33 Years Ago Today, Batman Introduced One of Its Best New DC Characters and Paid Tribute to an Iconic Actor

Since his debut in Detective Comics #27, Batman has been the star of thousands of comics, countless TV shows, and some of the most popular movies of all time. Across his history of adaptation, there are some notable takes on the character, such as the 1966 live-action Batman TV series and the hit 1990s TV series, Batman: The Animated Series. Created by Eric Radomski and Bruce W. Timm, the show modernized the hero and his rogues’ gallery in huge ways, and its influence hasn’t stopped. Over thirty years later, Batman: The Animated Series remains one of the top-tier adaptations of the DC Comics character.

After giving fans the likes of Harley Quinn and reinventing characters like Clayface and Mister Freeze, Batman: The Animated Series had already cemented its place in the history of the Dark Knight Detective. Tack on to that the creation of characters like Renee Montoya and the series may only be second to Batman comics themselves in terms of lore influence. 33 years ago today, though, on November 4th, 1992, Batman: The Animated Series paid tribute to the larger mythology of Batman adaptations, but also gave him a character that would continue to live on in DC.

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Batman: The Animated Series Made an All-New Character for Adam West

Episode 18 of Batman: The Animated Series, titled “Beware the Gray Ghost,” may not immediately be the most popular of the show or the first one that fans think of when they reminisce, but it’s one with major importance. In the episode, bombs are going off across Gotham City, and Bruce realizes that whoever is perpetrating the explosions is following the same blueprint seen in an episode of an old, The Shadow-esque TV series, The Gray Ghost. As the episode carries on and Bruce continues his investigation, it becomes clear that this pulpy, noir superhero is a favorite of Bruce’s, and when he goes to meet the actor who played him on the series, fans are given a major surprise: Adam West as the voice of Simon Trent, aka The Gray Ghost.

Batman: The Animated Series executive producers Bruce Timm and Paul Dini have revealed that if they were unable to get Adam West to play the part of Trent, they would have scrapped the episode entirely. The reason behind this is that the idea behind the character is rooted in West’s place in pop culture, how the association with Batman led to him missing out on roles in his career, and being typecast as a certain kind of performer. To take the meta angle of the episode here to another level, Batman is actually saved by Trent in his classic Gray Ghost costume at one point, prompting the pair to team up.

The episode’s meta commentary on pop culture and fandom didn’t end with West appearing as a classic superhero that influenced a modern Batman, but extended to the villain as well. Though Bruce initially suspects that Trent might be involved in the bombings, it becomes clear that the actual attacker is Ted Dymer (voiced by Bruce Timm), a man obsessed with his toy collection who actually carries out the attacks in order to try and raise money to buy more toys. In the end, his toy shop burns to the ground when Batman and Gray Ghost catch him, delivering a statement on fandom that is as subtle as a chainsaw. At its conclusion, “Beware The Gray Ghost” was a passing-the-torch moment, with West’s voice work signaling that a new take on Batman was here to stay.

The Gray Ghost’s One Episode Gave DC an All-New Character

The Gray Ghost made his debut in DC lore in this episode of the series, but his arrival here, like so many other Batman: The Animated Series characters, would have a lasting impact. References to the character can be found in films like Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, video games like Batman: Arkham Knight, and fellow animated shows like Batman Beyond & Justice League Unlimited.

In the pages of DC Comics, a few different versions of the character have appeared. Simon Trent was introduced into the main DC continuity only very recently, appearing in the beloved Gotham Academy series. In that iteration, Trent is a former actor who actually has a rivalry with, you guessed it, the other famous actor in Batman lore, Clayface. Gray Ghost also makes an appearance in the Sean Gordon Murphy-created Batman: White Knight universe, which took most of its cues from his portrayal in Batman: The Animated Series, too.

Though he has continued to appear across DC Comics media sicne his debut, The Gray Ghost remains slightly underutilized. Part of this is that DC continuity and legacy heroes themselves remain somewhat nebulous, so a figure inspired by 1930s media doesn’t always have an obvious place. That said, Batman stories absolutely should utilize this character, especially since his creation was made in tribute to one of the greats.