Nightowl

NIGHTOWL

Real Name: Unrevealed

Class: Human

Occupation: Professional criminal

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile, Earth-S

First Appearance: Mary Marvel (Fawcett) #24 (May, 1948)

Powers: Nightowl could see in the dark, but was blinded by light. His darkflash gun projected pitch darkness.

History: (Mary Marvel (Fawcett) #24) - The infamous criminal Nightowl could see in the dark but was blinded by light. Under the alias Henry Tibbs he rented a room in Mrs. Bromfeld’s house and disguised himself with bandages, claiming to be a burn victim. During the day he posed as a blind beggar to case places he planned on robbing. He had no clue that Bromfeld’s daughter Mary Batson was the superhero Mary Marvel. Mary and Nightowl were both in attendance for a television show showcasing valuable jewels from a museum. Nightowl used his darkflash gun to blind the television announcer and steal the jewels. Mary went into action as Mary Marvel, but he blinded her too and then changed into his blind man disguise. Mary nearly caught up with him when he robbed a factory of black diamonds, but he blinded her again. She changed back into Mary Batson so the lightning that transformed her would banish the darkness, but Nightowl took advantage of the situation, knocking Mary out and tying her to a pressser machine. She recovered in time to turn back into Mary Marvel and smash the machine. Nightowl left behind his beggar disguise, giving Mary a lead on finding him. Nightowl broke into the city power plant, cutting off the electrical grid so he could rob at will. Mary Marvel realized that “Henry Tibbs” always sat in darkness and finally figured out that he was the Nightowl. She confronted him in his boarding room and knocked him out with one punch.

Comments: Created by Otto Binder & Jack Binder.

Nightowl was originally published by Fawcett Comics, which DC obtained the rights to in 1972.

Nightowl's appearance in Mary Marvel (Fawcett) #24 was reprinted in Shazam! I #12.