BAT LASH

[Susan Hillwig]

Art by Dr.Dread

Name: Bat Lash
Full Name: Bartholomew Aloysius Lash
First DC2 Appearance: WEIRD WESTERN QUARTERLY #3
Status: Hero
Base of Operations: The American West, late 1800s
Occupation: Gambler
Known Relatives: Lemuel Lash (father, deceased), Martha Lash (mother, deceased), Melissa Lash (sister)
Height: 5’11” Weight: 167 lbs.
Eyes: Blue Hair: Reddish-Blond

Powers and Abilities: Though handy with a gun, Bat Lash’s greatest assets are his quick wits and even quicker tongue, both of which enable him to finagle his way out of (and sometimes into) almost any situation. When push comes to shove, however, Lash is an excellent barroom brawler, and can usually be counted on to have at least one Derringer hidden on him when the need arises. He is also exceptional at the gambling table, having been known to break the bank on many occasions.

History: “Gambler by trade, womanizer by design, and outlaw by tragic error.” That’s how Bat Lash sums himself up. Raised on a farm in East Texas by a hard-working father and an educated mother, it was evident from the start that Lash would never be content with being a mere farmer, preferring a more laid-back, cultured lifestyle to pushing a plow. All that changed in 1857, when a man named Melvin Midas swindled young Bat’s parents out of their farmland. Wanting justice, he went to the authorities, only to discover that the local sheriff’s deputy was in on the scheme. Bat ended up shooting the deputy in self-defense, and fled town before explanations could be had -- the seventeen-year-old was quickly accused of murder. Arriving at the shack where his family now lived with the Gannons (who had also lost their land), he found it set ablaze and all inside dead, the handiwork of Midas’s men. Luckily, his sister Melissa had escaped, along with Bitsy Gannon, Bat’s girlfriend. Fearing more retribution, he took the girls to a nearby convent for safety, then set out on the trail of those responsible, all the while trying to avoid capture by the law. Eventually, Lash managed to track down Midas and his gang, who soon met a swift end at the hands of the angry young man. Satisfied that justice had been done, Lash returned to the convent, expecting everything to return to normal. Instead, he found that both his sister and his girlfriend were aghast at what Bat had done -- they couldn't believe that the gentle soul they'd known for so long had turned into a cold-blooded killer. Confused and hurt by their rejection, he left them at the convent and made his way to the remains of the shack. There was nothing left, save for a small flower struggling to grow out of the rubble, and the sight of it showed him the error he'd made: just because you have to fight to survive in a hard world doesn't mean you have to become hard yourself. Plucking the blossom and placing it under his hatband as a reminder, he decided to never let his darker emotions rule his head again, instead heeding the better nature of his heart.

Still wanted for murder, Lash spent many years on the run, all the while trying to stay out of trouble. By 1861, he'd fled the West for the Deep South, hoping to find some peace there. Instead, he soon got caught up in the Civil War, which broke out not long after his arrival. Not wanting to get directly involved in the conflict, he instead trafficked hard-to-find goods across the Southern border, avoiding Federal blockades. One such trip caused him to cross paths with Brian Savage (see Scalphunter) and his brother Matt, both of whom were sided with the Union forces. Rather than turn him in, they talked Bat into helping them smuggle escaped slaves to freedom. That led to a long-standing partnership between the fugitive and the Kiowa brave, though there were times when Lash could be more hindrance than help.

When the conflict finally ended, Bat continued his wanderings, now following his newfound passion for gambling -- the idea of making a small fortune just by turning over a few cards was quite appealing to him -- and the lovely ladies that usually frequented gambling halls certainly encouraged his interest. A few years after the War, while traveling between towns, he came across a dying young woman on the trail, who told him about a gang of white men that had raided her wagon party under the guise of marauding Indians. In the midst of tracking them down, he crossed paths with Jonah Hex, who had nearly been killed by the same men (see Jonah Hex). Working together, Lash and Hex caught those responsible, though they disagreed on how each of them defined "justice" -- in the end, the bounty hunter won out and the gang's leader met a grisly fate. Despite their differences, the two men teamed up many times after that, sometimes joined by Lash's old partner Scalphunter, whom Hex had originally met many years before the War. On most occasions, however, Bat Lash travels the West alone, always on the lookout for a flower for his hat, a lady for his arm...and a game.