| Gentleman Ghost | |
|---|---|
 Gentleman Ghost as depicted inJSA #84 (June 2006). Art byLuke Ross. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Flash Comics #88 (October 1947) |
| Created by | Robert Kanigher (writer) Joe Kubert (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | James "Jim" Craddock |
| Species | Ghost |
| Team affiliations | Injustice Society Secret Society of Super Villains Suicide Squad |
| Notable aliases | The Ghost "Gentleman Jim" |
| Abilities |
|
Gentleman Ghost (James "Jim"Craddock), introduced asGhost, and also known asGentleman Jim, is asupervillain appearing in works published byDC Entertainment.[1] Created by writerRobert Kanigher and artistJoe Kubert, the character first appeared inFlash Comics #88 (October 1947).[2]
Gentleman Ghost has been substantially adapted into media outside comics, including animated television series, films, and video games. He is voiced byGreg Ellis inBatman: The Brave and the Bold,"Weird Al" Yankovic inTeen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans,Toby Stephens inBatman: Caped Crusader, andRobin Atkin Downes inJustice League Unlimited.
The original,Earth-Two incarnation of Gentleman Ghost is a human criminal who used special effects, stuntwork, and gadgets to pose as a ghost.[3][4]
In post-Crisis continuity, James "Jim" Craddock is the illegitimate son of an English aristocrat who abandoned both him and his mother, forcing them into poverty. Craddock grew up to become a notorioushighwayman and robber who terrorized England in the 19th century under the name "Gentleman Jim". He journeyed to the United States and encountered the gunslingersNighthawk andCinnamon. Nighthawk lynched Craddock after wrongly assuming that he sexually assaulted Cinnamon, but Craddock eludes death to rise again as a ghost.[5]
The Gentleman Ghost learns he must wander Earth until the spirit of his killer moves on to the nextplane of existence.[6] Nighthawk and Cinnamon turn out to be the reincarnations ofAncient Egyptian royalty Prince Khufu and Chay-Ara: their souls (due to their exposure to the Thanagarian Nth metal) continuously reincarnate and can never truly die. Both are eventually resurrected asHawkman andHawkgirl, and the Gentleman Ghost becomes their recurring nemesis during the 1940s.[7]
Gentleman Ghost later appears as a member of theInjustice Society.[8]
DuringInfinite Crisis, Gentleman Ghost joinsAlexander Luthor Jr.'sSecret Society of Super Villains. He fightsAlan Scott and, using his spectral abilities, is able to neutralize Scott by inducing him into a coma.[9]
His origin is explored and altered in the pages ofJSA #82-87 (2006). Craddock is now shown to have been born into poverty rather than wealth to neglectful parents, and to have encountered supernatural forces early in his criminal career. After agypsy prophesies that he will be able to transcend death and return to life fighting and killing his enemies on English soil, his villainous career is put to an end when he is captured and sentenced to death by hanging after his lover betrays him for a reward to the authorities. Returning as a ghost, he battles the JSA, hoping for the prophecy to come true.[10]
Gentleman Ghost is one of the villains sent to retrieve the Get Out of Hell Free card from theSecret Six.
In 2011, "The New 52" rebooted the DC universe. This version of Craddock was a philanderer and rake who drew the ire of a witch, who cursed him with his abilities but also an endless greed that compelled him to commit criminal acts. He believed the curse would be lifted once the witch died. It was not and he found himself to be immortal and having been turned into a ghost.[11]
In 2016, DC Comics implemented a relaunch of its books called "DC Rebirth", which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to The New 52. Gentleman Ghost joinsAmanda Waller'sSuicide Squad Black to fightSebastian Faust after he steals several artifacts inA.R.G.U.S. storage.[12]
In "The New Golden Age", Gentleman Ghost obtains a special sphere to summon an army of zombies. He fights theJustice Society untilIcicle unknowingly uses his ice attack on the sphere, which summonsSurtur.Legionnaire borrows some of Hawkman's lifeforce and uses it to revive Gentleman Ghost, causing Surtur to explode and the zombies to disappear.[13]
In the "DC All In" initiative, Gentleman Ghost joinsScandal Savage's Injustice Society.[14]Wotan dispatches Gentleman Ghost andSolomon Grundy to head toHell and meet up with theDemons Three.[15] Upon arrival, Gentleman Ghost and Solomon Grundy learn from the Demons Three that Hawkman was freed by Hawkgirl andKid Eternity. While using Solomon Grundy to track a dead spirit, Gentleman Ghost summons his ghostly horse as they go looking for them.[16] Gentleman Ghost, Solomon Grundy, and the Demons Three lure Hawkman and Hawkgirl into a trap. After Gentleman Ghost shoots Hawkgirl, Kid Eternity returns and harnessesDoctor Fate's magic to repel the attackers.[17]
The Gentleman Ghost of Earth-Two is a con man and thief who relies on various devices to simulate ghost-like capabilities for his criminal capers.
The modern Jim Craddock is a ghost who can become invisible and intangible, teleport, and freeze people with his touch. He is usually shown wearing the suit he was hanged in, along with a top hat and monocle. However, he is vulnerable toNth Metal, which has anti-magic properties.[18]
