Creote

Creote is a character created by Gail Simone for the Birds of Prey series. He was first introduced in #56 in June of 2003.

Creote is of Russian origin and once worked for the KGB, highly trained in extreme hand-to-hand combat. He is Savant's devoted partner and is secretly in love with him. He is first introduced as a villanous henchman when he and Savant kidnap and torture Black Canary for information regarding Batman's and Oracle's identities. Eventually he becomes an ally to the Birds of Prey. Both Black Canary and The Huntress suspect Creote's affection for Savant but Savant is oblivious to this.

Despite Creote's homosexuality and ambivalent attitude towards women, he became the unwanted object of Lady Blackhawk's affections.

Cretoe also has no qualms about appearing nude before others. He once got out of a bath to answer the door without covering himself. When the person at the door turned out to be Lady Blackhawk, she was shocked but he explained that in Russia, men and women share bathouses all the time and are never embarrassed at seeing each other nude.

Creote also shows no signs of a Russian accent. His first name is Alexsandr but he goes by his surname alone.