Gentleman Ghost
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The Gentleman Ghost is a DC Comics supervillain. He is a recurring nemesis of Hawkman and Hawkgirl.
Background
"Gentleman Jim" Craddock was the son of an English gentleman who abandoned both Jim and his mother, forcing them into poverty. Being poor made Craddock greedy and when he grew up he was a notorious highwayman and robber who terrorized England in the 1800s. He journeyed to the United States and encountered the gunslingers Nighthawk and Cinnamon. The hot-headed Nighthawk captured and ended Craddock's life with a noose and gallows, but Craddock transcended death as a surprisingly cultured phantom.
The Gentleman Ghost learned he would wander the earth until the spirit of his killer moved on to the next plane of existence. Unfortunately for Craddock, Nighthawk and Cinnamon were the reborn incarnations of Egyptian royals Prince Khufu and Chay-Ara, and their souls (due to their exposure to the Thanagarian Nth Metal) could never truly pass on. Both were eventually resurrected as Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and the Gentleman Ghost became their recurring nemesis during the 1940s. Craddock has over the decades menaced other heroes, including Max Mercury and Stargirl, but the vengeful Ghost always returns to his main foes, the Hawks, sometimes as a foe and sometimes as a friend.
Gentleman Ghost did clash with Batman and Superman on different occasions. In JSA Clasified, issues 5-7, the Gentleman Ghost was a member of the Injustice Society. In Villains United #1, he joined the Secret Society of Super Villains. His origin is currently getting explored and altered in the pages of JSA #82-87 (2006), where he is seen executed in England by the authorities.
Other media
Gentleman Ghost was seen in the All New Super Friends Hour episode titled "Ghost" where a man casts a spell to bring Gentleman Ghost to the living so that he can take revenge on Superman and Wonder Woman for imprisoning his spirit. He used his powers to turn U.N. representatives into ghosts and later turned Superman and Wonder Woman into ghosts, but the curse was eventually broken. After which, the Superfriends used the mystical Rods of Merlin to send Gentleman Ghost back to his grave, never to return.The Gentleman Ghost is seen as a member of Gorilla Grodd's Legion of Doom shown on Justice League Unlimited. In one particular appearance that showcased him trying to outrun the Green Lantern until Hawkman caught him with a net made from Nth Metal. He is voiced by Robin Atkin Downes.
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