VIGILANTE I (Greg Sanders)	BIOGRAPHY
Created by Mort Weisinger and "Mort Morton Jr" (Mort Meskin)

Vigilante (Greg Sanders)

PERSONAL DATA

Real Name: Greg Sanders
Full Name: Gregory "Greg" Sanders
Identity: Secret
Occupation: Adventurer, later Singer, Actor, Restaurateur
Citizenship: American
Marital Status: Married
Known Relatives: Helen (wife, has also been referred to as Sally), Jeff Sanders (brother, deceased), unnamed sister, Michael Carter (nephew), unnamed grandfather (deceased), Sheriff Sanders (father, deceased)
Base of Operation: Mobile
Group Affiliation(s): Seven Soldiers of Victory, All-Star Squadron, Seven Soldiers of Victory III
Gender: Male
Height: 6' (now 5' 10")
Weight: 188 lbs. (now 235 lbs.)
Eyes: Hazel
Hair: Black (now silver/grey)
First Appearance: Action Comics #42/2 (November 1941)
Creators: Mort Weisinger and "Mort Morton Jr" (Mort Meskin)

OVERVIEW

'Singing cowboy' Greg Sanders was also a masked hero during the 1940s and a member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory. He worked alongside three different partners during his heroic career: Billy Gunn and two different lads known as Stuff, the Chinatown Kid. He and the other Soldiers were thrown through time in battle with the Nebula Man, Vigilante being thrown into the Old West for two decades before being rescued. He is still alive today, but retired from both super-heroics and show business.

HISTORY

Born in the rough Wyoming wilderness, the Sanders family was treated to tales of their heroic ancestors, such as the grandfather, Sheriff Sanders who defended the territory from Indian renegades and those who would prey on the settlers and honest people trying to scrape a living from the American West.

Greg Sanders grew up feeling the draw of show business and left the prairie for the bright lights and big cities. After finding fame as "The Prairie Troubadour", Greg's father, also a sheriff, was murdered by robbers holding up a stagecoach that was transferring a gold shipment. Greg returned home and disguising himself, brought the criminals to justice. After returning to New York, he knew the skills that he had learned at his father's knee would help bring justice to a city in some ways as wild as the wilderness where he was raised.

Taking the name "The Vigilante", Sanders was soon joined by an aging Times Square arcade owner as his unofficial partner, Billy Gunn.

In the Fall of 1941, along with The Crimson Avenger and Wing, The Shining Knight and The Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy, the two were founding members of The Law's Legionnaires (also known as the Seven Soldiers of Victory) after stopping the machinations of the criminal mastermind The Hand and one of his hirelings, The Dummy.

Gunn soon retired form the vigorous life of a "sidekick", and after solving a case in Chinatown (a section of New York), The Vigilante soon acquired the services of a young Chinese boy, Jimmy Leong, who became his partner and was known as Stuff, The Chinatown Kid. The two, along with their friends in the Law's Legionnaires, joined the Justice Society and other unaffiliated heroes in the wartime group, All-Star Squadron, at their first general meeting in February, 1942.

As the duo were in Hollywood, with Greg started a film career, Stuff was murdered by gangster Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel. In seeking revenge, The Vigilante was injured in a bombing arranged by The Dummy. He later killed Siegel in 1947, taking a sabbatical from his crime-fighting to focus on his film career.

When he began to adventure again, The Vigilante was joined by Jimmy's younger brother, Victor, who also used the name "Stuff". In 1949, however, the Law's Legionnaires gathered together to battle Nebula-Man. In defeating the menace, one of the Legionnaires was killed and the rest were scattered throughout the timestream. The Vigilante was thrown into the Old West, where he remained for 20 years until rescued by the combined team of the Justice League and the Justice Society, to battle The Hand. After defeating the threat, Greg retired. His financial situation secured through wise investments of his monies over 40 years ago, and nostalgia over his film and recording career, he spends much of his time studying the modern "super-heroes", much to the consternation of his wife, Helen, and the now middle-aged Victor "Stuff" Leong, his business adviser.

Recently, Greg was seen aiding the Justice Society during the "Princes of Darkness" crisis.

Learning that a menace that he had thought destroyed in 1878 was returning, Greg came out of retirement and formed another group of heroes to battle it. Not knowing that it was an ambush set by the time traveling Sheeda, all were killed. Sanders was later revived due to his lycanthropy (which he kept secret for many years).

POWERS AND WEAPONS

The Vigilante is a cunning and savage opponent when provoked. Skilled in the use of the lariat and a master marksman with his Colt six-shooters, he is not above using his fists if the situation demands. His knowledge of Western lore and survival skills make him an expert tracker, and in combination with the Jujitsu skills of his partner Stuff he often has the edge in hand-to-hand combat. His main mode of transport in the city is a modified motorcycle, capable of stunt work under the most grueling of conditions. On the open plains, he uses his superior horseman skills.

CHRONOLOGY

For a definitive list of appearances of Vigilante in chronological order click here (1941-2011) and here (2011-present)

PROFILE REFERENCES

Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #25 (March 1987)

Who's Who in the DC Universe #5 (December 1990)