A
super-hero published by
DC Comics and created by
Steve Ditko. The Creeper first
appeared in
Showcase #73
Jack Ryder was a investigative reporter for a television
show. He was rough, hard-nosed, and abrasive, which soon
lead to him being unemployed. Seeking a way back into the
limelight, Ryder began investigating a scientist named
Professor Yatz. Yatz had supposedly made some incredible
new discovery that was soon to be revealed. Unbeknownst to
either the Professor or Ryder, the discovery also had made
Yatz a target of Soviet agents who wanted this new technology
for themselves.
Ryder followed Yatz to a costume party, dressed in a makeshift
costume with a green wig and red sheepskin cape. At the party
Yatz was attacked by his would-be kidnappers and Ryder was stabbed
in the side, seriously wounding him. Yatz realized that his inventions
were about to fall into the Soviet's hands and decided to
keep them safe. He placed in Ryder's wound an activator which
when pressed would make the wearer's clothing intangible and
invisible. He then gave Ryder a formula that boosted the
users ability to heal, giving him super-human resilience.
Ryder recovered immediately and watched as Yatz was gunned down
by the agents. Using an otherworldly voice and capering wildly,
Ryder was able to throw off his opponents and defeat them. Realizing
that he could use his newfound abilities to do good, Ryder began fighting crime as the Creeper.
The Creeper adventured for many years. For a time, Ryder was
driven insane by the formula Yatz had used. He did not know
that he was the Creeper and attempted to hunt down the Creeper's
indentity, believing him to be a menace. With the help of
the Batman, Ryder's insanity was cured.
The Creeper was killed by the evil entity Eclipso in Eclipso
#13, a house-cleaning exercise by the editors of DC comics to
kill off a number of minor heroes who had accumulated over the
years.