30 Years Ago A Comedian Died In New York…

“Once you realise what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense”

Ah The Comedian, love him or hate him (probably the latter would suit, he’s not exactly a shining bastion of morality) you have to admit he was a larger than life and rather mesmerising personality. And almost exactly thirty years ago he was murdered, some may say his end was justified through his amoral actions, others would argue that he was just a product of his age who did everything he could to keep society from imploding inwards, I personally believe he couldn’t give a damn what anyone thought of him, he did what he wanted and woe betide anyone who disagreed with his actions.

Copyright: DC Comics

The Comedian was born Edward Blake in 1918, very little is known of his earlier years, more than likely covered up by one of the many covert Government sponsored black-ops teams he worked with over the decades. What is known though is that he began his costumed crime fighting career in 1939 with the moniker The Comedian, though the rather jolly sounding name and frequent smile masked a violent and unpredictable personality, with a love of brutality and mayhem, in fact Hollis Mason, the first Nite-Owl described him as “A particularly vicious and brutal young man.”

For all his negative qualities though, he was a particularly effective crime fighter, feared and respected by his enemies… though mainly feared. He is also one of only two masked adventurers who was a member of both the original Minutemen and The Crimebusters (the other being Captain Metropolis.)

 

Blake’s actions were often unethical, and at times downright evil, he was in reality no better than the criminals he fought. His violent end is something he foresaw way in advance, in fact some of his last words to his mysterious assailant (read the comics or watch the movie for the answer to that one my friends) were, “Just a matter of time I suppose,” he understood that violent men ultimately succumb to a violent death.

Edward Blake, The Comedian: Born 1918 – Died October 11, 1985. 

“Justice is coming to all of us no matter what we do. You know, Mankind’s been trying to kill each other off since the beginning of time. Now we finally have the power to finish the job, ain’t nothing gonna matter once those nukes start flying, we’ll all be dust. And Ozymandias here will be the smartest man on the cinder” – The Comedian, at the very first meeting of The Crimebusters.

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