Black Bat

Real Name: Anthony Quinn

Identity/Class: Normal human

Occupation: Formerly district attorney

Affiliations: Silk Kirby (former con man), Butch O'Leary, unidentified daughter of the police officer whose eyes Tony received as transplants,

Enemies: Nazis, criminals, Police Captain McGrath

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unidentified US city

First Appearance: Black Book Detective#1 (July 1939)

Powers/Abilities: Able to see in the dark, touch and hearing heightened to superhuman levels. Excellent shot and good fighter. Owned a secret crime lab hidden on a large estate at the edge of the city, drove a souped-up car.

History: Tony Quinn was a successful district attorney who was angered at watching criminals continually evade justice. His career ended when a criminal threw acid in his face, blinding him and leaving the area round his eyes badly scarred. Determined to gain revenge, Tony developed his other senses until they were superhuman and trained himself to to the peak of physical perfection. Then his sight was restored in a secret operation using transplanted eyes from a slain police officer. Finding he could now see in the dark, rather than return to his former life, Tony created the costumed identity of the Black Bat, a black cowl hiding his readily recognisable scars, and his supposed blindness a perfect cover for his dual identity. He targeted those villains the law could not touch, meting out justice with twin .45s and using ruthless methods to bring his enemies down; he would leave a bat shaped scar on his slain foes' foreheads. Needless to say, the authorities weren't entirely pleased with his campaign, and the suspicious Captain McGrath would often try to prove Tony and the Black Bat were one and the same.

Comments: Created by G. Wayan Jones (real name Norman A. Daniels). Daniels originally wanted to name his crimefighter the Tiger, because of the scars on his face resembling the animal's stripes, but was persuaded to go with a name closer to the title of the book he would be appearing in. Black Bat's adventures continued until 1953, much later than most of his contemporaries.

Thanks to Suvok for providing information for this page.

CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

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