RENARD
HARRRENARD
HARR
Real Name: Renard Harr
Identity/Class: Human;
active circa 1940
A.D. (and likely at least 20-30 years before, plus an unrevealed
amount of time thereafter);
presumably possesses a criminal record
Occupation: Professional criminal
Group Membership: His gang of
criminals (including Blakie and at least two other unidentified men)
Affiliations: Maurice Bellos, Blakie and other members of his gang
Enemies: Detective Cassidy, William Grant, Commissioner Herrick, Purple Mask (Dennis Burton; aka Laughing Mask), Frederick Swabert
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Unrevealed location near "Rapid
Falls" (possibly Michigan) in the USA
First Appearance: Daring Mystery Comics#3/3 (April, 1940)
Powers/Abilities: Renard Harr had no superhuman
powers, but he carried a gun and had a number of criminal underlings. 
History:
(Daring Mystery Comics#3/3 (fb) - BTS) <1907
A.D.> - During a financial panic, the father of Frederick Swabert
drew all of his money out of the National Bank and had secret vaults
built under the house in which he stored his fortune. He died soon
after, and neither Frederick nor anyone else ever found the hiding
place.
(Daring Mystery Comics#3/3 (fb)
- BTS) - Allied with Maurice Bellos, Renard Harr apparently learned of
and sought to obtain the Swabert fortune. He had access to old records
of the Swabert house,and he stole a plan book of
the home from an architect, including the secret panels and passageways.
However, still unable to locate the hidden fortune, Renard and Bellos
threatened the life of Frederick Swabert with the goal of forcing him
to reveal the hiding place for his father's fortune.
Swabert informed Commissioner
Herrick and assistant district attorney Dennis Burton of the threat to
his life and explained his father's hidden fortune. From his friend
William Grant, a director of the National Bank, Burton learned that
Renard Harr was the only one who had access to the old records.
Traveling to Renard's apartment as the Purple Mask, Burton discovered a
stolen plan book to the Swabert estate and concluded that Renard was
definitely his man. He further found evidence that Renard was working
with gangster Maurice Bellos, and he prepared to meet them both at the
Swabert's.
Meanwhile, with Frederick Swabert
having been unable to provide the location of his father's fortune,
Bellos called him from within the catacombs, intending for the poison
gas rigged into the vocal receiver to spray out and kill him when he
answered. Expecting something along these lines and having been hiding
behind a secret panel, the Purple Mask shot the phone away from
Frederick, saving him from the poison. Having studied the plan books,
the Purple Mask traced the telephone call to the room from which Bellos
was based. Dropping in on Bellos, the Purple Mask punched him and then
shot Bellos after he pulled a gun.
(Daring Mystery Comics#3/3) -
Hearing the gunfire, Renard and his gang figured that Bellos must be in
trouble, and they rushed to his aid. They encountered the Purple Mask,
who took out two of his men while Renard and Blakie fled. A stray
bullet hit a secret push button that opened a heavy stone wall, and
Renard and Blakie entered the hidden chamber to find the hidden fortune
on a small landmass surrounded by an acid-filled moat under s small
drawbridge. Closing the hidden door, Renard and Blakie crossed the
drawbridge and found the chest containing millions of dollars.
Spotting the secret button as the
wall closed in front of him, the Purple Mask entered the chamber.
Although Renard raised the drawbridge, the Purple Mask leapt to catch
its edge and swung himself across and engaged the criminals. Kicking
down and disarming Blakie, the Purple Mask punched out Renard, after
which Blakie panicked and tried to jump across the moat; failing, he
screamed in agony in the acid. After the Purple Mask threatened to
throw him in the moat, Renard confessed that when he couldn't find the
hidden trunk, he had threatened Swabert's life in an effort to force him
to tell where it was.
Having entered the hidden chamber
in time, Detective Cassidy (who had been assigned to watch over
Swabert), Commissioner Herrick and other policemen heard the
confession. The Purple Mask then ducked out via a secret trap door and
left Renard for the police.
Comments: Created by Will Harr and Maurice Gutwirth.s
Renard Harr's last name was revealed in the Marvel Mystery Handbooks, obviously an homage to writer Will Harr.
Blakie and the
rest of the gang should get sub-profiles, at least, but time was tight.
Blakie is the one in the red-brown jacket in the group picture.
This profile was
completed 12/20/2025, but
its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th
anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Renard Harr should be distinguished from:
First posted: 09/05/2026
Last updated: 12/20/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
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