Banshee was an enemy of the Question.
History
Max Bine was a pupil of circus performer the Flying Dundo, whom had long been attempting to design an aerodynamic costume that would enable him to truly take flight. Dundo eventually perfected an inflatable cape which, when connected to his wrists and ankles, enabled him to soar above the Earth. Bine recognized that the chartreuse cape had far more potential than mere circus performances and murdered his mentor that night. Adding a full face mask to hide his appearance, Bine launched an amazing string of robberies across the nation. After an astonished victim gasped that "he swooped in and out like a ... a banshee," Bine took the name for himself.
The Banshee finally met his match in Crown City when he was struck down by TV newsman Vic Sage during a robbery. Taking flight without the jewel he'd intended to steal, Bine refused to give up and, using more caution, kept Sage's alter-ego, the Question, at arm's length for the next week. As a thunderstorm rolled in, the two opponents met on the ledge of a skyscraper and the Question grabbed onto the villain, adding more weight than his cape could support. Landing on an opportune rooftop, the Banshee pulled out a pistol — only to have the strong winds catch his cape and blow him out to sea.[1]
Eventually, Bine was able to get below the winds and ditch into the sea, where he used his inflated cape as a life raft. He made his way to an uninhabited island, where he was stranded for seven years before being rescued. When he returned to Crown City, he rebuilt his Banshee suit and allied with local criminals to eliminate the Question. The plan failed, and when the Banshee tried to escape out a skyscraper window, the Question was able to puncture the Banshee's cape, causing him to fall to the ground below.[2]
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Cape that enables flight
Notes
- This version of Banshee, including all history and corresponding appearances, was erased from existence following the collapse of the original Multiverse in the 1985–86 Crisis on Infinite Earths event and later restored following the rebirth of the infinite Multiverse during the Dark Crisis of 2022-2023. Even though other versions of the character may have appeared, this information does not apply to those versions.
Related
- 2 Appearances of Max Bine (Earth-Four)
- 1 Images featuring Max Bine (Earth-Four)
- Quotations by or about Max Bine (Earth-Four)
- Character Gallery: Max Bine (Earth-Four)
Footnotes