The Odd Man is a fictional comic book hero created by Steve Ditko. The character was intended to first appear in Shade, the Changing Man #9 but instead first appeared in Detective Comics #487 in December 1979.[1]

Odd Man
Publication information
First appearanceDetective Comics #487 (1979)
Created bySteve Ditko
In-story information
Alter egoClayton "Clay" Stoner
AbilitiesLow-tech gadgets

Fictional character biography

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Clay Stoner is a private detective living in River City. He has blue eyes and blond hair which changes to black hair when he acts as a vigilante wearing mismatched clothing under the name the Odd Man. He uses his wits and an elaborate series of gadgets to disorient and confuse his opponents. These include a weighted extended tie, a spray he developed which melts certain plastics, gloves that emit powder or smoke when he claps his hands together, and a slippery oil spray. He also has the ability to make his enemies black out, presumably through the use of one of his sprays or concoctions.[2]

Origin

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"He came from nowhere, garbed in a confused costume that would make a carnival clown blush with embarassment [sic]. His weapons were absurd -- impossible! But somehow he became the terror of criminals, and everyone began to wonder ... who is the Odd Man?" (from "The Odd Man" by Steve Ditko, published in Detective Comics #487).

Publication history

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The Odd Man was introduced in an eponymous story that had him pitted against the supposed reincarnation of the first Nile Queen and her Pharaoh consort:

References

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  1. ^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 352. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
  2. ^ "Obscure DC Comics Characters: O". cosmicteams.com. Retrieved 2014-07-07.
  3. ^ "Detective Comics #487". Grand Comics Database. Retrieved 2014-07-07.
  4. ^ "The Odd Man". thrillingdetective.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14.
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