Midnight (comics)
Encyclopedia
Midnight is a fictional character
owned by DC Comics
.
's The Spirit
while Eisner was at war, but took on its own life in later stories. He was created for Quality Comics
by Jack Cole
, who later that year would become famous for creating Plastic Man
.
Midnight's first appearance was in Smash Comics #18 (January, 1941). The character was popular enough to become the cover feature with Smash Comics #28 (November 1941), a position he would hold for nearly eight years until the title's cancellation with issue #85 (October, 1949).
In Smash Comics #23, Midnight faces off against mad scientist
Doc Wackey and his intelligent talking monkey Gabby. By the end of the five-page story, Wackey has reformed and joined forces with Midnight. Doc Wackey and Gabby would continue to serve as Midnight's sidekicks (and occasional comic relief
) for the remainder of Midnight's run on the title. He was killed in Smash Comics #36, where he went to Hell at his own request so that he could continue to fight criminals.
Like the other Quality characters, Midnight was bought by DC Comics
after Quality Comics folded in 1956, but has not been extensively used. Like most other Golden Age heroes, he made an appearance in Roy Thomas
' All-Star Squadron
, which Thomas used to feature every Golden Age character owned by DC. He also worked with the 'Freedom Fighters' for some time.
In his sole post-Crisis
appearance, a revised version of Midnight's origin written by Thomas and drawn by Gil Kane
was published in Secret Origins
#28. His base of operations was retcon
ned into New York City
. Midnight has not appeared since, and nothing is known of his fate after the 1940s.
A new Midnight was introduced in the 1990s in Ms. Tree
Quarterly, but whether this Midnight has any connection to the original is unknown.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
owned by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
.
Publication history
The character was intended as a simple replacement for Will EisnerWill Eisner
William Erwin "Will" Eisner was an American comics writer, artist and entrepreneur. He is considered one of the most important contributors to the development of the medium and is known for the cartooning studio he founded; for his highly influential series The Spirit; for his use of comics as an...
's The Spirit
The Spirit
The Spirit is a crime-fighting fictional character created by writer-artist Will Eisner. He first appeared June 2, 1940 in "The Spirit Section", the colloquial name given to a 16-page Sunday supplement, distributed to 20 newspapers by the Register and Tribune Syndicate and reaching five million...
while Eisner was at war, but took on its own life in later stories. He was created for Quality Comics
Quality Comics
Quality Comics was an American comic book publishing company that operated from 1939 to 1956 and was an influential creative force in what historians and fans call the Golden Age of comic books....
by Jack Cole
Jack Cole (artist)
Jack Ralph Cole was an American comic book artist and Playboy magazine cartoonist best known for creating the comedic superhero Plastic Man....
, who later that year would become famous for creating Plastic Man
Plastic Man
Plastic Man is a fictional comic-book superhero originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Cole, he first appeared in Police Comics #1 ....
.
Midnight's first appearance was in Smash Comics #18 (January, 1941). The character was popular enough to become the cover feature with Smash Comics #28 (November 1941), a position he would hold for nearly eight years until the title's cancellation with issue #85 (October, 1949).
Fictional character biography
Dave Clark is a radio announcer in Big City. He is an actor in a show named "The Man Called Midnight", about a masked crime fighter. After witnessing the collapse of a twelve-story building, he finds out that it had collapsed as a result of deliberate criminal negligence on the part of its builder, Morris Carleton. Clark decides to fight Carleton and force him to admit responsibility. To do this, he puts on a domino mask and assumes the identity of Midnight himself. After succeeding, he chooses to continue to fight crime as "Midnight, the eerie friend of the needy."In Smash Comics #23, Midnight faces off against mad scientist
Mad scientist
A mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction. The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if...
Doc Wackey and his intelligent talking monkey Gabby. By the end of the five-page story, Wackey has reformed and joined forces with Midnight. Doc Wackey and Gabby would continue to serve as Midnight's sidekicks (and occasional comic relief
Comic relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...
) for the remainder of Midnight's run on the title. He was killed in Smash Comics #36, where he went to Hell at his own request so that he could continue to fight criminals.
Like the other Quality characters, Midnight was bought by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
after Quality Comics folded in 1956, but has not been extensively used. Like most other Golden Age heroes, he made an appearance in Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
' All-Star Squadron
All-Star Squadron
The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in a special insert in Justice League of America #193 . Created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway.-The concept:...
, which Thomas used to feature every Golden Age character owned by DC. He also worked with the 'Freedom Fighters' for some time.
In his sole post-Crisis
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
appearance, a revised version of Midnight's origin written by Thomas and drawn by Gil Kane
Gil Kane
Eli Katz who worked under the name Gil Kane and in one instance Scott Edward, was a comic book artist whose career spanned the 1940s to 1990s and every major comics company and character.Kane co-created the modern-day versions of the superheroes Green Lantern and the Atom for DC Comics, and...
was published in Secret Origins
Secret Origins
Secret Origins is the title of three American comic book series published by DC Comics.The title began in 1961 and for one issue, all reprints. The title Secret Origins of Super Heroes went onto a second series, also reprints, which ran for seven issues from 1973-1974...
#28. His base of operations was retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
ned into New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Midnight has not appeared since, and nothing is known of his fate after the 1940s.
A new Midnight was introduced in the 1990s in Ms. Tree
Ms. Tree
Ms. Tree was the best-known comic book creation of author Max Allan Collins prior to his graphic novel, Road to Perdition. Terry Beatty was the series' artist.-Character Biography and Synopsis:...
Quarterly, but whether this Midnight has any connection to the original is unknown.
Other versions
- In the ElseworldsElseworldsElseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
miniseries JLA: DestinyJLA: DestinyJLA: Destiny is a comic book mini-series that was published by DC Comics in 2002. Its writer was John Arcudi and its artist was Tom Mandrake. The series ran for four issues.The series was created as part of DC's Elseworlds line...
, by John ArcudiJohn ArcudiJohn Arcudi is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on The Mask and B.P.R.D., and his series Major Bummer.-Career:Arcudi worked for Malibu Comics upon its founding in 1986, working on its Eternity line...
and Tom Mandrake, a version of Midnight exists in a world where SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
and BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
do not exist. This version of Midnight, named William Cole, is a former detective with the Gotham City Police DepartmentGotham City Police DepartmentThe Gotham City Police Department is a fictional police department servicing Gotham City, as depicted in comic books published by DC Comics, in particular those tied into the Batman books.-History of GCPD:...
and a senior member of Thomas Wayne'sThomas WayneThomas Wayne is a fictional character in the Batman series of comic books. Dr. Thomas Wayne was the father of Bruce Wayne, and husband of Martha Wayne, as well as a gifted surgeon and philanthropist...
Justice League of America, formerly the Justice League of Gotham, as Midnight.