The history of the criminal known as Dr. Glisten is unknown prior to 1942 when he attempted to mount an expedition as a pirate sealord operating out of New York City.   Glisten had acquired a moderate sized submarine and began shanghaiing experienced sailors to man it, including criminals, subversives and hypnotized navy men.  In the spring of that year, Glisten had targeted Frank Preston, a submarine captain who was apprehended leaving a club town.  When the car driven by Glisten’s henchmen crashed into Preston’s cab, it caught the attention of Hourman on his nightly patrol.  Hourman struggled with kidnappers but was rendered dazed by a blow from behind and Preston was taken, leaving only behind a piece of rope from the bonds they had used on him.  When Hourman recovered a by-stander named Carson informed him the police were on the way.

Preston was secreted to Glisten’s submarine where he was presented to the villain himself, a criminal surrounded with an eerie glow.  Glisten used potent power of hypnosis to bring Preston under his sway, completed his crew.  The next day, Glisten, disguised as a clerk at naval stores, received a visit from Rex Tyler investigating the piece of rope.  Surprised when Carson entered the shop, Tyler beat a hasty retreat to return as Hourman.  Crashing in on Carson, Hourman thrashed the assembled lackey’s and demanded to be taken to Preston.  He finds him the presence of Dr. Glisten, who uses telekinetic powers to levitate Hourman on the floor helpless, until Hourman use the glimmer of his hourglass necklace to break the spell and crash to the floor where he quickly subdues Glisten and free the entranced sailors.  As the liberated Preston subdues Carson, Glisten is left to naval authorities.

The further activities of Dr. Glisten, if any, are unknown.