A
super-hero created by
Charles Reizenstein and
Stan Asch
for
DC Comics. He first appeared in
All-American Comics #25
in April 1941.
Charles McNider was a well-known and respected surgeon when
he was called upon by the police to save the life of an
injured mob informant. The informant, a man named Brown,
had evidence that would bring to justice local mob boss,
"Boss" Maroni. While McNider was tending to Brown's injuries,
one of Maroni's men lobbed a hand grenade into the room, killing
Brown and blinding McNider. Though his medical practice was
at an end, McNider took to writing crime novels.
McNider's life might have stayed like this had it not been for
an evening in his study when an owl came crashing through the
window, knocking over McNider's lamp. Startled, McNider pulled
the bandages from his eyes and discovered much to his amazement
that he could see in the dark. Only when the lamp was turned back
on did McNider realize that he could only see in darkness and
that he was still blind in the light of a lamp or in sunlight.
Fashioning a pair of infrared glasses to compensate for his
light-blindness, McNider created a costumed identity as Dr. Mid-Nite.
Dr. Mid-Nite fought crime using his formidable hand-to-hand prowess
and his blackout bombs, smoke bombs that blocked out the light
allowing Mid-Nite to see when other could not.
Dr. Mid-Nite adopted the owl that crashed through his window calling
him Hooty and with the help of his nurse Myra Mason brought
Boss Maroni to justice.
Dr. Mid-Nite went on to join the Justice Society of America
and the All-Star Squadron. He had a long career finally dying
from heart failure during the Zero Hour crisis, from advanced
aging.
For a short time, Dr. Beth Chapel, one of McNider's residents,
took up the mantle of Dr. Mid-Nite after being blinded. She was
later killed by the villain Eclipso, leaving the name of Dr. Mid-Nite
unused at present.