User:Hunter Kahn/Mad Hatter

Creation
The Mad Hatter made his first appearance in Batman #49, published in November 1948, in a story called "The Scoop of the Century!" Introduced by writer Bill Finger and first drawn by Bob Kane, Lew Schwartz and Charles Paris, this first incarnation of the character appeared in the Earth-Two fictional universe of DC Comics. Dressed and acting like The Hatter from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter steals an expensive trophy from the Gotham City Yacht Club, in clear view of Batman's alter ego Bruce Wayne. He later tries to rob wealthy spectators at a horse show, but is thwarted by Batman and his sidekick Robin. The Mad Hatter pulls weapons from his top hat during fights with Batman, and at one point escapes by creating a cloud of smoke from chemicals stored inside the hat. He also leaves clues for Batman about plans for his upcoming crimes, in a similar style to other villains at that time like the Joker and the Penguin. With help from photojournalist Vicki Vale, who is also introduced in Batman #49, Batman and Robin discover the Mad Hatter's secret lair in an abandoned summer theater filled with sets from an Alice and Wonderland production. The Mad Hatter nearly chops Batman's head off with a huge axe, in the style of the Red Queen from Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass, but Batman subdues him after Vicki provides a momentary distraction by offering to take the Mad Hatter's photo.

Second Mad Hatter
The Mad Hatter next appeared in Detective Comics #230 in April 1956, in which he no longer bore a resemblance to the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland character. Obsessed with hats, this version of the character goes on a crime spree stealing famous and valuable hats from museums, and plots to make Batman's cowl the centerpiece of his collection. After several unsuccessful attempts to steal it, the Mad Hatter sprays the mask with a special chemical that makes it dangerously radioactive. When Batman visits an atomic energy lab and the technicians detect the radiation, he removes the cowl to have it decontaminated and the Mad Hatter steals it. Batman uses a super-powered Geiger counter to track the mask's radiation trail to the Mad Hatter's lair, where Batman apprehends the criminal before he can add the cowl to his collection.

During his next appearance in February 1964's Batman #161, the Mad Hatter escapes from prison and starts an elaborate string of robberies using trick hats as weapons. Batman quickly deduces that each crime bears the theme of the professions of the jurors who convicted. For example, because one of the jurors was a fireman, the Mad Hatter disguises himself as a firefighter for one robbery and uses a stolen fire engine as his getaway vehicle. Upon determining this pattern, Batman and Robin anticipate one of his crimes in advance and are able to apprehend the Mad Hatter and his henchmen.

Return of original Hatter
The original Mad Hatter, in the style of the Lewis Carroll character as he first appeared in 1948, reemerged in Detective Comics #510 in 1981. In that issue, Jervis Hetch explained that the different incarnation of the character was in fact an impostor posing as the Mad Hatter while the actual Hetch was imprisoned in an insane asylum after having been captured by Batman. CINEMATESQUE: supposedly disposed of a Hatter impostor

Weapons and technology
Starting in the 1980s, the Mad Hatter began employing mind-controlling devices to enslave and control his victims. A master hypnotist, Tetch uses electronic technology, chemical mixtures and implanted microchips for such crimes as extortion and kidnapping. Tetch generally avoids physical conflict himself and prefers to allow his mind-controlled victims to fight for him.

Physical appearances
Although the physical appearance of the Jervis Tetch has varied from appearance to appearance, most versions bear at least some resemblance to the Hatter character as illustrated by John Tenniel in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The costume generally includes a large top hat, overcoat and bow-tie, usually with a green color scheme. Most incarnations of the character are short and slight in stature, with a height around 4 feet and 8 inches. Tetch usually has red hair.

The most drastic deviation from the Lewis Carroll-type character came from the 1950s and 1960s, in the version of the Mad Hatter later described as an impostor. He did not wear the traditional top hat and overcoat costume and bore little resemblance to the character drawn by Tenniel. Although red-haired, this Mad Hatter was taller, with a mustache and wild haircut.

Television
The Mad Hatter made a handful of appearances on the Batman television series in 1966 and 1967, which ultimately increased the character's popularity to a wider audience. The character was portrayed by David Wayne, an actor best known for his Broadway theatre performances, who portrayed the Mad Hatter with a slight English accent. Like many versions of the comic book incarnation, he dressed like the Lewis Carroll character with a green jacket and top hat that opened up to reveal a hypnotic device. The Mad Hatter appeared in a pair of two-part episodes. In the first two, entitled "The Thirteenth Hat" and "Batman Stands Pat", he uses trick hats equipped with weapons to attack the jurors who previously convicted him, a storyline inspired by the plot from Batman #161 also featuring The Mad Hatter.

Notes to self

 * Did not yet incorporate the biography stuff from Teitelbaum.
 * This link