The Black Condor
Personal information
Real Name: Richard Grey Jr., (aka Thomas Knight)
Residence: New York City, New York
Occupation: Volcanologist, adventurer
First Appearance (Golden Age): Crack Comics #1
First Appearance (Post-Golden Age): Justice League of America #107
Character History
Richard Grey Jr. was born 1915, the son of explorer Major Richard Grey and his wife. When Richard Jr was a babe, the Grey were exploring remote parts of Mongolia when they were ambushed by Yakki raiders, Mongol horsemen who slaughter everyone in the camp save the infant Richard, whom his mother has secreted away in the cleft of some rocks. A lone condor surveys the scene and as the infant emerges, he is snatched up carried to the condor's nest. Rather than feeding the young Grey to her hatchlings, the condor fosters the infant as her own.
Overtime, the young boy longs to fly as his foster siblings do. He fails repeated to fly until years later, he discovers a way to glide along air currents. He spends months in youthful exuberance until one day he is targeted by a flock of predatory eagles and badly injured. Falling from the sky, he lands near the home of an old hermit, Father Pierre. The aged monk re-introduces Grey to his humanity and names him Black Condor for his hair color and his ability to fly. For a year Black Condor re-integrates into human society until Pierre is also killed by raiders, this time led by Gali Kan. As his mentor dies, he councils Black Condor to use his abilities for good and the youth resolves to fight evil from the air.
For the next few years, the Black Condor is a scourge over the Asian skies. He eventually encounters Gali Kan, defeating his raiders and dropping the warlord himself to his death from 500 ft (Crack Comics #1). He attracts international attention saving wealthy heirs in Hindustan (Crack Comics #2), overthrowing despot Lin Fang (Crack Comics #3) and breaking up a kidnapping ring on Ceylon (Crack Comics #5).
In late 1940. he return to his home country of the United States and continued to his activities there. He disrupted the plans of a midget megalomaniac to attack the capirol with men on kites (Crack Comics #6), defeated the rebellious Waquo Indians (Crack Comics #7) and defeats an army of drill machines created by a Chinese scientist that become sentient (Crack Comics #8).
In early 1941, a life-changing event befell the Black Condor when he witnessed the death of Senator Tom Wright. The young politician had crossed elder Senator Jasper Crow, a whose extensive political machine was the source of extensive graft. When Wright revolted against Crow's control, Crow first leaned on him, then threatened him. Unbowed, Wright is picked up by the Senator and his henchmen and when he remained defiant, shot and thrown out of the car on an abandoned road. The Black Condor happened across him and listened to his dying words. Struck by the physical similarity between himself, he decides to assume Wright's identity and shocks Crow by appearing on the Senate floor and voting as Wright would have. Thwarted, Crow resolves to get to the bottom of Wright's survival (Crack Comics #11).
For the next year, Grey - as Wright - worked in the Senate and undermined Crow's activities. He helped reformed labor laws through which Crow exercised grift (Crack Comics #12), prevented a take over of Great Northern steelworks (Crack Comics #16) and captured Crow's lackey, Mysto the Hindu (Crack Comics #20). Crow furiously attempted to undermine the Black Condor, even hiring someone to impersonate him (Crack Comics #14) and eventually learned of his origins in Mongolia. Luring him there expecting to have a final revenge, Crow is left wandering with heat exhaustion in a valley of no return and is believed never to have been seen again (Crack Comics #25).
As the War began to heat up, the Black Condor encountered Axis forced including Nazis kidnapping entire trainloads of soldiers (Crack Comics #24) and the Japanese Black Dragon Society (Crack Comics #28). His fervor caught the attention of the All-Star Squadron, who invited him to join their ranks (All-Star Squadron #31). Black Condor among other heroes was frustrated by the government's instruction to remain at the home front and when Uncle Sam emerged from Earth-X revealing a world where Nazis were winning the upper hand, Black Condor enthusiastically volunteered to take the fight to Earth-X. There Uncle Sam and his new Freedom Fighters engage Baron Blitzkrieg and while they eventually gain the upper hand and banish him back to Earth-Two, the Red Bee is killed in the process and the Black Condor, Ray and Uncle Sam are stranded on Earth-X (A;;-Star Squadron #32-35). Black Condor's activities on Earth-X are largely unrecorded for the next 30 years, tho he did briefly join his fellow Freedom Fighters in expanding their ranks on Earth-X during the Crisis on Infinite Earths (All-Star Squadron #50).
In the 1970's, a transmatter cube accident caused by the Red Tornado resulted in the appearance of the Justice League and Justice Society on Earth-X. After being attacked by Nazis, the Freedom Fighters explain their predictament - rule by Nazi mind control - and the heroes of Earths One and Two pledge their assistance. They split into teams with Black Condor joining Uncle Sam, the Elongated Man and the Sandman in destroying a mind control device hidden in Mount Rushmore. When they and the other teams success but the mind-control persists, it reveals the existence of a sentient AI controlling earth from an orbiting satellite. When the Red Tornado destroys it, humanity's free will is restored and the Freedom Fighters celebrated as heroes (Justice League of America #107-108).
Roughly a year or two later, the Freedom Fighters are bored on recovering Earth-X and feel a lack of purpose. Deciding to return their favor to Earth-One, the travel there to begin a life of crime-fighting. Initially welcome, their reputations eventually suffer and they become perceived as outlaws. Moreover, an encounter with demon Homilus causes the Black Condor to manifest telekinetic powers, ultimately mutated him and his fellow Freedom Fighters. The extent to which these powers persist after they are cured of Homilus' influence is unclear. While the eventually clear their names, they still struggle for a role on Earth-One (Freedom Fighters #1-15). In parallel, the Silver Ghost - a long time adversary from Earth-X - seeks a final confrontation by employing the Secret Society of Super-Villains (Secret Society of Super-Villains #15, Unpublished #16 and 17). Though the Freedom Fighters eventually win, the resolve to return to Earth-X and see if they can find a new role in the home dimension,
Returning to Earth-X, the find that it has one more fallen under Nazi influence and their struggles begin anew (DC Comics Presents #62). They are eventually caught up in the Crisis on Infinite Earths and Black Condor is alive and active at that time. The fate of the Black Condor of Earth-Two in the Earth-X timeline after the Crisis is unrevealed.
Powers and Abilities
The Black Condor had the unique gift of flight, the exact nature of which is unknown. He could soar several hundred feet in the air, largely riding currents like large birds. It is unlikely he could fly into reaches of space with low atmospheric pressure. He wielded a "black light gun", the origins and nature of which are unknown. He possessed an elite atheletic, if not super human body, and was a superb hand-to-hand combatant, especially combined with the advantages provided by flight.
Weaknesses and Limitations
The Black Condor, other than his powers of flight, was an ordinary human with human vulnerabilities allowing him to be injured as such. The exact limits on his abilities of flight re unknown.
Multiversity
Prior Earth-0
The history of Richard Grey in the Post-Crisis Earth-0 timeline is thought to be largely identical to his Earth-Two counterpart. Subtractions include his move across the multiverse and additions include exposure to a meteor near his foster mother condor's next that explains his powers of flight (Secret Origins Vol. 2 #21).
After the Freedom Fighters disbanded after Crisis, the fate of Black Condor is largely unknown. He appeared in a ghostly formed to the second Black Condor Ryan Kendall (Black Condor #4,10) but whether that means he is deceased or communicating from some other realm is unknown.
Earth-10
The history of Richard Grey in the Earth-10 timeline is largely unknown. He was active with the Freedom Fighters until they are discovered in the 1960's and captured by the PlaSStic Men, leading to the Condor's execution by the Nazi government (Freedom Fighters Vol 3. #1).
Earth-22
A version of Black Condor who resembles Richard Grey exists in the Earth-22 timeline and was present in the 1950's battle against the Ultra-Humanite and Dynaman (The Golden Age LS). The fate of this individual is unknown. A latter-day version of Condor exists in this timeline as part of Batman's Silent Calvary but his killed in the UN attack on the Gulag (Kingdom Come LS).
Golden Age Appearances of The Black Condor
Post-Golden Age Appearances
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Issue |
Comment |
Reprinted in |
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Moves to Earth-X |
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Recruits other heroes to Earth-X |
Crisis on Infinite Earths Deluxe Companion #1 |
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Crisis on Infinite Earths HC, Crisis on Infinite Earths TPB, Absolute Crisis on Infinite Earths HC, Absolute Crisis on Infinite Earths HC |
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Helps save the Constitution on Earth-One |
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Freedom Fighters #1-15 |
With the Freedom Fighters on Earth-One |
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First Silver Age Appearance, with the JLA, JSA and the Freedom Fighters
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Crisis on Multiple Earths Vol. 3 TPB, Showcase Presents: The Justice League of America #6, Justice League of America: The Bronze Age Omnibus #1 |
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Targeted by the Silver Ghost with the rest of the Freedom Fighters |
Secret Society of Super-Villains HC Vol. 2 |
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Secret Society of Super-Villains #16 amd 17 (Unpublished) |
Vs the Silver Ghost and his allies in the Secret Society |
Secret Society of Super-Villains HC Vol. 2, Cancelled Comics Cavalcade #2 |