Red Bee

RED BEE

Real Name: Richard Raleigh

Class: Human

Occupation: Assistant district attorney

Group Affiliation: All-Star Squadron, Freedom Fighters

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Superior City, 1940s era

First Appearance: Hit Comics #1(July, 1940)

Powers: The Red Bee had a swarm of trained bees stored in his belt that could be unleashed on opponents. He was also a superb fighter.

History: (Hit Comics #1)-Rick Raleigh, an assistant D.A., decided to expedite the process of law and order by becoming the mysteryman Red Bee. He daringly fought crime with a swarm of trained bees, and in his first case he brought about the conviction of Boss Storm, head of a corrupt political machine.

(All-Star Squadron #31-35)-During WWII Red Bee joined the All-Star Squadron and was later a member of its’ affiliate branch the Freedom Fighters.

(JSA #42) - <April, 1944> Time traveling Black Barax attacked Washington to draw out Red Bee and the Freedom Fighters, and tried to abduct the Human Bomb to use his explosive power to fuel his damaged time-cube. The Freedom Fighters drove Barax back to his own time with the help of Mr. Terrific and time traveling heroes Hawkgirl II and Mr. Terrific II. The grateful Freedom Fighters had Human Bomb power Barax’ abandoned time-cube so the future heroes could return to their own time.

Red Bee became one of the few superhero casualties of the war when he was murdered by nazi agent Baron Blitzkrieg.

(Starman II #37) - Red Bee befriended Starman VII in the afterlife. Starman VII brought his brother Starman VIII to a banquet in limbo attended by Red Bee and several other deceased mysterymen. Years of reflection after death made Red Bee realize that many people thought of him as a joke. He expressed great respect for Starman I, who treated him as an equal the one time they fought together.

Comments: Created by Charles Nicholas & Toni Blum

In the pre-Crisis DC Universe Red Bee lived on Earth-2.

Red Bee was originally published by Quality Comics, which DC obtained the rights to in 1956.

Red Bee received a profile in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #19. He received a profile in Who's Who Update '87 #1 under the All-Star Squadron entry.

A statue of Red Bee was shown in the JSA Museum in JSA #10 an his portrait was seen in JSA hq in JSA #75.