GENTLEMAN GHOST (Jim Craddock)	BIOGRAPHY
Created by Robert Kanigher and Everett Raymond Kinstler

Gentleman Ghost (Jim Craddock)

PERSONAL DATA

Real Name: Jim Craddock
Full Name: James Craddock
Aliases: The Ghost; James "Gentleman Jim" Craddock
Occupation: Con man, professional criminal
Status: Deceased
Known Relatives: None. A possible but unconfirmed relation to Jim Craddock II
Base of Operation: Mobile, the astral plane, frequently St. Roch, formerly Hell.
Group Affiliation(s): None. Has associated with the Rogues Galleries of Batman and the Flash
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 174 lbs.
Eyes: None (when alive: blue)
Hair: None (when alive: brown)
First Appearance: Flash Comics #88/4 (October 1947)
Creators: Robert Kanigher and Everett Raymond Kinstler

OVERVIEW

Until recently, the Gentleman Ghost, who has been a foe of Hawkman since the 1940s, was thought simply to be the soul of an English highwayman who swore vengeance at the time of his hanging. However, this is not the whole truth. Having moved to America, Jim Craddock was strung up by sharp-shooter Nighthawk, who thought he was making a move on his partner Cinammon. This was not true, and Craddock continues on in spirit form, unable to find rest until the spirit of his killer moves on, which is unlikely to ever happen since Nighthawk's soul is trapped in a cycle of endless reincarnation. As the Gentleman Ghost, Craddock has lived a varied after-life, acting as a criminal foe of Batman and Hawkman (the current incarnation of his killer) and as an agent of various underworld bodies.

HISTORY

Of all the villains and crooks running amok in the DC Universe, few are as mysterious as the one called the Gentleman Ghost. Although the theories of his origin have been many, the truth was only recently revealed.

In the late 19th century, Englishman James "Gentleman Jim" Craddock visited the American small town called St. Roch where he met two of the famous gunslingers of the era; Hannibal Hawkes a.k.a. Nighthawk (I), and his girlfriend, the sheriff's daughter called Cinnamon (I). Craddock befriended the two, but soon showed himself to be a con man, a robber, and a thief. When he crossed Hawkes' and Cinnamon's path a second time, he snuck into Cinnamon's hotel room to steal her golden sheriff's badge. Cinnamon woke and caught him in the act, and they had a scuffle. But when Hawkes appeared, he misunderstood the situation and thought that Craddock attempted to force himself on Cinnamon. In his rage, Hawkes dragged Craddock out in the street, took a piece of rope, and hanged him.

A moment later, Hawkes learned the truth from Cinnamon – that the gentleman was not guilty of rape, only of theft. But by then, Craddock was dead. Nighthawk was never prosecuted for this and the only significant memory of the tragedy was that the hotel was renamed "Craddock House". Although regretting what he had done, Hawkes could no nothing to make amends, and realized that he had to live with this for the rest of his life.

However, he was wrong. He would regret his deed much longer than that.

More than half a century later, in 1947, a villain calling himself the Ghost first made his presence known to the public, beginning a crime spree that took him to all the great capitals of Europe and eventually attracted the attention of Carter Hall, the original Hawkman, and his partner Shiera, a.k.a. Hawkgirl. Although the Hawks repeatedly thwarted the phantom plunderer's plans, they were never able to bring the villain to justice, due to his ability to seemingly vanish into thin air, and the Ghost ultimately faded from the scene. Furthermore, it was never proved at the time whether the Ghost was the actual ghost he claimed to be, or just a very skilled con man.

About twelve years ago, the original Hawkman and Hawkgirl resumed their super-hero careers as members of the re-born Justice Society of America as well as of their modern successors, the Justice League of America. And before long, they found themselves battling the villain, now calling himself the Gentleman Ghost, once again, thwarting his plans but still not being able to ultimately defeat him. [Note: In the pre-Crisis DC Universe, it was the Silver Age Hawkmen of Thanagar who battled the Ghost at this time. That history has been retconned.]

Occasionally, the Ghost battled the second Atom and allegedly also the second Flash. Later still, the Gentleman Ghost resurfaced in Gotham City, only to find himself challenged by the Batman. Several battles between the Dark Knight and the Phantom Plunderer ended with no clear-cut victor. Ultimately, the Ghost joined the army of Bat-Rogues engaged by the Joker to oppose Killer Croc. After the villains were defeated by Batman and his allies, the Gentleman Ghost disappeared once again, and he has not been battling the Batman since then.

The Gentleman Ghost had another couple of clashes with Hawkman, but this game ended after the Hawks went to limbo with the rest of the JSA shortly after the Crisis. When next seen, the Ghost battled the New Teen Titans, by whom he was later lured into a fight with fellow villains I.Q. and Silver Fog. As always disappearing, the Gentleman Ghost was later one of many mystic beings encountered by the Spectre, shortly after the Millennium event. He also appeared at a party held by the Flash's Rogues Gallery, enjoying a few drinks and laughters with his former crook friends. After that, the Ghost seemed to disappear into Limbo for some time.

During the so-called Day of Judgment, the Gentleman Ghost returned once again, claiming that he had been assigned by the forces to Hell to an agenda of igniting heart attacks in rich old men, "most of rich are ripe for damnation". Trying to do his new deed, the Ghost clashed briefly with Max Mercury and the new Star-Spangled Kid.

For all these years, the real origin of the Gentleman Ghost remained unknown. Was he an actual ghost or just a very skilled con man? At one time, he claimed to be the ghost of an English highwayman of the early 19th century, who had sworn at the moment of his public execution that he would come back to loot the treasures of those who had condemned him. Was there truth to this story or was it just a tall tale? What was his motivation? Why did he sometimes appear as a bloodthirty murderous villain and at other times as little more than a harmless prankster?

Recently, the original Hawkman was reincarnated and returned to active duty. And with that, the Gentleman Ghost found a purpose with his existence again. He manipulated St. Roch's Police Chief Nedal into murdering or injuring several of Hawkman's friends and beloved. When he finally encountered Hawkman and the new Hawkgirl, the Gentleman Ghost revealed the truth about himself – that he is the ghost of "Gentleman Jim" Craddock. Furthermore, Hawkman and Hawkgirl are the reincarnations of Nighthawk and Cinnamon, in fact two Hawk Avatars destined to be reborn time and again in and endless cycle. When Craddock was killed by Hawkes more than 100 years ago, the Gentleman Ghost was made part of this cycle. Craving only to find peace, the Gentleman Ghost is unable to do that as long as the souls of Hawkman and Hawkgirl remain on the mortal plane. And since the two of them will be reincarnated again and again, the Gentleman Ghost will never rest.

That is the Gentleman Ghost's curse as well as his motivation. Unable to leave the mortal plane, he is constantly drawn to the lives of the Hawks. With eternity to his disposal, the Ghost does whatever it takes to amuse him – be it good deeds or crime sprees, thefts, robberies, or murders. He was partly responsible for Chief Nedal murdering Hawkgirl's parents years ago. Just because it amused him to do so.

The Gentleman Ghost left the enraged Hawks with the words: "When I'm bored, in a few years, months or days, I'll make my return. Maybe as a friend next time. Or a foe again. Whatever suits my interest." To which Hawkman snappily replied "You'll never be a friend, Craddock".

The Gentleman Ghost vanished into a puff of smoke, but will certainly return to encounter Hawkman and Hawkgirl many times again.

It should be noted that another Hawkman, the Thanagarian Katar Hol, once encountered another "Gentleman Jim" Craddock who was also called the Gentleman Ghost. This "Ghost" was very much alive, and a seemingly good-hearted man, who had the reputation of being a master thief who had never been convicted of his crimes. Villain or not, he became more of an ally to Hawkman at their first and only meeting. Supposedly, he is not identical with the original Gentleman Ghost, though he could be a descendant or even a self-proclaimed successor.

POWERS AND WEAPONS

Although it has now been confirmed that the first Gentleman Ghost is a real ghost, he often uses his abilities in a way so that they can be plausibly explained away, leaving his opponent with a doubt. In more violent matters, the Ghost usually does not take a direct approach, preferring to manipulate others into doing his bidding.

An average athlete and hand-to-hand combatant, the Gentleman Ghost's greatest power is his ability to disappear at will, making him almost impossible to capture. In the past, he has employed a variety of specially gimmicked weapons, including a flintlock pistol that fires magnesium flare bullets as well as emitting a billowing smokescreen. He also uses a number of miniature tape recorders and hologram projectors to throw his foes off his true trail.

However, although these tricks amuse him, the Ghost is ultimately a being of great supernatural power, all abilities and limits of which are not currently known.

CHRONOLOGY

For a definitive list of appearances of Gentleman Ghost in chronological order click here (1947-2011) and here (2011-present)

PROFILE REFERENCES

Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #9 (November 1985)

Hawkman Secret Files #1 (October 2002)