| Doctor Mid-Nite | |
|---|---|
 Cover to JSA: All-Stars #6. Art by John Cassaday and Mark Lewis. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | McNider: All-American Comics #25 (April 1941) Chapel: Infinity Inc. #19 (October 1985) As Doctor Midnight: Infinity Inc. #21 (December 1985) Cross: Doctor Mid-Nite #1 (September 1999) |
| Created by | McNider: Charles Reizenstein Stanley Josephs Aschmeier Chapel: Roy Thomas Todd McFarlane Cross: Matt Wagner John K. Snyder III |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Dr. Charles McNider Dr. Elizabeth Chapel Dr. Pieter Anton Cross |
| Species | Metahuman |
| Team affiliations | All: Justice Society of America McNider: All-Star Squadron U.S. Medical Corps Black Lantern Corps Justice League Chapel: Infinity, Inc. Shadow Fighters |
| Notable aliases | McNider: Starman Chapel: Doctor Midnight |
| Abilities | All: Perfect night vision Ability to see in the dark via infrared lenses McNider: Brilliant doctor and mathematician Gifted physician and author Superb athlete and hand to hand combatant Employs "blackout bombs" Cross: Great physician and scientist Employs special ultrasonic lenses and "blackout bombs" |
Doctor Mid-Nite or Doctor Midnight is the name of multiple fictional superheroes in DC Comics.[1] The figure has been represented in the comics by three different individuals, Charles McNider, Beth Chapel, and Pieter Anton Cross. Dr. Mid-Nite was originally created by writer Charles Reizenstein and artist Stanley Josephs Aschmeier in 1941. The hero, represented first by Charles McNider, appeared for the first time in All-American Comics #25 (April 1941).[2] He continued in All-American Comics until issue #102 (Oct 1948).[3]
Like many Golden Age heroic characters, the original Doctor Mid-Nite appeared as a member of DC's Justice Society of America. His two successors were also represented as members of the group or an offshoot. Doctor Mid-Nite has never appeared as the solo protagonist of a regular title magazine, but the figure has been the subject of an anthology and a mini-series.
All three versions of Doctor Mid-Nite have exhibited the same basic features: a cowled costume featuring a crescent moon symbol, keen ability to see in the darkness at the cost of near or total blindness in sunlight, the use of special visors and "blackout" smoke bombs to gain tactical advantage in combat, a high degree of skill in martial arts, and jobs as physicians serving both normal human beings and "metahuman" superheroes. Additionally, two of the doctors have been accompanied by sidekick owls.
As a blind character, Doctor Mid-Nite is widely regarded as the first superhero in comics to exhibit a physical impairment, pre-dating the creation of Daredevil of Marvel Comics by more than twenty years.
Charles McNider made his live-action debut in the second season of Legends of Tomorrow played by Kwesi Ameyaw. Charles McNider also appears in Stargirl, portrayed by Henry Thomas in season one and Alex Collins in season two, alongside Beth Chapel, portrayed by Anjelika Washington.
- ^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide pto the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 92. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
- ^ Greenberger, Robert (2008), "Doctor Mid-Nite I & II", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.), The DC Comics Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, p. 104, ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1, OCLC 213309017
- ^ Benton, Mike (1992). Superhero Comics of the Golden Age: The Illustrated History. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company. p. 147. ISBN 0-87833-808-X. Retrieved 8 April 2020.