Getaway Genius

GETAWAY GENIUS

Real Name: Roy Reynolds

Class: Human

Occupation: Professional criminal

Group Affiliation: Gangland Guardians

Known Relatives: Olivia Reynolds (Getaway Genius, daughter)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Gotham City

First Appearance: Batman I #170 (March, 1965)

Powers: The Getaway Genius' schemes involved planning crimes with fool-proof getaways.

History: (Batman I #170) - The Getaway Genius organized a crew and promised them they'd never get caught if they followed his plans and used his foolproof getaways. Batman and Robin spotted the thieves, who'd robbed a factory payroll, and pursued them across rooftops, but when their batropes latched onto a roof's pipes the pipes bent, delaying them long enough for the crooks to get away. Batman studied the pipes and realized they'd been rigged to bend. The Getaway Genius told them not to make the mistake of trying to take out Batman and Robin, showing them newspaper clips of various traps they'd escaped from. Genius also made it clear he was a thief, but did not condone cold-blooded murder. Batman and Robin caught up with the crooks again after a department store robbery, but their car fired oil slicks that caused the Batmobile to crash. Batman realized the crooks had planned getaways, and never tried to eliminate the Dynamic Duo, so they'd have to make themselves irresistible targets. With the help of the press Batman fabricated the villain Hexer, who vowed to use the bat-signal to eliminate Batman. The Duo caught the crooks robbing expensive chess pieces and when the bat-signal appeared in the sky their emblems stretched and straight-jacketed them. The criminals couldn't resist moving in for the kill, but Batman and Robin used their judo skills to disarm them. They revealed that their emblems were rigged to inflate with the push of a button, and the thieves, angry at their capture, ratted out their boss the Getaway Genius, who'd warned them never to go after Batman and Robin. Batman caught the Getaway Genius preparing to skip town, and apprehended him.

(Batman I #174) - Big Game Hunter, or B.G. made a reputation bagging game from Africa to the Himalayas before he set his sights on Batman, the most dangerous game of all. He didn't have any criminal experience, so he broke the Getaway Genius out of prison to come up with a plan. The Genius said he was wasting his time trying to trap Batman, but B.G. kept him in a cage, saying he'd only free him once he came up with some tricks to lure in Batman, so Genius said he didn't have much choice. Hunter sent his men to rob the Riverside Museum, and after a fistfight with Batman, they fled into the woods, and they hit a switch that caught Batman in a leaf-storm and activated the sprinkler, making Batman lose his footing. Batman noted that the criminals ran through a butterfly bush, so he borrowed a florameter from the Alfred Foundation, and it tracked the criminals floral scent to their headquarters. A trapdoor opened under his feet, and he found himself in a super-plastic bag with his oxygen running out. B.G. crowed over having bagged Batman, who appeared unconscious, but when Hunter released him he sprung into action, knocking him out. The florameter also respired like a plant, keeping Batman conscious. The Getaway Genius wanted nothing to do with fighting Batman, and peaceably went back to prison.

(Detective Comics I #526) -

(Batman I #703 (fb)) - The Genius had a daughter, Olivia, and as she grew up his love of the adrenaline rush he got committing crimes made an impression on her. After a long retirement the Genius was diagnosed with cancer, and returned to crime to steal chemotherapy drugs so he could have more time with his daughter. Batman apprehended him, but when he learned his motivations he let him escape. Batman said no child should grow up without their family, and in his civilian identity of Bruce Wayne set up a health care plan for the Getaway Genius after reimbursing the drug company the Genius pilfered.

Comments: Created by Gardner fox & Sheldon Moldoff.