| Black Condor | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | (Grey) Crack Comics #1 (May 1940) (Kendall) Black Condor #1 (June 1992) (Trujillo) Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #3 (Nov. 2006) |
| Created by | (Grey) Will Eisner (writer) Lou Fine (artist) (Kendall) Brian Augustyn (writer) Rags Morales (artist) (Trujillo) Jimmy Palmiotti (writer) Justin Gray (writer) Daniel Acuña (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | - Richard Grey Jr. - Ryan Kendall - John Trujillo |
| Species | Metahuman |
| Team affiliations | (All) Freedom Fighters (Grey) All-Star Squadron Justice League (Kendall) Primal Force Justice League International Black Lantern Corps Justice League |
| Notable aliases | (Grey) Thomas "Tom" Wright |
| Abilities | See below |
Black Condor is thesuperhero name used by three different fictional characters in theDC Comics universe. All three incarnations of Black Condor have been members of theFreedom Fighters[1] and each has been featured in Freedom Fighters comic books published by DC Comics.
The first Black Condor, Richard Grey Jr., was created byQuality Comics writerWill Eisner and artistLou Fine. He first appeared inCrack Comics #1 (May 1940), and continued through issue #31 (Oct 1943).[2] He also appeared inUncle Sam Quarterly #2 (Dec 1941).
He moved to the DC universe when DC Comics bought the rights to Quality Comics characters. The first Black Condor was aWorld War II era super hero along with the rest of the Freedom Fighters. The second Black Condor, Ryan Kendall, gained the power of flight due to genetic manipulation and initially did not believe he was a superhero. He would later join the Freedom Fighters, but was killed at the beginning of theInfinite Crisis storyline. The third Black Condor, John Trujillo, is of Mayan descent and was given his powers by theMayan Spider Goddess Tocotl. Seeing himself as a protector of the universe, he joins forces with the Freedom Fighters.
AGolden Age superhero who possesses the power of flight, the Black Condor was created by writerWill Eisner under the pseudonym Kenneth Lewis, and artistLou Fine inCrack Comics #1 (cover-dated May 1940).[3] Initially alternating with theClock as the cover-featured character, he became the solo cover feature from issues #20-26 (Jan.-Nov. 1942). Fine drew the first 24 stories,[4] and his feature continued to run through issue #31.[5]
As an infant traveling with his parents on an archaeological expedition thorough Outer Mongolia, Richard Grey Jr. survives after his family is killed by the bandit Gali Kan and his men. Rescued by acondor who raises him as her own, he learns to fly,[6] as the origin story states, by "studying the movement of wings, the body motions, air currents, balance and levitation" of his avian siblings. A mountainhermit, Father Pierre, eventually discovers and civilizes the feral child, and teaches him to speak English.[7] Richard tracks down and kills the Mongolian bandits who killed his parents and then departs for the United States where he uncovers a plot to killUnited States Senator Thomas Wright. He is too late to save Wright from assassination, and so begins to use his identity.[8] He adopts the guise of Black Condor to fight crooked politicians, rum-running bootleggers, and racketeers.[9]
The strip was popular, and becameCrack Comics' featured story starting in issue #3. InAmerican Comic Book Chronicles: 1940-1944, Kurt Mitchell writes: "The Asian backdrop was deemphasized by the end of the year in favor of urban settings or ornately rendered lost cities, bandits and jewel thieves giving ground to mad scientists, living statues, and sentient weapons of mass destruction. Scene after scene of the Condor in flight, his lithe figure soaring across backgrounds seen from dizzying perspectives with a graceJoe Shuster's barrel-chestedSuperman could not hope to match, made the series irresistible".[6]
According toJess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes, "Black Condor fights femmes fatale, the Eagle Battalion,Yellow Perils, Kite-Men (Japanese agents on flying kites), a Chinese mad scientist, a golem, and killer robots known as the Spinning Deaths".[10]
In the DC Universe, his power wasretconned to being caused by exposure to a radioactive meteor. Here he meetsUncle Sam and joins the latter's group, the Freedom Fighters, and later theAll-Star Squadron.
He is among a group of Golden and Silver Age heroes who help the JLA repel anAppellaxian invasion in theJLA: Year One miniseries byMark Waid. He appeared more recently as an ethereal "spirit guide" in Ryan Kendall'sBlack Condor series.
The second Black Condor,Ryan Kendall, derives his powers of flight, telekinesis, and healing from the genetic experiments of his grandfather, Creighton.[12] A member of an organization called the Society of the Golden Wing, Creighton and his allies were attempting to create a man who could fly. After numerous attempts, Kendall is the only success. Kendall eventually rebels and escapes from Creighton., who makes frequent attempts to recapture the youth in order to study and reproduce his abilities.[13]
A mysterious telekinetic who keeps to himself, Ryan Kendall is adamant when he first appears as the Black Condor that he is not a superhero. However, time proves him wrong, and he fights alongside other superheroes, notablyPrimal Force andJustice League International (for a brief time).[14] Eventually, he goes toOpal City, where he feels at home.
In his solo adventures, Kendall seeks outHawkman in hopes of gaining insight into the role of a superhero. He helps in his battle against Karen Ramis, the post-Zero HourLion-Mane.[15]
InInfinite Crisis #1, Kendall is killed bySinestro.[13] He is later resurrected as aBlack Lantern inBlackest Night and permanently resurrected inDark Nights: Death Metal.[16][17]
Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #3 introduced a third Black Condor named John Trujillo whose home turf is the Arizona desert. John was given the hereditary powers of the Black Condor byTocotl, aMayan Spider Goddess.[18]
Trujillo sees himself as a protector of the universe. He first appears when he single-handedly rescues Uncle Sam and the other Freedom Fighters, who had been defeated by agents ofS.H.A.D.E. Trujillo is very serious and seems somewhat uncomfortable interacting with other people.
In issue #6, he rebuffs romantic overtures by the Phantom Lady, correctly (as she realizes later) assuming that she does not really mean it.
The full extent of Trujillo's powers remains unrevealed. He can fly at extremely high speeds, control the wind, and may possess moderate superhuman strength and speed.
The Richard Grey Jr. incarnation of the Black Condor appears in theBatman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Cry Freedom Fighters!", voiced byJason Charles Miller.
