Killer Moth
From Batman Wiki
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| Killer Moth | |
| Real name: | Drury Walker |
| First Appearance: | Batman #63 |
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Created by: | Bill Finger Lew Sayre Schwartz |
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Affiliations: | Misfits The Society |
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Abilities: | Flight via suit, incapacitating cocoon gun, razor-sonar waves. |
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Portrayed by: | Tim Herbert |
Killer Moth was a costumed anti-Batman who aided criminals just as Batman aids the police, but only for money.
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[edit] Pre-Crisis
The original Killer Moth is a prisoner identified only by his prison number, 234026. The Killer Moth was born in the mind of an unnamed convict, who resolved to use his hoard of stolen treasure to become a virtual anti-Batman upon his release from prison, and sold his services to the underworld. Tapping into the Batman mythology, he also created a mothmobile and a moth-signal, and uses the hidden proceeds of his crimes to build a Mothcave modeled on the photos of the Batcave in the newspaper article he read. Striking perilously close to the truth, the Moth even fabricated the persona of a millionaire philanthropist named Cameron Van Cleer. In this guise, he becomes friends with Bruce Wayne. Meanwhile, he promotes himself to Gotham's criminals using his identity as Killer Moth, giving them each an infra-red Moth-signal. In his first job, he rescues some criminals from the police and then uses his Mothmobile to defeat and capture Robin. Killer Moth holds Robin hostage, whose life he wishes to exchange for a chance to pick up a few more ideas for his moth-cave, with a visit to the original Batcave. Batman agrees, but Robin escapes on his own, so Killer Moth tries to make a getaway, knowing his hold on Batman is gone, but the duo lead Killer Moth to a climactic battle on Gotham Bridge, which ends when the villain plunges 1,000 feet into the river and disappears.
In his second appearance (Batman #64) Within two months, he had returned, using his influence as Van Cleer, on the museum board of directors, to import a moth collection from South America, so he can steal it, and therefore revive Killer Moth's shattered image. He tries twice, but is thwarted. Moth then becomes suspicious of Bruce Wayne being Batman, but the Dark Knight is able to convince him otherwise. At the same time, Killer Moth makes a slip revealing his own identity, allowing for Batman to finally unearth his millionaire alias and have him arrested at his home.
With his Cameron Van Cleer alias lost to him, the Moth decided to steal the identity of a pre-existing socialite -- and chose Bruce Wayne (whom he imprisoned in a vault). However, rather than ransoming Bruce, he hires a plastic surgeon to change his face into an exact double of Wayne's. With the plastic surgery altering his looks, the Moth fooled Dick Grayson into believing he was Wayne and Dick doesn't realize at first, so the canny Killer Moth works out Wayne's secret identity as Batman. The Moth goes out as Batman, deciding to enhance his criminal alter-ego's reputation by making it appear that the Dark Knight feared the Killer Moth. Wayne escapes, just in time to see Killer Moth shot down with bullets by one of his own gang, who thinks he's been doublecrossed. Moth's face is wrecked by the bullets, and the resultant cranial injury caused amnesia regarding recent events.
Killer Moth's costume was later glimpsed on display in Justice League of America # 35.
It was not until 1967 the actual villain returned. Killer Moth started a protection racket in his next real appearance in Detective Comics #359. Here, the Moth was extorting money from the same Gotham millionaires he'd once socialized with in his identity as Cameron Van Cleer. He was exposed by fledgling heroine Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl, his protection racket in pieces.
He remained a persistent enemy of Batman appearing throughout the remainder of the Silver Age of comics.
Killer Moth continued to be seen at all the major gatherings of villains, such as the "Batman murder trial".
Killer Moth returned to plague Batgirl once more Batman Family # 10 , pairing him with another former Gotham millionaire, the Cavalier. The union continued for one story before the Moth took a step up by joining the Secret Society of Super-Villains. Killer Moth was soon charged with destroying the Freedom Fighters in Secret Society of Super Villains # 15. In the wake of that debacle, Killer Moth left the Society briefly to exact his revenge against Batgirl once and for all, returning to his roots as a paid defender of the criminal element in Detective Comics # 386.
Killer Moth returned in Detective Comics #526. He along with Two-Face, Gentleman Ghost, and Clayface were part of a complex triple-cross scheme concocted by The Joker to use Killer Croc to defeat Batman, then to destroy him using Moth and the others, whom in turn, would be eliminated as well. Joker's plans were preempted by the arrival of Robin and Batgirl, who quickly overpowered the villains and blocked the Joker's escape.
[edit] Post-Crisis
In the 1990s, Killer Moth's real identity is revealed as Drury Walker. Walker is an unsuccessful criminal who no one takes seriously. He again adopts the false identity of Cameron von Cleer and the persona of Killer Moth to fight Batman. This version first appears in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #7, with a more detailed origin appearing in Batgirl: Year One.
In Shadow of the Bat, Killer Moth returned. Now regarding himself as a second-stringer, the Killer Moth resolved to come up with a scheme guaranteed to put him and other "misfits" like him on top by abducting and seeking a ransom on Gotham's mayor, police chief and frequent Moth target Bruce Wayne. He sets up a team of "Misfits", comprising third-string Batman villains such as Catman and Calendar Man, to help him make the planned kidnapping attempt on Bruce Wayne, as well as other prominent citizens. This team proves unsuccessful, turning against Moth when they realise he plans to kill the hostages. Once again, Killer Moth's schemes ended in failure.
[edit] Charaxes
During Underworld Unleashed, the lure of power offered by the demonic Neron was more than Killer Moth could resist. Killer Moth was seen among the villains who sold their soul to the inhuman Neron. He asks to become feared, and he is metamorphed into a moth-like monster called "Charaxes". Killer Moth was now a six-foot-two insect with great flight and strength capabilities who discharged an acidic solution. Now overpowered by the primal drive for food, the rechristened Charaxes had lost most of his mental faculties but had become a dangerous threat to the world around him. As Charaxes, Killer Moth resembles a vaguely humanoid, giant brown moth. He consumes humans and spins cocoons to keep his prey in.
Charaxes has since been seen almost exclusively in the company of other, more lucid villains though he did have one brief solo clash with Starfire and Troia in Titans Secret Files # 1.
In a later story, Charaxes begins laying hundreds of eggs, all of which hatch into duplicates of Drury Walker. Charaxes despises his progeny, but is unable to destroy them. Following his capture, these duplicates are taken into government custody. During an argument between various bodies as to what should be done with them, they attack a scientist, and are killed.
At around the same time, Oracle is confronted by a criminal named "Danko Twag" who claims to be the real Killer Moth (the one she had defeated), and that Drury Walker had been an imposter. During a rant in which he claims they are going to be a team, she captures him in an energy cell and he seemingly disintegrates himself.
In Infinite Crisis, Charaxes is ripped in half by Superboy-Prime during the Battle of Metropolis, and presumed deceased.
[edit] Face The Face
A new human Killer Moth has recently appeared in Batman: Face the Face, but the identity of this version is unknown. He is introduced in Batman #652, wherein he displays competence in hand-to-hand combat when facing Robin. He later appears working alongside fellow Gotham criminals Firefly and Lock-Up in the Gotham Underground limited series. The identity and origins of this new Killer Moth remain unrevealed.
Several unknown villains wearing Killer Moth costumes appear in Secret Six v3 #7. At least one of them is shot and killed by Deadshot.
[edit] Powers and Abilities
In his original incarnation, Killer Moth has no superhuman abilities; he relies on the vast array of equipment he has developed. Killer Moth’s range of gimmicks includes a moth mobile, a moth signal, and a steel-line, which allows him to swing through the skies. He carries a cocoon gun that fires a stream of sticky threads that can totally envelop a victim. The gun can also fire a grenade. He also achieved flight via his special winged costume.
[edit] Paraphernalia
[edit] Equipment
- Moth Lantern: The Moth Lantern was Killer Moth's brief attempt to forge his own version of the Bat-signal. The lantern broke before he ever had the opportunity to use it.
- Moth Mansion: This was a large rural mansion located in Gotham City. It was the headquarters of Killer Moth and his underlings, Larva and Pupa. The mansion was outfitted with several secret panels and a trap door, which fed victims into a gravity well.
[edit] Transportation
- Mothmobile: This was a custom made, convertable sports car used by Killer Moth. It's color and style were similar to the bright, pastel color scheme used in Killer Moth's costume.
[edit] Weapons
-(As Killer Moth) Incapacitating cocoon gun -(As Charaxes) Razor-sonar waves
[edit] Notes
Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-One era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985-86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and should be considered apocryphal. Another Killer Moth appears during the Face the Face storyline, but has made no appearance since.
[edit] In other media
[edit] Television
[edit] Batman (1960s series)
A short episode of the 1960s live-action Batman television series that premiered Batgirl featured Killer Moth as the villain (played by Tim Herbert), but it was never aired. It has been circulated through bootlegs on the Internet or at conventions. However, in the character's simultaneous comic book introduction (Detective Comics #359, January 1967), "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl", Killer Moth is Batgirl's first and main adversary after he leads her to believe that he killed Bruce Wayne. Batgirl later learns that Wayne has not died, after confronting Batman and Robin.
[edit] Teen Titans
[edit] The Batman
[edit] Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Killer Moth appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Legends of the Dark Mite." He, along with The Joker, The Riddler, Two-Face, Mr. Freeze, Kite Man, Mad Hatter, Penguin, Catwoman, Catman, and several other villains are shown briefly in Bat-Mite's imagination.
[edit] Video games
- Killer Moth appears at the end of the first stage of the NES's Batman loosely movie-based Batman game, in a suit of flying insect-like armor. Killer Moth also appears as a boss character in the Nintendo video game Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
- Killer Moth (identified as Drury Walker) appears in Lego Batman: The Video Game as a boss and a playable character. He aids Joker's plot in poisoning Gotham City with his laughing gas. Like his namesake, ingame Killer Moth is attracted to bright lights,even trying to touch a lamp at the Joker's hideout with the others, but The Scarecrow stops him. He uses a handgun as a weapon. He also has the ability to glide using his wings.
- Killer Moth has been confirmed to appear in Batman: Arkham Asylum.
