Dr. Mid-Nite

Origin: Charles McNider was a respected surgeon. It was late one night that the police called Dr. McNider to treat a mob informant named Brown. Unfortunately, Brown had crossed gangland leader Boss Maroni. While McNider was working on Brown, one of Maroni's men hurled a grenade threw the window. The explosion killed Brown and blinded McNider. McNider was forced to give up his medical practice, though he continued working in research. His nurse Myra Mason stayed with him as his assistant. McNider also took up writing, both mystery stories and editorials which railed against organised crime.

It was another late night that McNider was sitting in his study when an owl crashed through the window. McNider instinctively tore off his bandages only to learn that he could see; however, when he turned on the light he was deprived of his sight once again. It seemed that somehow McNider was able to see in near darkness, but he blinded by light, such as day light or the light given off by an electric light bulb. McNider adopted the owl whose timely entrance had resulted in this knowledge. He also set to work developing a set of lenses which would protect his eyes from the light and give him infrared vision in the darkness. Finally, McNider developed blackout bombs--devices which created  an area of black smoke through which only he could see. Having developed these gadgets, McNider became the mystery man known as Dr. Mid-Nite.

Naturally Dr. Mid-Nite decided to bring Maroni, who was the man ultimately responsible for his condition, to justice. He tracked Maroni to his hide-out and not only captured Maroni, but his gang as well.

Powers: Dr. Mid-Nite is an athlete of Olympic proportions, well versed in martial arts. His ability to see in nearly total darkness, enhanced by his infrared goggles, give him a distinct advantage over his opponents. His blackout bombs give him a further advantage, in that he can blind opponents while still being able to see himself. Dr. Mid-Nite's greatest disadvantage is an inability to see in daylight without his goggles. Though hardly powerless if deprived of them, he literally can't see without his "glasses" in the light of day.

History: Created by writer Charles Reizenstein and artist Stan Asch, Dr. Mid-Nite's roots belong in the pulps. Indeed, his origin resembles the pulp character The Black Bat,¹ who debuted in Black Bat Detective Mysteries, July 1939. The Black Bat was actually lawyer Tony Quinn. Tony Quinn and a friend who was a police officer were victims of a particularly brutal attack that left Tony blind and his friend dying. His friend requested that his eyes be used to restore Tony's sight (this was years before corneal transplants)! The operation not only restored Tony's sight, but gave him the ability to see in near darkness. Tony decided to use his abilities to fight crime, donning a mask and a bat-like cape to become The Black Bat. By day he feigned blindness and practised law. Dr. Mid-Nite could possibly draw upon other pulp heroes as well. His blackout bombs and infrared goggles are quite similar to devices which appeared in Doc Savage Magazine and Dr. Mid-Nite was assisted by his nurse Myra Mason in much the same fashion as The Shadow was aided by Margo Lane.

Dr. Mid-Nite debuted in All-American Comics #25, April 1941. He quickly became one of the most popular characters in the All-American line. Though he was not a charter member of the Justice Society of America, he joined the group in All-Star Comics #7, October-November 1941 as a replacement for the less popular Hourman.

Unfortunately, as the Forties passed superheroes declined in popularity. Dr. Mid-Nite's comic strip ended its run with issue 102, October 1948 of All-American Comics; the following issue it became All-American Western. Dr. Mid-Nite continued to appear as a member of the Justice Society of America until their final Golden Age appearance in All-Star Comics #57, February-March 1951. Dr. Mid-Nite would be one of the first Golden Age heroes revived in the Silver Age. He appeared in the two page JSA flashback in The Flash #129, June 1962. He was also among the members present when the Justice Society made their first "real" appearance in The Flash #137, June 1963.

¹Comic book historians will note that Better Publications published The Black Bat at approximately the same time that Batman first appeared in Detective Comics. Though the two characters are similar, it is impossible that one could have been plagiarised from the other (the time it takes to prepare either a comic book or a pulp magazine would not permit it). It is perhaps one of the greatest coincidences of pop culture!

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