Nightro

Real Name: Hugh Goddard

Identity/Class: Human technology user

Occupation: Scientist

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Blackie, Frank Miller

Enemies: The Suicide Circle, Hoag, Tollini, Fu Tong, Lonesome Larry

Known Relatives: Stanley Blann (uncle)

Aliases: The Streamlined Robin Hood

Base of Operations: New York City

First Appearance: Daredevil Comics#2 (Lev Gleason, August 1941)

Powers/Abilities: Nightro could see in the dark using his special glasses. He is extremely physically fit, is a capable acrobat, and a determined detective.

Height: Unrevealed
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Black

Summary: Suspecting that a mine in an isolated Alaskan valley might contain radium, scientist Hugh Goddard and his backers, the wealthy Hoag and mining engineer Tollini undertook an expedition there. Hugh soon confirmed the presence of the valuable element, but when he stated his desire to donate it for free for medical usage his two companions turned on him, beating him and leaving him for dead. Waking to find they had departed taking all the supplies and transportation, Hugh was forced to try to traverse the icy wilderness on foot, and was caught in a violent snowstorm. He would have died had he not been found unconscious by indigenous Alaskans after the storm abated, but when he woke he discovered that he was blind. Upon his return to civilization Hugh consulted world famous eye specialist Frank Miller, who discovered that poloroid (sic) lenses could restore Hugh's vision. Deciding to take inspiration from the "ghoulish glasses" and needing something to live for, Hugh created the costumed persona of Nightro to fight crime, beginning first with taking revenge on Hoag and Tollini.

History:

Comments: Created by Dick Wood and George Roussos.

   Though his first proper appearance was in Daredevil Comics#2, it's probably worth noting that he strictly speaking debuted a month earlier in adverts for the comic that appeared in Daredevil Comics#1 and Silver Streak Comics#12. Interestingly, in both adverts (which were not identical), he's depicted wearing a red costume with a yellow cape, a completely different color scheme from the one he ended up with.

   I've seen a number of sites claim he was blinded by exposure to the radium, which I had no reason to doubt until I had a chance to read his origin for myself. He's not in the radium mine when he is attacked, but rather in a cabin near it, so the only radiation exposure would have been from the small samples he was testing, which were clearly not dangerous levels or they would have also affected the other two men present. Instead the story depicts him stumbling out the cabin just in time to see his assailants depart with the trios' transportation, forcing him to try to make his way back to civilization on foot, only to be caught in a "blinding snow storm"; later discovered by indigenous Alaskans, it is stated he is "almost dead from exhaustion and snow blindness" and the next panel confirms that "the blinding reflection of sun and snow has taken its deadly toll - Hugh Goddard is stone blind!" So it's clear that rather than having been blinded by exposure to the radiation, he was suffering from an extreme case of snow blindness.

Appearance checklist (not including reprints):

CLARIFICATIONS:
Nightro should not be confused with:

First Posted: Circa 27/09/2004
Last updated: 31/05/2023

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

Back to US Independents Page

Home

All images and characters depicted on this site are copyright their respective holders, and are used for informational purposes only. No infringement is intended and copyrights remain at source.