IRA RADON

Real Name: Ira Radon

Class: Human technology-user

Occupation: Scientist, criminal

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Gotham City

First Appearance: Batman I #191 (May, 1967)

Powers: Radon was a scientist and an expert in the criminal uses of radiation. He had devices that could emit radiation or increase the effects of radioactivity on radioactive targets.

History:  (Batman I #191) - Ira Radon devoted his life to studying radiation and crime, and stole several radioactive isotopes before Batman caught up with him. In their fight Radon fell into his lab's reactor, bathing him in radiation.. Radon survived, but the radiation altered his metabolism so that he'd die if he tried to commit another crime. He vowed to deprive Batman of crimefighting since he'd deprived him of the joys of crime. In the months that followed he hit Batman with low levels of radiation when he went on cases. Batman's radiation-detector showed that his costume, Batmobile, batarang, and every other piece of his crimefighting equipment was doused with radiation. He shined the detector on the Batmobile and found a letter written in radioactive material. Radon detailed his scheme, and informed Batman that his body was now radioactive, and unless he auctioned off all his crimefighting career and quit, Radon would boost the radiation in his system and kill him. Batman called a press conference announcing his retirement and the auction, refusing to reveal why he was quitting. He feared dying, so he even kept Commissioner Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth and Robin in the dark lest they confront Radon and meet a similar fate. The Wayne Foundation bought up the majority of his wares, citing an interest in opening up a museum, but Batman pointed to an imaginary person in the crowd to sell the batarang. Radon read the news reports, and was pleased, but obsessed with learning why. He went to the house of Andrew Kunkel, really an assumed identity of Batman, and the hero got the drop on him, wearing a clay suit to fix the radiation Radon beamed at him. Radon fumbled his radiation emitter, killing himself, and with his threat gone Batman recovered the items he sold, removed the radiation from them and himself, and announced his comeback.

Comments: Created by Gardner Fox & Sheldon Moldoff.