Weeper
Encyclopedia
The Weeper is the name of two fictitious comic book
supervillain
s, originally published by Fawcett Comics
and today owned by DC Comics
. The original Weeper first appeared in Master Comics
#23 in February 1942.
The arch-foe of Bulletman and Bulletgirl
, the Weeper is capable of the most brutal of murders, but sheds tears for his victims; he hates to see people happy but feels bad after he hurts them. The Weeper wears a blue opera cape, a top hat and carries a small walking stick and tear gas bombs. He also drives a hearse and is accompanied by his henchman, the Bittermen.
On Thanksgiving, the Weeper sends letters and visits a number of families telling them tragic news. He tells one family their son has died in the war
. Another family, the father is fired from his job after years of dutiful service. Another family, he tells the husband his business has burned to the ground. Later, the families discover that the Weeper has lied to them. The Weeper tells these lies so he could either case the families' homes for robbery, or they would lead him to where they hid their valuable possessions.
The Weeper puts an ad in the paper looking for men who feel life has given them a raw deal. A lot of men reply to the ad. He interviews them all and picks ten of the saddest men. He calls them the Bittermen. The Weeper along with the Bittermen, sets out to make the lives of other people very unhappy.
They start by riding through a parade in a hearse and tossing tear gas into the crowd. This causes a stampede which kills a great many people. The Weeper drives through the street littered with dead bodies weeping at that horrible tragedy.
The Weeper and the Bittermen commit a series of ghastly acts.
Sometime after being defeated by Bulletman and Bulletgirl
, the Weeper returns and looks to gather his Bittermen back together. One of them refuses, saying he makes enough money now to choke a horse and he is very happy. The Weeper replies, saying he hates to hear that people are happy. The next day, the man is found dead after having choked on his wad of money.
The Weeper then shows his other Bittermen the newspaper account of what has happened. Fearing for their lives they join his group again. The Weeper is later betrayed by one of them.
The Weeper is a founding member of the Revenge Syndicate. The Revenge Syndicate is started by the Murder Prophet and joined by the Weeper and the Black Rat. At first, they are at odds with each one wanting to be the chief of the group. The Weeper comes up with the idea that they roll dice to see who would be chief, the person with the highest roll would go first; the person with the second highest would go second; and the person with the third highest would go third.
The Murder Prophet wins the first roll. His plan is to rob an art museum, by pretending to be a visitor, with the aid of the Black Rat emerging from the sewer with a machine gun. Bulletman and Bulletgirl stop them, but they escape.
The Weeper goes second. His plan is for the Murder Prophet to pretend to be a psychic at a carnival after kidnapping the real psychic. The Murder Prophet tells a rich woman to move her money so it will not be stolen. They are going to steal the money while it is being moved. Bulletman and Bulletgirl stop them after realizing their plot. They lift the car the villains are in and throw it in a lake. The Black Rat is thrown in also, and saves the Murder Prophet and the Weeper.
The three realize that Bulletman has always thwarted their plans, and they need to eliminate him if they ever want to succeed. The Black Rat meets several criminals, who agree to pay $100,000 if he gets rid of Bulletman.
The Black Rat goes third. His plan is to send out a radio broadcast to lure Bulletman to an abandoned shack. They set up a dummy of the Black Rat. Bulletman and Bulletgirl go inside the shack. The Revenge Syndicate goes inside and beats up Bulletman. To their surprise, Bulletman has set up a dummy of his own. Bulletman and Bulletgirl beat them up and a fire is started when the radio is broken which possibly kills them as nobody gets out.
fight the second Weeper and Dr. Riddle. The second Weeper says, "My father, the true Weeper, is dead -- Sob! But I am carrying on with his name!" He and Dr Riddle first try to hang Bulletgirl in her civilian identity of Susan Barr after surprising her and pulling her up with a noose and the Weeper tries to stab her also, but Mary Marvel stops them as she was with Susan when the villains attacked. The villains escape while Mary frees Susan from the noose and she changes to Bulletgirl, however a riddle left behind allows the two to track the villains to an abandoned asylum on the outskirts of town. The villains are then able to capture both Bulletgirl and Mary Batson, first the Weeper catching Bulletgirl in a straitjacket from behind while she fights Dr Riddle, then using Bulletgirl as bait to capture Mary when she walks into their hideout the Weeper uses a hose to prevent her from speaking, and seal them inside an airtight chamber while both bound and gagged, but they escape when Bulletgirl removes Mary's gag with her helmet. After solving another riddle they defeat the two villains after they attempt to rob a plane of gold bullion by Doctor Riddle knocking out the pilots and dropping the gold to the Weeper. He is able to land on Bulletgirl and knock her out, but Mary is then able to save her and the villains are defeated. They are then jailed.
The second Weeper teams up with the Earth-Two
version of the Joker
during King Kull's plan to wipe out humanity on three Earths. Members of Earth-One
's Justice League
and Earth-Two's Justice Society of America
travel to Earth-S and meet Shazam's Squadron of Justice
--Bulletman and Bulletgirl, Mister Scarlet and Pinky the Whiz Kid, Ibis the Invincible
and the Spy Smasher
.
The Joker teaches the Weeper his style of committing crimes on Earth-S, stealing jewels and transforming people into different materials, with his trademark grin, although the Weeper can't understand why the Joker laughs about crime. They are stopped by the Earth-Two Batman
, the Earth-Two Robin
, Mister Scarlet and Pinky, who follow a trail left by jewels on the pavement. Robin is unaffected by the Weeper's tear gas because he is wearing contact lenses and the villains are imprisoned.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
s, originally published by Fawcett Comics
Fawcett Comics
Fawcett Comics, a division of Fawcett Publications, was one of several successful comic book publishers during the Golden Age of Comic Books in the 1940s...
and today 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...
. The original Weeper first appeared in Master Comics
Master Comics
Master Comics was a monthly ongoing comic book anthology series that began its 133-issue run during the 1930s and 1940s period known as the Golden Age of Comic Books...
#23 in February 1942.
The arch-foe of Bulletman and Bulletgirl
Bulletman and Bulletgirl
Bulletman was a Fawcett Comics superhero created by Bill Parker and Jon Smalle for Nickel Comics #1 in May, 1940.-Fictional character biography:...
, the Weeper is capable of the most brutal of murders, but sheds tears for his victims; he hates to see people happy but feels bad after he hurts them. The Weeper wears a blue opera cape, a top hat and carries a small walking stick and tear gas bombs. He also drives a hearse and is accompanied by his henchman, the Bittermen.
Weeper I
Formerly known as the "Crying Clown" or "Weeping Willie," Mortimer Gloom is fired for dishonesty from his work as a circus performer. Sometime afterward, he commits several acts of revenge. He then takes on the name, the Weeper.On Thanksgiving, the Weeper sends letters and visits a number of families telling them tragic news. He tells one family their son has died in the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Another family, the father is fired from his job after years of dutiful service. Another family, he tells the husband his business has burned to the ground. Later, the families discover that the Weeper has lied to them. The Weeper tells these lies so he could either case the families' homes for robbery, or they would lead him to where they hid their valuable possessions.
The Weeper puts an ad in the paper looking for men who feel life has given them a raw deal. A lot of men reply to the ad. He interviews them all and picks ten of the saddest men. He calls them the Bittermen. The Weeper along with the Bittermen, sets out to make the lives of other people very unhappy.
They start by riding through a parade in a hearse and tossing tear gas into the crowd. This causes a stampede which kills a great many people. The Weeper drives through the street littered with dead bodies weeping at that horrible tragedy.
The Weeper and the Bittermen commit a series of ghastly acts.
Sometime after being defeated by Bulletman and Bulletgirl
Bulletman and Bulletgirl
Bulletman was a Fawcett Comics superhero created by Bill Parker and Jon Smalle for Nickel Comics #1 in May, 1940.-Fictional character biography:...
, the Weeper returns and looks to gather his Bittermen back together. One of them refuses, saying he makes enough money now to choke a horse and he is very happy. The Weeper replies, saying he hates to hear that people are happy. The next day, the man is found dead after having choked on his wad of money.
The Weeper then shows his other Bittermen the newspaper account of what has happened. Fearing for their lives they join his group again. The Weeper is later betrayed by one of them.
The Weeper is a founding member of the Revenge Syndicate. The Revenge Syndicate is started by the Murder Prophet and joined by the Weeper and the Black Rat. At first, they are at odds with each one wanting to be the chief of the group. The Weeper comes up with the idea that they roll dice to see who would be chief, the person with the highest roll would go first; the person with the second highest would go second; and the person with the third highest would go third.
The Murder Prophet wins the first roll. His plan is to rob an art museum, by pretending to be a visitor, with the aid of the Black Rat emerging from the sewer with a machine gun. Bulletman and Bulletgirl stop them, but they escape.
The Weeper goes second. His plan is for the Murder Prophet to pretend to be a psychic at a carnival after kidnapping the real psychic. The Murder Prophet tells a rich woman to move her money so it will not be stolen. They are going to steal the money while it is being moved. Bulletman and Bulletgirl stop them after realizing their plot. They lift the car the villains are in and throw it in a lake. The Black Rat is thrown in also, and saves the Murder Prophet and the Weeper.
The three realize that Bulletman has always thwarted their plans, and they need to eliminate him if they ever want to succeed. The Black Rat meets several criminals, who agree to pay $100,000 if he gets rid of Bulletman.
The Black Rat goes third. His plan is to send out a radio broadcast to lure Bulletman to an abandoned shack. They set up a dummy of the Black Rat. Bulletman and Bulletgirl go inside the shack. The Revenge Syndicate goes inside and beats up Bulletman. To their surprise, Bulletman has set up a dummy of his own. Bulletman and Bulletgirl beat them up and a fire is started when the radio is broken which possibly kills them as nobody gets out.
Weeper II
At some point between 1942 and 1946, possibly during his last recorded encounter with Bulletman, the Weeper dies and is replaced by his son--the second Weeper. In 1946, Bulletgirl and her friend Mary MarvelMary Marvel
Mary Marvel is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine, originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze, she first appeared in Captain Marvel Adventures #18 in...
fight the second Weeper and Dr. Riddle. The second Weeper says, "My father, the true Weeper, is dead -- Sob! But I am carrying on with his name!" He and Dr Riddle first try to hang Bulletgirl in her civilian identity of Susan Barr after surprising her and pulling her up with a noose and the Weeper tries to stab her also, but Mary Marvel stops them as she was with Susan when the villains attacked. The villains escape while Mary frees Susan from the noose and she changes to Bulletgirl, however a riddle left behind allows the two to track the villains to an abandoned asylum on the outskirts of town. The villains are then able to capture both Bulletgirl and Mary Batson, first the Weeper catching Bulletgirl in a straitjacket from behind while she fights Dr Riddle, then using Bulletgirl as bait to capture Mary when she walks into their hideout the Weeper uses a hose to prevent her from speaking, and seal them inside an airtight chamber while both bound and gagged, but they escape when Bulletgirl removes Mary's gag with her helmet. After solving another riddle they defeat the two villains after they attempt to rob a plane of gold bullion by Doctor Riddle knocking out the pilots and dropping the gold to the Weeper. He is able to land on Bulletgirl and knock her out, but Mary is then able to save her and the villains are defeated. They are then jailed.
The second Weeper teams up with the Earth-Two
Earth-Two
Earth-Two is a fictional universe appearing in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. First appearing in The Flash #123 , Earth-Two was created to explain how Silver-Age versions of characters such as the Flash could appear in stories with their Golden Age counterparts...
version of the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
during King Kull's plan to wipe out humanity on three Earths. Members of Earth-One
Earth-One
Earth-One is a name given to two fictional universes that have appeared in American comic book stories published by DC Comics...
's Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
and Earth-Two's Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
travel to Earth-S and meet Shazam's Squadron of Justice
Shazam's Squadron of Justice
The Squadron of Justice was a name used by two superhero teams of characters who originated from Fawcett Comics. Each team only made one appearance in a single story.-First Version:...
--Bulletman and Bulletgirl, Mister Scarlet and Pinky the Whiz Kid, Ibis the Invincible
Ibis the Invincible
Ibis the Invincible is a fictional character, a comic book superhero originally published by Fawcett Comics in the 1940s and then by DC Comics beginning in the 1970s. Like many magician superheroes introduced in the Golden Age of Comics, Ibis owes much to the popular comic strip character Mandrake...
and the Spy Smasher
Spy Smasher
Spy Smasher is the name of two fictional characters appearing in comics published by DC Comics. The first is a superhero that was formerly owned and published by Fawcett Comics...
.
The Joker teaches the Weeper his style of committing crimes on Earth-S, stealing jewels and transforming people into different materials, with his trademark grin, although the Weeper can't understand why the Joker laughs about crime. They are stopped by the Earth-Two Batman
Batman (Earth-Two)
The Batman of Earth-Two is a parallel version of the DC Comics superhero, who was introduced after DC Comics created Earth-Two, a parallel world that was retroactively established as the home of characters which had been published in the Golden Age of comic books...
, the Earth-Two Robin
Robin (Earth-Two)
Robin of Earth-Two is an alternate version of the fictional DC Comics superhero Robin, who was introduced after DC Comics created Earth-Two, a parallel world that was retroactively established as the home of characters which had been published in the Golden Age of comic books...
, Mister Scarlet and Pinky, who follow a trail left by jewels on the pavement. Robin is unaffected by the Weeper's tear gas because he is wearing contact lenses and the villains are imprisoned.
The Weeper I
- Master Comics #23 (February, 1942): "The Weeper" -- The murderer who mourned his victims! [Fawcett]
- Master Comics #30 (September, 1942): "The Return of the Weeper" [Fawcett]
- Bulletman #7 (September 16, 1942): "The Revenge Syndicate" [Fawcett]
- Bulletman #10 (December, 1942): "The Weeper" [Fawcett]
The Weeper II
- Mary Marvel #8 (December, 1946): "Mary Marvel and the Riddles of Death" [Fawcett]
- Justice League of America #136 (October, 1976): "Crisis on Earth-S!" [DC Comics]
Television
- The Mortimer Gloom version of Weeper appears in the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode "Joker: The Vile and the Villainous!" voiced by Tim ConwayTim ConwayThomas Daniel "Tim" Conway is an American comedian and actor, primarily known for his roles in sitcoms, films and television. Conway is best known for his role as the inept second-in-command officer, Ensign Charles Parker, to Lt...
. The JokerJoker (comics)The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
encounters him in a Gotham CityGotham CityGotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
bar where costumed villains hang out. Apparently, the Weeper was the first villain to use a signature motif in all his crimes, and was Joker's inspiration for becoming a super-villain. Joker learns how Weeper tried to destroy Fawcett CityFawcett CityFawcett City is a fictional city, and the home of DC Comics' Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family. It first appeared in the graphic novel "The Power of Shazam" by Jerry Ordway in 1994. Its name is derived from the original publishers of Captain Marvel comics, Fawcett Comics...
over thirty years prior only to be defeated by BulletmanBulletman and BulletgirlBulletman was a Fawcett Comics superhero created by Bill Parker and Jon Smalle for Nickel Comics #1 in May, 1940.-Fictional character biography:...
(who used Weeper's soft-heartedness to his advantage). When 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...
unveils the Bat-Probe to thwart the criminals of Gotham City, Joker proposes a partnership with Weeper, who agrees to help Joker. After Joker works with Weeper to regain Weeper's villainous touch, the two of them attack S.T.A.R. LabsS.T.A.R. LabsS.T.A.R. Labs, is a fictional research facility, and comic book organization appearing in titles published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Superman vol. 1 #246 , and was created by Cary Bates and Rich Buckler.-Publication history:...
where Batman has the upper hand on them until their fight is brought to the outside of S.T.A.R. Labs. However, Weeper can't bring himself to kill Batman causing Joker to fire a missile that Batman dodges, destroying the abandoned pizza restaurant serving as their lair. Weeper ends up leaving Joker, claiming to never have what it takes to be a great villain. With the Bat-Probe operational, Weeper sees how tough life has become for his fellow villains, and returns to help Joker get to the Bat-Probe. Weeper ends up fighting Batman and sprays him with tear gas before disabling the Bat-Probe. Weeper then turns on Joker in order to become the new King of Crime only for Batman to defeat both of them. When Joker starts crying in the paddy wagon (due to Batman fouling up Weeper's chance to become the crime king of Gotham and fulfill his destiny), Weeper ends up laughing at this.
External links
- The Unofficial Weeper I Biography
- The Unofficial Weeper I Chronology
- The Unofficial Revenge Syndicate Biography
- The Unofficial Weeper II Biography
- Fawcett/Charlton Villain List
- DC Comics Database: Weeper
- Read Master Comics #23, featuring the original Weeper, at the Digital Comic Museum
- Read Bulletman #7, featuring the original Weeper with the Revenge Syndicate, at Fury Comics
- Read Mary Marvel #8, featuring the second Weeper, at Fury Comics