History: (Batman I #338) - Young Martin’s father was determined to make a man out of his son, no matter what it took, and constantly berated him for being an untalented athlete. Martin, Sr. was in the field of sports medicine, but he had eccentric ideas. He developed 'memory RNA’ taken from the tissue of true athletes, and injected it into his son. Martin’s mother was convinced that her husband had gone mad, and decided to leave him. As he grew up, Martin found that he was gifted in any sport he chose to play. The memory RNA had worked, but by his college years it was also deteriorating his nervous system. Within months, he would be dead, so he decided to take revenge on the sports-world. Martin designed a costume and weapons, becoming the Sportsman. Martin started his killing spree by suffocating a baseball manager in the team locker room. In later weeks, he would murder a swimming star, a downhill skier and a sports-writer. Batman took an interest in the case and tracked Sportsman to the sporting goods store where he worked. The Sportsman started attacking random people in the store, but after a brief fight with Batman, he was taken away by the police. Batman wished there was a cure for his damaged body and mind, but Sportsman said it wouldn’t matter in a few weeks anyway.

Comments: Created by Frank McLaughlin, Gerry Conway, Irv Novick & Roy Thomas

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