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“
Maybe once I would've been glad to be rid of the Creeper, but not anymore! I realize now, he and I are two sides of the same coin — like it or not, he's half of what I am. You want him, you'll have to go through me first!
„
~ Jack Ryder.
“
Jack Ryder, I'm gonna kill you! I'm gonna haunt your dreams and drag you through a river of blood!
„
~ Prime Earth Creeper.
Jack Ryder, also known as Creeper, is a fictional character and superhero from DC comics.
Originally a talk show host and reporter, he gained the ability to transform into a maniac crimefighter with the power to cause painful laughter. While his initial origins involved Doctor Vincent Yatz giving him a serum or injecting the reporter with nanotechnology, Ryder's origin has changed since his establishment.
He was created by the late Steve Ditko and Don Segall, and first appeared in Showcase #73 in March of 1968.
The original story tells about Jack Ryder, a Gotham City talk host who tries to save a scientist named Dr. Yatz from mobsters. An attempt to sneak in to the boss' mansion in probably one of the weirdest outfits ever, where Dr. Yatz was held during a masquerade, only got Ryder wounded and saved by Dr. Yatz who implanted him with a device that could make his costume disappear and with a serum that gave him super strength and agility, as well as the power to heal almost instantly. It's also mentioned that his laughter makes people nervous or is even physically painful. Ryder could activate the suit (and apparently the superpowers, too, since he mentions not being so fast and strong in his normal form) whenever he wanted with a button-like object.
Much later, it is implied Jack Ryder's memories on the Creeper's origin were false and that they were implanted into his mind by Dr. Yatz. During the events of Reign in Hell, it is shown that the Creeper was some sort of demon.
The Creeper's origins were changed again for the New 52 continuity, in which he is one of many demons that were sealed inside Katana's sword, the Soultaker, until it was broken by Killer Croc and possessed talk show host Jack Ryder. However, the Creeper's origins were reverted back to involving Dr. Yatz (and being a result of an Department of Metahuman Affairs experiment rather than a demon) during DC Rebirth.
Biography
Background
Jack Ryder is the son of Randolph and Eleanor Ryder, but his mother died institutionalized after being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
Becoming Creeper
In adulthood, Ryder became a reporter in Gotham City and developed a polarizing reputation for being outspoken on subjects and antagonizing his guests. When learning of Dr. Vincent Yatz's nano cell technology, Ryder attempted to steal it until he was confronted by a group of mobsters. The doctor then injected Jack with his creation to prevent the mobsters from taking it, resulting in the reporter transforming into Creeper after being shot in the head. Afterward, he learned that he transform into the Creeper at will, and decided to start a career in crimefighting. His exploits led him to encountering Batman, who was able to get him a recommendation for the Justice League, but the team decided to make Creeper a reserve member.
Powers and Abilities
The Creeper possesses superhuman strength, stamina, reflexes and agility, and is a powerful, if disorganized, hand-to-hand combatant. He has a very powerful healing factor allowing him to recover from even deadly wounds quickly and with no apparent ill effect. He appears to possess some limited awareness of the fourth wall.
Portrayals
Films
In Superman: Red Son, he was voiced by William Salyers.
Television
In the DC Animated Universe, he was voiced by Jeff Bennett.
In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, he was voiced by Brian Bloom.
In Batman: Caped Crusader, he was voiced by Corey Burton.
Video Games
In DC Universe Online, he was voiced by Leif Anders.
In the Batman: Arkham series, he was voiced by James Horan.
In Telltale's Batman series, he was voiced by Robert Clotworthy.
In Lego DC Super-Villains, he was voiced by J. P. Karliak.
Audio
In Batman: The Audio Adventures, he was voiced by Seth Meyers.
Comics Teams Justice League |
Justice League of America |
Justice League Dark |
Justice League Europe |
Justice League Incarnate |
Justice League International |
Justice League Task Force |
Justice League Queer |
Super Buddies
Members