| Gay Ghost | |
|---|---|
 The Gay Ghost, excerpt fromSensation Comics #1 (January 1942). | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics (originallyAll-American Publications) |
| First appearance | Sensation Comics #1 (January 1942) |
| Created by | Gardner Fox Howard Purcell |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Keith Everet |
| Team affiliations | All-Star Squadron |
| Notable aliases | Grim Ghost |
| Abilities | Possess a living host Incorporeality at will Keen swordsman and hand to hand combatant |
TheGay Ghost (later renamed theGrim Ghost, not to be confused withGrim Ghost) is asuperhero in theDC Comicsuniverse whosefirst appearance was inSensation Comics #1 (January 1942), published by one of DC's predecessor companies,All-American Publications. He was created by writerGardner Fox and artistHoward Purcell.[1]
The Gay Ghost appeared inSensation Comics #1–13, 15–33, and 38, his last appearance untilSecret Origins (vol. 2) #42 (July 1989).[2] He later appeared inAnimal Man #25 (July 1990).
In 18th-centuryIreland, Keith Everet, the Earl of Strethmere, is killed by footpads as he is on his way to propose to his beloved Deborah Wallace. The Earl's three killers were swiftly caught, and hanged on the spot. But Deborah died of a broken heart shortly afterward. After his death, he encounters his ancestors, who return him to life in return for a vow to fight for justice. There is one catch: he has to wait for Deborah Wallace to return to Ireland (after emigrating toAmerica) before he can return.
Everet's spirit haunts his castle until 1941, when the last remaining descendant of Deborah Wallace, who shares her name, returns to Ireland together with Charles Collins, her would-befiance. They come to the castle at the same time as someNazi saboteurs and Collins is killed. Seeing his beloved Deborah in danger, Everet takes over Collins' body, deals with the saboteurs, and returns to America with Deborah.[3] In America, Everet would leave the body of "Charles" in order to fight crime.[4]
According toJess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes, the Gay Ghost's enemies include "the Nazi mad scientist Dr. Vozak, the one-armed, torch-handed Flaming Hand, the heat-ray-wielding Japanese spy Togio, and the immortal Mexican El Espada".[5]
The Gay Ghost's afterlife has been somewhat troubled. The meaning of the word "gay" changed quite a bit after his Golden Age appearances. In reprints, DC has changed the name to "Grim Ghost", a moniker that the character never used in the 1940s.[4]
Grant Morrison's run onAnimal Man conjectures that all characters which were once published by DC Comics but are no longer active are sent to a dimension called "Limbo", where they remain until they are revived by returning to active publication. Characters never remember being in Limbo. InAnimal Man #25, Animal Man becomes the first character to visit Limbo while still "current" and encounters a large number of old Golden Age and Silver Age DC comic book characters. The Gay Ghost is among them, but he says that he does not want to be "brought back", since the colloquial meaning of the wordgay has changed since the character was created in the 1940s, and he is not himself ahomosexual.[6]
DuringFinal Crisis: Superman Beyond 3D #1-2 (October 2008) the Gay Ghost and other inhabitants of Limbo are rescued bySuperman, who they assist in fighting a cosmic threat. Other inhabitants of Limbo include (but are not limited to)Merryman,Ace the Bat-Hound andHardhat.[7]
The Gay Ghost is able to leave Collins' body at will and can also materialise/dematerialise at will. Apart from that, he is a keen swordsman and hand-to-hand fighter.[citation needed]
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