| The Bat | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Detective Anderson |
|
First Appearance |
The Bat (1920) |
|
Original Publisher |
Morosco Theatre |
|
Created by |
Mary Roberts Rinehart |
Origin[]
The Bat is a mysterious and elusive master criminal, a cunning and calculating figure who operates in the shadows, orchestrating elaborate schemes and evading capture by the authorities. He is often depicted wearing either a signature bat-shaped mask or an entirely black attire, further enhancing his enigmatic persona.
The Bat is associated with a series of crimes, including thefts, murders, and acts of sabotage that unfolded in an old, isolated Long Island mansion owned by the estate of Courtleigh Fleming, a deceased bank president in an effort to uncover the secret stash of money horded in a secret room.
The current resident, Cornelia Van Gorder hires a police detective to investigate a series of nighttime break-ins. The house staff and Cornelia's niece, Dale Ogden, suspect Jack Bailey, the cashier at Fleming's bank, as the perpetrator. However, it turns out that Brooks, the house gardener, is actually Jack Bailey disguised as someone else to locate the money and clear his name. Fleming's nephew, Richard, shows Cornelia a blueprint of the house, which contains a hidden room likely containing the money. The Bat shoots and kills Richard.
Dr. Wells, suspected of being the killer, claims he doesn't have the blueprint and was instructed by Dale to hide it. Detective Anderson is knocked unconscious during his interrogation and moved to another room just as a stranger claiming to have lost his memory arrives. The guests soon find themselves locked inside the house, and Cornelia finds the Bat's calling card, a black paper bat, tacked to a door.
The Bat steals a money bag and locks it in a room, but Dale finds the room and money. Anderson accuses Wells of stealing the money and killing Richard, but Cornelia, suspecting the money is still hidden, distracts him by claiming to see a man on the roof. Soon after the group leaves to search for him, Jack finds the body of Courtleigh Fleming, who was recently killed. The amnesiac follows them and locks the door, ordering them to be quiet just as the masked vigilante sneaks in through the window. The unknown man apprehends the Bat and reveals that he is the real Detective Anderson, and that the Bat was the imposter.
Public Domain Appearances[]
The Bat's costume from 1926 (top) and 1959 (bottom).
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- The Circular Staircase (1908) (literary inspiration)
- The Bat (1926) (novelization)
Public Domain Stage Plays[]
- The Bat (1920)
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- The Bat (1926)
- The Bat Whispers (1930)
- The Bat (1959)
Trivia[]
- The 1926 film likely served as the inspiration for DC Comics' Batman, with some historians suggesting Bob Kane may have seen the silent adaptation, as the signal light which the Bat uses to scare his victims resembles the iconic Bat-Signal.
- Inspired by the play, James E. Walters committed several robberies and became known as the "Lone Wolf" and "Boudoir Bandit", his story was adapted in Exposed #1 (DS Publishing, 1948)
- In August 1992, Adventure Comics published an adaptation of the play, in this version, Cornelia Van Gorder has a twin sister who reveals herself to be the villain.