| The Gray Ghost | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Batman: The Animated Series "Beware the Gray Ghost" |
| Created by | Tom Ruegger |
| Voiced by | Adam West |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Simon Trent |
| Abilities | Although an old man, Trent possesses uncanny tenacity and agility for a man of his age, enough so that he was able to swing through a window using a grappling line. |
The Gray Ghost is a character voiced by Adam West from Batman: The Animated Series.
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Within the series, the Gray Ghost is a fictional character who appears in a television show and in movies, played by actor Simon Trent. As a child, Bruce Wayne would often watch The Gray Ghost with his father, and the dynamic costumed vigilante would be part of the inspiration for Bruce to become one himself later in life, donning the cape and cowl of Batman.
Years later, Trent is a washed-up and typecast actor unable to pay his rent, reduced to selling his memorabilia to cover the bills. He later meets Batman and finds out that all of Batman's belongings and the Batcave have been inspired by the Gray Ghost. Trent redeems his fame by helping Batman solve a case that is identical to an episode of his own show: The villain turned out to be an obsessive toy collector (voiced by series producer Bruce Timm) who used Trent's memorabilia to blackmail the city with bomb threats. The story ends with a major home video release of the long lost TV series using Trent's personal film collection, which makes him a wealthy man and possibly revitalizes his acting career. When Bruce Wayne arrives at one of the conventions where Trent is signing autographs, Wayne gives a hint of his secret identity as Batman to the actor. Trent seemingly understands, as he smiles delightedly in response.
In the Justice League Unlimited episode "Epilogue", Terry McGinnis and his family are shown leaving a theatre playing "The Grey Ghost Strikes" while the Phantasm is waiting to murder his parents. This indicates that the Grey Ghost franchise continued to thrive well after the release of the television series. Although the Phantasm does not follow through, this scene parallels the traditional origin of Batman, where Bruce Wayne's parents are murdered as he and they leave The Mark of Zorro. This is actually the intention of characters within the show; Amanda Waller hired the Phantasm to recreate Batman in Terry. (These events occurred between the end of Justice League Unlimited and the beginning of Batman Beyond.)
One of the original costumes for the Gray Ghost hangs in the Batcave. In the Batman Beyond episode "Black Out", Bruce Wayne dons the hat and goggles of the Gray Ghost to hide his identity from Inque, who had infiltrated the Batcave.
The following are the titles of The Gray Ghost episodes as written on the film reels owned by Simon Trent. The reels are also numbered, which shows where one or two episodes are still missing from the collection. This list also includes "The Mad Bomber", the episode which inspired the toy collector's crime spree. "Terror in the Sky" is also the title of an actual Batman: TAS episode (airdate November 12, 1992)
The Gray Ghost made a return appearance in an early issue of Batman: The Gotham Adventures in the late 1990s, and turned up again years later in the most recent Batman Adventures series in 2004, in a story about the making of a Gray Ghost film.
The Justice League Unlimited comic series also referenced the Gray Ghost in the Christmas-themed issue #28. Superman mentions that he had also watched the show as a child, and he was terrified by it but still loved it. The Gray Ghost toys play a key role during the issue.
The Gray Ghost also appears twice in Joe the Barbarian, once in the first issue and again in the seventh as one of his toy figures.
The 'Grey Ghost' (Grey, not Gray) appears in Batgirl vol. 2, #15 in 2011. He attempts to become the sidekick of Batgirl. His attire is similar to Dr. Mid-Nite, but in shades in gray. He also wields a shotgun. His real identity is Clancy Johnson.
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