Joe Gatson

Joe Gatson

A vicious racketeer who, "facing the possibility of going to jail for a minor racketeering charge," kidnaps the daughter of the presiding judge and, through his henchmen, threatens to kill her unless the judge uses his judicial prerogative to grant him his freedom. Superman rescues the kidnap victim in March-April 1941, and Gatson dies when he attempts to gun down the judge's daughter and Superman hurls him into the path of his own bullet. In the words of Superman No. 9/2:

Bulwark of man's civilization is his court of law where wrongs are righted and criminals punished according to their merits. But when evildoers seek to inject their villainous methods directly into the courtroom, Superman, super-strong champion of justice, steps in to teach the criminal horde respect for law and order... (TGSB)