vowed that, upon his release from prison, "I want to be a crimefighter --not a criminal." (1966's DETECTIVE # 350, by Bob Kanigher, Sheldon Moldoff, and Joe Giella -- underneath a great Joe Kubert cover) In 1981, the Monarch learned of The Batman's involvement in a lengthy quest for Ra's al Ghul outside of the United States. Aware that the news wasn't public knowledge, the villain played a bluff and claimed to have captured the Dark Knight. In exchange for regular monetary tributes from the city's major criminals, the Monarch would keep Batman locked up. Sensing the scam had run its course, the Monarch announced his impending departure and passed around the collection plate one last time -- requesting a large enough sum of cash to induce him to kill his alleged prisoner. By this point, Batman had returned to Gotham and infiltrated the Monarch's "castle" in the guise of Spellbinder. Pulling the menacing one's cloak over his head, Batman activated its gas jets. End of story. (1981's BATMAN # 336, by Bob Rozakis & Roy Thomas and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez & Frank McLaughlin -- a GREAT read!) Dressed predominantly in orange and yellow, the Spellbinder was a fashion nightmare, sort of a living representation of what the older generation imagined pop art to be in 1966. Indeed, the hypnotic bandit "was an art forger -- who discovered the trance-making effects of modern op art -- and decided to use his talents in direct and spectacular crimes. The Spellbinder sent Batman into a succession of trances, variously using body gestures and artificial devices before the Dark Knight finally trained himself to reverse his hallucinations (DETECTIVE # 358, by Gardner Fox, Sheldon Moldoff, and Joe Giella). A retooled Spellbinder turned up in Metropolis in 1978, his costume design scaled back a bit and now equipped with a hypnotic propeller on his back. He also possessed a sonic chest plate that proved quite effective at blasting Superman but became his undoing when the Man of Steel manuevered him into a miniature echo chamber and the Spellbinder knocked himself into unconsciousness (SUPERMAN # 330, by Martin Pasko, Curt Swan, and Frank Chiaramonte). The baddie returned to Gotham during a crime spree provoked by Batman's mysterious absence. Back in his original costume and using simplified hypnotic devices, the Spellbinder was the first of the rampaging villains to be captured by the Dark Knight (BATMAN # 336). An entry in WHO'S WHO '86 # 21 commemmorated his career. A new Spellbinder popped up briefly as part of the League-Busters in 1994's JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL # 65 and JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA # 90. A mystic garbed in green and orange robes, his hypnotic powers were barely hinted at in the story. Delbert Billings (a.k.a. Keith Sherwood), the original model, was still around but, by late 1995, was on the run along with his girl friend, Fay Moffit. He wasn't desperate enough to accept an offer of power from the demonic Neron. Unfortunately for Delbert, Fay was. She put a bullet in her lover's head and asked Neron if the deal was only open to Billings. "Actually," the demon replied, "I wasn't talking to HIM." As the new Spellbinder, Fay proved a profoundly dangerous enemy, capable of affecting "a section at the back of the brain called the occipital lobe. That's where our visual input is interpreted." Only by joining with Robin (hooked up in a virtual reality device) was Batman able to ignore what his senses were telling him and bring down the Spellbinder. Negating her power proved surprisingly simple: she only had to be blindfolded (DETECTIVE # 691-692, by Chuck Dixon, Staz Johnson, and Scott Hanna; a write-up on Fay appeared in UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED: PATTERNS OF FEAR # 1). The Spellbinder was sent to the Slab (GREEN LANTERN # 79), save for a brief transfer to Arkham, where she promptly escaped and, working on behalf of the Blockbuster, tried to find out the location of the Batcave from Oracle (1998's BIRDS OF PREY: BATGIRL # 1). Returned to the Slab, the Spellbinder was among several villains aboard a S.T.A.R. Labs transport that was shanghaied to Apokolips. She and the other convicts agreed to fight on behalf of their captors in order to escape the desolate world (1999's BIRDS OF PREY # 12-14). In the world that's coming (at least for the animated Batman), Terry McGinnis will fight another Spellbinder. Dressed in a hypnotic red and black costume, he uses subliminal techniques along with cutting-edge technology to manipulate his victims. Outside the "Batman Beyond" cartoon, he can be found in BATMAN BEYOND (second series) # 1 and 7. Vietnam vet Philip Reardon had been nicknamed "Three-Eye" Reardon when a grenade fragment left a scar on his forehead. Taking a job as a security guard when he returned to Gotham City, Reardon convinced a gang of thieves that he had eyes in the back of his head, too, courtesy of a discreetly placed hand mirror. Disoriented by a blow to the head and suffering blurred vision, Reardon unwittingly staggered onto the scene of an impending explosion at the warehouse vault. Arriving on the scene, Batman assumed he was a thief -- and Reardon believed the Dark Knight was his assailant. The explosion of the vault left both men blinded, Reardon permanently. While Batman worked with Alfred to arrange technological tricks that would enable him to fake sight, Reardon was taken under the wing of a veteran mobster, who hoped to fan Reardon's newfound hatred of the Dark Knight into an inferno. "A rare natural phenomenon" made Phil eligible for a radical experimental surgery, one that "reconnected (his) optic nerves to the sensory cells in (his) finger-tips. In addition to the sense of touch -- (the doctor had) added sight!" The ensuing battle between Batman and the Ten-Eyed Man quickly shifted in Reardon's favor when the Dark Knight's vision enhancements were disabled. Blinding one of his hands in the battle, Reardon lunged at Batman with his other fist, which was bagged in the crimefighter's cape at the last moment. While Batman left to summon help, Reardon regained consciousness and escaped (1970's BATMAN # 226, by Frank Robbins, Irv Novick, and Dick Giordano). Convinced that he could beat Batman on his "own" turf, Reardon covertly used his abilities to win a job as a civilian sky-marshall and then hijacked the plane for Vietnam when it was in the air. Demanding that Batman meet him there, the Ten-Eyed Man and the Dark Knight faced off amidst the swamps of the D.M.Z. The conflict seemed to climax when Reardon blinded his foe with a flare and moved in for the kill. Batman, however, had seen the Ten-Eyed Man hide his hands before the detonation and was prepared for the burst of light. Phil Reardon was finally taken into custody (BATMAN # 231, 1971). Martin Pasko (with artists Pablo Marcos and Ricardo Villamonte) revived the Ten-Eyed Man (now dressed in an orange and brown costume with eyes down the front) in 1975's MAN-BAT # 2. Reardon had been released into the custody of the Civil Liberties Association, an organization run by a fanatic named Lovell. Imagining that Gotham was "under siege" by "strange bat-people", Lovell wanted the Ten-Eyed Man to capture Man-Bat. With Reardon's nerve-grafts "suffering tissue rejection", his blindness was soon going to return unless the CLA could find a way to replicate Man-Bat's sonar. Setting up a flare bomb to blind the bat-creature, Reardon took the brunt of the blast himself and, disoriented, staggered off the skyscraper roof to his death. Or so it seemed. Reardon returned in 1985's CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS # 12 just long enough to die again, this time the victim of shadow-demons. The Ten-Eyed Man's life was summed up in WHO'S WHO '87 # 23. Introduced in late 1963's DETECTIVE COMICS # 323, the Zodiac Master has a minor claim as the final new costumed villain that Batman and Robin fought before the advent of the Julius Schwartz-edited era launched in 'TEC # 327. Wearing a light blue cowl and body suit decorated by astrological signs, he first made his presence known in Gotham by accurately predicting a succession of disasters (all of which he'd secretly orchestrated). Having cemented his reputation, the Zodiac Master set out to become the Jeanne Dixon of the underworld set, offering odds on the relative success or failure of a gang's latest heist in exchange for 25% of the take. Batman quickly connected the mob's mysterious Mister Z with the Zodiac Master and took down the villain with one of his own weapons, a rocket-propelled goat's head. The story was reprised in BATMAN FAMILY # 14's "Bureau of Missing Villains" but the Zodiac Master has never returned. |
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John Moores
Member |
posted May 29, 2000 10:07 PM
Here's my obliglatory addendum: A (possible) second Zodiac Master - either the original or someone based on him appeared alongside Sondra (Lady Clay/Clayface 'V') Fuller in "Strikeforce Kobra" in THE OUTSIDERS (first series) #21-22. Also, a "Post-Crisis Analogue" of the Gorilla Boss of Gotham City appeared in 1999's 'JLApe!' BATMAN ANNUAL! Not to be confused with Animal Man's foe, "The Mod Gorilla Boss! Yes, really!!!! I love this thread!
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John Moores
Member |
posted May 29, 2000 10:13 PM
Originally posted by John Moores: Here's my obliglatory addendum: A (possible) second Zodiac Master - either the original or someone based on him appeared alongside Sondra (Lady Clay/Clayface 'V') Fuller in "Strikeforce Kobra" in THE OUTSIDERS (first series) #21-22. Oops! I goofed! That was in fact the second Planet Master not
the Zodiac Master! Boy, is my face red! (It is 3:15 a.m. here
though!) Just for the record, the original Planet Master appeared in
DETECTIVE #296, Oct 1961.
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n-man
Member |
posted May 30, 2000 03:33 AM
GREAT! Thank you very much! Did I understand right the 1st app. of Spellbinder I is 'TEC #358? Why did he call himself sometimes Delbert Billings and sometimes Keith Sherwood? Does there exist a reason why? First appearance of The Ten-Eyed Man? |
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Hellstone
Member |
posted May 30, 2000 03:50 AM
The Gorilla Boss also returned in the SWAMP THING ANNUAL of... 1988, I think. He was imprisoned in a zoo in Gotham. Gorilla Grodd summoned him, Sam Simeon, Congorilla, B'wana Beast's Djuba, and Monsieur Mallah to help usurp the throne of Gorilla City. Here, Rick Veitch portrayed the Boss as a fanatic movie buff. It was a fun read, but I think the Gorilla Boss was probably way out of character. |
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Hellstone
Member |
posted May 30, 2000 04:04 AM
And the Ten-Eyed Man's first appearance was in BATMAN #226 (Nov 70), as Mikishawm said. |
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Hellstone
Member |
posted May 30, 2000 04:45 AM
Well, John - how about the story of the Planet Master, then? And while we're at it, can you give me some info about |
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John Moores
Member |
posted May 30, 2000 09:12 AM
Not much time today so I'll just do: The Planet Master : He's really Professor Norbet, who commits crime using gimmicks based on the nine planets after inhaling a strange gas which turns him into a Jekyll and Hyde character. Batman and Robin are on the trail of Planet Master, but Norbet's assistant, Edward Burke, has discovered his identity, and Burke wants to either join forces or appropriate Norbet's gimmicks for his own crime wave. The gas' effects wear off on Norbet, and the Planet Master then helps Batman and Robin bring Burke to justice. DETECTIVE #296 is his only appearance, unless the Planet Master in THE OUTSIDERS is Norbet, but it's more likely to be Burke, now I think about it... See you later! |
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Scott Thiel
Member |
posted May 31, 2000 02:28 AM
Maybe I can give Hellstone some partial answers. Doctor Tzin-Tzin first appeared in DETECTIVE #354. He had another story that was reprinted in DETECTIVE #477. Also appeared in BATMAN #283? and 284?. One of them was a X-mas story. On the cover, Batman was fighting a bear in a X-mas tree. Next I believe the good Doctor showed up in the PEACEMAKER mini-series. That was so bad I put that out for recycling. Over the weekend I went thru my entire collection of BATMAN and DETECTIVE. Re-reading the letters page was very interesting. A lot of letter writers went into the comic business. Mike W. Barr, Klaus Johnson, and Martin Pasko are some. I was amused by the comments that were stated about Bob Kanes' art. Some hated and some thought it had improved after the New Look started. I bet Sheldon Moldoff did most of the art. I like the three-part Catman story in DETECTIVE #311, 318, and 325. It may surprise some people that Selina Kyle was not the only Cat-Woman. Also the Elongated Man stories in DETECTIVE were very good and had nice art. Neal Adams did one story and Gil Kane did a few also. Kane also drew a few Batgirl stories. I think the Mirror Man should be revamped. In the right hands he could be a formidable foe for Bats. |
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Lord of Chaos
Member |
posted May 31, 2000 03:16 AM
Wow -- Mirror Man. He popped up a number of times didn't he, during the early '60's? Then he abruptly disappeared. Did he ever appear again after 1963? |
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Scott Thiel
Member |
posted May 31, 2000 03:54 AM
I don't know how many times Mirror Man appeared. I have one of his stories. Batman and Vicki Vale trick the MM into capturing himself. Don't remember the issue number but it was in DETECTIVE. As far as I know, MM has not appeared since 1963. Except in reprints. He might have been in one of those one-page villian recaps in the early BATMAN FAMILY issues. I do remember Calendar Man and Signalman being recapped. |
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Hellstone
Member |
posted May 31, 2000 04:30 AM
Still another one popped up in my head now: what about Atom Master? |
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paladin
Member |
posted June 01, 2000 07:22 AM
In the excellent BATMAN: HOLY TERROR there is a Clayface called Matthew. He has the same abilities as Clayface 2. Whatever happen to Alan Brennett? This is an interesting thread. |
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Lord of Chaos
Member |
posted June 01, 2000 01:20 PM
I believe Alan Brennert is writing an upcoming black and white story to appear in GOTHAM KNIGHTS ... |
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Mikishawm
Member |
posted June 06, 2000 03:32 PM
I'm back from limbo! I'll try to hit the rest of the list one at a time ... starting with Doctor Tzin-Tzin. On the surface, Doctor Tzin-Tzin seemed to be the stereotypical Asian menace personified by Fu Manchu. Behind the robes, the long mustache and elongated fingernails, though, there was caucasian, a man of American origin and an orphan discovered and raised by Chinese bandits. "He adopted their ways -- then entered the western world to rob and pillage in a grand style". Interpol had charted a long string of audacious crimes attributed to the mastermind, ranging from the seizure of a South African gold mine to the literal disappearances of a South American jet and a mid-Atlantic ocean freighter, its crew left catatonic and floating in lifeboats. In 1966, the discovery of a dead mobster, literally frightened to death, signaled the worst: Tzin-Tzin had set his sights on Gotham. Assembling a band of local thugs, the Doctor's sole objective was to destroy the Batman. Never one to resist a challenge, the Dark Knight smashed through the gauntlet of villains while the mastermind viewed the proceeding via hidden cameras, all but drooling at the display. ("It's the GORE!", explained one underling. "The doc WALLOWS in a gory fist battle.") Finally coming face to face with Tzin-Tzin, Batman was confronted by the Doctor's fabled death-gaze. Deducing that the effect was enhanced by special lighting, the Dark Knight smashed the fixture and brought the international fugitive to justice (DETECTIVE COMICS # 354, by John Broome, Sheldon Moldoff, and Joe Giella). Having lost face with the Tong, Tzin-Tzin became obsessed with revenge against Batman and Robin "but that luxury requires money and equipment". Accepting a commission from the League of Assassins in 1970, the Doctor attempted to fulfill his goal, luring the duo to a suburban Gotham mansion and attempting to drive them mad before finally imprisoning them in pressurized tubes that were timed to explode. Batman escaped the trap but, as he and Robin escorted him to the Batmobile, the so-called "master of illusion" vanished from their grasp in the blink of an eye. As a peal of laughter erupted from the mansion, the structure burst into flame, collapsing in a matter of moments (DETECTIVE # 408, by Len Wein & Marv Wolfman and Neal Adams & Dick Giordano; reprinted in # 477). Wein (with artists Jose Delbo and Bob Oksner) returned to the Doctor in 1972's ADVENTURE COMICS # 418. Now based in San Francisco's Chinatown, Tzin-Tzin was rebuilding his organization, using brainwashed youngsters as the Dragon Tong. "An army of the young," he gloated to local private eye Jonny Double, "the wave of TOMORROW." The Doctor momentarily rebuffed Supergirl with a fire-breathing dragon until the Girl of Steel recalled the villain's penchant for illusions and directed her attention towards the real threat. Vowing that he "not be humilated again", Tzin-Tzin plunged into the Bay, his body vanishing in the undertow. By December of 1976, Doctor Tzin-Tzin had learned to tap genuine occult forces, using intense meditation to create a reservoir of mystic energy (or tsal) within his body. After a practice run in which he replaced the legendary Sphinx with a copy and deposited the original on the ocean floor, the Doctor headed for Gotham, seeking (for reasons unknown) to steal the Gotham Stadium from beneath the Dark Knight's nose. ("What a magnificent opponent he is," the villain mused. "If there were no Batman, I would have to invent him.") Batman had retrieved a small mystic artifact at the site of the Doctor's first attack on the city and used it to track Tzin-Tzin to the sports arena. With "his energy ... almost totally engaged" from levitating the stadium, Tzin-Tzin had left himself vulnerable to a physical attack and Batman wasted no time in subduing him and ensuring that he be placed in solitary confinement (BATMAN # 284, by David V. Reed, Romeo Tanghal, and Frank Springer). After six days of meditation, Tzin-Tzin's tsal had been replenished and he used the opportune appearance of an ant to call thousands more to eat away the mortar between the stones of his cell. On December 23, he walked out of prison, the guards now in his thrall. Taking note of the season, the Doctor lured Batman to Gotham's massive Christmas tree, where he announced his intent "to rob this city of something infinitely precious ... irreplaceable ... something you can never recover -- because it exists only in the mind." On December 24, the villain's plan had become apparent. With the Dark Knight deliberately excluded, Doctor Tzin-Tzin had used magic to steal all knowledge of Christmas from those within Gotham City. Playing to the mage's ego, Batman pretended to be affected by the spell, drawing Tzin-Tzin out of his base at the Gotham Steam Company. As he was approached by "dozens of demons", the Dark Knight blasted the assembly by opening several steam valves, scalding the Doctor and breaking the spell. "The new skin he'll be growing will itch enough to make his tsal concentration impossible for months" (BATMAN # 285). By mid-1977, Batman was forced to seek out the mystic in prison when an encounter with the villain known as Skull Dugger left him unable to fight crime without suffering excruciating pain. Disguised as a rogue guard, Batman offered to free Tzin-Tzin in exchange for a spell granting him an hour's immunity to pain, which he claimed to need in order to surmount an electric failsafe linked to a security vault. If the heist was a success, the "guard" would free the Doctor. Tzin-Tzin fulfilled his part of the bargain and, following Skull Dugger's defeat, a remorseless Batman justified his actions by saying that "I DID give him hope -- for an hour, anyway." (BATMAN # 290, by Reed, Mike Grell, and Vince Colletta). More than a decade passed before Doctor Tzin-Tzin returned, now commanding a miniature army on "a small island, 17 miles southeast of Greece". His objective was nothing less than the overthrow of the Soviet Union, with the ensuing destabilization of its satellites creating a wealth of opportunities for the villain's league of terrorists. The prelude to the attack on Moscow brought the attention of the organization known as Project: Peacemaker. Its unstable namesake eventually found himself confronted by Doctor Tzin-Tzin's death-gaze aboard the villain's dirigible fortress while the Project's Dominique St. Claire invaded their ground base and redirected the nuclear missiles toward the airship. Given a degree of immunity from the mastermind's hypnotic power, the unhinged Peacemaker pummelled the Doctor into unconsciousness and took flight before the missiles struck (1988's PEACEMAKER # 1-4, by Paul Kupperberg, Tod Smith, and Pablo Marcos). Doctor Tzin-Tzin's WHO'S WHO entry was in # 7 (1985), with art by Bill Sienkiewicz. Check "Obscure DC Characters" on the "Other DC Topics" board for Ubu. |
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Mikishawm
Member |
posted June 07, 2000 03:05 PM
The story of Lady Lunar began in 1958 when a United States astronaut named Brice Rogers orbited the moon in a rocket propelled into space by Superman. The flight was not without incident. The capsule passed through the tail of a green comet but Rogers returned to Earth seemingly unscathed. In truth, the radiation from the comet had given Rogers a split personality, one that became dominant each night as the moon rose in the sky. As the Moonman, Rogers had magnetic powers that enabled him to fly and propel objects at will. He commited a succession of lunar-inspired crimes, holding Superman at bay thanks to a kryptonite-derived green aura around his body. The effect finally wore off but Rogers agreed to don the green and yellow costume one last time to help Superman, Batman, and Robin round up the Moonman's gang (WORLD'S FINEST # 98, by Bill Finger, Dick Sprang, and Stan Kaye; reprinted in SUPER-TEAM FAMILY # 4). Among those inspired by Rogers and astronauts like him was Stacy Macklin, who eventually achieved her dream of becoming a NASA trainee in Houston, Texas (1978's WONDER WOMAN # 252-253). Macklin never questioned her goals even as all manner of strange events took place around her, from being possessed by the goddess Athena (WW # 254) to being at ground zero of an attack by the Queen Bee (ADVENTURE COMICS # 463-464) to watching fellow trainee Mike Bailey arrested as the leader of the Royal Flush Gang. Things were much quieter after another trainee, Diana Prince, left the program (WW # 256) but her encounters with super-heroes continued when Superman saved her life in a training mishap (SUPERMAN # 339). Stacy was eventually invited to a fundraiser in Metropolis for a joint NASA-S.T.A.R. Labs venture to establish space colonies on the moon. Macklin intended to discuss Brice Rogers' ground-breaking mission, even having his original space capsule transported with her as an exhibit. In some unknown manner, the cross-country trip reactivated the dormant radiation in the craft and Stacy was struck by its energy when it was bathed in moonlight. Like Rogers, Macklin developed an alternate personality and dressed in a green and orange costume loosely based on Moonman's. As Lady Lunar, she abducted the only witness to her transformation, S.T.A.R. director Jenet Klyburn. Unaware of any of this, Superman and Batman made a futile attempt to reign in the villainess, whose goal was revenge for the threatened desecration of the moon. In addition to her magnetic-based powers and the kryptonite-glow that kept the Man of Steel stymied, the self-described "high priestess of the moon goddess herself" also possessed a "mesmerizing force" that led the citizens in the business district to riot. Her ultimate plan was to use a S.T.A.R.-created bomb to destroy all of Metropolis. After a talk with the retired Rogers yielded no clues, Batman's investigation into Lady Lunar's identity led him to suspect Jenet Klyburn. He ended up alongside the S.T.A.R. administrator as another captive. With Klyburn's aid, the Dark Knight found the tools to escape and stopped Lady Lunar's last-ditch effort to trigger the explosive manually. Like Brice Rogers, the radiation effect was finite and Stacy was kept in a state of sedation until the effect wore off (1980's WORLD'S FINEST # 266, by Cary Burkett, Rich Buckler, and Bob Smith). Macklin returned to a more normal routine at NASA, interrupted only by the effects of the great Crisis, which temporarily brought Lady Lunar back into existence again (CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS # 9). Her WHO'S WHO entry was in # 13 (1986) with art by Will Meunigot. In current continuity, details of Lady Lunar's history have barely been hinted at. LEGENDS OF THE DC UNIVERSE 80-PAGE GIANT # 2 asserted that she was an inmate at Arkham Asylum whom Wonder Woman had evidently battled at some point in the last few years. In this story, she duped the Cheetah into believing she had a satellite map to Paradise Island. To date, no connection has been established between Moonman and Lady Lunar and the predominant lunar villain, Eclipso. |
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Gotham Resident
Member |
posted June 08, 2000 12:16 PM
You guys know anything about the Outsider? From the 60's & 70's. Asked by new member Carlo in his thread. |
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Mikishawm
Member |
posted June 08, 2000 03:05 PM
Sure do! I'll be there shortly. Meanwhile, here's today's villain: Kathy Kane had been running late that summer evening in 1959. Overdue for a party of Gotham's elite, she arrived at Carson Mansion just ahead of the police. There had been a robbery and the gang had eluded Batman and Robin. The culprit was the Firefly, no relation to the villain who terrorized the city seven years earlier. The crook wore a green costume with yellow stripes, decorative wings on his back and a cowl that included antennae and a blinding spotlight on his forehead. The victim was Ted Carson, heir to a fortune in gold, but, unlike his father, he'd never worked a day in his life. Bruce Wayne was more than a little surprised when a sympathetic Kathy started up a relationship with young Carson. Suddenly, Bruce realized that he might have been taking Kathy's attentions for granted. "As if the Firefly isn't giving me enough trouble, now I've got a RIVAL to worry about!" The Dynamic Duo and Batwoman got another crack at the Firefly the next day but, once again, he escaped, using a sonic vibrator on his belt to shatter several displays at the Gotham Glassworks. Adding to the Dark Knight's anxiety was Kathy's revelation that she'd discovered who he really was. Suspecting that she might be bluffing, Batman held off on formally unmasking. When she'd arrived at the party that night, Kathy had seen Ted Carson concealing a costume with his dress clothes and came to a logical (but mistaken) conclusion. As Batwoman, she asked Carson to put on his costume and was stunned when the outfit in question turned out to be that of the Firefly. Carson took the heroine captive but she escaped in time to help Batman and Robin defeat the rogue atop an Incan exhibit at the Gotham Museum. Kathy also provided a motive: "Carson confessed that his family gold mine had petered out, and he needed money for gambling debts -- so he turned to crime." Dancing later with a more appreciative Bruce Wayne, Kathy considered another intriguing possibility: "Bruce does have the qualifications for Batman. He's athletic, rich and -- oh, that's silly! I'm not going to make THAT mistake again!" (BATMAN # 126, by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff) A third Firefly fought the Blackhawks behind the scenes in 1962's BLACKHAWK # 175. |
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The Fox
Member |
posted June 08, 2000 04:56 PM
Could somebody please give me some background on what's going on in "The Siege" over in LotDK? |
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Scott Thiel
Member |
posted June 09, 2000 03:14 AM
I don't know what Alan Brennett is up to but he is one heck of a writer. He wrote some of my favorite BRAVE AND BOLD stories. #182 with Robin, Batwoman, and Starman --------------------------------------------- To clear other stuff up. I said I would not bother you guys anymore but how about the Mirror Man story. I am fairly sure Bats tangled with him more than once. --------------------------------------------- I don't think this has been mentioned. |
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Mikishawm
Member |
posted June 09, 2000 07:16 AM
Fox: I haven't seen "The Siege" yet. I get my comics from a subscription service so I'm usually a couple weeks behind on my DCs. Scott: I agree 100% on Alan Brennert's stuff. It was terrific! He also wrote the BATMAN: HOLY TERROR one-shot and, way back in 1977, he plotted the JSA-Osira story that appeared in WONDER WOMAN # 231-232. Most of Brennert's work is for television. He did a number of episodes for "The Twilight Zone" in the mid-1980s, including a particularly nice one called "Her Pilgrim Soul". He's since adapted that into a stage play as well as prose in a short story collection called (naturally) "Her Pilgrim Soul". He has at least two other novels to his credit -- "Kindred Spirits" and "Time and Chance". The latter, especially, comes HIGHLY recommended! As for Mirror-Man ... The Joker. The Penguin. Two-Face. Killer Moth. In the years since he'd been sent to prison, Floyd Ventris had seen a new breed of criminal come to prominence. He was determined to share in the spotlight but a catchy name was not enough. He would commit flamboyant crimes, of course, but the achievement that would truly catapult him to fame would be the revelation of the face that an unmasked Batman saw in the mirror. It had begun late in the summer of 1954 when Ventris had escaped from prison. Breaking a pocket mirror, Ventris used a fragment to reflect the searchlight into the eyes of a guard. Recognizing that that broken mirror had brought him good fortune, Ventris declared that "it's like an omen!" The Mirror-Man was born. He didn't wear a costume but his bald head, overbite and square reflective glasses made a strong impression. Among his early thefts was a "two-way electronic mirror that x-rays anything covered by cloth". During his subsequent string of robberies, the villain used every opportunity to scan Batman and, finally, he succeeded. Hoping to preempt the disclosure, the Dark Knight arranged for the Gotham Gazette to interview Bruce Wayne about the instances in which he was mistaken for Batman. Ventris' gang laughed hysterically when their boss told them his discovery. Convinced that he was correct, Mirror-Man planned his next crime to take place at the site of a live television broadcast. As the villain had anticipated, Batman intervened and Ventris held up his two-way mirror in front of the Dark Knight's face. Beneath his hood, however, was a second mask of warped mirrors that distorted his features too drastically for anyone to identify (DETECTIVE # 213, probably by Bill Finger & Sheldon Moldoff). Shortly after the story was reprinted in 1962's BATMAN ANNUAL # 3, Finger and Moldoff brought back Mirror-Man in BATMAN # 157 (1963). Still fixated on Batman's true identity, Ventris arranged for one of his men to shadow Bruce Wayne while he embarked on his latest robbery. Bruce proved too quick for the thug and managed to slip into his Batman guise anyway. Complicating matters further was reporter Vicki Vale's discovery of the Mirror-Man's objective. With Bruce scheduled to be a speaker at a book society meeting, Vicki knew that he wouldn't be able to change to Batman so she hired an actor to stand-in for him. Independently, Batman and Robin had made arrangements for Alfred to impersonate Wayne. Between the distraction of the two Waynes and another mirror diversion, the Dynamic Duo lost Ventris' gang again. The discovery that an actor had portrayed Wayne at the meeting seemed to prove Mirror-Man's case and, after Batman finally captured him, he said as much to the assembled reporters on the scene. Denouncing the allegations as absurd, Batman insisted that Bruce Wayne be called to the scene to refute the claim once and for all. The moment Bruce showed up, Ventris began pawing at his face and hair for signs of make-up. There were none. Publicly discredited, the Mirror-Man was returned to prison, unaware that it wasn't Bruce Wayne who had been disguised -- it was Batman. Alfred had saved the day again. The Mirror-Man was freed one final time in 1986, part of a mass jailbreak engineered by Ra's al Ghul (BATMAN # 400). He is still at large. |
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Lord of Chaos
Member |
posted June 09, 2000 07:14 PM
THANK you, Mikishawm! Maybe I'm pushing it a bit, but could you (or anyone) please tell the tale of The WRINGER for me? What was the title of that story? "Please, Batman -- Stop Me Before I Kill Again?!" SOMEthing like that. I remember it containing a guest shot from some Scotland Yard police inspector -- I was under the impression that writer David V. Reed wanted to use the inspector again, but never got around to it. I loved that stupid story when I was a kid, and can still remember some of the dialogue ("Speak up, man! What is it you want -- my autograph?"). Loved that, and the Captain Stingaree three-parter, too. Carried those issues around with me 'til the covers fell off. |
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The Fox
Member |
posted June 09, 2000 07:28 PM
"The Siege" has some details like Bruce moving into an apartment in Gotham (which you've already touched on), Wayne Manor closed, and Silver St. Cloud. Care to expand on these subjects? Thanks. |
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Mikishawm
Member |
posted June 10, 2000 03:36 PM
Consider the Wringer added to the list. As for today ... It's a moment that those who were there still talk about. A peaceful 1959 afternoon in downtown Gotham erupted into chaos when the packed streets were buzzed by the Batplane while a leering Batman and Robin laughed and hurled explosives at the masses. And yet ... it never happened. Joining forces with Superman (who'd encountered a similar phenomenon in Metropolis), the Dynamic Duo raced to stop a new threat against Gotham -- a giant marauding crab. Reaching the beast, the Man of Steel discovered that it was intangible, a mirage designed to distract the heroes from a robbery elsewhere in the city. Aware that they were dealing with a sophisticated Illusion-Master, Batman and Robin were on their toes when they showed up at the scene of another robbery dominated by extraterrestrial beings. Spotting civilian-clad bandits fleeing in the opposite direction, the Dark Knight confidently pursued the aliens, noting that they cast shadows while the "real" crooks did not. Ultimately, Batman and Robin arrived at the Illusion-Master's lair, where they learned his series of robberies had been designed to bankroll the construction of a more powerful transmitter. Up to that point, the villain had been using a bulky head-piece to project "thought-images into this machine ... to rearrange dust in the air to create any illusion I wished." Now, though, he could create solid, vastly more threatening images, altering "the ATOMS in the dust to create illusions -- and then MATERIALIZE them." Before the plan could come to fruition, Superman raced in at super-speed, rendering the villain (whom he dubbed "the Atom-Master") unconscious and vowing that he'd wake up in jail (WORLD'S FINEST # 101). Late in 1984, the Atom-Master resurfaced in Metropolis, finally using the advanced illusions that he'd developed as he fled a bank robbery. With his thought-projector streamlined to a smaller helmet, the villain held off everything Superman threw at him. When the Man of Steel dismantled his portable helicopter, the Atom-Master reacted instantly by creating wings on his back. The villain was unexpectedly plucked from battle by Ultivac and Mister Poseidon, two obscure villains recently engaged by the Enchantress to help her in a quest for power. Furious that someone else had been drafted into the group against her wishes (and one who had attracted the attention of Superman, at that), the Enchantress threatened to kill the new recruit until Ultivac convinced her that the Atom-Master's power would be invaluable (DC COMICS PRESENTS # 77, by Marv Wolfman, Curt Swan, and Dave Hunt). Clearly, there was no love lost between the two and the Atom-Master continued to needle the mystic as she pursued her quest to form an unholy trinity. When she was finally about to achieve her goal, the Atom-Master realized that "she'll NEVER share her glory with us. No -- unless we move, she'll DESTROY us!" Joining with Poseidon and Ultivac, the villain distracted the Enchantress in the present while one of her demonic partners, Yggardis, was defeated by Superman and the Forgotten Heroes in the future. Threatened with revenge by the Enchantress, the trio of Forgotten Villains made a quick exit (DCCP # 78). Eventually, the Atom-Master and Ultivac were drawn back into the Enchantress' life, with all of them now working on behalf of the immortal Vandal Savage. During a showdown with the Forgotten Heroes some 1.93 million years ago, the Atom-Master was taken out of the game quickly, thanks to "a neural stunner" used by Dane Dorrance. He and the other villains were abandoned in the primitive era when Savage captured the crystal they'd been seeking and returned to the future alone. The Forgotten Villains "got back to the twentieth century thanks to [time master Rip] Hunter's good grace" (RESURRECTION MAN # 25, 1999). |
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Mikishawm
Member |
posted June 11, 2000 06:24 PM
Bullets bounced off his chest. His fists were like steel. He could leap distances a mortal man never hoped to achieve. "Incredible? No! For even today on our world exist creatures with super-strength! The lowly ant can support weights hundreds of times its own. The grasshopper leaps what to man would be the space of several city blocks." -- Jerry Siegel, ACTION COMICS # 1 (1938). He was also, in the words of sensationalistic TV newsman Jack Ryder, "the most dangerous criminal alive! ... Remember ... HELLGRAMMITE is his name!" He was named after "the larva of the Dobson Fly. A dark deadly bug with a bite like a timber wolf that lives under rocks." (UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED: PATTERNS OF FEAR # 1 later identified one of his aliases as "Robert Dobson.") Ryder had stumbled onto the existence of the villain while investigating the disappearance of an entomologist ("a bug scholar") named Roderik Rose. In Gotham, he learned that Rose had transformed himself into a living Hellgrammite via specially treated humanoid-size cocoons and had all the strength of an insect grown to human size, including a rugged exoskeleton. The effect wore off within 24 hours, requiring R |
