Captain Stingaree
{{Short description|Fictional supervillain in the DC Comics universe}}
{{Infobox comics character
| character_name = Captain Stingaree
| image = Captainstingareedcu0.jpg
| caption = Captain Stingaree from Detective Comics #460, artist Ernie Chan.
| publisher = DC Comics
| debut = Detective Comics #460 (June 1976)
| creators = Bob Rozakis (writer)
Michael Uslan (writer)
Ernie Chan (artist)
| real_name = Karl Courtney
| species =
| homeworld =
| alliances = Secret Society of Super-Villains
| aliases = Karl Crossman
| supports =
| powers = Skilled swordsman
}}
Captain Stingaree (Karl Courtney) is a supervillain in the DC Comics universe, and a minor foe of Batman. He first appeared in Detective Comics #460 (June 1976), and was created by Bob Rozakis, Michael Uslan, and Ernie Chan.{{Citation | last = Wallace | first = Dan | contribution = Captain Stingaree | editor-last = Dougall | editor-first = Alastair | title = The DC Comics Encyclopedia | pages = 72 | publisher = Dorling Kindersley | place = New York | year = 2008 | isbn = 978-0-7566-4119-1 | oclc = 213309017}}
Publication history
In his memoir The Boy Who Loved Batman, Uslan says that he and Rozakis were excited to create a pirate-themed villain for Batman, but disappointed by the name that editor Julius Schwartz gave the character: "Bob said it was the name of some old movie about a notorious highwayman played by Richard Dix or Fort Dix or some old actor. I hated the name Stingaree. Bob hated the name Stingaree. But Julie liked it, and so it came to pass".{{cite book |last1=Uslan |first1=Michael E. |title=The Boy Who Loved Batman: A Memoir |date=2011 |publisher=Chronicle Books |isbn=9781452109770 |page=148 |url=https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Loved-Batman-Memoir-ebook/dp/B005DIB922/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=the+boy+who+loved+batman&qid=1585528869&sr=8-3#reader_B005DIB922 |access-date=30 March 2020}}
Fictional character biography
Born one of a set of quadruplets, Karl Courtney was always the black sheep of the family. Donning a cutlass and pirate outfit, Karl becomes Captain Stingaree. In his first outing, Stingaree attempts to uncover Batman's secret identity and becomes convinced that his brothers are collectively acting as Batman. Batman approaches the Courtney brothers, asking them to pose as Batman and act as bait for Stingaree. This allows the real Batman and the Flash to capture Stingaree.
In Secret Society of Super-Villains #6 (1977), Captain Stingaree joins the eponymous Society.{{cite book |last1=Greenberger |first1=Robert |author-link=Robert Greenberger |title=The Essential Batman Encyclopedia |date=2008 |publisher=Del Rey |isbn=9780345501066 |pages=78–79}} He, Captain Cold, and Captain Boomerang embark on a crime spree kidnapping other captains to show supremacy over air, land and sea, before they are defeated by Captain Comet and Black Canary II.{{cite book |last1=Eury |first1=Michael |title=The Batcave Companion |last2=Kronenberg |first2=Michael |date=2009 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |isbn=978-1893905788 |page=220}}Secret Society of Super-Villains #6 (April 1977)
In Detective Comics #526, Captain Stingaree meets at an old theater with other Batman villains. Talia al Ghul is branded a traitor. While Talia escapes, Stingaree is accidentally frozen by Mr. Freeze. This is his last pre-Crisis appearance.Detective Comics #526 (May 1983)
=Post-Crisis=
In post-Crisis continuity, it is revealed that Captain Stingaree is gay and in a relationship with the Cavalier (Mortimer Drake). Black Lightning uses this fact to leverage information out of Cavalier. Both Stingaree and Cavalier are killed during a fight with the Secret Six.Secret Six (vol. 3) #7 (May 2009)
=DC Rebirth=
Captain Stingaree is resurrected following The New 52 and DC Rebirth relaunches. He is portrayed as a man who assumes the identity of Stingaree when not under the influence of his medication. Stingaree attempts to murder several people who clearly know him and are dressed as Batman. They plead with him to go back on his medication, but he says that they will not "deceive him again". He is stopped by the real Batman and "Gotham Girl" before anyone is seriously injured.Batman (vol. 3) #6 (November 2016)
Powers and abilities
Captain Stingaree has no superpowers but is a skilled swordsman.
In other media
Captain Stingaree appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.{{Cite web |last=Eisen |first=Andrew |date=October 4, 2013 |title=DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/scribblenauts-unmasked/DC_Characters_and_Objects |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131011130702/https://www.ign.com/wikis/scribblenauts-unmasked/DC_Characters_and_Objects |archive-date=October 11, 2013 |access-date=July 11, 2025 |website=IGN}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070222213241/http://www.mykey3000.com/cosmicteams/obscure/c.htm#CAPTAINSTINGAREE Cosmic Teams: Captain Stingaree]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20091026194943/http://geocities.com/dstepp.geo/Archives/SSOSV6.html Secret Society of Super-Villains #6]
{{Pirates}}
Category:Comics characters introduced in 1976
Category:DC Comics LGBTQ supervillains
Category:DC Comics male supervillains