The Cluemaster

From Stephanie Brown

Revision as of 02:27, 17 November 2007

Real Name: Arthur Brown

Relationship to Stephanie: Father

The Cluemaster first appeared in Detective Comics #647. A small time Batman foe who used to leave clues to his crimes, he was now cured of the dementia that led him to leave clues- but not of the need to get rich quick. Unfortunately for Arthur Brown, his daughter Stephanie, wanting revenge for all the abuse she and her mother had endured at the hands of Arthur not to mention the years in the poorhouse, decided to leave clues for him, in order to get him caught. Robin ended up tracking Stephanie down, and she gave him and Batman the information she'd overheard. Against Batman's orders, she went after her father (lucky for Bruce, since she saved him from getting shot) and when Arthur was about to throw sulfuric acid in Stephanie's face, Batman told him her true identity in hopes to stop him. Stephanie then beat her father down, and was choking him to death on a chain when Batman convinced her not to kill Arthur in Detective Comics #649.

The Cluemaster returned to haunt Stephanie, however:

-Robin #3-5. Escaping from jail with fellow hoods the Electrocutioner and Czonka, the Cluemaster is once again foiled by the Spoiler and Robin, thanks to Czonka deciding to leave an incredibly obvious clue in an attempt to imitate Arthur.

-Robin #15-16 Arthur has Stephanie kidnapped to insure Gully Carson's loyalty. Unfortunately for him, not only Robin and Spoiler once again foil to plan, Stephanie visits him in jail and beats the snot out of him in revenge for her two week incarceration.

-Spoiler/Huntress: Blunt Trauma- Stephanie has to stop Helena Bertinelli from killing her father.

-Robin #54 Arthur kindly pays Steph back for this service by attempting to steal her Spoiler costume from her house (abandoned during the big Gotham City earthquake) Fortunately, Tim stops him.

-Robin #57 Arthur teams up with Dragoncat to train some young adults how to rob banks. He is less than sucessful and is forced to flee when Dragoncat is captured by the cops

-Robin #92-#94- Released from jail due to overcrowding, Arthur stays at Stephanie's house, much to her indignation, and teams up for the Riddler. When he catches his daughter stalking them, he threatens to kill her and her mother.

Birds of Prey #40- Black Canary throws the Riddler and Cluemaster out of Steph's house

Suicide Squad #?- The Cluemaster dies in an attempt to do one good thing, despite the lack of reward. Apparently, he does it for Stephanie's sake, despite the fact she was not supposed to ever know about the mission.

Robin 107-110- Stephanie does learn of her father's death and the circumstances, and unable to cope with her mixed feelings, goes recklessing after a super strong hulk like mothman. Tim manages to rescue her and she tells him of Arthur's death.

Robin #111- Stephanie continues to deal with her fathers death, and recounts a time when a friend of her fathers when he was "going straight" attempted to molest her. When she told her father, he called her a liar, but after Stephanie became Spoiler, she investigated the man and found out he had mysteriously died of an overdose eight days after Stephanie had talked to her father, despite not being a drug user. She wonders if her father was responsible and what his motivations were.

Robin #112-#113- Stephanie goes after the Riddler for information about her father. Despite recieving a vicious beating, the mentally disturbed Edward Nigma is unable to give an answer that is not a riddle, and Stephanie leaves.

War Crimes #3- The Cluemaster is revealed to be alive, though with his face severely damaged. After learning of Stephanie's death, he realized what a fool her had been and submitted her story to the media and began investigating her murder. He is angry with Batman and tells him not to speak Stephanie's name in his presence. He does not attempt to harm Batman though.