Weeper
The Weeper (Mortimer Gloom) is a fictitious comic book supervillain, originally published by Fawcett Comics and today owned by DC Comics. He first appeared in Master Comics #23 in February 1942.
The arch-foe of Bulletman and Bulletgirl, the Weeper is capable of the most brutal of murders, but sheds tears for his victims; he hates to see people happy but feels bad after he hurts them. The Weeper wears a blue opera cape, a top hat and carries a small walking stick and tear gas bombs. He also drives a hearse and is accompanied by his henchman, The Bittermen.
Fictional character biography
Origin story
Mortimer Gloom was a circus performer. He was known as the Crying Clown or Weeping Willie. He was fired for being dishonest. Sometime afterward he committed several acts of revenge. He later took on the name, The Weeper.
On Thanksgiving, The Weeper sent letters and visited a number of families telling them tragic news. He told one family their son died in the war. Another family, the father was fired from his job after years of dutiful service. Another family, he told the husband his business burned to the ground. Later the families discovered it was not true. The Weeper told them this so he could either case their homes for robbery or they would lead him to where they hid their valuable possessions.
The Weeper put an ad in the paper looking for men who felt life had given them a raw deal. A lot of men replied to the ad. He interviewed them all and picked ten of the saddest men. He called them the Bitterman. The Weeper along with his Henchmen, the Bittermen, set out to make the lives of other people very unhappy.
They started by riding through a parade in a hearse and tossing tear gas into the crowd. This causes a stampede which kills a great many people. The Weeper drives through the street littered with dead bodies weeping at that horrible tragedy.
They commit a series of ghastly acts.
Sometime after being defeated by Bulletman and Bulletgirl, the Weeper returns and looks to gather his Bittermen back together. One of them refuses, saying he makes enough money now to choke a horse and he is very happy. The Weeper replies saying he hates to hear that people are happy. The next day the man is found dead after having choked on his wad of money.
The Weeper then shows his other Bittermen the paper of what happened to the other guy. Fearing for their lives they join his group again. The Weeper is later betrayed by one of them. That person also narrates the story.
Revenge Syndicate
The Weeper was a member of the Revenge Syndicate. they were a villain team started by The Murder Prophet and joined by The Weeper and the Black Rat. At first they were at odds with each one wanting to be the chief of the group. The Weeper came up with the idea that they roll dice to see who would be chief. the person with the highest roll would go first; the person with the second highest would go second; and the person with the third highest would go third.
The Murder Prophet won the first roll. His plan was to rob a museum. Bulletman and Bulletgirl stopped them.
The Weeper went second. His plan was for the Murder Prophet to pretend to be a psychic at a carnival. The Murder Prophet told a rich woman to move her money so it would not be stolen. They were going to steal the money while it was being moved. Bulletman and Bulletgirl stopped them. They lifted the car they were in and threw it in the lake. The Black Rat saved The Murder Prophet and The Weeper.
The three realized that Bulletman had thwarted their plans prior and they needed to eliminate him if they ever wanted to succeed.
The Black Rat went third. His plan was to send out a radio broadcast to lure Bulletman to an abandon shack. They set up a dummy of the Black Rat. Bulletman and Bulletgirl went inside the shack. The revenge Sundicate went inside and beat up Bulletman. To their surprise Bulletman had set up a dummy of his own. Bulletman and Bulletgirl beat them up and arrested them.
Weeper II
At some point, the Weeper died and was replaced by his son, The Weeper II. He appeared in Mary Marvel Comics #8 in which Bulletgirl guest-starred. The two heroines fought him and Dr. Riddle. The Weeper II says, "My father, the true Weeper, is dead -- Sob! But I am carrying on with his name!"
The Weeper meets The Joker
The Weeper teamed up with the Joker in Justice League of America issue #136, published in 1976 by DC Comics, who had publishing rights to the Fawcett characters by then. The issue featured members of the Justice League traveling to Earth-S and meeting Shazam's Squadron of Justice--Bulletman and Bulletgirl, Mister Scarlet and Pinky the Whiz Kid, Ibis the Invincible and the Spy Smasher.
The Joker was teaching the Weeper his style of committing crimes. They are stopped by Batman, Robin, Mister Scarlet and Pinky. Robin is unaffected by the Weeper's tear gas because he is wearing contact lenses.
[Note: Weeper II's encounter with the Joker of Earth-Two does not fit in with current continuity.]
Appearances
The Weeper
Master Comics #23 (February 1942): "The Weeper" -- The murderer who mourned his victims! - First Appearance [Fawcett]
Master Comics #30 (September 1942): "The Return of the Weeper" [Fawcett]
Bulletman #7 (September 16, 1942): "The Revenge Syndicate" [Fawcett]
Bulletman #10 (December 1942): "The Weeper" [Fawcett]
The Weeper II
Mary Marvel Comics #8 (December 1946) [Fawcett]
Justice League of America #136 (October 1976) [DC Comics]
Translation
The word "Weeper" occurs as such in the following languages: English, Italian.
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