Fiddler (comics)
| The Fiddler | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | All-Flash #32 (January 1948) |
| Created by |
Robert Kanigher Lee Elias |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Isaac Bowin |
| Team affiliations |
Injustice Society Secret Six Underground Society Crime Champions Black Lantern Corps |
| Abilities | Ability to hypnotize people with violin music Can also use his music to create powerful sonic waves |
The Fiddler is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain and an enemy of the first Flash.
Fiddler first appeared in All-Flash #32 (December 1947/January 1948) and was created by Robert Kanigher and Lee Elias.
The Fiddler's history was changed somewhat during the Crisis on Infinite Earths.
The Fiddler started out as a thief who was arrested in India and sent to jail. While in prison, he met a fakir, charming a snake in his cell, who taught him the "mystic art" of Indian music. For the next five years, he learned the fakir's secret and made a crude violin made of material he could scrounge in the prison. He developed the ability to use his violin to play sounds that could either hypnotize others, shatter objects, or create barriers. After the fakir declared his student had surpassed him, he used the instrument to hypnotize the guards to open their cells and he and the fakir escaped. He then murdered the fakir and the merchant who had him arrested in the first place.
Returning to America, the Fiddler, as he called himself, made his first stop at Keystone City. While the Fiddler managed to humiliate the Flash (Jay Garrick) the first time they met, Flash was able to foil his plan, which involved replacing Maestro Bowin, a violin virtuoso, who was actually the Fiddler's twin brother. The physical similarity between the brothers (who had been separated at birth) also led to Bowin briefly being suspected of the Fiddler's crimes. The Fiddler captured his brother and Flash, but they escaped and the Fiddler apparently committed suicide by diving into a river. As is the case more often the not, the Fiddler survived his plunge into the river and returned to battle the Flash again a few months later. The villain refined his appearance, shaving his dark locks and donning the powered white wig that became his trademark for the remainder of his life. After the Flash thwarts a petty theft and arrests most of his gang, the Fiddler followed the hero at a distant but was in time to piece together a quarrel between Flash and Joan Williams. The exchange, with Joan annoyed at the time Flash's life took him away from home, inspired the Fiddler to undermine the hero. Using local criminals, the Fiddler arranged for "common citizens" (really members of his gang) to demonstrate that the Flash was not needed. As the Flash arrived always just in time to see the "citizens" route the criminals, he was advised to rest, relax or take a vacation. Eventually, the tricks took their toll and the Flash announced his retirement. As soon as he had supposedly departed, the Fiddler instigated a reign of terror across Keystone, staging almost daily robberies. One evening, Joan was particularly regretful of her admonition of the Flash and took it upon herself to become the solution. Using mirrors to blur her form and give her the illusion of speed, she donned a spare uniform and took up pursuit of the Fiddler. While the athletic Joan was quite capable of dealing with ordinary thugs, she was no match for a master criminal such as the Fiddler. To the criminal's astonishment, The Flash appeared to be a woman. Nonetheless, the Fiddler resolved to dispose of her and tied her to the trellis of a nearby train track. As the train bore down on her bound form, the genuine Flash quickly rescued her and bore down on the Fiddler. Not to be easily taken, the Fiddler dove between the ties, falling to his presumed death (Flash Comics #93).
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