Cavalier (character) explained

Cavalier (Mortimer Drake) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

Publication history

The character first appeared in Detective Comics #81 (November 1943) and was created by Don Cameron and Bob Kane.^[1]

Fictional character biography

Mortimer Drake

Mortimer Drake is a man of exotic and idiosyncratic taste who turns to crime to obtain exotic valuables for his collection.^{[2] [3]} His code of gallantry was important to him; in one story, he helps an old woman carry groceries while in the middle of making his escape.^[4]

Drake matched wits against Batman and Robin several times, and escaped them in each encounter, but Batman deduces the Cavalier's identity, leading to Drake's imprisonment.^[1]

In Batman Family #10 and #15, Cavalier allies with Killer Moth and temporarily abandons his code of honor to battle Batgirl.^{[5] [6]}

Before Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Cavalier existed on both Earth-One and Earth-Two. The stories where he harmed women are established as existing on Earth-B, an alternate Earth that includes various non-canon stories.^{[7] [8]}

Post-Crisis, Cavalier is revealed to be in a closeted gay relationship with Captain Stingaree.

In , Cavalier temporarily becomes Leslie Thompkins' bodyguard.^{[9] [10] [11]}

In The New 52 continuity reboot, Cavalier wields the strength-enhancing drug Venom.^[12]

Hudson Pyle

The second incarnation of Cavalier, Hudson Pyle, was created by writer James Robinson and writer Tim Sale, and first appeared in Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #32 (June 1992).^[13]

Pyle is an former Hollywood stuntman who becomes the vigilante Cavalier in search of fame. He battles Batman before being killed by police officers. In Blackest Night, Cavalier returns as a Black Lantern.^{[14] [15]}

DC Rebirth

An unidentified Cavalier resembling the Hudson Pyle incarnation appears in DC Rebirth as a member of the Suicide Squad before being killed during his first mission.^{[16] [17]}

Powers and abilities

While he has no superhuman abilities, the Cavalier is a skilled athlete, hand-to-hand combatant, and swordsman who carries a rapier that emits electric blasts.^[18] Additionally, the feather plume in his hat is a steel-tipped dart.

In other media

Television

• The Cavalier was considered to appear in The New Batman Adventures. Regarding the character, producer and writer Paul Dini once stated: "We've thought about using the Cavalier, and will probably get around to telling his story sooner or later". Later, Dini stated that the Cavalier's chances for an appearance in the series had become a "long shot". Ultimately, the Cavalier did not appear in the show.^[19]
• The Mortimer Drake incarnation of the Cavalier appears in , voiced by Greg Ellis.^[20]
• The Mortimer Drake incarnation of the Cavalier appears in the DC Super Hero Girls episode "#DramaQueen", voiced by Griffin Puatu. This version is a student and stage actor at Metropolis High School who holds a grudge against Zatanna for upstaging him in an elementary school play.

Video games

The Mortimer Drake incarnation of the Cavalier appears as a character summon in .^[21]

Miscellaneous

• The Cavalier appears in the BBC radio adaptation of , voiced by Kerry Shale.^[22]
• The Cavalier appears in The Batman Adventures #1.

See also

• List of Batman family enemies

External links

• DCU Guide: Cavalier (Mortimer Drake)
• DCU Guide: Cavalier (Hudson Pyle)

Notes and References

1. Book: Wallace, Dan . Cavalier . Dougall . Alastair . The DC Comics Encyclopedia . 76 . . New York . 2008 . 978-0-7566-4119-1 . 213309017.
2. Book: Fleisher . Michael L. . The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume 1: Batman . 1976 . Macmillan Publishing Co . 0-02-538700-6 . 29 March 2020 . 174–175.
3. Web site: The World's Finest - Backstage - Unused Villains Database - The Cavalier . Worldsfinestonline.com . 2010-12-30.
4. Book: Mitchell . Kurt . Thomas . Roy . American Comic Book Chronicles: 1940-1944 . 2019 . TwoMorrows Publishing . 978-1605490892 . 180.
5. Web site: Cosmic Treadmill - Batman Family #10 reference . Cosmictreadmill.com . 2004-06-10 . 2010-12-30 . 2011-06-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110604093443/http://www.comictreadmill.com/CTMBlogarchives/2004/2004_Individual/2004_06/000433.php . dead .
6. Web site: Cosmic Treadmill - Batman Family #15 reference . Cosmictreadmill.com . 2010-12-30 . 2010-12-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101223101456/http://www.comictreadmill.com/CTMBlogarchives/2004/2004_Monthly/2004_06.php . dead .
7. letter page on Who's Who: The Definitive Directory to the DC Universe #9 (November 1985)
8. Crisis on Infinite Earths: Absolute Edition (Nov. 2005)
9. Gotham Gazette: Batman Alive? #1 (July 2009)
10. Red Robin #16
11. Batman/Catwoman: Follow the Money #1 (Jan. 2011)
12. Batman: The Dark Knight (vol. 2) #2 (October 2011)
13. Book: Greenberger . Robert . The Essential Batman Encyclopedia . 2008 . Del Rey . 9780345501066 . 85.
14. Blackest Night #1 (September 2009)
15. Blackest Night #4 (December 2009)
16. Batman (vol. 3) #14
17. Suicide Squad (vol. 6) #1. DC Comics.
18. Book: Steranko . Jim . The Steranko History of Comics, vol 1 . 1970 . Supergraphics . 48.
19. Web site: The World's Finest - Backstage - Unused Villains Database - The Cavalier.
20. Web site: Cavalier / Mortimer Drake Voices (DC Universe) . August 4, 2024 . Behind The Voice Actors. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
21. Web site: Eisen . Andrew . October 2, 2013 . DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide . August 4, 2024 . IGN . en.
22. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Web site: Children's Topics & Stories Radio: Batman Knightfall full . YouTube.