Whiteface
Encyclopedia
Whiteface is a fictional comic book
supervillain
in Marvel Comics
. Created by Daniel Way
and Steve Dillon
, he was first introduced in Supreme Power: Nighthawk. He is the first supervillain
to appear in the Supreme Power
universe
that does not have any superhuman
abilities. Loosely based on DC Comics
's the Joker
, he is the first major antagonist to face Nighthawk (a character based on DC's Batman
).
in a small town in southern Illinois
, was convicted of poisoning a mother and her children by giving them a toxin
disguised as prescription medicine. While the police initially assumed a murder
/suicide
, a clerk from the pharmacy came forward to identify Binst as having given the family the pills. During the FBI's investigation, it found a laboratory with a large stockpile of the toxin, which he was apparently testing before widescale use; the FBI and the courts were unable to elicit an explanation from Binst for his actions. In prison, he was placed in solitary confinement
for his own protection, but was brutalized and rape
d by unidentified attackers, who left him in a catatonic state
and with two distinctive scars running down from either side of his mouth.
. As the death count rises to 3800 over three days, the governor is helpless to stop the circulation of poisoned drugs. Nighthawk interrogates a federal judge to try to find the supplier, to no avail. Later Binst, made up as a clown and calling himself Whiteface, goes to a birthday party for the mayor's six-year-old son, killing the mayor's son and wife using poisoned helium
balloons. The grief-stricken mayor commits suicide during a press conference, but not before calling on Nighthawk to kill Binst.
A manhunt
for the killer starts in Grant Park
, where the mayor's wife first met Whiteface. Nighthawk tracks him down to an abandoned warehouse, but Whiteface knocks him unconscious with a sleeping gas. After escaping, Nighthawk is exposed to the poison. As his civilian alter ego
, Kyle Richmond, Nighthawk visits Dr. Arredondo, who had helped him in the past. She now knows his secret identity
; after kissing him, he asks about a little baby he saved named "Baby Doe". After Kyle leaves, Dr. Arredondo goes to the nursery to look in on Baby Doe. Just then, Whiteface enters, kills Dr. Arredondo and takes Baby Doe.
After finding Dr. Arredondo dead, Nighthawk goes looking for Whiteface. The Deputy Mayor of Chicago gives a press conference and says that "Whiteface is dead". Nighthawk tracks Whiteface, with Baby Doe in hand, to a water treatment plant.
Whiteface makes the claim to Nighthawk that they're two sides of the same coin, and deep down need each other. Whiteface tosses the child in the water, thinking Nighthawk cannot stop him and save the child at the same time. Nighthawk shoots Whiteface with a harpoon gun that pierces through his chest and, using Whiteface as an "anchor", dives in the water to save the baby. After Nighthawk saves the child, Whiteface offers his surrender. Nighthawk instead rips the harpoon out of Whiteface's chest, eviscerating him in the process. Nighthawk then kills Whiteface by snapping his neck and knocking him into the treatment water.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
in Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. Created by Daniel Way
Daniel Way
-Career:Way received the Xeric Foundation's Xeric Grant in 2000 for his first publication, Violent Lifestyle #1. Through Violent Lifestyle, Way was introduced to Marvel Comics editor Axel Alonso, who hired Way for a Deathlok mini-series that was cancelled prior to publication.Way's first published...
and Steve Dillon
Steve Dillon
Steve Dillon is a British comic book artist, from Luton, Bedfordshire, best known for his work with writer Garth Ennis on Hellblazer, Preacher and The Punisher.-Biography:...
, he was first introduced in Supreme Power: Nighthawk. He is the first supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
to appear in the Supreme Power
Supreme Power
The Squadron Supreme is a fictional superhero team that appears in publications under the mature-audience MAX imprint by Marvel Comics. The team first appears in Supreme Power #1 and was created by writer J...
universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
that does not have any superhuman
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
abilities. Loosely based on DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
's the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
, he is the first major antagonist to face Nighthawk (a character based on DC's Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
).
Early life
Steven Binst, originally a pharmacistPharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
in a small town in southern Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, was convicted of poisoning a mother and her children by giving them a toxin
Toxin
A toxin is a poisonous substance produced within living cells or organisms; man-made substances created by artificial processes are thus excluded...
disguised as prescription medicine. While the police initially assumed a murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
/suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, a clerk from the pharmacy came forward to identify Binst as having given the family the pills. During the FBI's investigation, it found a laboratory with a large stockpile of the toxin, which he was apparently testing before widescale use; the FBI and the courts were unable to elicit an explanation from Binst for his actions. In prison, he was placed in solitary confinement
Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement is a special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is isolated from any human contact, though often with the exception of members of prison staff. It is sometimes employed as a form of punishment beyond incarceration for a prisoner, and has been cited as an additional...
for his own protection, but was brutalized and rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d by unidentified attackers, who left him in a catatonic state
Catatonia
Catatonia is a state of neurogenic motor immobility, and behavioral abnormality manifested by stupor. It was first described in 1874: Die Katatonie oder das Spannungsirresein ....
and with two distinctive scars running down from either side of his mouth.
Nighthawk
After 10 years in prison, he has since escaped wearing the clown costume that would later become his criminal signature. Five weeks later, after saving a baby from death and taking him to a woman named Doctor Arredondo, Nighthawk sees an epidemic of drug addict deaths all over ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. As the death count rises to 3800 over three days, the governor is helpless to stop the circulation of poisoned drugs. Nighthawk interrogates a federal judge to try to find the supplier, to no avail. Later Binst, made up as a clown and calling himself Whiteface, goes to a birthday party for the mayor's six-year-old son, killing the mayor's son and wife using poisoned helium
Helium
Helium is the chemical element with atomic number 2 and an atomic weight of 4.002602, which is represented by the symbol He. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas that heads the noble gas group in the periodic table...
balloons. The grief-stricken mayor commits suicide during a press conference, but not before calling on Nighthawk to kill Binst.
A manhunt
Manhunt (law enforcement)
In law enforcement, a manhunt is a search for a dangerous fugitive involving the use of all available police units and technology and sometimes help from the public....
for the killer starts in Grant Park
Grant Park (Chicago)
Grant Park, with between the downtown Chicago Loop and Lake Michigan, offers many different attractions in its large open space. The park is generally flat. It is also crossed by large boulevards and even a bed of sunken railroad tracks...
, where the mayor's wife first met Whiteface. Nighthawk tracks him down to an abandoned warehouse, but Whiteface knocks him unconscious with a sleeping gas. After escaping, Nighthawk is exposed to the poison. As his civilian alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
, Kyle Richmond, Nighthawk visits Dr. Arredondo, who had helped him in the past. She now knows his secret identity
Secret identity
A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
; after kissing him, he asks about a little baby he saved named "Baby Doe". After Kyle leaves, Dr. Arredondo goes to the nursery to look in on Baby Doe. Just then, Whiteface enters, kills Dr. Arredondo and takes Baby Doe.
After finding Dr. Arredondo dead, Nighthawk goes looking for Whiteface. The Deputy Mayor of Chicago gives a press conference and says that "Whiteface is dead". Nighthawk tracks Whiteface, with Baby Doe in hand, to a water treatment plant.
Whiteface makes the claim to Nighthawk that they're two sides of the same coin, and deep down need each other. Whiteface tosses the child in the water, thinking Nighthawk cannot stop him and save the child at the same time. Nighthawk shoots Whiteface with a harpoon gun that pierces through his chest and, using Whiteface as an "anchor", dives in the water to save the baby. After Nighthawk saves the child, Whiteface offers his surrender. Nighthawk instead rips the harpoon out of Whiteface's chest, eviscerating him in the process. Nighthawk then kills Whiteface by snapping his neck and knocking him into the treatment water.