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Quote1 It is all those who think themselves greater than the law -- above all society who should find fear in me -- and in the waiting noose of the Hangman! Quote2
The Hangman

History

Origin[]

Harlan Krueger was the product of another era. Growing up, he idolized Silver Screen action heroes like Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne, and Tom Mix. Through their adventures, he developed a very clear sense of good and evil. In his perception, there were no grey areas. Heroes were incorruptible, while villains were irredeemable. When he came of age, he enlisted in the United States armed services and served during World War II. Seeing the Nazi soldiers as the very epitome of evil, he savagely murdered as many enemy soldiers as possible. Despite his devout patriotism, his actions were considered not only above the call of duty, but recklessly unconscionable. Harlan was court-martialed and drummed out of the service. He attempted to continue his vow to combat evil by joining the police department, but his dishonorable discharge placed a a permanent stain on his employment record, and no police agency would hire him. Viewing law enforcement agencies as weak and corruptible, he decided to become a "crime-fighter" and adopted the guise of the Hangman.[1]

Attributes

Abilities

The Hangman was an above average hand-to-hand combatant, having received combat training during his time in the military. He was also skilled at lassoing, though he preferred using a noose to execute maneuvers, rather than a traditional lariat.

Weaknesses

Sociopath; delusional sense of right and wrong.[2]

Paraphernalia

Weapons

The Hangman carried two weapons as part of his crime-fighting arsenal. The first was a traditional Executioner's noose, measuring thirty-feet in length, and woven from half-inch hemp rope. The Hangman typically wore the rope around his waist as a makeshift belt when not in use, but as a weapon, he often used it for ensnaring and subsequently hanging his prey. In the event that he felt a perpetrator required more severe punishment, the Hangman wielded an eight-foot harvesting scythe. The top of the scythe was capped by a curved four-foot long single-edged steel blade.

Notes

  • Although the Hangman's demise was depicted in Bizarre Adventures #31 (published in 1982), his last published appearance was in Spider-Woman #50 (published in 1983). His appearance in Bizarre Adventures was in his own solo story which featured no other prominent characters and therefore could happen anytime. In this case, it happens after Spider-Woman #50.

See Also

Links and References

References

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