Gentleman Ghost

Last updated
Gentleman Ghost
JSA-86-int.jpg
Gentleman Ghost as depicted in JSA #84 (June 2006). Art by Luke Ross.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Flash Comics #88 (October 1947)
Created by Robert Kanigher (writer)
Joe Kubert (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoJames "Jim" Craddock
Species Ghost
Team affiliations Injustice Society
Secret Society of Super Villains
Suicide Squad
Notable aliasesThe Ghost
"Gentleman Jim"
Abilities

Gentleman Ghost (James "Jim" Craddock), introduced as Ghost, and also known as Gentleman Jim, is a supervillain appearing in works published by DC Entertainment. [1] Created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Joe Kubert, the character first appeared in Flash Comics #88 (October 1947). [2]

Contents

Gentleman Ghost has been substantially adapted into media outside comics, including animated television series, films, and video games. He is voiced by Greg Ellis in Batman: The Brave and the Bold , "Weird Al" Yankovic in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies , Toby Stephens in Batman: Caped Crusader , and Robin Atkin Downes in Justice League Unlimited .

Fictional character biography

Earth-Two

The original, Earth-Two incarnation of Gentleman Ghost is a human criminal who used tricks and gadgets to appear to be a ghost. [3] [4]

Post-Crisis

In Post-Crisis continuity, James "Jim" Craddock is the son of an English gentleman who abandoned both him and his mother, forcing them into poverty. Craddock grows up to become a notorious highwayman and robber who terrorizes England in the 19th century under the name "Gentleman Jim". He encounters the ghosts of other highwaymen, and Dick Turpin leaves him a horse. He journeys to the United States and encounters the gunslingers Nighthawk and Cinnamon. Nighthawk kills Craddock, who returns as a ghost. [5]

The Gentleman Ghost learns that he must wander the earth until the spirit of his killer moves on to the next plane of existence. [6] Nighthawk and Cinnamon are revealed to be the reincarnations of Prince Khufu and Chay-Ara, and cannot die due to their continual reincarnation. Both are resurrected as Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and the Gentleman Ghost becomes their recurring nemesis. [7]

Gentleman Ghost later appears as a member of the Injustice Society. [8]

During Infinite Crisis , Gentleman Ghost joins Alexander Luthor Jr.'s Secret Society of Super Villains. He fights Alan Scott and places him in a coma. [9]

His origin is explored and altered in the pages of JSA #82-87 (2006). The son of an abusive father and a poor mother, young Jim Craddock slips into a life of crime, making contacts with the supernatural. He is eventually captured and sentenced to death, but returns as a ghost. [10]

Gentleman Ghost is one of the villains sent to retrieve the Get Out of Hell Free card from the Secret Six.

The New 52

In 2011, "The New 52" rebooted the DC universe. Gentleman Ghost is depicted as a human similar to his Earth-Two counterpart before a witch curses him and transforms him into a ghost. [11] [12]

DC Rebirth

In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called "DC Rebirth" which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52". Gentleman Ghost joins Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad Black to fight Sebastian Faust after he steals several artifacts in A.R.G.U.S. storage. [13]

In "The New Golden Age", Gentleman Ghost obtains a special sphere to summon an army of zombies. He fights the Justice Society until Icicle unknowingly uses his ice attack on the sphere, which summons Surtur. Legionnaire borrows some of Hawkman's lifeforce and uses it to revive Gentleman Ghost, causing Surtur to explode and the zombies to disappear. [14]

In the "DC All In" initiative, Gentleman Ghost joins Scandal Savage's Injustice Society. [15]

Powers, abilities, and equipment

The Gentleman Ghost of Earth-Two relies on various devices to simulate ghost-like capabilities for his criminal capers.

Jim Craddock is a ghost who can become invisible and intangible, teleport, and freeze people with his touch. However, he is vulnerable to Nth Metal, which has anti-magic properties. [16]

Other versions

In other media

Television

Film

Video games

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawkman</span> Fictional superhero in DC Comics

Hawkman is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940. Over the course of the character's publication history, due to a series of reinventions of the character following the 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover and series, Hawkman is known as having one of the most confusing backstories of any character in DC Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawkgirl</span> Name of several female fictional superhero characters, all owned by DC Comics

Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in Flash Comics #1. Shayera Hol was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Joe Kubert, and first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #34. Kendra Saunders was created by writer David S. Goyer and artist Stephen Sadowski, and first appeared in JSA: Secret Files and Origins #1. One of DC's earliest super-heroines, Hawkgirl has appeared in many of the company's flagship team-up titles including Justice Society of America and Justice League of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starfire (Teen Titans)</span> Fictional DC Comics superhero

Starfire is a superheroine created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez appearing in American comic books created by DC Comics. She debuted in a preview story inserted within DC Comics Presents #26. Since the character's introduction, Starfire has been a major recurring character in Teen Titans and various other iteration of the team, sometimes depicted as the team's leader, and a significant love interest for Dick Grayson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courtney Whitmore</span> Fictional superhero

Courtney Elizabeth Whitmore, known as Stargirl and formerly as the second Star-Spangled Kid, is a superhero created by Geoff Johns and Lee Moder who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character's name, appearance, and personality were patterned after Johns' 18-year-old sister Courtney, who died in the explosion of TWA Flight 800 in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solomon Grundy (character)</span> Fictional DC Comics supervillain

Solomon Grundy is a supervillain and occasional antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was originally depicted as a murder victim brought back to life as a corporeal revenant or zombie, though subsequent versions of the character have occasionally depicted a different origin. His name is taken from the 19th century nursery rhyme "Solomon Grundy".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killer Moth</span> Fictional supervillain

Killer Moth is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, usually as an adversary and dedicated original foil personality of Batman. Like Batman, he has no superpowers and relies on his technical equipment, including a Mothmobile and numerous gimmicks. Killer Moth originally wore a garish costume of purple and green striped fabric, with an orange cape and moth-like mask. In Underworld Unleashed, Killer Moth is transformed into the monster Charaxes with superhuman abilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detective Chimp</span> Fictional character in DC Comics

Detective Chimp is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A common chimpanzee who wears a deerstalker cap, Detective Chimp has superhuman-level intelligence and solves crimes, often with the help of the Bureau of Amplified Animals, a group of intelligent animals that also includes Rex the Wonder Dog. He originally appeared in the final years of the Golden Age of Comic Books, continuing into the early years of the Silver Age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wizard (DC Comics)</span> Fictional supervillain of the DC Comics Golden Age

The Wizard is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is a magic-user who is a known enemy of the Justice Society of America, Superman of Earth-Two, and the Justice League of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calculator (character)</span> Fictional supervillain

Calculator is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Originally introduced as an enemy of the Atom, the character was later redeveloped in the 2000s as a master information broker, hacker, and tactical supervisor to other supervillains, and foil to Batman's partner Oracle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Icicle (comics)</span> Comic book character

Icicle is the name of two supervillains appearing in comic books published by DC Comics: Joar Mahkent and Cameron Mahkent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawkman (Carter Hall)</span> DC Comics superhero

Hawkman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first character to use the name Hawkman. There are two separate origins of Carter Hall; the Golden Age origin and the Post-Hawkworld origin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mister Terrific (Michael Holt)</span> DC comics character

Michael Holt is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the second character to take up the Mister Terrific mantle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shayera Hol</span> DC comics character

Shayera Thal, later married with the name Shayera Hol, is a superheroine appearing in American comic books during the Silver Age of Comics published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Joe Kubert, and first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #34. She is the second Hawkgirl and first Hawkwoman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artemis Crock</span> Comics character

Artemis Crock is a fictional comic book character, appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in Infinity, Inc. #34, she has appeared as both a supervillain and superhero, usually using her first name as her alias. Artemis is also one of many characters to use the name Tigress. In addition, she is also the daughter of Sportsmaster and Paula Brooks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders)</span> Comics character

Kendra Saunders is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by writers James Robinson and David S. Goyer and artist Scott Benefiel, and first appeared in JSA: Secret Files and Origins #1. She is the third and current version of the Hawkgirl character. Saunders is depicted as a Hispanic-American being the latest in a reincarnation cycle. Saunders differs from her past incarnation with a reluctance in accepting herself as being a reincarnation of a singular being, distancing herself from reoccurring aspects of her past lives. As the heroine Hawkgirl, she is an immortal warrior who has served as a notable member of both the Justice League and Justice Society of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntress (DC Comics)</span> Several fictional characters in the DC comics universe

The Huntress is the name of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The two best-known women to bear the Huntress name are Helena Bertinelli and Helena Wayne, the latter being from an alternate universe. Although Helena Wayne and Helena Bertinelli are both superheroes, the Huntress of the Golden Age was a supervillain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riddler in other media</span> DC Comics villain

The Riddler, a supervillain in DC Comics and an adversary of the superhero Batman, has been adapted into numerous forms of media, including feature films, television series, and video games. The character has been portrayed in live-action by Frank Gorshin and John Astin in the 1960s television series Batman, Jim Carrey in the 1995 film Batman Forever, Cory Michael Smith in the 2014 Fox series Gotham, and Paul Dano in the 2022 film The Batman. Actors who have voiced the Riddler include John Glover in the DC Animated Universe, Robert Englund in The Batman, and Wally Wingert in the Batman: Arkham video games.

References

  1. Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Supervillains. New York: Facts on File. p. 141. ISBN   0-8160-1356-X.
  2. Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019). DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle. DK Publishing. p. 53. ISBN   978-1-4654-8578-6.
  3. Flash Comics #88. DC Comics.
  4. Flash Comics #104. DC Comics.
  5. Greenberger, Robert (2008). The Essential Batman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. p. 145. ISBN   9780345501066.
  6. Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 119. ISBN   978-1-4654-5357-0.
  7. Wallace, Dan (2008), "Gentleman Ghost", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.), The DC Comics Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, p. 137, ISBN   978-0-7566-4119-1, OCLC   213309017
  8. JSA Classified #5-7. DC Comics.
  9. Villains United #1. DC Comics.
  10. JSA #82-87. DC Comics.
  11. Gotham By Midnight Annual #1. DC Comics.
  12. Savage Hawkman #5 - 7. DC Comics.
  13. Suicide Squad Black Files #1-6. DC Comics.
  14. Justice Society of America Vol. 4 #10. DC Comics.
  15. JSA Vol. 2 #1. DC Comics.
  16. Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Vol 1 #9 (November 1985)
  17. Kingdom Come #2. DC Comics.
  18. Hawkman (vol. 6) #18. DC Comics.
  19. Justice Society of America Vol. 4 #6. DC Comics.
  20. "The World's Finest - Backstage - Unused Villains Database - Gentleman Ghost". www.worldsfinestonline.com. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 "Gentleman Ghost Voices (DC Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved April 8, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  22. Flook, Ray (July 22, 2024). "Batman: Caped Crusader Spotlights Firebug, Gentleman Ghost, Nocturna". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  23. "LEGO Batman Movie TV Spot with Gentleman Ghost, Calendar Man, and Condiment King". DC. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  24. Zachary, Brandon (July 25, 2019). "REVIEW: Teen Titans Go Vs. Teen Titans Is A Goofy Love Letter To The Team". CBR. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  25. Eisen, Andrew (October 4, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved April 8, 2024.