Greg Saunders is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first DC character to bear the name Vigilante.

The character made his live-action debut in the film serial The Vigilante (1947), played by Ralph Byrd.

Publication history

Created by writer Mort Weisinger and artist Mort Meskin, Greg Saunders first appeared in Action Comics #42 (November 1941). He appeared in every issue of Action Comics until #198 (November 1954).

Fictional character biography

The original Vigilante was a western-themed hero who debuted in Action Comics #42 (November 1941): originally named Greg Sanders, the spelling was changed to Greg Saunders in the 1990s. Grandson of a Native American fighter, and the son of a sheriff in Wyoming, Saunders, as a young man, moved east to New York City and became a country singer, radio's "Prairie Troubadour". Saunders returned to his home after his father was killed, bringing to justice the gang of bandits who killed him.

Vigilante, like many heroes of the era, acquired a sidekick to aid him in his crime fighting. Stuff the Chinatown Kid was introduced in Action Comics #45. He assisted Vigilante when a Japanese spy known as the Head framed Stuff's grandfather for provoking a Tong war.

The majority of Vigilante's solo adventures involve him battling non-powered, costumed criminals. His chief enemies are Dummy, a brilliant weapons inventor and professional killer who resembles a ventriloquist's dummy in both size and facial features, and the Rainbow Man, who commits crimes with a color motif. Vigilante also encounters the Rattler on several occasions, as well as the Fiddler and the Shade. These two villains are unrelated to the better-known villains who are enemies of the Flash. Other foes include Shakes the Underworld Poet and the Dictionary, a gangster with a heightened vocabulary.

Vigilante is also a member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory (also known as the Law's Legionnaires), one of the earliest super-hero teams. In these adventures, his sidekick Stuff never appeared, being replaced by an old man named Billy Gunn. Vigilante was one of the few super-hero features to survive the end of the "Golden Age" of super-hero comics. He lasted as a solo feature until Action Comics #198 (1954), when he was replaced by Tommy Tomorrow.

Vigilante was revived during the "Bronze Age" in the pages of Justice League of America, when the Seven Soldiers of Victory were brought back into active continuity. Like Green Arrow, he was a lost member of the Seven Soldiers, but he did not participate in the JLA/JSA quest to rescue them. All the members are hurled through time after defeating Nebula Man.

The "Silver Age" Green Arrow, Black Canary, Johnny Thunder, and Thunderbolt save Vigilante from a group of Native Americans who are fearful of their land being taken. The Earth-1 Vigilante's contact with the League is limited to a two-part story where he aids the JLA against aliens who are determined to pollute Earth.

Vigilante also received a periodic feature in the pages of Adventure Comics, drawn by Mike Sekowsky and Gray Morrow, and also in World's Finest Comics. World's Finest concluded with Vigilante coming to Gotham City to reunite with Stuff, only to find that he has been murdered by Dummy. At the end of the series, Vigilante rides off with Stuff's son.

Seven Soldiers

In Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers #0, Vigilante establishes a new Seven Soldiers of Victory to battle the monstrous spider of Miracle Mesa. He is apparently killed alongside the rest of the team, only to re-appear as a ghost in Bulleteer #3. He attempts to recruit a new team of seven to further battle the threat of the Sheeda. He claims Bulleteer's actions will allow him to 'rest'.

Return

In Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen Greg Saunders appears alive as the sheriff of Warpath, a town on the Mexican border formerly known for supervillain activity. Jimmy Olsen's narration notes that Saunders has been dead and came back to life but does not go into detail. Olsen also notes that Saunders appears younger, though he retains his past experiences. Saunders and Guardian beat back a villainous invasion from Mexico.

The New 52

In 2011, "The New 52" rebooted the DC Universe. Vigilante was renamed to Greg Sanders and operated in Opal City during the mid-20th century. Shade contacted him to help rescue his great-grandson Darnell Caldecotte from Nazi spies. Afterward, Shade upheld his deal with Vigilante by giving him the intel on the local gangs and they parted ways.

Powers and abilities

Vigilante is a superb hand-to-hand combatant and martial artist, a brilliant marksman, and a master of the lariat. He typically avoids using deadly force, preferring using his revolver to disarm his enemies and his lasso to bind foes. Despite lacking a horse, he possesses a trusty steed in the form of a motorcycle; he has also been occasionally known to pilot aircraft.

Enemies

  • Dummy - A skilled inventor who poses as a ventriloquist's dummy. He made his debut in Leading Comics #1 being among the criminals responsible for the origin of the Seven Soldiers of Victory. He then took on Vigilante in two stories in Action Comics.
  • Fiddler - Benjamin Bowe is a man who uses trick violins loaded with poison arrows, acid, or TNT. Droop, Sailor, and Sport - A trio of henchmen working for the Fiddler. Droop was a short criminal, Sailor dressed in sailor clothes and always spoke in nautical terms, and Sport always dressed in fancy sporting clothes.
  • Head - An Asian-American criminal who poses as a spirit to other criminals.
  • Killer Kelly - Vigilante's first opponent who faked his execution by electric chair.
  • King - The leader of a gang who was after the gold that was found in Avalanche Junction, Wyoming.
  • Lash - A whip-wielding criminal in a wheelchair, but at the end of his first story he revealed the wheelchair "was only a trick to fool the cops". Later, the Dummy hired a shadowy, whip-wielding criminal named the Lash, who may or may not have been the same character, to assist him while the Dummy was falsely pretending to go straight.
  • Mr. Mungo - A criminal who caused accidents at the winter festival.
  • Rainbow Man - A rainbow-themed criminal. Dictionary - A henchman who uses big words in his speech. He primarily works for Rainbow Man, but worked for the Fiddler in one story along with Shakes Shakes - Shakespeare is a criminal who often speaks in rhyme. He primarily works for Rainbow Man, but has also worked for Lash and acted as an independent criminal.
  • Scorpion - A criminal who specializes in robbing charity events.
  • Shade - Keyhole Carter is a radio announcer who also works as a criminal mastermind. He fought Vigilante twice.

Other versions

Two multiversal incarnations of Greg Saunders / Vigilante from Earth-1 and Earth-2 appear in Justice League of America #78.

In other media

Television

Greg Saunders / Vigilante as he appears in Justice League Unlimited.
  • Vigilante appears in Justice League Unlimited, voiced by Nathan Fillion. This version is a member of the Justice League who possesses a horse-shaped hoverbike and technologically advanced revolvers.
  • Vigilante appears in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by John DiMaggio.
  • Vigilante appears in a picture depicted in the Stargirl episode "Brainwave" as a member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory.

Film

External links

  • at the DCU Guide
  • at the Comic Book DB (archived from )
  • [permanent dead link]