| The Madmen | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Blue Beetle # 3 (1967) |
| Created by | Steve Ditko David Glanzman |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Farley Fleeter Others unknown |
| Team affiliations | Secret Society of Super Villains |
The Madmen are a team of villains in the DC Comics created by Steve Ditko and David Glanzman. The Madmen first appeared in Blue Beetle #3 (1967). They were originally owned by Charlton Comics but DC later acquired the rights to the characters.
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Looking to make money, Farley Fleeter transformed his gang into a group of supervillains. The gang donned wigs, face paint, and multicolored costumes and started robbing banks. This brought them to the attention of Blue Beetle (Ted Kord).
During the fight the Madmen gained control of Beetle's gun but could not figure out how to use it. The public did not know what powers the gun possessed; the Madmen took advantage of this to enhance their crimes. Blue Beetle eventually regained his gun (only containing a strobe light) and apprehended the Madmen. After serving their sentences, the Madmen retired until they were paid to attack Kord Industries by Doctor Alchemy. Once again they were jailed.
The Madmen became a more persistent annoyance to Blue Beetle. They returned to face him time and again only to be defeated after each attempt. Fleeter, however, was not discouraged. Taking a job at Georgetown University to steal drugs, he was involved in an accident that gave him the power to mentally control anyone he touched. He used this power to create an army of Madmen, but was defeated in a confrontation with Hawk and Dove and sent to Belle Reve prison.
Sometime later, Fleeter was incarcerated at Arkham Asylum and was a victim of the Joker's venom. He caused problems in Gotham City until he was captured by the Beetle and Robin.
During the Infinite Crisis, the Madmen were invited to join Alexander Luthor, Jr.'s Secret Society of Super Villains. Their first assignment was to attack Blue Beetle. Though they failed, their actions led to his death. Next, they were given guard duty and were attacked by the Secret Six. During the Battle of Metropolis the Madmen were gunned down by Wild Dog, Crimson Avenger III, and Vigilante.[1]
One Year Later, some of the Madmen apparently survived the battle. They attacked Wonder Woman and Manhunter after Everyman appeared disguised as Blue Beetle. After attacking the trio, the Madmen dispersed. They later appeared as part of a group of villains attempting to defeat the new Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes. After suffering a blast from one of Jaime's weapons, the group beat a hasty retreat.[2]
The Madmen have no real powers, they are just a band of criminals that use a theme. They are usually reasonably skilled hand-to-hand combatants and sometimes they carry guns.