The Creeper (DCAU)
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| The Creeper
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| Steve Ditko |
The Creeper, a DC Comics superhero and ally of Batman, appreared in The New Batman Adventures and Justice League Unlimited, voiced by Jeff Bennett.
Contents |
[edit] Appearances
- As the Creeper
[edit] Cameos
[edit] DC animated universe history
Jack Ryder appeared several times in The New Batman Adventures, voiced by Jeff Bennett. A few brief appearances as a news reporter led up to his starring role in the episode "Beware the Creeper".
The animated Creeper had a completely new origin, more straightforward and more closely tied to the Batman continuity: Jack Ryder, anchoring a live TV special on the career of the Joker from the very factory where the Joker had his life-changing encounter with a vat of chemicals, is interrupted by the Joker himself, who doesn't appreciate the attention. The Joker doses Ryder with his trademark lethal laughing gas and then, to distract the newly arrived Batman and Robin, pushes him into the same vat of chemicals. The gas and the chemicals react strangely; Ryder survives, but is transformed into an extraordinarily strong and agile maniac with yellow skin, green hair, and a rictus grin, who helps Batman and Robin apprehend the Joker and his gang, both in revenge for what Joker did, and also because he develops an intense attraction to Harley Quinn. Although his mania is benign (and vaguely reminiscent of Madman) his methods are so extremely wild and frantic that even The Joker begs to be arrested to escape them, saying, about the Creeper: "He's a lunatic!".
At the end of the episode, Ryder is returned to his normal self by a treatment that counteracts the chemicals, in the form of a skin patch; but it is suggested that the treatment is only temporary, and that if Ryder takes the patch off he will soon become the Creeper again. In the final seconds he stares at the patch, saying "A little piece of cotton — hard to believe." The view then changes to outside his apartment with a silhouette of him at the window. There is the sound of paper being torn, followed by the silhouette of Ryder laughing in the manner of the Creeper — the obvious implication being that Ryder was at least willing to return to the form of the Creeper at some point. This is a common sort of ending for a one-off villain in the series; not only is it elusive and thought-provoking, but it is also in the best interests of the writers, as an ambiguous ending leaves the character available for return appearances in future episodes.
This version of the Creeper has made cameos in Justice League Unlimited. The series has a Justice League with about sixty members, including the Creeper. The Creeper yet made another cameo at the ending of an Justice League Unlimited episode, "Destroyer", fighting alongside other Ditko creations against Darkseid's Parademons. He also appeared in a Justice League Unlimited comic book. Batman, having to investigate some people who are even crazier than his rogues gallery, enlists the Creeper to figure out the plan. In an earlier episode, he is shown battling the Ultimen clones.
[edit] Action Figure
Hasbro released an action figure of the New Batman Adventures version of the character in the late 1990s.
[edit] Design
[edit] Action figures
[edit] See also
| Batman: The Animated Series characters | |
|---|---|
| Heroes: | Batman | Alfred | Robin / Dick Grayson | Batgirl | Robin / Tim Drake |
| Villains: | The Joker | Harley Quinn | The Penguin | Catwoman | Two-face | Poison Ivy | Rupert Thorne | The Scarecrow | Ra's Al Ghul | Talia | The Mad Hatter | The Ventriloquist and Scarface | Clayface | Killer Croc | Mr. Freeze | The Riddler | The Phantasm | Bane | Man-bat | Firefly | The Ninja | The Clock King | Baby Doll | Roxy Rocket | Hugo Strange | Doctor Milo | Maxie Zeus | The Terrible Trio | Calendar Girl | H.A.R.D.A.C. | Red Claw | Roland Daggett |
| Supporting Characters: | James Gordon | Harvey Bullock | Summer Gleeson | Leslie Thompkins | Lucius Fox | Renee Montoya | Earl Cooper | Hamilton Hill | Andrea Beaumont | Carl Beaumont | Matthew Thorne | Thomas and Martha Wayne |
| Other heroes: | The Creeper | Etrigan the Demon | Jonah Hex | Zatanna | Supergirl | Batwoman | The Gray Ghost |
