Creeper (DC Comics)

The Creeper (Jack Ryder) is a superhero created by Steve Ditko and Don Segall for DC Comics. He is portrayed as a journalist and talk show host, usually living in Gotham City, who gains the ability to transform into the superhuman the Creeper (and vice versa) thanks to experimental science developed by Dr. Yatz. First appearing in Showcase #73 (March 1968), his origin was revised in Secret Origins (vol. 2) #18 in 1987, then partially revised again in The Creeper #1–4 in 1997, then completely reimagined in the six-issue miniseries The Creeper (vol. 2), published in 2006–2007.

Originally, Ryder's transformation into the Creeper involved activating a device that granted superhuman abilities while also causing his face to be covered in yellow make-up, his hair to be concealed by a green wig, and his clothing to be instantly replaced by a yellow and red costume with green trunks and a fur-like cape; as the Creeper, Ryder then shifted his voice tone and acted chaotically to intimidate foes and protect his identity. Starting in 1987, it was said Ryder suffered an actual slight change in personality when he became the Creeper, as the device not only empowered him and dressed him in a costume but also altered his brain chemistry. Starting in 1997, Ryder and the Creeper are treated as two personalities sharing the same body. The 2006–2007 miniseries The Creeper (vol. 2) presented a new origin. Starting with this story, Ryder's transformation no longer involved a costume and is depicted as a physical transformation. Along with his strange appearance, the Creeper is characterized by superhuman strength, agility, healing and stamina, as well as a maniacal laugh. Starting in the 1990s, this laugh has been able to cause pain or immobility in enemies. Through experience and training, the Creeper is a formidable fighter and acrobat. In the New 52 continuity, a short-lived incarnation of the Creeper was a villain, not a hero, a malicious oni (demon) who inhabited human hosts to create chaos.

The Creeper is a frequent ally of Batman and has been a recurring character in stories involving him. Outside of comics, the Creeper has appeared in the TV shows The New Batman Adventures and Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and appeared in his civilian identity Jack Ryder in the Batman: Arkham video game series. The Creeper shares visual similarities to the villain the Joker, but originally no connection was intended and the two characters did not meet until 1975, seven years after the Creeper's debut. The New Batman Adventures has the Joker's venom involved in the Creeper's origin, with the comics following suit.

Publication history

The Creeper leaping

Showcase #73 (April 1968), the Creeper's first appearance, with art and script by Steve Ditko and dialogue by Don Segall.

The character first appeared in Showcase #73 (April 1968). Later the same year, the Creeper starred in his own series Beware the Creeper, written by Dennis O'Neil (with Steve Ditko plotting the first issue). It lasted six issues. The Creeper repeatedly fought a chameleonic villain called Proteus, whose true identity was revealed just before his violent death in the final issue.

For the next two decades, the Creeper made sporadic appearances in DC Comics stories, often aiding other heroes such as Batman. Most of these stories were written by Denny O'Neil. The Creeper teamed with Batman in The Brave and the Bold #80 (November 1968), then guested in Justice League of America #70 (March 1969). He also appeared with Batman in Detective Comics #418 (December 1971). After the origin was reprinted in Detective Comics #443 (November 1974), Jack Ryder was shown working as a news anchor on Gotham City television in issue #445 (March 1975). In Detective Comics #447–448 (May–June 1975), the Creeper helped Batman prove he had been framed for murder by Ra's al Ghul.

In 1975, he met Batman's archenemy the Joker for the first time in The Joker #3. The story, which featured a character intended to emulate Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, began with the Creeper being mistakenly blamed for a crime the Joker committed due to their similar appearances (specifically, green hair and a maniacal laugh). Later that year, the hero appeared in Super-Team Family #2 and was given a new origin that was not referenced again until later.

The Creeper appeared in a one-off solo story in 1st Issue Special #7 (October 1975), penciled by Ditko. He met Wildcat in Super-Team Family #2 (January 1976) and reunited with Batman in The Brave and the Bold #143 (October 1978) and 178 (September 1981). He and other stars of Showcase appeared in that comic's 100th issue (May 1978). A story intended for the never-published Showcase #106 in 1978 (written and drawn by Ditko) was later included in Cancelled Comic Cavalcade #2 and in The Creeper by Steve Ditko hardcover collection published by DC in 2010. The hero also appeared in back-up stories featured in Adventure Comics #445–447 (1976), World's Finest Comics #249–55 (1978–1979, written and fully drawn by Ditko), and The Flash #318–323 (1983). He teamed up with Superman in DC Comics Presents #88 (December 1985), written by Steve Englehart.

Following the company-wide crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985–1986), DC Comics rebooted large portions of its superhero universe, and many characters were given revised origins or reimagined natures to make them more relevant to modern comic book readers. In Secret Origins (vol. 2) #18 (1987), in a story presented by Andrew Helfer and Keith Giffen, the Creeper was given a new origin and it was now said Ryder's behavior while in costume was not simply an act. In this origin, Ryder is drugged against his will when he is then exposed to Dr. Yatz's technology. Whenever he summons his Creeper costume afterward, a side effect is that his mind reverts to the state it was in when he was drugged, thus causing the Creeper's strange behavior.

In Eclipso #13 in 1993, the Creeper is killed by Eclipso. However, he is revealed to have a powerful healing factor that enables him to survive. In the 1997 series The Creeper, written by Len Kaminski, Ryder realizes that before he was ever transformed into the Creeper he possibly had multiple undiagnosed mental illnesses (mentioned are bipolar disorder and an obsessive need for order), apparently inherited from his mother. The series depicted the Creeper as a second personality distinct from his own and occasionally warring for control over their shared body. Ryder also realizes he has repressed the memories of his true origin; the two versions he has recalled before (the original Ditko origin and the Helfer/Giffen origin) were each skewed versions of the truth that his mind found more acceptable. While trying to discover the truth, he fights Proteus again. The series ended in 1998 before the full truth of the Creeper's origin could be fully revealed. The series included a special issue #1,000,000, a tie-in to the 1998 crossover DC One Million.

In 2003, DC's Vertigo Comics imprint released a new miniseries called Beware the Creeper. Taking place outside of mainstream DC canon, this story featured Judith and Madeline Benoir, twin sisters living Paris in the 1920s. The story explores their lives and their connection to the Creeper, a mysterious costumed woman who terrorizes a corrupt family.

Following the DC crossover Infinite Crisis (2005–2006), parts of DC Comics continuity were revised and some characters were given altered histories. Jack Ryder was reintroduced in a follow-up comic DCU: Brave New World (2006), in a short story written by Steve Niles and drawn by Justiniano. The story depicted Ryder as a former journalist who now hosted a talk show named You Are Wrong, where he often attempted to expose corruption and provide commentary on news events. In narration, Ryder reveals that he has been secretly fighting crime as the Creeper for some time and his transformation is presented as a physical alteration of his body and appearance, not just having a costume, wig and make-up appear on him. Ryder also comments that the Creeper is a separate personality sharing his body, a creature who seems wild and sometimes fights for control of their shared body but is also in some ways more altruistic than the talk show host and whose conscience is now influencing Ryder to be a better person. Later the same year, The Creeper (vol. 2) (October 2006 – March 2007), also written by Niles and drawn by Justiniano, featured a flashback story revealing the Creeper's newly revised origin, connecting him to the Joker. The idea that Ryder has a mental illness before ever becoming the Creeper is eliminated; this alter ego's personality is a result of experimental science affecting his body, mixed with the Joker's signature madness-inducing chemical weapons. Batman becomes involved in the story and later gives Ryder a chemical solution that can cure him of the Creeper entirely. Ryder throws away the cure, deciding that he and the Creeper can do more good together.

During the Reign in Hell miniseries (2008–2009), the Creeper was presented as a demon co-inhabiting the body of Jack Ryder, one of several yellow-skinned demons inhabiting Hell. The same story quickly became notorious among readers for many internal continuity errors and unexplained contradictions with the accepted DC Comics canon, making its place there questionable at best. Following this story, other comics featuring the Creeper once again depicted him as a human who had been altered by science rather than one possessed by a demon.

In the collected edition of Wednesday Comics (200 pages, DC Comics, June 2010, ; Titan Books, July 2010, ), the Creeper is featured in the story Beware the Creeper, written by Keith Giffen with art by Eric Canete.

In 2011, DC Comics rebooted its superhero universe again with The New 52. The New 52 continuity gave a new origin for the Creeper in Justice League Dark #23.1. The issue portrayed the Creeper as an oni who "justifies cruel temper tantrums under the guise of spreading chaos" and inhabits numerous human hosts, including Jack Ryder. The 2017 DC Rebirth comic removed many ideas introduced by the New 52 comics and brought back many ideas and stories published before 2011. Jack Ryder and the Creeper appeared again afterward, now once again depicted as a man who becomes a yellow-skinned superhuman due to scientific experimentation rather than demonic possession.

Fictional character biography

Pre-Crisis

Jack Ryder is a former Gotham City resident and is the host of a political talk show. He is fired after criticizing his own sponsors on-air and refusing to change his behavior or apologize. Knowing Ryder is a decent detective, Chief of Network Security Bill Brane hires him as one of his investigators. Brane reveals that CIA contacts have asked him to help find Dr. Yatz, a scientist captured by gangster Angel Devlin. Ryder infiltrates a masquerade party at Devlin's mansion and becomes the Creeper after Yatz gives him powers using a chemical serum.

Post-Crisis revision

Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity reboot, Jack Ryder is depicted as a newspaper journalist working for the Herald Examiner. He is shot and left to die while investigating a case, but scientist Emil Yatz rescues him and gives him powers using his experimental "inorganic matter transference" technology.

Death and rebirth

In Eclipso: The Darkness Within, the Creeper is killed by a group of hyenas possessed by Eclipso. However, he is revealed to have a powerful healing factor that enables him to survive. Later, Jack Ryder undergoes therapy and struggles with conflicting memories of his origin.

Post-Infinite Crisis

Following the Infinite Crisis event, several areas of DC Comics continuity are revised. Jack Ryder is depicted as having been transformed by a combination of Joker venom and smart-skin created by scientist Vincent Yatz. Furthermore, the Creeper is a separate personality who can communicate with Ryder when not active.

Reign in Hell

In Reign in Hell, the Creeper is depicted as a demon who possesses Jack Ryder. It later separates from him and returns to Hell after being summoned by Lilith.

The New 52

In The New 52 continuity reboot, the Creeper is an oni who resurrects and possesses Jack Ryder after he is killed in an attack on Metropolis. However, his original origin is restored in the DC Rebirth relaunch.

Powers, abilities, and equipment

Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths

The Creeper's powers are physical in nature as a result of Dr. Yatz's discoveries. Jack Ryder transforms himself into the Creeper by holding and pressing the button of a small "activator" device he often keeps it inside his pocket. This activates another device hidden underneath his skin that would rearrange molecules, immediately replacing Ryder's clothing with the Creeper's costume, yellow make-up, green wig, and red, fur-like cape. This also activates a chemical Dr. Yatz had injected inside Ryder, thus granting him enhanced strength, stamina, durability, speed, agility, reflexes, healing, and senses. When he deactivated his costume, as well as forcing it to disappear, these abilities became dormant. In his Creeper form, he is capable of scaling buildings or climbing walls via acrobatics.

Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths

This version of the Creeper has the same capabilities as before, but he owes them all to one device implanted in him rather than a chemical agent and two devices. When Jack Ryder first became the Creeper, he is under the influence of drugs. As a result, each time he transforms again, this device not only restores Ryder's powers, but it alters his brain chemistry to mimic a distinct personality. After he changes back into his human form, Ryder also has trouble remembering the Creeper's actions. Due to being killed by dismemberment via Eclipsed hyenas, the Creeper eventually resurrects himself from death. During that revelation, he can stun or inflict pain upon others with his laughs, as well as frighten them. Ryder is also able to recall some memories of his alter ego.

Post-Infinite Crisis

In this version of history, Jack Ryder had been injected with "nano-cells", an experiment intended to create aggressive supersoldiers. This "smart-skin" was created from a combination of stem cell research, nanotechnology, and various Joker Venom chemicals. As a result, Ryder physically transforms into a yellow-skinned, green-haired, and red-maned metahuman with his own distinct personality. These nano-cells can rearrange the molecules of his clothing to become the Creeper's costume and vice versa. The Creeper has immense strength, stamina, durability, speed, agility, reflexes, and healing, as well as hyper-keen senses, pain-inducing laughs, and fearful presence. Both alter egos are able to mentally communicate with each other.

Other versions

Beware the Creeper

A female alternate universe Creeper from 1920s Paris appears in Vertigo Comics' Beware the Creeper.

Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again

The Creeper makes a cameo appearance in Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again, in which he is killed by "Joker Boy" as part of a revenge scheme against Batman.

Kingdom Come

An elderly Creeper appears in Kingdom Come as a member of Batman's Outsiders.

JLA: The Nail

The Creeper makes a cameo appearance in JLA: The Nail #2 as a prisoner of Cadmus Labs.

DC One Million

In a possible future in the 853rd century depicted in DC One Million, an entity from the planet IAI called RYDR senses a disturbance that threatens to unravel reality and transforms into the Creeper to avert it. His investigation leads him to Jack Ryder, who has grown tired of being a superhero and separated from the Creeper. However, the latter produces bizarre, dangerous alternate versions of himself, each embodying aspects of his personality. Eventually, the future Creeper gathers the alternates, returns them to the original, and convinces him and Ryder to reunite.

Tangent Comics

A variant of the Creeper from Earth-9 appears in Tangent Comics. This version is a powerful warlock and member of an occult organization known as the Black Circle.

Amalgam Comics

A hybridized variant of the Creeper and Marvel Comics character Nightcrawler called Kurt "Jack" Ryder / Nightcreeper appears in the Amalgam Comics story JLX as a member of the eponymous JLX (Justice League X-Men).

Flashpoint

A variant of Jack Ryder from the Flashpoint timeline appears in the tie-in Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies #2 as a news broadcaster who assists Wonder Woman in conquering the United Kingdom.

Batman Beyond

In a possible future depicted in Batman Beyond (vol. 6), Jack Ryder retired as the Creeper to focus on his career as a News 52 anchorman and co-sponsor for a criminal rehabilitation program. Additionally, he resents Bruce Wayne after his co-anchor Adalyn Stern becomes the new Scarecrow due to a traumatic childhood experience she had with Batman.

In other media

Television

• Jack Ryder / The Creeper appears in series set in the DC Animated Universe (DCAU), voiced by Jeff Bennett.
  • Ryder first appears in The New Batman Adventures, serving as a recurring character and reporter throughout the series until he becomes the Creeper in the episode "Beware the Creeper" after being exposed to the Joker's laughing gas and submerged in an Ace Chemicals chemical vat. He then goes on a violent crusade against the Joker despite being sidetracked by his infatuation with Harley Quinn and stream-of-consciousness rambling. Eventually, after being begged by the Joker to stop him, Batman develops a skin patch to suppress Ryder's Creeper form and revert him to normal. Despite this, Ryder later removes the patch, doubting its effectiveness.
  • The Creeper makes non-speaking cameo appearances in Justice League Unlimited as a member of an expanded Justice League.
• The Creeper appears in the teaser for the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Time Out for Vengeance!", voiced by Brian Bloom.
• Jack Ryder appears in the Batman: Caped Crusader episode "The Night of the Hunters", voiced by Corey Burton.

Film

• An alternate universe variant of Jack Ryder appears in Superman: Red Son, voiced by William Salyers.
• The Creeper appears in Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Video games

• Jack Ryder appears in DC Universe Online, voiced by Leif Anders.
• Jack Ryder appears in Batman: The Telltale Series, voiced by Robert Clotworthy.
• Jack Ryder appears in Batman: The Enemy Within, voiced again by Robert Clotworthy.
• The Creeper appears as a playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains, voiced by J. P. Karliak.
• The Creeper appears as a playable character in Freedom Force vs the 3rd Reich.

Batman: Arkham

Jack Ryder appears as a supporting character in the Batman: Arkham franchise, voiced by James Horan.

• Ryder appears in Batman: Arkham Asylum via a radio broadcast.
• Ryder makes his first physical appearance in Batman: Arkham City. Sometime prior to the game, he was imprisoned in the eponymous prison before Batman rescues him.
• Ryder appears in the end credits of Batman: Arkham Origins via another radio broadcast.
• Ryder appears in Batman: Arkham Knight. In the side mission "Lamb to the Slaughter", Batman rescues him from Deacon Blackfire's cult, which he had been investigating.
• Ryder appears in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League as the host of The Batman Experience, a museum exhibition that retells the events of the previous Arkham games.
• Ryder appears in Batman: Arkham Shadow.

Miscellaneous

• The Creeper appears in the Justice League Unlimited tie-in comic book.
• Jack Ryder appears in Batman: The Audio Adventures, voiced by Seth Meyers.

Merchandise

• Kenner released an action figure of The New Batman Adventures incarnation of the Creeper in the late 1990s.
• Mattel released an action figure of the comic book incarnation of the Creeper in their DC Universe Classics line in January 2011.
• Mattel released an action figure of the Justice League Unlimited incarnation of the Creeper in their DC Universe: Justice League Unlimited Fan Collection line in November 2011.

References

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