Gentleman Ghost (James "Jim" Craddock), introduced as Ghost, and also known as Gentleman Jim, is a

supervillain A supervillain, supervillainess or supercriminal is a major antagonist and variant of the villainous stock character who possesses Superpower (ability), superpowers. The character type is sometimes found in comic books and is often the primary ...

appearing in works published by

DC Entertainment DC Entertainment is an American entertainment company that was founded in September 2009 and is based in Burbank, California. The company is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery which manages DC Comics characters by working with other units ...

. Created by writer

Robert Kanigher Robert Kanigher (; June 18, 1915 – May 7, 2002)Social Security Death Index, social security #116-07-5117. was an American comic book writer and editor whose career spanned five decades. He was involved with the Wonder Woman franchise for over ...

and artist

Joe Kubert Joseph Kubert (; September 18, 1926 – August 12, 2012) was a Poland, Polish-born Americans, American comic book artist, art teacher, and founder of The Kubert School. He is best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Sgt. Rock and Hawk ...

, the character first appeared in '' Flash Comics'' #88 (October 1947). Gentleman Ghost has been substantially adapted into media outside comics, including animated television series, films, and video games. He is voiced by Greg Ellis in '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'',

"Weird Al" Yankovic Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American comedy musician, writer, and actor. He is best known for writing and performing Comedy music, comedy songs that often Parody music, parody specific songs by contempo ...

in ''

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies ''Teen Titans Go! To the Movies'' is a 2018 American animated superhero comedy film featuring the DC Comics superhero team, the Teen Titans. Based on the Cartoon Network animated television series ''Teen Titans Go!'', it was produced by Warner ...

'',

Toby Stephens Toby Stephens (born 21 April 1969) is an English actor who has appeared in films in the United Kingdom, United States, and India. He is known for the roles of Bond villain Gustav Graves in the 2002 James Bond film '' Die Another Day'', for whic ...

in '' Batman: Caped Crusader'', and Robin Atkin Downes in ''

Justice League Unlimited ''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is an American superhero animated series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation with DC Comics in season 3 and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Universe, and ...

''.

Fictional character biography

Earth-Two

The original,

Earth-Two Earth-Two (also Earth 2) is a setting for stories (a "fictional universe") appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''The Flash'' #123 (1961), Earth-Two was created to explain differences between the original ...

incarnation of Gentleman Ghost is a human criminal who used tricks and gadgets to appear to be a ghost.

Post-Crisis

In Post-Crisis continuity, James "Jim" Craddock is the son of an English gentleman who abandoned both him and his mother, forcing them into poverty. Craddock grows up to become a notorious

highwayman A highwayman was a robber who stole from travellers. This type of thief usually travelled and robbed by horse as compared to a footpad who travelled and robbed on foot; mounted highwaymen were widely considered to be socially superior to foo ...

and robber who terrorizes England in the 19th century under the name "Gentleman Jim". He encounters the ghosts of other highwaymen, and

Dick Turpin Richard Turpin (bapt. 21 September 1705 – 7 April 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's trade as a butcher ear ...

leaves him a horse. He journeys to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and encounters the

gunslinger Gunfighters, also called gunslingers () or in the late 19th and early 20th century gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in shootouts. Today, the term "gunslin ...

Nighthawk The nighthawk is a nocturnal bird of the subfamily Chordeilinae, within the nightjar family, Caprimulgidae, which is a grouping of 92 species of medium-sized birds with long wings and short bills specialized for eating insects. The nighthawk's ...

and

Cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, b ...

. Nighthawk kills Craddock, who returns as a ghost. The Gentleman Ghost learns that he must wander the earth until the spirit of his killer moves on to the next plane of existence. Nighthawk and Cinnamon are revealed to be the reincarnations of Prince Khufu and Chay-Ara, and cannot die due to their continual reincarnation. Both are resurrected as

Hawkman Hawkman is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1, published by All-American ...

and

Hawkgirl Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' ...

, and the Gentleman Ghost becomes their recurring nemesis. Gentleman Ghost later appears as a member of the

Injustice Society The Injustice Society (a.k.a. the Injustice Society of the World) is a group of supervillains in the . They are the main antagonists of the Justice Society of America. The Injustice Society first appears in '' All Star Comics'' #37 (October 1947 ...

. During ''

Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, ...

'', Gentleman Ghost joins Alexander Luthor Jr.'s

Secret Society of Super Villains Secret Society of Super Villains (SSoSV) is a DC Comics title that debuted in May–June 1976. The series presented a group of DC's supervillains, mostly foes of the Justice League, Justice League of America. The series was cancelled with issue #1 ...

. He fights

Alan Scott Alan Ladd Wellington Scott is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, and the first character to bear the name Green Lantern. He fights evil with the aid of his mystical ring, which grants him a variety of powers. H ...

and places him in a coma. His origin is explored and altered in the pages of ''JSA'' #82-87 (2006). The son of an abusive father and a poor mother, young Jim Craddock slips into a life of crime, making contacts with the supernatural. He is eventually captured and sentenced to death, but returns as a ghost. Gentleman Ghost is one of the villains sent to retrieve the Get Out of Hell Free card from the Secret Six.

The New 52

In 2011, "

The New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...

" rebooted the DC universe. Gentleman Ghost is depicted as a human similar to his Earth-Two counterpart before a witch curses him and transforms him into a ghost.''Gotham By Midnight'' Annual #1. DC Comics.

DC Rebirth

In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called "

DC Rebirth DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 (2011–2016) initiative in May 2016 as its launching point ...

" which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52". Gentleman Ghost joins Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad Black to fight Sebastian Faust after he steals several artifacts in A.R.G.U.S. storage. In " The New Golden Age", Gentleman Ghost obtains a special sphere to summon an army of zombies. He fights the

Justice Society In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes'' of Justinian, a ...

until

Icicle An icicle is a spike of ice formed when water falling from an object freezes. Formation and dynamics Icicles can form during bright, sunny, but subfreezing weather, when ice or snow melted by sunlight or some other heat source (such as a poor ...

unknowingly uses his ice attack on the sphere, which summons Surtur. Legionnaire borrows some of Hawkman's lifeforce and uses it to revive Gentleman Ghost, causing Surtur to explode and the zombies to disappear. In the " DC All In" initiative, Gentleman Ghost joins Scandal Savage's Injustice Society.

Wotan (''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the . The compos ...

dispatches Gentleman Ghost and Solomon Grundy to head to Hell and meet up with the Demons Three. Upon arrival, Gentleman Ghost and Solomon Grundy learned from the Demons Three that Hawkman was freed by Hawkgirl and a female ghost calling herself " Kid Eternity". While using Solomon Grundy to track a dead spirit, Gentleman Ghost summons his ghostly horse as they go looking for them.

Powers, abilities, and equipment

The Gentleman Ghost of Earth-Two relies on various devices to simulate ghost-like capabilities for his criminal capers. Jim Craddock is a ghost who can become invisible and intangible, teleport, and freeze people with his touch. However, he is vulnerable to

Nth Metal Hawkman (Carter Hall) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first character to use the name Hawkman. There are two separate origins of Carter Hall; the Golden Age origin and the Post-Hawkworld (or curr ...

, which has anti-magic properties.

Other versions

* An alternate universe variant of Gentleman Ghost makes a minor appearance in '' Kingdom Come'' #2. * A heroic Gentleman Ghost from Earth-3 called the Pinkerton Ghost appears in ''Hawkman'' (vol. 6) #18 as a member of the Justice Society All-Stars. * A possible future variant of Gentleman Ghost appears in '' The New Golden Age'' as a member of Huntress' makeshift Justice Society of America until he is revived and killed by Per Degaton.

In other media

Television

* Gentleman Ghost appears in '' The All-New Super Friends Hour'' episode "The Ghost", voiced by

Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s and has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New York ...

. This version was previously defeated by Superman and Wonder Woman. * Gentleman Ghost was briefly considered to appear in ''

The New Batman Adventures ''The New Batman Adventures'' (often shortened as ''TNBA'') is an American animated superhero television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, which aired on Kids' WB from September 13, 1997 to January 16, 1999. Produced by Warner Br ...

''. When asked about his potential use in the series, producer and writer

Paul Dini Paul McClaran Dini (; born August 7, 1957) is an American writer, animator, and comic book artist. He has served as a producer and writer for several Warner Bros. Animation/DC Comics animated series, most notably ''Batman: The Animated Series' ...

stated his appearance would be "likely, if we do more contemporary Batman stories". Ultimately, Gentleman Ghost never appeared in the series. * Gentleman Ghost appears in ''

'', voiced by Robin Atkin Downes. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. This version is a member of Gorilla Grodd's

Secret Society A secret society is an organization about which the activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence ag ...

. * Gentleman Ghost appears in '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'', voiced by Greg Ellis. This version attempted to obtain immortality by offering ten souls to the demon Asteroth in exchange, which he ultimately succeeds in, only to be cursed by Asteroth, bound to the Earthly plane, and defeated by

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

Etrigan the Demon Etrigan the Demon is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, Etrigan is a demon from Hell who, despite his violent tendencies, usually finds himself allied with the forces of good, mainly beca ...

, and a time-displaced Batman. Subsequently, Craddock is hanged for his crimes, rises from his grave as Gentleman Ghost, and swears revenge on Batman. ** Additionally, an unnamed, heroic, alternate reality variant of Gentleman Ghost appears in the episode "Deep Cover for Batman!". * Gentleman Ghost appears in the '' DC Super Hero Girls'' two-part episode "#NightmareInGotham", voiced by

Fred Tatasciore Fred Tatasciore ( , , born June 13, 1967) is an American voice actor who has provided voices in animated and live-action films, television shows, and video games. He is known for voicing the Hulk, Volstagg, and Beast in various Marvel media and ...

. * Gentleman Ghost appears in the '' Batman: Caped Crusader'' episode "Night Ride", voiced by

. This version was an 18th-century

loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

nobleman and wealthy

aristocrat The aristocracy (''from Greek'' ''ἀριστοκρατία'' ''aristokratía'', "rule of the best"; ''Latin: aristocratia'') is historically associated with a "hereditary" or a "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the ...

who later became a highwayman before being captured and hanged. In the present, he returns as a vengeful spirit to terrorize Gotham City until Batman defeats him and traps him in a vial with Papa Midnite's help. Afterwards, Midnite takes possession of the vial.

Film

* Gentleman Ghost appears in ''

The Lego Batman Movie ''The Lego Batman Movie'' is a 2017 animated superhero comedy film, based on characters created by DC Comics and the Lego Batman toy line. It was directed by Chris McKay (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay that is based on a ...

''. * Gentleman Ghost appears in '' Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans'', voiced by

Video games

* Gentleman Ghost appears in '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The Videogame'', voiced again by Greg Ellis. * Gentleman Ghost appears in ''

DC Universe Online ''DC Universe Online'' (''DCUO'') is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online game set in the fictional universe of DC Comics. Developed by Dimensional Ink Games and co-published by Daybreak Game Company and WB Games, the game was initiall ...

'', voiced by Jason Brenizer. * Gentleman Ghost appears as a character summon in '' Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure''. * Gentleman Ghost appears as a playable character in '' Lego DC Super-Villains'', voiced again by Robin Atkin Downes.

References

External links

Gentleman Ghost
at Comic Vine {{Justice Society of America Characters created by Joe Kubert Characters created by Robert Kanigher Comics characters introduced in 1947 DC Comics characters who can teleport DC Comics characters who use magic DC Comics characters with superhuman senses DC Comics immortals DC Comics male supervillains DC Comics undead characters Earth-Two Fictional characters who can turn intangible Fictional characters who can turn invisible Fictional characters with death or rebirth abilities Fictional characters with dimensional travel abilities Fictional characters with energy-manipulation abilities Fictional characters with ice or cold abilities Fictional English people Fictional gentleman thieves Fictional ghosts Fictional murderers Golden Age supervillains Undead supervillains Villains in animated television series