Powet Alphabet: G is for the Gray Ghost

Since the alphabet is the building block of our language, the Powet Alphabet is the building block of what makes us geeks.

“When crime haunts the night, a silent crusader carries the torch of justice.

Those with evil hearts beware for out of the darkness comes the Gray Ghost!”

“The Gray Ghost” is fake TV show which exists in the world of “Batman: The Animated Series”. It’s hard to talk about him without getting into levels of fiction going deeper than the average scene in Inception!

The Gray Ghost character on the TV show is played by Simon Trent who is a character played by Adam West. In this way, the Gray Ghost is comparable to the old live action “Batman” TV series which Adam West starred in as well. Physically the Gray Ghost doesn’t look that much like Batman. He is more similar looking to The Shadow. In this universe you can’t exactly have Batman watching and old show called Batman. Similarities here exist, such as the Batcave being modeled after the Gray Ghost’s lair.

The Gray Ghost’s main and original appearance was in an episode of “Batman: The Animated Series” titled “Beware of the Gray Ghost”. The basic plot of this episode centers around a character who is doing copycat crimes based off of an old episode of the Gray Ghost show named “The Mad Bomber”.

The episode takes place many years after the Gray Ghost television show has gone off the air. Simon Trent is now an out of work actor struggling to make ends meet going so far as to sell some of the Gray Ghost memorabilia in his personal collection to pay rent.

As Batman tries to investigate a series of explosions that remind him of the old show, he comes to realize that all copies of the show were destroyed in a fire at the studio where the reels were kept. This leads him to track down Simon Trent, buying back some of his collectibles as a kind gesture. Reluctant to help, Simon is willing to give Batman a copy of the episode in question, which leads Batman to realize that tiny remote control cars armed with explosives are the culprit.

It would be lame if this message, that our TV heroes can sometimes just be dicks, was what we would take from this. Of course it doesn’t end here. This would be the part in the romantic comedy at the 3/4 point where the couple argues about something and we’re somehow meant to think they might actually not get back together after this.

Thankfully, the episode continues as Simon Trent dons his Gray Ghost costume and comes to Batman’s rescue. Batman shows his thanks by blindfolding him as he brings him to the Batcave and accusing him of being the Mad Bomber briefly. All of this while having a lovely heart to heart where Batman admits that the Gray Ghost was his hero growing up, and an inspiration for him to do what he does. This is quite reassuring to Simon Trent who’s down on his luck and is happy to hear that “It wasn’t all for nothing”.

There’s a funny slap in the face to obsessed toy collectors who surely watch this show as the villain of the episode is stealing money to pay for his increasingly expensive toy buying habits.

The episode ends with a video release of “The Gray Ghost” as Simon Trent releases his personal stash of film reels to his adoring public. Here at the signing we clearly see a child put his poster in front of Simon Trent and then as it’s being signed Bruce Wayne buts in front of the kid and tries to get his item signed first. What a bully! And what’s he getting signed? Just a copy of the video he just bought. This is the motherfucking Batman who has a shrine to the Gray Ghost in his Batcave and the best he can come up with is getting some videos signed? Weak sauce Bruce. Weak sauce.

Not content to keep his alter ego a secret, Bruce repeats what he said earlier, as Batman, when she says that the Gray Ghost was a hero of his, and then under his breath adds “And he still is…”. Of course he does this in his non offensive Bruce Wayne voice so no one clues in.

Some of the Gray Ghost memorabilia in the Batcave remains there well into the future of “Batman Beyond”. In the episode “Black Out” old man Wayne puts on the Gray Ghost goggles and hat so that he doesn’t get recognized by Inque who happens to be tearing up the Batcave. One comes to wonder if the Gray Ghost suit seen in the future Batcave is simply the one from the old shrine or if it’s the actual original suit that Simon Trent wears when helping Batman out. All other memorabilia in the cave seem to be genuine souvenirs from Batman’s encounters, and it seems unlikely that Simon Trent would still be alive this many years in the future.

In Batman fiction the Gray Ghost continues to be referenced. He appears in a few comics such as “Batman: The Gotham Adventures” in the late 90s and “Batman Adventures” in 2004. He’s also mentioned in issue 28 of “Justice League Unlimited”. The Gray Ghost is referenced once more in the “Justice League Unlimited” animated series episode “Epilogue” as a theatre is playing “The Grey Ghost Strikes”.

The Gray Ghost is an interesting concept of a fake show similar to the show it’s in, serving as an inspiration to that show’s character. Though there aren’t a ton of vigilante crime fighters out there basing their lives off of Batman, it does present a nice idea that many people are inspired quite a bit by their childhood heroes and use this inspiration to do good things with their lives.