| Signalman | |
|---|---|
 Signalman fromDetective Comics #466, artistErnie Chan. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Batman #112 (December 1957) |
| Created by | Bill Finger (writer) Sheldon Moldoff (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Phillip "Phil" Cobb |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | Secret Society of Super Villains |
| Notable aliases | Blue Bowman |
| Abilities | Skilled hand-to-hand combatant Wields various small, compact weapons |
Signalman (Phillip Cobb) is asupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics. He is a member ofBatman's rogues gallery.
Signalman first appeared inBatman #112 (December 1957), and was created byBill Finger andSheldon Moldoff.[1]
Phillip "Phil" Cobb was a gangster with big ideas. He came toGotham City intent on hiring a gang of his own and making it big, only to be laughed at when he tried to recruit the gang because he had no reputation. Steaming with anger, he vowed to prove himself to Gotham's mobsters, and when he noticed how modern society was regulated by signs, signals and symbols, he found the inspiration for his criminal career. As the Signalman, he went on a spectacular crime spree using those signs and symbols as his motif.[2]
Ultimately captured by Batman andRobin, he returned for a rematch a year later and became theBlue Bowman, a copycat ofGreen Arrow.[1][3][4] After that, he remained unseen until 1976, when he resumed his Signalman guise inDetective Comics #466.[5]
In the years since then, Signalman has also been a member of theSecret Society of Super Villains and, in that capacity, battles theJustice League and theJustice Society.[6][7]
Signalman has no superhuman powers but he is a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant. He also carries items such as a knockout-gas gun, miniature flares that cause fires, electric "sparks" capable of controlling the signals to the human brain, and a remote-control device in his belt that alters signals of an electronic nature.
Signalman makes non-speaking cameo appearances inBatman: The Brave and the Bold. Additionally, Blue Bowman appears in the episode "Deep Cover for Batman!" as an evil alternate universe version ofGreen Arrow and member of theInjustice Syndicate, voiced byJames Arnold Taylor.[9]
