Killer Moth

"I think this is Killer Moth. The costume and the man change from time to time, so you can never really tell."

- Tim Drake

Killer Moth is a supervillain and mercenary who was primarily remembered an antagonist of Batgirl and Batman. Inspired by the appearance of costumed heroes in Gotham City, Killer Moth sought to emulate their example - his gadgets and equipment, which included a utility belt, a "Mothmobile", and a "Moth-Signal", for instance, resembled variants of Batman's paraphernalia. However, Moth was motivated by greed rather than justice, and sold his services to the criminal underworld accordingly. In many ways he resembled a dark mirror image of Batman, even adopting the alter ego of a billionaire philanthropist reminiscent of Bruce Wayne.

Throughout his career Drury Walker, the original Killer Moth, struggled to be taken seriously by other villains. His ultimate desire was to become feared, and in return for having this wish granted he sold his soul to the demon Neron. Walker was transformed into a monstrous humanoid moth, Charaxes, but lost his human intellect in the bargain. Charaxes was eventually killed by Superboy-Prime.

Multiple incarnations of Killer Moth have resurfaced since Walker's metamorphosis and death. The presence of so many villains adopting the Killer Moth motif, including some working in concert, suggests that Walker may have unwittingly given rise to a cult following.

Early career
Killer Moth was initially introduced as a chain-smoking convict known only by his prison identification number, 235026. Every week, the convict visited the library at Gotham state penitentiary and scoured the recent periodicals for articles about Batman. In time he came to amass an incredible wealth of knowledge concerning the Dark Knight and his crime-fighting arsenal. After regaining his freedom, the ex-felon adopted the fake identity of millionaire philanthropist Cameron van Cleer, socializing with Gotham City's rich and powerful. In this guise, "van Cleer" sits on the board of directors for the Gotham municipal museum, purchases a large manor on the outskirts of the city, and is introduced to other prominent society figures such as Bruce Wayne. By night, however, the supposedly distinguished socialite dons a bizarre helmet and costume, becoming Killer Moth - an alter ego which the convict swore would "mean to the underworld what Batman has meant to the world of law and order!"

Moth's scheme soon became clear: he propositioned Gotham's organized crime rackets, giving each mobster an infrared "Moth-Signal", which would summon him to their assistance in exchange for a fixed percentage of their loot. Tapping into Batman mythology, he also created a "Mothmobile," a high-powered car modeled after Batman's own Batmobile, and used the hidden proceeds of his crimes to build a "Mothcave" modeled on description and artists' impressions of the Batcave, which he'd accumulated behind bars. Killer Moth's grotesque costume was complete with a utility belt, a "steel strand" which resembled Batman's grapnel gun, and a helmet sporting twin antennae capable of picking up police band radio. Unlike Batman, Moth also carried firearms and had no qualms about using deadly force. During his first job, he rescues some mobsters from the police, only to be pursued by Batman and Robin. The supervillain then releases a jet of anesthetic gas from the exhaust in his Mothmobile, which renders the Dynamic Duo unconscious.

Killer Moth kidnaps Robin, whose life he wishes to exchange for an opportunity to visit the Batcave and pick up a few more ideas for his own criminal career. Batman agrees, but Robin escapes on his own and contacts his mentor from a police band radio at the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) headquarters. Moth picks up the message on his helmet receiver and attempts to make a getaway, leading to a climatic showdown on the cable supports of the Gotham Bridge. Ever resourceful, he uses a grease canister to oil the supports, causing Batman to his lose his balance before countering with his own grease solvent. This battle of wits ends abruptly when Moth plunges one thousand feet into the river to his apparent doom. (Batman #63, February 1951)

Unknown to Batman, Moth was able to break his fall with his winged costume and escape into a storm drain. Emerging from the sewers, he flags down a ride from a group of petty crooks who recognize and ridicule him. Word soon spreads around the underworld of Killer Moth's defeat at Batman's hands, and as Moth became a laughing stock among the city's mobsters he adopted what would deepen into a lifelong obsession with salvaging his reputation and being taken seriously again. Using his influence as Cameron van Cleer, Moth persuades the Gotham Museum's board of directors to import a collection of Mesoamerican moth artifacts for an exhibit while secretly planning to pilfer them and revive his own shattered image. The subsequent disappearance of these artifacts from a storage vault known only to the museum staff attracts Batman's attention, however, and the latter deduces that Killer Moth is one of the board members. At the same time, "van Cleer" makes a slip revealing his own identity, allowing Batman and Robin to finally unearth his alias and have him arrested at his home. (Batman #64, March 1951)

Several months later, Killer Moth escapes the state penitentiary but finds it difficult to resume his criminal activities without a hideout, an alter ego, or cash. Since he couldn't afford to build up a new, respectable identity, he decides to steal one from an existing socialite, Bruce Wayne, whom he kidnaps and imprisons in a vault. Rather than ransoming his hostage, Moth hires a plastic surgeon to alter his features to resemble Wayne's. Arriving at Wayne Manor, the canny supervillain dupes Dick Grayson into believing he is Bruce and learns all of Batman's secrets. Marveling at his good fortune, Moth goes out as Batman and obligingly assists Robin with breaking up the rackets of notorious gangster Whitey Casey; however, he then visits Casey as Moth and blackmails him for protection money. Meanwhile, Wayne escapes, changes to Batman, and attacks the Casey gang. Convinced he has been double-crossed, Casey guns down Moth with a Thompson submachine gun. Moth's face was wrecked by the bullets, forcing him to undergo a reconstructive procedure, and the resulting cranial injury caused amnesia regarding recent events. (Detective Comics #173, July 1951) Killer Moth's helmet and costume were subsequently transferred to a police evidence locker in Meadow City, along with those of several other known opponents of the Justice League of America. The costumes were animated by the Demons Three, who sent them on a crime spree. Thinking he was battling the real Killer Moth, Batman arrived on the scene and grabbed the villain by his legs, slamming him into a wall as he attempted to fly away. The Dark Knight was now faced with another quandary: prison officials had informed the Justice League that Killer Moth was still incarcerated. The "second" Killer Moth quickly broke free and Batman discovered to his astonishment that he was grappling with an empty costume. During the ensuing melee, he remembered that Killer Moth had once used a silken cord to swing from building to building. Batman groped for the cord on Moth's utility belt and used it to yank the costume back to earth as it attempted to escape. Using his own batrope, Batman then overpowered the costume and left the struggling bundle of cloth trussed up in a ball. (Justice League of America #35, May 1965)

It was not until two years later that the real Killer Moth returned to action. His latest scheme involved extorting protection money from the same Gotham millionaires he'd once socialized with as Cameron van Cleer. Those who refused him were brutally assaulted by Moth and his "Moth-Mob", two henchmen in similar garish uniforms. Moth was encountered by fledgling heroine Barbara Gordon, also known as Batgirl, on her way to a costume ball while attempting to waylay Bruce Wayne with his latest gadget: a "cocoon gun" that emitted sticky mesh. Batgirl distracted the Moth-Mob long enough for Wayne to escape, then return as Batman, forcing Killer Moth to beat a hasty retreat.

The following day Moth delivered a threatening letter to Wayne Manor, demanding $100,000. When Bruce bluntly refused, Moth became determined to murder him for his insolence. Batman and Robin staked out the manor for the next three days, arranging mannequins resembling Bruce Wayne in various lifelike positions. Once Killer Moth was satisfied he'd eliminated Bruce, they could then tail him to his hideout. Though Moth's assassination attempt was interrupted by Batgirl, the Dynamic Duo implanted a tracking device on the Mothmobile and were able to locate his headquarters anyway. They were initially trapped in an anti-gravity chamber by the Moth-Mob, but Batgirl is able to ground herself using a powerful magnet and free them. Killer Moth vanishes and is only apprehended when Batgirl locates his hiding place by the scent of her perfume, which had lingered on his costume after their clash at Wayne Manor. (Detective Comics #359, January 1967)

A little over a year later, Killer Moth was free again, robbing armored cars for enough money to rebuild his gang and finance his arsenal. The Scarecrow, who was then leaving clues to his own crimes on other villains, planted four white straws on Moth's costume, which were recovered after his arrest. The straws helped lead Batman and Robin to the scene of Scarecrow's next heist. (Batman #200, March 1968)

Twilight years
Killer Moth returned as an antagonist of Batgirl following a lengthy incarceration, pairing himself with another former Gotham millionaire, the Cavalier. Now referred to as an "old timer", he appeared sporting a new helmet with sharpened incisors that allowed him to gnaw through ropes and cables. Moth and the Cavalier relocated their operations to Provincetown, Massachusetts, a little town at the top of Cape Cod, planning the use the illusions from a nearby amusement park in a crime spree. Their rampage culminated in a bizarre attempt to hijack the U.S.S. Constitution, then anchored off Provincetown's coastline. Riding on a giant mechanical moths, the duo attacked the ship and created the illusion they had trapped it in a bottle. This scheme was thwarted by the timely intervention of Batgirl and Batwoman, who ensnared Moth with his own cocoon gun. (Batman Family #10, April 1977) When rumors abounded of Batman's apparent death, Killer Moth broke out of prison in Massachusetts and returned to Gotham City for a trial held by Ra's al Ghul to determine who killed the Dark Knight. During the trial, Moth stepped forward to challenge Catwoman's claim that she had committed the murder, expressing awareness of her personal code against taking human life. (Batman #291, September 1977) Later in the trial he seized the opportunity to have his photograph taken with the Joker and Lex Luthor. (Batman #292, October 1977)

Killer Moth soon took up company with the Cavalier again as they plotted their revenge on the Dynamic Duo. Moth's fixation with learning the location of the Batcave and gaining access to Batman's secrets resurfaced; he was convinced he could pry that information from Batgirl. The Cavalier disagreed, pointing out that Robin was much more closely associated with Batman and would have greater access to that information. Moth bet $10,000 that he could trick Batgirl into revealing the location of the Batcave, and the Cavalier set out to prove him wrong by targeting Robin in a similar manner. For a week, Moth intentionally bungled attempts on Batgirl's life, warning that he would kill Batman next. The purpose of this exercise was to force Batgirl to alert Batman directly at the Batcave, while Moth tailed her and learned its location. Barbara soon deduced Moth's plan and led him on a wild goose chase. When Moth entered the wrong cave, she amused herself by allowing him to wander listlessly about after stealing his cocoon gun. Realizing Batgirl was mocking him, Moth attempted to kill her with his bare hands but was knocked into an underground pool. (Batman Family #15, January 1978)

The Secret Society of Super-Villains made the decision to recruit Killer Moth for a mission to assassinate the Freedom Fighters, although some members of the Society expressed misgivings over his "second rate" reputation and status. Nevertheless, the Silver Ghost, who hired the Society for the mission, remained adamant that Moth was well-suited for his purposes. (Secret Society of Super-Villains, July 1978) Working in conjunction with Quakemaster, another minor supervillain, Moth initially managed to defeat one of the Freedom Fighters, the Ray; he later proved his worth by going head to head with the Human Bomb. It is revealed that the specially engineered mesh in Moth's cocoon gun was one of the few substances capable of neutralizing the Human Bomb's explosive powers. (Cancelled Comics Cavalcade #2, September 1978) In the wake of the debacle with the Freedom Fighters, Moth moved to Washington, D.C. where he returned to his roots as a paid defender of the criminal element. He and Batgirl briefly clashed at the Jefferson Memorial before she knocked him unconscious with a well-aimed batarang. (Batman #311, May 1979) Having long plotted to "make a comeback as crime's protector", the villain next sold his services to the Bolton crime family in the capital district. This scheme was simply a new take on an old formula: when cornered by costumed heroes or the police, Moth's clients summoned him, albeit via a radio beacon rather than the Moth-Signal. Batgirl stumbled onto his latest racket while investigating the suspicious murder of a local shoemaker, a Mr. Halsey. Halsey was working on a project for "Cameron van Cleer" when he died, which coincided with Killer Moth's latest appearances in Washington. Batgirl deduced that the Boltons were contacting Moth through miniature transmitters hidden in their shoes, allowing them to send out distress signals whenever they were in danger of being apprehended. She confiscated the shoes of two imprisoned Bolton gangsters and transmitted a false signal to Moth, luring him into an ambush. (Detective Comics #486, November 1979)

Two years later, the Joker called Killer Moth back to Gotham for an emergency conference of Batman's longstanding opponents. He drew attention to Killer Croc's recent vendetta against the Dark Knight and insisted that they combine their talents to eliminate Batman first, then Croc, who was widely perceived as unwanted competition. However, the Joker played both sides, hoping Croc and the other villains would simply kill each other off and leave him standing as Batman's sole nemesis. Moth, Two-Face, Gentleman Ghost, and Clayface were recruited as part of the Joker's hit squad to assassinate Croc during the final phase of his plan. During this time, Moth displayed a begrudging respect for the Joker's somewhat byzantine plot, simultaneously describing him as a "fruitcake", yet also "a real genius". Croc's thugs were less impressed by Moth himself, reacting with incredulity at that "weirdo with a gun". The latter dryly suggested they read up on local history as he shot them in cold blood. At some point Croc was apprehended by Batman, while Batgirl and Robin handled the would-be assassins. (Detective Comics #526, May 1983)

Killer Moth was one of the hundreds of supervillains addressed by Lex Luthor aboard Braniac's starship during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. He was present when Luthor proposed they hold the parallel Earths hostage. (Crisis on Infinite Earths, December 1985)

Post-Crisis
Reality was permanently following the Crisis, although most aspects of Killer Moth's past and personality remained intact. A file in the Batcomputer reiterated his early activities in Gotham and how he'd once assisted mobsters for fees. It also made note of Moth's fake identity as Cameron van Cleer, as well as his unique arsenal including the Moth-Signal, Mothmobile, utility belt, and cocoon gun. Batman described him to Jason Todd as an opportunist who was motivated by greed rather than psychosis or any particular enmity with the Dynamic Duo. (Detective Comics #566, September 1986) Killer Moth's initial exploits, which took place during the first year of Dick Grayson's career as Robin, again involved extorting money from the criminal underworld in exchange for protection; however, unlike previous incarnations he preferred to swindle his clients and make off with their exorbitant fees rather than deliver them from law enforcement. Moth's short-sighted intemperance finally caught up to him when angry mob organizations began demanding their money back and he found himself hunted by scores of contract killers. The Dynamic Duo swiftly took down the mobsters and apprehended Killer Moth not long afterwards. Over the course of this encounter, Batman disclosed that Moth's real name was Drury Walker, although he operated under a string of aliases. (Robin: Year One #2, November 2000)

Walker soon launched a daring escape from Blackgate Penitentiary, demonstrating a newfound propensity for violence, especially against those who ridiculed his costumed persona. He borrowed half a million dollars from crimelord Anthony Bressi and invested the funds into am ambitious revival of his criminal career, recruiting a gang, overseeing the construction of an elaborate hideout, and commissioning a new "Moth-copter" modeled after the Batcopter. Walker intended to pay Bressi back by kidnapping Bruce Wayne during one of the billionaire's frequent appearances at a fundraising event for the GCPD, then holding him for ransom. He was thwarted during the attempt in question by the sudden appearance of Barbara Gordon, the new Batgirl, who demonstrated her prowess as a martial artist on Moth and his new gang to good effect. (Batgirl: Year One #2, March 2003)

Due to his failure to clear his debt with Bressi, Walker was beaten up by loan sharks. His gang abandoned him, and the government foreclosed on his new hideout for unpaid property taxes. Batgirl predicted that these repeated setbacks would force Killer Moth into early retirement, which seemed likely until a chance encounter at an underworld bar brought Walker into contact with Garfield Lynns, also known as Firefly. Firefly later helped Moth get revenge on Bressi by burning down his prize nightclub. (Batgirl: Year One #5, June 2003) Nevertheless, their alliance began to crumble as Walker realized the full extent of Lynns's obsessive pyromania and feared for his own well-being. Batgirl deduced that Firefly was in fact emerging as the larger threat, since he was only interested in spreading indiscriminate terror. The pair she described as the "Psycho Bug Twins" were finally stopped when she moored the Moth-copter to a water tower with her grapnel gun, causing it to crash. Walker was arrested and charged by the police as an accomplice in Firefly's arsons. For the first time he was also certified as insane and committed to Arkham Asylum. (Batgirl: Year One #9, October 2003) Moth's unorthodox rackets won him the media spotlight, and news coverage of his grandiose schemes portrayed him as a daring outsider shaking up traditional organized crime. His minor celebrity status declined after the debut of the Joker and a new generation of deadlier costumed supervillains. (Batman: The Widening Gyre #4, February 2010) In the distant future, an unscrupulous time traveler named Wiley Dalbert read up on his crimes and decided to use Walker for a heist of several mystical Egyptian relics that were once on display at the Gotham Museum of Antiquities. He traveled to the past, infiltrated the Mothcave, and handed Killer Moth the schematics for the museum, promising to compensate him in cash for the specific artifacts he wished to acquire. Unfortunately for Dalbert, he was thwarted by the intervention of Batman, Robin, and Batgirl, and his time-traveling device was shattered. This drastically altered history, erasing the heroes and Killer Moth from existence. Booster Gold investigated the anomaly and learned that Dalbert was supposed to succeed and settle as a millionaire philanthropist in the distant past. In this role he would finance Gotham City's first children's hospital. Without Dalbert, the hospital did not exist until decades later, when Thomas Wayne would come up with the same idea and begin funding its construction. Wayne's commitment to that project set into a motion of chain of events that ensured he and his wife Martha were never murdered in Crime Alley. Without their deaths, their son Bruce did not adopt the alter ego of Batman. The absence of a Batman, in turn, meant he never inspired the personas of Robin, Batgirl, and ironically, Killer Moth. (Booster Gold Volume Two #11, October 2008)

Booster Gold believed the only way to repair history was to go back in time, pose as Killer Moth, and ensure the botched robbery succeeded. Using his knowledge of past and future events, he was able to knock out Walker in the Mothcave, steal his costume, then incapacitate Batman, Robin, and Batgirl when they arrived at the museum. Dalbert is allowed to depart unmolested, with his share of the loot. This has the unintended consequence of giving Killer Moth street credit and allowing him to become a successful supervillain, which imperils Gotham's future. Booster thus resolves to go back one final time and ensure Dalbert escapes with the loot while avoiding the impression that Moth achieved a major victory over Batman. He accomplishes by stealing the Batmobile and Barbara Gordon's Batgirl costume, which prevents the trio from reaching the museum in time. (Booster Gold Volume Two #12, November 2008)

Walker later paired himself with the Joker, Penguin, Cavalier, Mad Hatter, Deadshot, and Dagger to take hostage the entire Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) after being liberated from Arkham as part of a mass jailbreak engineered by Ra's al Ghul. The rogues broke into GCPD headquarters, and after taking Commissioner James Gordon and his officers prisoner, demanded a large ransom for their release. In the ensuing siege the Joker proved rather dismissive of Moth, whom he castigated as a "bumbler". Despite this, the latter was posted on the roof of the building with a radio and instructions to watch for Batman. Robin was able to draw Moth's fire by dropping a dummy from the Batplane, which distracted him long enough for the real Batman to land elsewhere unmolested and subdue him with a kick to the jaw. (Batman #400, October 1986) Leaving Gotham temporarily behind, Walker worked out of Opal City for a while, where he clashed with Ted Knight, the first Starman. (Starman #1000000, November 1998)

The Joker reunited with Killer Moth, Penguin, and the Mad Hatter when he solicited them, along with the Scarecrow, Two-Face, and the Riddler, for a plot to assassinate Batman. The entire conspiracy hinged on Two-Face, who would request a meeting with the Dark Knight after supposedly reconsidering his life of crime. Moth and the Joker, who masterminded the details, believed that Batman would jump at any chance to redeem Harvey Dent due to the close relationship they'd enjoyed during his tenure as Gotham district attorney. Ultimately, Two-Face opted out of the cabal after a coin toss. (Detective Comics #779, April 2003) The other villains were undeterred, with Killer Moth suggesting that they could proceed as planned, only hiring a professional actor to fulfill Dent's role. He recalled meeting one of the long-running leading men of Gotham theater in his identity as Cameron van Cleer, Paul Sloane, and recommended him for the job. Sloane had no criminal record but had a reputation for integrating himself with difficult parts simply for the challenge of it. (Detective Comics #780, May 2003) To prepare Sloane for assuming the role, Moth shadowed the real Two-Face and let Sloane observe his mannerisms and habits. Sloane became so fixated with Two-Face that he even attempted a duality themed heist while disguised as latter, claiming he needed to know how it felt. The Joker, who had gotten bored with the "overrated" team effort, decided to sabotage Sloane's crime by tipping off Batman. The ensuing battle made headlines in Gotham City and attracted the ire of the real Two-Face, who kidnapped Sloane and tortured him nearly to death before dumping him at the Joker's hideout. Disappointed, Moth and the other rogues parted ways, leaving Scarecrow to dispose of Sloane. (Detective Comics #781, June 2003)

The Dark Knight did not encounter Killer Moth again until he made yet another attempt to kidnap Bruce Wayne, this time with a group of minor supervillains he termed "the Misfits", including Calendar Man, Catman, and an accomplished Texan thief known only as Chancer. Moth described them as "misfits, second-class operators, the mugs who get caught while the big guys like Joker hog the limelight an' get all the best crimes!" He reasoned that they were vulnerable on their own but stood a better chance of succeeding if they combined their abilities and talents. (Batman: Shadow of the Bat #7, December 1992) The Misfits' first scheme was to kidnap the city's three leading public figures: Wayne, Mayor Armand Krol, and Commissioner Gordon for ransom. They locked the trio in a shipping container while they awaited the delivery of a ransom by Detective Sarah Essen. Unknown to his other partners, however, Moth planned to drown their hostages by submerging the container in the Gotham Bay. Tim Drake, the third Robin, was able to locate them in time. The Misfits were later taken into custody with the assistance of a new vigilante, Nimrod the Hunter, who had tracked Chancer from Dallas. (Batman: Shadow of the Bat #9, February 1993)

Charaxes
Following the Misfits debacle, Killer Moth was returned to Arkham Asylum, where he was haunted by nightmares of being mocked and scorned by heroes and villains alike. This fueled his egocentric obsession with the belief that everybody from Batman and Commissioner Gordon to his fellow inmates at Arkham were laughing at him behind his back. Walker vowed that he "would show them" and made a solemn promise to one day inspire fear among those he felt had ridiculed him. (Robin Volume Four #23, December 1995)

Walker was one of several onetime foes of Batman who were solicited by the demonic entity Neron, who informed them he could grant their "darkest fantasies" and "deepest desires" in exchange for their souls. During the course of this encounter, the former had an opportunity to connect with Major Disaster and Copperhead, two other supervillains who felt they were regarded as "jokes" and hoped Neron could elevate their status. Walker asks to become feared, and is transformed into a monster resembling a vaguely humanoid, brown moth. (Underworld Unleashed #1, November 1995)

Following his metamorphosis, the creature broke out of Arkham, eviscerating and partly devouring four orderlies in the process. In his new form he secreted a weblike mesh similar to that emitted from his cocoon gun, as well as a highly acidic compound capable of burning through solid stone. He spun cocoons to entrap potential human prey, before draining them of their fluids with an extended proboscis. Driven by primal hunger, Walker went on a blood-soaked rampage in rural Gotham County. When authorities addressed him as 'Killer Moth', the seemingly lucid creature dismissed that moniker as a "ludicrous concept" and retorted that "I am Charaxes! I am fear!" (Robin Volume Four #23, December 1995)

Batman initially did not respond to Walker's reported escape, as he believed the police were more than capable of tracking down Killer Moth. Robin, who had judged Walker as "a real lightweight" during their previous encounter, went in his stead, only to be abducted by Charaxes. He was saved by the intervention of another vigilante, Lock-Up, who subdued his captor with an electrified net. Both Lock-Up and Charaxes had vanished by the time Batman arrived on the scene minutes later. (Robin Volume Four #23, January 1996)

Charaxes became the first of several criminals detained by Lock-Up in his own private penitentiary, namely those who had recently evaded lengthy prison terms through acquittal, legal technicalities, or insanity pleas. When Lock-Up occasionally refrained from feeding his prisoners, Charaxes was able to subsist on a diet of rodents. (Detective Comics #698, June 1996) Robin later infiltrated Lock-Up's lair by disguising himself as a minor crook, Alvin Draper, and allowing himself to be captured. His homing transmitter led Nightwing to the location, an abandoned coastal artillery emplacement overlooking the Gotham Bay. At this point, Charaxes appeared to have undergone a dramatic deterioration of his mental state, although whether or not this can be directly linked to his time in Lock-Up's captivity is unknown. The monster no longer possessed reasoning faculties and only communicated in the third person when he spoke at all. After Lock-Up began flooding the cells in a last ditch attempt to kill the prisoners, Charaxes floundered in the water, lacking the capacity to swim. Nightwing took advantage of the situation to restrain Charaxes with a large chain, after which he and Lock-Up were delivered to the GCPD. (Detective Comics #699, July 1996) He briefly escaped again, only to be re-apprehended by Donna Troy and Starfire. (Titans: Secret Files and Origins #1, March 1999) Deeming the local corrections facilities in Gotham to be insufficient for holding the self-styled "insect god", the United States government took custody of Charaxes and transferred him to a federal prison in Louisiana, Belle Reeve, designed for the incarceration of metahuman offenders. Charaxes was subsequently liberated during a riot at Belle Reeve and massacred several guards. (JLA #34, October 1999)

In the wake of the Belle Reeve riots, Charaxes was returned briefly to Arkham Asylum. The asylum's inmates were liberated by Two-Face as part of an orchestrated plot to ignite a turf war between the local supervillains and some of Superman's rogues gallery who were encroaching on Gotham. Charaxes sparred with Hellgrammite after they got into an argument over a captive pedestrian. Both were vanquished by Superman with the assistance of Nightwing, who distracted them with a can of insecticide. (World's Finest Volume Three #10, January 2000)

Arkham's latest failure to contain Charaxes resulted in his being surrendered to the federal government again; this time the Department of Justice transferred him to Slabside Penitentiary off the coast of New Jersey. Much like Belle Reeve, Slabside was built explicitly to house metahumans, resulting in unique procedures, schedules, restraints, and cells for each inmate tailored for their specific abilities. Charaxes was confined to a cell comprised of energy grids, with dissuaded him from attempting to damage stone or concrete walls with his acidic secretions; while moving him from place to place the guards first rendered him unconscious with an electric shock and secured him with a full-body restraining device. Slabside officials also kept Charaxes segregated from the general inmate population. They learned, presumably from Arkham Asylum records, that Drury Walker had undergone a pupal metamorphosis stage during his transition to Charaxes, and attempted to manipulate his physiology into inducing that state again. Slabside's experiments were interrupted when the Joker took control of the facility by infecting all its residents with Joker Venom. (Joker: Last Laugh Secret Files and Origins, December 2001)

In a later story, Charaxes begins laying hundreds of eggs, all of which hatch into duplicates of Drury Walker. Charaxes despises his progeny, but is unable to destroy them. Following his capture, these duplicates are taken into government custody. During an argument between various government bodies as to what should be done with them, they attack a scientist, and are destroyed.

At around the same time, Oracle is confronted by a criminal named Danko Twag who claims to be the real Killer Moth (the one she had first defeated), and that Drury Walker had been an imposter. During a rant in which he claims they are going to be a team, she captures him in an energy cell and he seemingly disintegrates himself. He was later revealed to have been a crazed henchman of Felix Faust.

During the Infinite Crisis, Charaxes is ripped in half by Superman-Prime during the Battle of Metropolis, and is presumed deceased.

Face The Face
A new, human Killer Moth wearing a heavily-armored version of the original costume appeared in "Batman: Face the Face," but the identity of this Killer Moth is unknown. He is introduced in Batman #652, wherein he displays competence in hand-to-hand combat when facing Robin. He later appears working alongside fellow Gotham criminals Firefly and Lock-Up in the Gotham Underground limited series. The identity and origins of Killer Moth II remain unrevealed. He is gravely injured during a gunfight with Tobias Whale, and it is unlikely that he survived.

Several unknown villains wearing Killer Moth costumes appear in Secret Six v3 #7. At least one of them is shot and killed by Deadshot.

Justice League: Cry for Justice
In the first issue of the recent miniseries Justice League: Cry for Justice, two Atoms, Ryan Choi and Ray Palmer, are investigating the mysterious and recent murder of Ray's friend Mike Dante and find that connections to the death run straight to Killer Moth. The Atoms attack Killer Moth's hideout and defeat his gang. Between the two of them, they beat up the villain and ruthlessly torture Killer Moth into gasping out the name of Mike Dante's killer: ("--Prometheus!").

In Red Robin #9, Tim Drake as the Red Robin returns to Gotham City, where he runs into Killer Moth, who has returned from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Tim confronts Moth, who is holding a man at gunpoint. Killer Moth seems to be scared and on the run, fleeing from Tim and shouting, "Are you with him? Are you with the Atom? I won't let you torture me, too!," a reference to Justice League: Cry for Justice. The identity of this Killer Moth, whether a resurrected Drury Walker or someone new, is unknown.

DCnU
During Zero Year, Killer Moth tried to kidnap Moira Queen who was in Gotham City at the time. Despite her bodyguard, John Diggle, trying to protect her, Killer Moth used his "stinger" gun to get close to Moira. He was stopped by Batman and new vigilante Green Arrow.

Powers and Abilities
In his original incarnation, Killer Moth has no superhuman abilities; he relies on the vast array of equipment he has developed. Killer Moth’s range of gimmicks includes a moth mobile, a moth signal, and a steel-line, which allows him to swing through the skies. He carries a cocoon gun that fires a stream of sticky threads that can totally envelop a victim. The gun can also fire a grenade. He also achieved flight via his special winged costume.

Equipment

 * Moth Lantern: The Moth Lantern was Killer Moth's brief attempt to forge his own version of the Bat-signal. The lantern broke before he ever had the opportunity to use it.


 * Moth Mansion: This was a large rural mansion located in Gotham City. It was the headquarters of Killer Moth and his underlings, Larva and Pupa. The mansion was outfitted with several secret panels and a trap door, which fed victims into a gravity well.

Transportation

 * Mothmobile: This was a custom made, convertible sports car used by Killer Moth. It's color and style were similar to the bright, pastel color scheme used in Killer Moth's costume.

Weapon/Abilities
-(As Killer Moth) Incapacitating cocoon gun -(As Killer Moth) Skilled inventor -(As Charaxes) Razor-sonar waves

Gallery

 * See: Killer Moth/Gallery

Batman (1960s series)
A short episode of the 1960s live-action Batman television series that premiered Batgirl featured Killer Moth as the villain (played by Tim Herbert), but it was never aired. It has been circulated through bootlegs on the Internet or at conventions. However, in the character's simultaneous comic book introduction (Detective Comics #359, January 1967), "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl", Killer Moth is Batgirl's first and main adversary after he leads her to believe that he killed Bruce Wayne. Batgirl later learns that Wayne has not died, after confronting Batman and Robin.

Teen Titans

 * See: Killer Moth (Teen Titans)

The Batman

 * See: Killer Moth (The Batman)
 * Killer Moth appears in The Batman as an incompetent, bumbling fool whose gadgets mostly backfire and trip himself in cocoon webs. The Penguin hires him when looking for members to join his new Team Penguin claiming he has the perfect job for Moth (getting coffee and doughnuts for the other members of the team). After absorbing unstable, corrosive chemicals into his bloodstream that fused with the webs from his cocoon gun, Killer Moth mutates into his Charaxes form, gaining super strength and acidic saliva. Despite his increase in power, Killer Moth remains loyal to The Penguin, who betrays the other members of the team so he only has to split his earnings with Moth. Unfortunately for him, Killer Moth's incompetence prevents him from posing a major threat to anyone.



Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Killer Moth appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Legends of the Dark Mite." He, along with The Joker, The Riddler, Two-Face, Mr. Freeze, Kite Man, Mad Hatter, Penguin, Catwoman, Catman, Tiger Shark, and several other villains are shown briefly in Bat-Mite's imagination. Later, Killer Moth also makes a cameo in the episode "Mayhem of the Music Meister!" as one of the many costumed rogues caught under the hypnotic spell of the Music Meister and forced to sing a song for the amusement of the musical villain. It is mentioned in the episode "Color of Revenge" that he was robbing a train. In "Sidekicks Assemble!", A robotic duplicate of Killer Moth is shown as a training model at the Justice League of America's orbiting headquarters for heroes to practice and test their skills on. Killer Moth has also appeared in the episode "A Bat Divided!" at a bar with many other minor villains. He was pummeled by two atomic counterparts of Batman after he attempted to attack them with his cocoon gun. Most recently, Killer Moth's latest (and non-speaking) appearance appeared in the form of Moth's counterpart from an alternate reality, glimpsed in "The Super-Batman of Planet X!". The Killer Moth portrayed in this episode is an archenemy of a doppelganger Batman on the planet of Zurr En Arrh. When the Earth Batman pays a visit to Zurr En Arrh, he discovered that he had become imbued with superpowers due to the planet's unique atmosphere. Testing out his new powers on Zurr En Arrh's Killer Moth, the Batman of Earth easily thwarted an attempt by the villain and his moth-men to rob the Gothtropolis bank. Bending an iron rod into manacles, the Earth Batman pinned the entire Moth gang to a nearby wall, leaving them to be taken into custody by the interplanetary police. In the episode "The Last Patrol" he and his gang capture Batman and put him in a big tank. He send out giant moths on him until Batgirl arrives and defeats him.

Video games

 * Killer Moth appears at the end of the first stage of the NES's loosely movie-based Batman game, in a suit of flying insect-like armor. He appears alongside villains Firebug and Electrocutioner; Killer Moth also appears as a boss character in the Nintendo video game Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
 * While Killer Moth does not actually appear in Batman: Arkham Asylum, his bio can be unlocked by scanning a human corpse in the Aviary of Arkham's Botanical Gardens, adhered to the wall in what appears to be a cocoon.
 * In the sequel Batman: Arkham City, there is a display case filled with moths among Penguin's display cases. The case is open so it is a possibility that Killer Moth was held there and escaped or was released.
 * In Batman: Arkham Knight, it is mentioned by one of Black Mask's men that Killer Moth was killed by Jason Todd, under the guise of the Red Hood, within his DLC.

LEGO Batman Videogames

 * See: Killer Moth (LEGO Batman: The Videogame)

Animated films
Although he does not directly appear in Batman: Assault on Arkham, he is indirectly alluded to when the Suicide Squad is rummaging through Arkham Asylum's evidence locker, where they found his apparel. King Shark claimed he never heard of the criminal before.

Killer Moth makes a cameo appearance in the film, The Lego Batman Movie alongside other Batman villains.