Bates began submitting ideas for comic book covers toDC Comics at the age of 13, and a number of them were bought and published, the first as the cover toSuperman #167 (Feb. 1964).[3][4] Bates began to sell stories to DC when he was 17.[5][6]
Bates and artistKurt Schaffenberger were the creative team forThe New Adventures of Superboy, a series debuting in January 1980, which took the character out of the Legion of Super-Heroes and back into solo adventures.[18] He and artistCarmine Infantino crafted a Batman backup story forDetective Comics #500 (March 1981).[19][20] Infantino returned toThe Flash title with issue #296 (April 1981) and he and Bates collaborated on the series, including issue #300 (Aug. 1981) which was in theDollar Comics format,[21] until its cancellation with issue #350 (October 1985). A major shakeup occurred when The Flash would inadvertently kill his wife's murderer, theReverse-Flash, inThe Flash #324 (Aug. 1983).[22] This led to an extended storyline titled "The Trial of the Flash" in which the hero must face the repercussions of his actions. Bates became the editor as well as the writer ofThe Flash title during this time and oversaw it until its cancellation in 1985.[23] "The Trial of the Flash" was collected in a volume of theShowcase Presents series in 2011.[24]
In 2008 he returned after a 20-year absence to Marvel and wroteTrue Believers, a limited series about a team trying to uncover secrets in the Marvel Universe.[29]
Bates made a return to writing Superman, this time as anElseworlds story titledSuperman: The Last Family of Krypton, published in August 2010.[3] Bates worked on the DC Comics nostalgic eventDC Retroactive writing stories for theone-shot specialsDC Retroactive: Flash - The '70s (with art by Benito Gallego andSal Buscema), andDC Retroactive: JLA - The '70s (drawn byGordon Purcell and Andy Smith), both released with September 2011 cover dates.[30]
In 2017, Bates returned to the character Captain Atom and wroteThe Fall and Rise of Captain Atom #1–6 together with co-writerGreg Weisman who had also worked with him on many issues of the 1980sCaptain Atom series.
In 2023, Bates was interviewed about his career by writerMark Millar for his YouTube series about comic book creators.
^Stroud, Bryan D. (October 14, 2011)."Cary Bates Interview". The Silver Age Sage.Archived from the original on August 29, 2012.
^McAvennie, Michael (2010). "1970s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.).DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley. p. 150.ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9.Scripter Cary Bates and artist Curt Swan chose an inopportune time for Superman to meet Terra-Man, aSpaghetti Western-garbed menace who rode a winged horse and wielded lethal alien weaponry.
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 158: "Writer Cary Bates and artist Curt Swan gave Superman all the 'fun' he could handle with the savvy new Toyman inAction Comics #432."
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 161: "Fans of John Boorman's 1974 sci-fi filmZardoz, starring Sean Connery in revealing red spandex, could appreciate writer Cary Bates and artist Curt Swan's inspiration for Vartox of Valeron."
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 153: "Following a decade of back-up action and three years headliningAdventure Comics, Supergirl finally starred in her own series. For the inaugural issue, Cary Bates and artist Art Saaf enrolled Linda Danvers in college."
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 159: "Bouncing Boy and Duo Damsel became the first Legionnaires to tie the knot. The wedding planners were writer Cary Bates and artist Dave Cockrum."
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 165: "In August'sJustice League of America #121, Adam Strange said 'I do' to his long-time love, Alanna, in a story by scripter Cary Bates and artist Dick Dillin."
^Stroud, Bryan D. (December 2013). "Superman #300".Back Issue! (69). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing:31–33.
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 182: "Life for the Fastest Man Alive screeched to a halt after writer Cary Bates and artist Alex Saviuk played 'The Last Dance' for the Flash's wife, Iris West Allen."
^Bates, Cary (w), Novick, Irv (p), Blaisdell, Tex (i). "The Day I Saved the Life of the Flash" The Flash, no. 228 (July–August 1974). DC Comics.
^Bates, Cary; Maggin, Elliot S. (w), Dillin, Dick (p), McLaughlin, Frank (i). "Avenging Ghosts of the Justice Society!" Justice League of America, no. 124 (November 1975). DC Comics.
^Manning, Matthew K. "1980s" in Dolan, p. 186: "After recently departing the pages ofSuperboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, Superboy was free to pursue his own adventures...in this premiere issue written by Cary Bates and illustrated by Kurt Schaffenberger."
^Greenberger, Robert (December 2013). "Memories ofDetective Comics #500".Back Issue! (69). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing:54–57.
^Weiss, Brett (December 2013). "The Flash #300".Back Issue! (69). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing:58–60.
^Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 203: "Written by Cary Bates, with art by Flash legend Carmine Infantino, the story saw...[the Flash] accidentally break the Reverse-Flash's neck."
^Bates, Cary (2011).Showcase Presents: Trial of the Flash. DC Comics. p. 592.ISBN978-1-4012-3182-8.
^Greenberger, Robert (August 2017). "It Sounded Like a Good Idea at the Time: A Look at theDC Challenge!".Back Issue! (98). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 42.
^Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 229: "March [1987] debuted the new Captain Atom in his first DC series, by writer Cary Bates and penciler Pat Broderick."
^"Bates and Heath PremiereLone Ranger - NY Times Syndicate Revives Classic Comic Strip".Comics Feature (12/13).New Media Publishing: 21. September–October 1981.
