John Able (Earth-Two)

The Backwards Man
Mainstream Universe‎, 1930s-1950s
Gallery
Real Name	John Able
Main Alias	The Backwards Man
Base Of Operations	Gotham City
Status
Alignment	Bad
Characteristics
Gender	Male
Hair	Brown
Origin
Universe	Earth-Two
Creators	Paul Reinman
First Appearance	All-American Comics #69 (November, 1945)
Last Appearance	All-American Comics #69 (November, 1945)

John Able, the Backwards Man, was an enemy of Green Lantern (Alan Scott).

History

He was arrested, convicted and jailed for a crime he claims he didn't commit. This experience apparently embittered him so much that upon his release, he became a criminal in earnest, and feeling that the law had worked in reverse by imprisoning him before he'd committed a crime. He became the Backwards Man, the criminal who commits crimes in reverse.

Hiring a gang, Able devised a clever scheme. By using frozen volatile chemicals, and molding them into the shapes of valuable items, Able was ready to deposit these in such places as banks, museums and jewelry stores amidst a raucous invasion…an invasion that looked like a robbery, but which, at that time, was not. Later, when the "valuables" Able and his gang left behind had thawed out, they exploded, and Able's men would return at that time to loot the place for real. Thus, the crime had been committed in a backwards fashion. Additionally, Able communicated with his gang via radio, speaking the words of his commands backwards to confuse people.

Ultimately, Able and his men were confronted and captured by Green Lantern Alan Scott. Able was once more sent to prison.

Notes

• This version of the Backwards Man, 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

• 1 Appearances of John Able (Earth-Two)
• 1 Images featuring John Able (Earth-Two)
• Quotations by or about John Able (Earth-Two)
• Character Gallery: John Able (Earth-Two)

Footnotes

Green Lantern Villain(s) This character is or was primarily an enemy of the Green Lantern of Earth, or the Green Lantern Corps as a whole. This template will categorize articles that include it into the category "Green Lantern Villains."