| Calendar Man | ||
|---|---|---|
[[File: |250px]]Calendar Man (as seen in "Batman: The Long Halloween") Tim Sale, artist. | ||
| Publication information | ||
| Publisher(s) | DC Comics | |
| Debut | Detective Comics #259 (September 1958) | |
| Creators | Bill Finger Sheldon Moldoff (credited as Bob Kane) | |
| In-story information | ||
| Real name | Julian Gregory Day | |
| Alliances | The Misfits | |
Calendar Man (real name Julian Gregory Day) is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He was an enemy of Batman. He first appeared in Detective Comics #259 (September 1958). He was created by Bill Finger.[1]
Fictional character biography[]
Calendar Man is fascinated by dates and calendars – even his real name is a play on the Julian and Gregorian calendars. His crimes always have a relationship to the date that they are committed. The theme may be related to what day of the week it is or to a holiday or to a special anniversary on that date; he will plan his crime around that day. He often wears different costumes which correspond to the significance of the date, though he does have a main costume which has various numbers (meant to represent days on a calendar) sprouting from the shoulders.[1]
After his first appearance, in which his crimes were based on the seasons of the year, his next appearance was in Batman #312 (June 1979), where his crimes were based on the days of the week, and his costumes reflected the Norse gods they were named for, along with Saturn. On Sunday he did not commit any robberies as it is a day of rest and he was planning to leave town. This issue also marked the first appearance of his most commonly known "calendar cape" costume. His next appearance in Batman #384-385 (June–July 1985), sees the Calendar Man at the onset of the Crisis being used as a pawn of the Monitor in an attempt to find someone to potentially eliminate the Batman for profit. In this instance, the Calendar Man's theme is holidays, and he attempts to use the young Jason Todd, as Robin, as the Batman's Achilles' heel with the promise of his demise on the first day of Spring, but it is ultimately Robin who is responsible for his defeat.
Because his crimes are generally petty and often ridiculous in nature, he is notorious among both heroes and villains alike for being something of a joke. Consequently, his post-Crisis appearances have been few and far between. He was once recruited by Killer Moth to form the villain team known as "The Misfits".
His best-known latter day appearance is in the mini-series Batman: The Long Halloween, where he is portrayed as a Hannibal Lecter-like figure, offering insight in Batman's search for Holiday, a serial killer who uses holidays as his modus operandi. Like Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, Calendar Man knows who the killer is and keeps this information to himself, choosing instead to taunt the heroes with cryptic clues. He returns in that story's sequel, Batman: Dark Victory. In both stories, he is bitter that the new murderous rogues have taken the attention off him; Day fears that he is being forgotten. He is seriously harmed by Sofia Falcone near the end of Dark Victory, described as being barely alive and having his jaw broken.
Calendar Man is also known for teaming up with Catman and Killer Moth as part of The Misfits, a group of third-rate villains trying to prove themselves, in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #7-9 (1992–1993).[1] Also, he is among the Arkham Asylum inmates freed by Bane in Batman: Knightfall, but he is easily recaptured by Power Girl shortly after his escape.
He appears in Team Titans #14 (Nov '93). He and several other time-based villains, including Time Commander, fight the title's heroes over a valued hourglass.
Day appears in the third issue of the 80 Page Giant Batman Special Edition (July 2000) entitled "All the Deadly Days". He has acquired a new high-tech costume, and moves up to more grandiose crimes.
Day makes an appearance in the alternate reality story Superman: Arkham (beginning in Superman Vol. 2 #160). As the story begins, the Joker has recently stolen the reality-altering powers of Superman's enemy Mr. Mxyzptlk. In the warped planet Earth created by the Joker, Superman is a prisoner of Arkham Asylum, in the custody of warden Solomon Grundy and his assistant Calendar Man. Day's appearance is carried over from his revitalization in Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory, which was also written by Jeph Loeb.
Day appears in Harley Quinn's series, as an inside informant to the fugitive.
In Week 20 of the weekly series 52, a radio broadcasts a message saying that Calendar Man was left tied up for the cops in Gotham City, even though there is no Batman. It is revealed the new heroine Batwoman was responsible for his capture.[2]
Other versions[]
- The Batman: Brave and the Bold version of Calendar Man appears in the story "Last Christmas!" He plans a Christmas crime, only to encounter Batman. When a zeta beam teleports Batman away, he claims it to be a Christmas Miracle, minutes before Earth is destroyed. After Batman and Adam Strange restore Earth, Batman proceeds to easily defeat Calendar Man.
- An older Calendar Man appears in the Batman Beyond comic book arc "Hush Beyond". From his wheelchair, he builds a greeting card rigged to explode, intending to kill Commissioner Gordon. Batman arrives to stop him, only to be confronted by Hush.[3] Hush mentions that Batman's "true family" is his many enemies and he plans to destroy it. He then proceeds to kill Calendar Man.[4]
In other media[]
Television[]
- A female variation of the character named Calendar Girl appears in The New Batman Adventures voiced by Sela Ward. She wears a mask due to mental scars (physically, she is still perfect) and plans her crimes around the Four Seasons, with a different costume corresponding to each season.
- Calendar Man appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Legends of the Dark-Mite!" voiced by Jim Piddock.[5] When Bat-Mite wants to summon a villain for Batman to fight, the Dark Knight tricks him into summoning Calendar Man, then secretly tells the confused villain to play along and pretends to knock him out. Displeased, Bat-Mite uses his reality-warping powers to upgrade the villain into Calendar King, with the power to conjure monsters and henchmen themed after various holidays (including Jack O'Lantern Monsters, Santa Claus-themed bikers, uber-patriotic Uncle Sams, and Mutant Easter Bunnies). After the henchmen and Calendar King are defeated, Bat-Mite restores him to normal and sends him away. He was later seen in "Mayhem of the Music Meister" as an inmate of Arkham Asylum. In "A Bat Divided," Calendar Man is seen hanging out with the bad guys at a bar until Firestorm and the three Batmen show up.
Video games[]
- Calendar Man's cell is featured in Batman: Arkham Asylum. The wall is covered with calendar pages.
- Calendar Man appears in the sequel to Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, voiced by Maurice LaMarche. This version of Calendar Man is somewhat obese, has a slightly shorter right leg (with a brace and platform shoe), and features the calendar tattoos on his head seen in Batman: Dark Victory (although here they more resemble scars). Calendar Man had been occupying the Solomon Wayne Courthouse, trapping anyone who entered and killing them on the next holiday; just before the game begins, Two-Face and his minions capture the courthouse and lock Day in a cell in the basement. Calendar Man is featured in a similar manner as in Batman: The Long Halloween, talking to the Dark Knight through a glass cell. If the player speaks with him on certain holidays (New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, Saint Patrick's Day, April Fools' Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Independence Day (United States), the Feast Day of Saint Roch, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day), he will relate a story about a crime he committed on that specific day.[6] If the player hears all twelve stories, the next time he comes to the courthouse Day will have escaped, leaving one of Two-Face's minions hanging dead from the ceiling of his cell. If the player visits Calendar Man as Catwoman, he will bring up an incident involving both her and the Falcone family and will imply that Carmine Falcone might be Catwoman's father.
Musicals[]
- Calendar Man was featured in StarKid Productions ' production of Holy Musical B@man!, where he showed up at T.G.I. Friday's trying to steal their memorabilia. He is then defeated by Batman and Robin. He was portrayed by Lauren Lopez.
See also[]
- List of Batman Family enemies
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Wallace, Dan (2008). "Calendar Man". In Dougall, Alastair. The DC Comics Encyclopedia. New York: Dorling Kindersley. p. 65. ISBN 0-7566-4119-5. OCLC 213309017Template:Inconsistent citations
- ↑ "52" Week Twenty
- ↑ Batman Beyond #3 (July 2010)
- ↑ Batman Beyond #3 (August 2010)
- ↑ "Interview". Collider.com. 2008-08-18. http://www.collider.com/entertainment/interviews/article.asp/aid/8890/tcid/1. Retrieved 2010-12-29.
- ↑ http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/07/27/arkham-city-game-demo/
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