The Prankster was introduced to the new DC Universe in today’s issue of Nightwing, and now that you all have had a little time to digest the issue, we figured it was worth asking: Who’s behind that mask?The version of the character we see in this issue has very little in common with the suited, mustachioed Superman villain of the past. In fact, we’ve got some thoughts on his costume and look below.In any event, we’re going to discount people like Nightwing’s new roommate and random background bar patrons, because while they’re theoretically possible, they seem pretty unlikely in the face of decent candidates right in front of us.There are a number of options that stick out, so here are some thoughts:The Mayor of ChicagoHe’s got a suit, a smirk…and no name. Could we be seeing a version of the original Prankster in the way the Mayor comports himself in public, and then another “face” that he only breaks on on special occasions like we saw in today’s issue? We’ll find out soon enough, if a future episode refers to him by Oswald Loomis’s name.And, really, what better disguire for your incredibly well-known face than a total change of race and hair? If I were an older black man trying to hide my identity as a master cyber terrorist, I’d probably try to be a blonde-haired white guy, too.It certainly doesn’t seem unlikely, given the fact that the mayor seems less averse to the Prankster’s computer crimes than most mayors would be…but on the other hand, how would The Prankster have sent in the tip, if it were the Mayor (who didn’t appear to be in the bar), how would he have known Nightwing’s location to turn him in? (Answer: He’s a hacker, and that dude in the background taking cell phone pics was probably something he could access.)Johnny SpadeThe stilted way of speaking certainly seems to point you that way, doesn’t it? Both of the characters have a smooth way about them, a thin frame and choose to talk down to the people around them.Spade is also wearing a hat for the entire time we see him, meaning that we don’t have much to go on, in terms of whether he might be hiding an unruly mess of blonde hair under that skullcap.Mali/LisaThat full-body costume and full-face mask could be hiding something more than it seems. The “armored” look could, in fact, be forcing Mali’s breasts out of view (she’s not as massively-endowed as many comic book women, so this is actually a plausible possibility).She’s also got the floppy blonde hair–long enough to be Prankster’s, but not quite long enough to disqualify her. And what kind of prank would it be to lead everyone on for all that time that she’s a man, only not to be? Hell, maybe the other voice in her head IS a man.If it’s her, though, she must have been faking her whole psychotic break in the bar, because it sure seems like the person in the Prankster costume has it together better than she did…
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