Charles McNider
Charles McNider is a male comic superhero who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Pre-Crisis
Charles McNider
In early 1941, Doctor Charles McNider and his nurse/assistant Myra Mason had been collaborating on a new anti-viral serum, when a local police officer knocked on his office door. He told McNider, that a known gangster named "Killer" Maroni had attempted to assassinate a key witness scheduled to testify against him at his trial. Although Maroni's men shot the man in the back, he was still alive, but fated to die unless McNider could save him. Charles grabbed his medical bag and raced down to the hospital room to operate. Maroni likewise discovered that the witness was still alive, and sent a thug named Mike to finish him off. While McNider conducted his operation, Mike lobbed a hand grenade through the hospital window. The explosion killed everyone in the room except for McNider. However, shards of exploding glass flew into his eyes, permanently robbing him of his sight. Never one to rest, McNider placed himself into an intense therapy program. He found that he developed more energy during the nighttime hours, and spent many evenings practicing gymnastics and working out. Myra Mason stayed by his side every second, and quickly began to fall in love with the strong-willed man. Realizing that his medical career was over, Charles turned his attention towards writing. He was determined to expose the criminal underworld of the city and set about writing a magazine column, specifically targeting men like "Killer" Maroni. He often dictated his diatribes to Myra, who subsequently typed them out and mailed them to the publisher. One evening, McNider was resting in his study contemplating his next scathing expose, when something occurred, which would change his life forever. A wood owl crashed through the window of his study, falling onto the floor. Startled by the noise, McNider tore the bandages away from his eyes. It was then that he realized he could see perfectly in the dark. Believing that his eyesight had been fully restored, he turned on a light switch, only to discover that he was blind once again. He shut out the light, allowing his night vision to focus, and took to mending the owl's wounds. McNider adopted the owl as a pet and named him Hooty. The entire experience came as a revelation to McNider. With the aid of his secret night vision, he could now actively strike back at the criminal world that had taken his eyes from him. He developed a pair of specially modified infrared goggles that temporarily allowed him to see during the daylight. He also created a supply of Blackout Bombs that could emit clouds of inky, black smoke that only he could see through. Completing his arsenal was a black and red costume he acquired from a costume shop, and so Doctor Mid-Nite was born.
He later joined the Justice Society of America (JSA) and the All-Star Squadron. In 1942, McNider enlisted in the U.S. Medical Corps as a physician during World War II. (All-Star Comics v1 #11)
At a Justice Society of America meeting, Mid-Nite and the team learned of formerly respectable men were creating a nationwide crime-wave, and the team split up to capture the men. Hawkman went to an eastern city and fought Professor Saul Philpotts, who was stealing gold from banks using a gold-magnet. Mid-Nite defeated the Professor with help from Calvin Stymes. Mid-Nite received a message from Wonder Woman and brought the Professor to Justice Society headquarters. Green Lantern learned the criminals were turned evil by Calvin Stymes, who exposed them to Koehaha, the Stream of Ruthlessness. Calvin wanted to see the men in jail or dead, so when the JSA brought the criminals to the Stream, Stymes set off an explosion. The JSA survived and a landslide crushed Stymes. The JSA knew the effects of the Koehaha would wear off and offered to testify at the criminals' trials so they would be found innocent by reason of temporary insanity. (All-Star Comics v1 #36)
Brain Wave informed the JSA that he was going to cause disasters in Seattle, Washington, Peking, China and Capetown South Africa that would cause a chain reaction that would destroy Earth. They split up, with Hawkman and Dr. Mid-Nite trying to stop an earthquake in Seattle. They found themselves unable to deal with the disaster, although youthful hero Star-Spangled Kid stopping the catastrophe. Similar circumstances averted the disasters in Capetown and Peking, with new heroes helping the Justice Society. Power Girl suggested that Brainwave set them up to fail but didn’t foresee the interference of the new heroes, whom Power Girl dubbed the Super Squad. The Justice Society and Squad confronted Brain Wave aboard his space station, and learned that he'd sapped the willpower of the JSA that they displayed in averting the disasters to return will and youth to Per Degaton. When the JSA had the villains on the ropes, Brain Wave used his mental powers to send Earth on a collision course with the sun, demanding they submit or see the planet die. Power Girl sent Brain Wave's space station toward the sun, overheating it and causing the villain to pass out. The Justice Society decided to take in the Super Squad so they could learn from each other. (All-Star Comics v1 #59)
Mid-Nite and the Justice Society of America watched firefighters put out the blaze Vulcan started at the Justice Society headquarters. After Vulcan collapsed a building on Fate they dug him out of the rubble while Star-Spangled Kid and Hawkman destroyed Vulcan. Dr. Mid-Nite examined Fate and determined that he was dying. (All-Star Comics v1 #61) Mid-Nite hooked Fate up to a machine that kept him alive using the cosmic power from Star-Spangled Kid's cosmic rod. Green Lantern and Flash went to Egypt to try and find a way to save Dr. Fate's life. (All-Star Comics v1 #62)
Post-Crisis
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
Mid-Night caught a crook trying to steal drugs from Memorial Hospital, but was disturbed by the fact that his infra-red goggles were no longer working properly, and even using them he was almost blind. He contacted his old friend opthamologist Gordon Ogilvy, but Gordon had been murdered by one of his clients who wanted his special seeing-eye glasses that let the blind see outlines of objects. Mid-Nite tracked the killer, Tim, who was using the glasses to pull of an art heist, and apprehended him. Mid-Nite hoped to use Ogilvy’s technology to restore his infra-red goggles to working order. (DC Comics Presents v1 #29)
By 1953, Mid-Nite’s arch-enemy the Shadower murdered Myra mason and left her body for Mid-Nite to find. Mid-Nite had never realized the depths of his feelings for Mason until she had died. In the 1960s, Mid-Nite finally brought the Shadower to justice, but the Shadower taunted Mid-Nite from behind bars. He wrote Mid-Nite letters mocking the murder of Myra mason for years. (JSA v1 #40) Around 13 years ago, Dr. Mid-Nite joined Green Lantern I, Hourman I and Flash I in aiding Starman I's effort to stop the murderous cult of the Rag Doll. Mid-Nite rescued two infants that the cult had kidnapped. (Starman v2 #11)
During Zero Hour, the villainous Extant advanced the ages of the Justice Society of America, including Dr. Mid-Nite. Mid-Nite's body could not take the shock, and he passed away. (Zero Hour v1 #4) Dr. Mid-Nite befriended Starman VII in the afterlife. Starman brought his brother Starman VIII to a banquet in limbo attended by Mid-Nite and several other deceased mysterymen. Mid-Nite talked about his regrets that he never researched ways of adapting his infra-red goggles to aid the blind. (Starman v2 #37) When several heroes travelled to the gates of Heaven to meet Jim Corrigan, Dr. Mid-Nite and other dead JSAers met their old friends at the gate. They enjoyed a brief reunion. (Day of Judgment v1 #2) During the Blackest Night, his corpse came to be briefly reanimated by a black Power Ring that made him a member of the Black Lantern Corps. (Blackest Night v1 #4)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
Overview
Personality and attributes
Powers and abilities
Such was his skill that he was able to communicate with a Neptunian using mathematical equations. (All-Star Comics v1 #13)
Notes
- The Charles McNider Doctor Mid-Nite was created by Charles Reizenstein and Stanley Josephs Aschmeier where he made his first appearance in All-American Comics v1 #25 (April, 1941).
In other media
Television
Toys
Appearances
- All-American Comics v1: (1941)
- All-Star Comics v1:
- JSA v1:
- Doomsday Clock v1:
External Links
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