CRIME-WAVE

Real Name: Hollis

Identity/Class: human

Occupation: professional criminal;
    former assistant to the District Attorney

Group Membership: Leader of a criminal organization

Affiliations: Employed "Shades" McGraw, Stunt-Master, Torpedo, Turk

Enemies: Daredevil, Debbie Harris, Willie Lincoln, "Foggy" Nelson

Known Relatives: none

Aliases: none

Base of Operations: Manhattan, New York

First Appearance: (mentioned) Daredevil I#57 (October, 1969), (seen) Daredevil I#59 (December, 1969)

 

Powers/Abilities: Crime-Wave controlled a large network of criminals. His influence was powerful enough that the people of New York feared to act as witnesses against him for fear of the consequences. His specialty crime was racketeering.

History:
(Daredevil I#59 (fb)) - Willie Lincoln, a blind ex-cop, while seeking information on Crime-Wave, stumbled across a secret passage to Crime-Wave's lair beneath a West-Side New York nightclub/discotheque. Willie feigned ignorance and Crime-Wave instructed his men to let him go after learning he was blind (and after testing him with blinding light).

(Daredevil I#57 - BTS) - Willie Lincoln informed District Attorney Nelson about the existence of Crime-Wave.

(Daredevil I#58 (fb) - BTS) - Crime-Wave paid the Stuntmaster $1000 to take out Daredevil, but DD defeated him.

(Daredevil I#58 - BTS) - At Stunt-Master's trial, Daredevil announced to the court that Crime-Wave was trying to take over all organized crime in New York.

(Daredevil I#59) - Daredevil took out a gang of Crime-Wave's racketeers, but they were soon set free when no one was willing to act as witnesses against them. The mayor of New York spoke out against both Crime-Wave and the apathy of the citizens. Willie Lincoln told Matt Murdoch and Foggy Nelson about his encounter with Crime-Wave, and they had his story published in the Daily Bugle. In response, Crime-Wave sent the Torpedo to silence Lincoln. Daredevil saved Lincoln, but Lincoln then risked his life to save Daredevil and finish off Torpedo.

 

 

(Daredevil I#60) - As Hollis, Crime-Wave criticized Foggy's engagement to Debbie Harris, an ex-convict. Daredevil took out two of Crime-Wave's men, and then impersonated one of them, "Shades" McGraw, and infiltrated Crime-Wave's gambling ship. Aboard the ship, Crime-Wave watched as the ship served its purpose: bait to draw in Debbie Harris. Crime-Wave had the machine's rigged so that after an initial period of success, Debbie would end up losing more than she could afford, and they could then use her against Foggy. Crime-Wave offered to forgive her debts if she would help him frame Foggy so that it would appear as if she were taking bribes. Debbie leapt forward and unmasked Crime-Wave, just as Daredevil burst in and took out Crime-Wave's agents.
    Crime-Wave, having remasked in the confusion, fired at Daredevil and Debbie, but a cop--under Foggy's direction--arrived in time to shoot and wing Crime-Wave, taking him out of the fight. Foggy then unmasked Crime-Wave, revealing him to be his own assistant, Hollis. He was then taken away by the police.

 

 

Comments: Created by Roy Thomas and Gene Colan.

    A couple of minor points:

  1. Crime-Wave's whole goal seemed to be to take over as District Attorney, with becoming the head of organized crime as just a secondary.
  2. Hollis anonymously tipped Debbie off that Crime-Wave would be aboard the Gambling Ship. She wanted to help Foggy out by learning Crime-Wave's identity--so Crime-Wave seemed to want to get her into trouble through gambling, but she knew that and played along to learn his identity, but he knew what she was doing and just manipulated her in an effort to get to Foggy. That's a lot of layers of a pretty lame plot.
  3. While aboard Crime-Wave's ship, Daredevil altered its controls to aim it to within 12 miles of the coast, so that Foggy and the cops could board it.

There are few good pictures of Crime-Wave, and his mask is a little different in each of them.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:

Crime-Wave's agent Turk has no known connection to:

 

images: (without ads)

Other appearances:
Daredevil I#60 (January, 1970) - Roy Thomas (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Syd Shores (inks), Stan Lee (editor)

Last updated: 10/28/03

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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