The Gargoyle

A hideous, fanged villain in the employ of J.C. Quagmire, an unscrupulous “chemical magnate” who steals the discoveries of rival chemists and markets them as his own. Superman No. 49/2 describes the Gargoyle as a:

notorious crook who was deafened and nearly blinded in a mine explosion, and now wears electronic ears and infra-red lenses, both made by Quagmire! The Gargoyle—a monster of Quagmire’s creation, a warped genius who does his master’s every bidding!

In November-December 1947, Quagmire, who has recently attempted to steal the formula for a valuable new paint from the safe of rival chemist Ira Stone, orders the Gargoyle to murder Ira Stone, Clark Kent, and Lois Lane before they can successfully carry out an expedition to paint the top of Mount Everest and the rim of a Pacific island volcano with some of Stone’s new paint in order to demonstrate its ability to withstand the most extreme weather conditions on Earth. Thwarted repeatedly by Superman and forced to flee, the Gargoyle is finally taken into custody by the United States Coast Guard. His employer, J. C. Quagmire, is arrested soon afterward (“Clark Kent’s Most Dangerous Assignment!”).