Fisherman (comics)

Kurt Hartmann is a fisherman-themed criminal and an enemy of Doctor Mid-Nite.[2]

The Fisherman's real identity has never been revealed. The character's modus operandi is mainly involved with stealing high tech equipment, then selling it on the black market.[3]

The concept and first character, created by Joe Greene and Stan Aschmeier, first appeared in All-American Comics #69 (November–December 1945) as a single-use thief in the Doctor Mid-Nite strip.[4] The name was reused for a single appearance character in Blackhawk #163 (August 1961),[5] and later for a character that became a recurring opponent of Aquaman.[6] Within the context of the stories, this latter Fisherman is originally presented as an international criminal specializing in the theft of rare objects and scientific inventions. He utilizes a high tech pressure suit, collapsible fishing rod, and gimmick "lures" in his crimes. While his identity is never revealed, enough is known about him for the Gotham City coroner to state that a man wearing a copy of his equipment that is killed in Gotham is not the same person who faced Aquaman.[7]

In his first encounter with Aquaman, the Fisherman uses an explosive lure on Aquaman, almost killing him, but Aquaman escapes on a blue whale.[8] The Fisherman returns many times to fight Aquaman, as well as Blue Devil.[9] The Fisherman confronts the canine Green Lantern G'nort.[10] He appears in "Roulette"'s gladiatorial gamehouse.[11]

The Fisherman is one of the many supervillains to take advantage of the "villain-friendly" atmosphere of the fictional country of Zandia. He becomes involved in a large confrontation when the team of Young Justice leads a superpowered army against the country for various reasons.[12]

In Infinite Crisis #1 (2005), the Fisherman, along with the Riddler, the Body Doubles, the Scavenger, Red Panzer and Murmur attack Gotham police officers in Cathedral Square.

The attack is elaborated upon in the series Gotham Central. After a magical accident devastates Gotham, the villain goes on a rampage. Over the prone forms of other officers, the Fisherman confronts Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen. While strangling Allen, the Fisherman is shot dead by Detectives Marcus Driver and Josie MacDonald. Allen and Montoya survive. During an autopsy it is revealed that the dead man is not the original villain of that name.[13]

A new, more deadly version of the villain appears in Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #48-49 (2007), written by Kurt Busiek. The Fisherman's helmet is revealed to be a xenoform parasite, a Lovecraftian alien that attaches itself to every incarnation of the Fisherman and uses telepathy to instill fear in its victims.[14]

In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Fisherman is a member of Deathstroke's pirates.[15][16]

• The Fisherman appeared in several episodes of The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure, an animated series that ran from 1967 to 1968. These episodes were later reused in Aquaman, a 1968 to 1970 animated series that was created by running only the Aquaman segments of The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure.
• Fisherman appeared in Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Aquaman's Outrageous Adventure" voiced by Dee Bradley Baker. He was featured in a flashback holding a submarine over an underwater volcano only to be defeated by Aquaman. He later appears in "Joker: The Vile and the Villainous!" where he attempts to steal a gem from Batman in Atlantis, but is foiled. Before he is arrested, Fisherman teams up with Joker to escape.

• The Flashpoint version of Fisherman appears in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox.

• The Fisherman is one of the thousands of characters that can be summoned in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.