An owl and a shield flew through the air, both causing damage to their Nazi targets. The owl was 'Hooty', the trained owl belonging to Dr. Mid-Nite. The shield belonged to Captain America. The two heroes had been led to this hidden lair by a tip from the US spy known as the Angel. They found a group of Nazi agents who were planning to bomb a Navel base. Captain America's usual calm facade was shattered by this type of threat, and he tore through the Germans like a wolf in a herd of sheep. Dr. Mid-Nite, as always, maintained his usual cool demeanor. He never lost his cool. He used his Nite-a-Rangs, his owl and his skill in Buddha-Zen-Gee to methodically fight his way through the enemy.
Once the attempted bombers had been whittled down to almost nothing, Dr. Mid-Nite stood back and watched Captain America in action. He enjoyed watching the Captain fight. All patriotic pride and passion. His motivation was simple. He fought for his country. And he fought well.
Soon, the Nazis were defeated and the local FBI field office sent agents to pick them up. Afterward, the pair of heroes returned to the JSA mansion. Cap settled down in a chair to write a report to his government superiors. "Thanks for your help, Doc. If you want to head on home, go on."
"If you have everything in order," Mid-Nite said.
"I want you to know I appreciate everything you do for me and for the JSA," Cap told the Doctor. "You've been a great help. I don't know what I'd do without your advice. You always steer me in the right direction. I seem to get all the credit, but you are just as responsible for the success of the Justice Society as I am."
"Nonsense," Dr. Mid-Nite said. "You are the inspiration for the league. You're our leader."
"You're a good man, Doc," Cap said. "I just wish . . . No, forget it. I'll see you tomorrow."
"If something's on your mind, I'd like to hear it," the doctor said.
"It's . . . It's nothing."
"Please. Go on. I'd like to know."
"Well, if you really want to know," Cap began reluctantly. "It's a matter of . . . total trust."
"Ahh, I see," Dr. Mid-Nite said. "I've been expecting this. You've made several veiled hints before that you have a problem with some of the Society members keeping their identities secret. I was wondering when you'd get around to confronting me about it."
"I don't want to be confrontational," Cap said. "I do trust you."
"But not totally."
"I just wonder why you feel the need to hide your identity from me," Cap said.
"Perfectly understandable," Mid-Nite said, petting Hooty.
"Forget I mentioned it," Cap said.
"No, I don't think so," Dr. Mid-Nite said. He then pulled of his mask and goggles. He revealed his face. "My name is Dr. Charles McNider. I'm a psychiatrist."
"A psychiatrist," Cap said with a smile. "I might have known. I sorry I pressed the issue. No hard feelings?"
"None."
Cap stretched his hand out for a handshake, but McNider didn't take it. "Still sore?"
"No, Captain. Why?"
"If you won't shake my hand . . . "
"Your hand?" Dr. Mid-Nite said with surprise. He put his goggles back on. "I'm sorry."
He shook Cap's hand. "I apologize for that," Dr. Mid-Nite said. "I can't see without my goggles."
"You can't?" Cap asked in surprise.
"At least, not in the daytime," the doctor said to a confused Cap, "I can see I'm confusing you. Have a seat and I'll tell you all about it. I've never told anyone this before. It might be cathartic for me as well."
Charles McNider was born into a very successful family. They had his life planned for him. He knew from the time he was a child that he was going to be a doctor. For the early part of his life, he never made a decision for himself. Perhaps that's why he was so fascinated by motivations. Charles always wanted to know why someone acted the way they did. Actions were never enough for Charles. He wanted to know the reasons behind the actions. The 'Why' was always more important than the 'What'. So when Charles graduated medical school, instead of going into a private practice, he returned to school to study psychiatry.
Charles spent a few years in India on a residency. The hospital was near a monastery. It was there that Charles became fascinated with the monks and their peculiar morning ritual. Every morning in the grounds of the monastery, the monks would do an activity that was part exercise, part dance, part meditation, part combat. Charles later learned that it was a variation on the original form of martial arts created in the sixth century by Buddha Dama. The activity was called Buddha-Zen-Gee. Charles exchanged his medical services for lessons in Buddha-Zen-Gee. In the four years he spent in India, he came to master the skill. When his residency was over, the monks gave him a parting gift. They gave him one of their finest fighting owls, which responded to the voice commands of it's master. Charles called it Hooty.
Charles returned to the US with Hooty and began his career in psychiatry. He also continued his training in Buddha-Zen-Gee. But unfortunately, Charles brought something else back with him. It was a rare decease called "Day Blindness." In the sunlight, his vision faded until he was legally blind. There was no known cure for it. Fortunately, a psychiatrist didn't need to see. He was able to continue his work. Anyway, he could still see just fine during the night.
In fact, his vision was better than fine at night. Due to a unique reaction to his body chemistry, his vision became super-human at night. He could see perfectly in almost pitch darkness. Charles invented a pair of special goggles that made it seem pitch dark to him all the time. And so he had exceptional vision all the time, even in the day, if he wore his goggles. If he took them off in the sunlight, he was blind again.
In the thirties, something happened that fascinated Charles and changed his life. The Sentinel appeared, followed soon after by other costumed adventurers. Charles McNider was enthralled by them. What, he wondered, would make someone put on a costume and spend their free time risking their lives protecting the Earth against super-villains and other weird threats? He became obsessed with knowing their motivations. What made them do it?
He decided that the best way to understand them was to become them. Charles reasoned that with his skill in Buddha-Zen-Gee, his ability to see in total darkness that would blind others, his understanding of the human mind, his intelligence and his trained attack owl, that he would make an excellent costumed adventurer. And his blindness was the perfect cover for his activities. Who would thing that a blind man was a super-hero?
He created a costume and called decided to call himself Dr. Mid-Nite. Naturally, his special goggles were part of the costume, in case he needed to operate in the daytime. He created a type of smoke bomb that would instantly released a cloud of black mist which would blind anyone in the area - except him! Also, he created a type of throwing disk shaped like a quarter moon. He didn't name them, but later the hero known as Wildcat would christen them "Nite-a-Rangs". He had practiced throwing knives with the monks but he didn't want to kill anyone, just disarm them, and hence the discs.
He made his debut and foiled some local crimes. To his astonishment, he found that he actually enjoyed crimefighting. The unpredictability and excitement of it was a huge change from the usual way his life ran. In December 1941, he was called by Hawkman to aid in a battle against a invader from the sea known as the Sub-Mariner. That event led to the formation of the Justice Society of America.
"At first," Dr. Mid-Nite said to Cap. "I only joined the JSA to get to know you and the others. I wanted to get into their heads, to understand why they did what they did. But as time went on, I began to feel a kinship with the member of this team. I think of them as close, personal friends. I look forward to seeing them. I enjoy the time I spend with you, Captain. This is a good group. The Torch is like a little brother. The Flash is my favorite. He's so well adjusted. Most people without powers aren't as mentally healthy as he is."
Cap grinned. "Thank you for your honesty, Doc . . . Charles. I appreciate it."
"Not at all," Dr. Mid-Nite said, "And now, if you've no further need of me, I should go."
"Of course," Cap said. "See you at the meeting Thursday."
"Goodbye, Captain."
Dr. Mid-Nite exited, with Hooty. Once outside, he made his way into the shadows, and eventually to a nearby garage that he rented as Dr. McNider. He changed clothes, got into his car and drove back to work. He pet Hooty. He was in a good mood. Confiding in someone really was a good feeling. Even for a man with a double life. A psychiatrist and a hero.
Next issue: Hammer of Hell!