Current Events

SignalMan has appeared as a member of the Secret Society, recruiting Catwoman with Blockbuster.

History

A small time crook with a big opinion of himself, Phil Cobb went to Gotham City thinking that he would be accepted into one of its major crime gangs. He was told he needed to get himself a reputation first.

Walking the streets, he saw the Bat-signal in the night sky, and this inspired him to become the Signalman. He would use signals to give Batman clues to his crimes, and then he would use other signals to commit those crimes.

Although Batman foiled him twice, Signalman escaped and began making headlines for himself. His next caper involved stealing the Bat-boat; but against his own M.O., Cobb ignored a signal - a bell buoy - and he steered into a shoal, where he was captured.

Cobb managed to escape prison and sought to put a gang together. However, he discovered he was now known as "the guy Batman put in jail". He tried his signal crimes once more, but again he was captured by Batman.

This time, he shared a prison cell with the criminal Bull's-Eye, an enemy of Green Arrow, and Bulls-Eye boasted of his knowledge of the Emerald Archer. "I know how he makes those trick arrows. Once I even tried to use his own weapons against him, but he knew how to counter every arrow."

However, Cobb thought that Batman wouldn't know - especially as he and Green Arrow were yet to meet at this point. Since he had failed as the Signalman, Cobb got Bull's-Eye to explain all about Green Arrow's arsenal, and escaping prison again, he took on a new identity - that of the Blue Bowman.

At first, his arrows stopped Batman and Robin ( Dick Grayson), but the Dynamic Duo soon responded with a set of special Batarang's which could counter every arrow. Cobb went back to jail for several years.

Eventually he got out and returned to being the Signalman again. He now decided that sending clues to Batman was not a good idea, but he still used signs and signals in his crimes. He even succeeded in capturing Batman and imprisoning him in the Bat signal so that when the police tried to call him, Batman would burn to death. However, one of the world's greatest escape artists, Batman soon freed himself, and figured out the Signalman's pattern of crimes.

A few months later, word spread that Batman was dead, and many criminals claimed the credit. So a jury of villains was formed to determine who should have the credit - and the Signalman was one of the Jurors. Batman was also there, in disguise, and he captured a number of criminals, including Cobb, who went back to prison.

Post-Flashpoint: New 52

Signalman is a member of the Secret Society of Super-Villains. Signalman and Blockbuster are tasked to capture Catwoman, who had just escaped Arkham. Signalman blinds her while Blockbuster knocks her out.

Alternate Versions

In the alternate future where Terry McGinnis is the new Batman, Signalman is revealed to have been reformed but later he is found dead in his home in his old costume. He was butchered by the new Hush with two knives.

In the Kingdom Come universe, there is a female Signalwoman who wears tattoos similar to the original's costume.

Other Media

Batman: Brave and the Bold

Signalman appears in the episode "A Bat Divided!" as one of the many obscure Bat villains such as the Eraser, Atomic Man and the Zodiac Master. He is clobbered by one of the Batmen that resulted from Batman being split by Dr. Double X. He later makes a cameo in "Joker: The Vile and the Villainous" where he was seen at the bar where the bad guys hang out.

Although not Signalman proper, the Green Arrow's evil counterpart on a parallel Earth is called the Blue Bowman. He is a member of the Injustice Syndicate under Owlman. He and his teammates are ultimately betrayed by the Silver Cyclone before being defeated by Batman and a team of heroic counterparts of the main Earth's villains.