| Fiddler | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Fiddler as depicted inWho's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #8 (October 1985). Art by Sandy Plunkett (penciller) and Joe Rubinstein (inker). | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | All-Flash #32 (December 1947 / January 1948) |
| Created by | Robert Kanigher Lee Elias |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Isaac Bowin |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | Injustice Society Secret Six Underground Society Crime Champions Black Lantern Corps Legion of Zoom |
| Abilities | Via violin: Mind control Shockwave generation |
TheFiddler is asupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics, primarily as an enemy of thefirst Flash.
Two female incarnations of the Fiddler appear inThe Flash, portrayed by Miranda MacDougall andMagda Apanowicz. Additionally, three different incarnations of Fiddler appeared in the first two seasons ofStargirl, portrayed by Timmy Sherrill,Hina Khan, and Max Frantz.
Fiddler first appeared inAll-Flash #32 (December 1947/January 1948) and was created byRobert Kanigher andLee Elias.[1]
Earlier, a character with the same name, though only superficially similar, appeared in multipleAction Comics episodes of theVigilante (starting with Action Comics #59, April 1943 cover date).
The Fiddler started out as a thief who was arrested inIndia and sent to jail. While in prison, he met afakir,charming a snake in his cell, who taught him the "mystic art" of Indian music. For the next five years, he learned the fakir's secret and made a crude violin made of material he could scrounge in the prison. He developed the ability to use his violin to play sounds that could either hypnotize others, shatter objects, or create barriers.[2] After the fakir declared his student had surpassed him, he used the instrument to hypnotize the guards to open their cells and he and the fakir escaped. He then murdered the fakir and the merchant who had him arrested in the first place.[3]
Returning to the United States, the Fiddler battles the Flash (Jay Garrick). Flash foils his plan, which involved replacing Maestro Bowin, his twin brother and a violin virtuoso. The physical similarity between the brothers (who had been separated at birth) leads to Bowin being suspected of the Fiddler's crimes. The Fiddler captures his brother and Flash, but they escapes and the Fiddler apparently committed suicide by diving into a river.
The Fiddler survives his plunge into the river and returns to battle the Flash again a few months later. He refines his appearance, shaving his hair and donning a powdered white wig. After the Flash thwarts a petty theft and arrests most of his gang, the Fiddler schemes to make him retire by making him believe that he is not needed. Jay's wife Joan, regretting her earlier arguments with him, operates in his place, using mirrors to create the illusion that she is moving at superhuman speeds. Nonetheless, the Fiddler resolves to dispose of Joan and ties her to a nearby train track. Jay quickly rescues her and attacks the Fiddler, who falls to his presumed death.[4]
Since then, he continued to plague the Flash again and again. He was a member of the secondInjustice Society, who captured the JSA and briefly put them under their control beforeHarlequin andBlack Canary restored their memories.
Later, the Fiddler was part of a trio of criminals that caused the original Flash to come out of retirement. The Fiddler, along with theShade and theThinker, were stopped by the first of many team-ups ofEarth-One and Earth-Two heroes in "Flash of Two Worlds".[5]Barry Allen, the Earth-One Flash, visits Earth-Two accidentally and encounters Jay Garrick, who exists as a fictional character on Earth-One. Together, the two Flashes stop the villains. This issue led to many other team-ups between Earth-One and Earth-Two heroes and villains. The Fiddler, with theWizard andIcicle formed the "Crime Champions" who, with the Crime Champions of Earth-One (Doctor Alchemy,Chronos, andFelix Faust), try to commit robberies after the Fiddler accidentally discovers a method of traveling between universes.
In post-Crisis continuity, the Fiddler isIsaac Bowin, a member of theInjustice Society and the son of British aristocrats. His early encounters with the Flash are kept in continuity. InJohn Ostrander'sHawkworld series, it is revealed that the fakir who taught Bowin his hypnotic skills was actually ademon.
In the seriesVillains United, the Fiddler joins theSecret Six. Disappointed by the Fiddler's performance againstH.I.V.E. agents during their first mission,Mockingbird deems him "incompetent" and orders him killed.Deadshot carries out the execution; following Fiddler's death, he is replaced on the team byCatman.[6]
InBlackest Night, Fiddler is among many deceased villains who are reanimated as members of theBlack Lantern Corps.[7] He features prominently as a Black Lantern during a short story-arc running through the one-shot revival issue ofSuicide Squad, and the following two issues ofSecret Six.[8]
Fiddler is resurrected followingThe New 52 continuity reboot and theDC Rebirth relaunch. He is later seen inZambia partaking in a card game withPsych,Shrike, andVortex. When Psych learns that Fiddler has cheated, he is held at gun point. Fiddler, Shrike, and Vortex are subsequently killed by Psych.[9]Eobard Thawne later recruits a past version of Fiddler into theLegion of Zoom.[10]
The Fiddler possesses magical abilities that he channels through his violins. The musical vibrations he creates can shatter solid objects, create force-fields and hypnotize others due to the sheer amount of sub-level bass.
He uses violins gimmicked with weapons such as blades and guns. He travels around in his Fiddle Car, which Jay Garrick recognizes by sight.
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