Chief Screaming Chicken was the last of Mochican Indians who was associated with Egghead, though he would later turn against him. He was also the owner of the Screaming Chicken Roadside Teepee in Gotham City.
Biography[]
Batman (1960s series)[]
It was Screaming Chicken's descendants who leased Gotham City to the Waynes, Tylers and Savages back in colonial times for the price of nine raccoon pelts.
As the last member of his people, it was his task to take part in the renewal of the lease which takes place every five years. This time, however, Chicken had other plans in mind. Upset that his people had leased Gotham away for such a low price, Chicken was willing to work with Egghead to sabotage the lease ceremony, with Egghead agreeing to give Chicken $100 a month for life and all the free eggs he can eat, and throwing in "a bonus" by also giving him the "import-eggsport" deal for all the American Indian blankets made in Japan. If the exchange of the pelts didn't take place as outlined in the Gotham City Charter, Gotham City would become the property of the Indians once again.
Once that happened, he became Mayor and made Egghead the police commissioner. However, as police commissioner, Egghead would have great authority, with Chicken even eventually forgetting that he is the mayor. It is implied that Chicken was a victim of neglect who was not a mastermind of the scheme to take Gotham, but had merely fallen under Egghead's influence; he even noted how unlike other Gotham residents, Batman was the only one he met who even knew Mohican greeting, which hinted a suggestion that there was widespread unwillingness to reach out to his people. Little did he know Egghead was more interested in the $29 million dollars in collected taxes sitting in the Gotham Treasury than helping him.
When Screaming Chicken learned of this, he began to have second thoughts about the deal he made, calling Egghead and his friends "crooks." Egghead and his men tied Chicken up and left him behind for the Batman and Robin. He was released by the Dynamic Duo and in time the citizens of Gotham forgave Chicken because he had been led astray by empty fantastical promises made by Egghead. "That poor red skin," said Batman when he learned the Chief had gone bad. Batman could understand why Chicken could do what he did. At one time in his life, Chicken worked as a bottle washer. He and his boss got into an argument and the boss told him "To go back to his own country". That planted the seed of anger. At the time of all of these events, Chief Screaming Chicken was 60 years old, but everyone agreed he looked very good for his age. Before and after these events, he was the owner of the Screaming Chicken Roadside Teepee.
Batman '66[]
Screaming Chicken was among the Batman Villains assembled by the Joker, Riddler, Catwoman and Penguin at Gotham Studios in a scheme to finally defeat the Dynamic Duo. Like all the other rogues, Screaming Chicken was later apprehended with the villains and taken into custody when Batman and Robin quelled the villain riot.
Appearances[]
