Rod Gaynor was the Whip, a vigilante fighting injustice in Seguro, New Mexico.
History
Rodney Gaynor, born Rodrigo Gaynor, was a polo player and wealthy playboy from the eastern United States who was half-Mexican, with a mother born in Guadalajara. Growing bored with his lifestyle, he turned to traveling across the country in which he visited Seguro, a small town in New Mexico. There, he was appalled by the living conditions of the poor farmers and the callousness of the landlords, and looked for a way to fight this injustice.
Rodney met Marissa Dillon, Seguro's local investigative reporter who also had Rodney's sense of justice, and through her he learned, from the local priest, about the legend of Don Fernando Suarez, who fought the corrupted Mexican land barons of the 1840's under the identity of "El Castigo" - The Whip.[1] Inspired by El Castigo's adventures, Rodney decided to become the new Whip as he fought for the rights of the common man and, in time, began defending more of the American Southwest. In the course of his adventures, Rodney met and allied with the Vigilante, another Western hero, and later became a member of the All-Star Squadron.
Rodney continued his Whip persona until he eventually retired back to the American east coast and fathered a son. His identity eventually became public knowledge, though by that time few if any of his enemies survived, and the general public had little interest in his relatively minor fame. His last years were quiet ones.
His granddaughter, Shelly Gaynor, eventually took up the Whip identity with a radically different costume.
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
Paraphernalia
Transportation
In Pre-Crisis continuity, the Whip's horse was named King; in Post-Crisis continuity the horse was named Diablo.
Weapons
Bullwhip
Notes
- Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-Two era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and no longer apply.
- Earth-Two: The Whip ran from Flash Comics #1, January 1940, to #55, July 1944, plus a final appearance in The Big All-American Comic Book, 1944.
Related
- 67 Appearances of Rodney Gaynor (New Earth)
- 8 Images featuring Rodney Gaynor (New Earth)
- 1 Quotations by or about Rodney Gaynor (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Rodney Gaynor (New Earth)
Footnotes
All-Star Squadron member This character is or was a member of the All-Star Squadron in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "All-Star Squadron members" category. |
Seven Soldiers of Victory member This character is or was a member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory, or the Seven Soldiers in any of its various incarnations, created during World War II and later, it returned to battle time-traveling, dimension-spanning mysteries and monsters. |