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Charles McNider

Charles McNider

100 appearances · Golden Age · 1941–2025 · 10 key issues
Who is Charles McNider?

Charles McNider was a brilliant surgeon whose sight was destroyed when a criminal's grenade exploded in his face, leaving him completely blind — until he discovered he could see perfectly in total darkness. Donning a costume and wielding blackout bombs, he became Doctor Mid-Nite, one of DC's earliest superhero crimefighters.

Few characters carry the weight of comics history quite like Charles McNider, a Golden Age original who first stepped onto the page in 1941's All-Star Comics #8 — a landmark issue brought to life by the legendary Gardner Fox and Stan Asch. Over more than eight decades of publication, McNider has proven himself a remarkably enduring figure in the DC universe, racking up 100 catalogued appearances and ten collector-recognized key issues that speak to his lasting significance. His adventures have unfolded across the pages of All-Star Comics, All-Star Squadron, and Justice League of America, putting him in extraordinary company alongside titans like Alan Scott, Wonder Woman, and Carter Hall. For any fan serious about the Golden Age roots of DC's heroic tradition, Charles McNider is an essential piece of the puzzle.

Identity

Real name. Charles McNider

Powers. Infrared Vision: Doctor Mid-Nite could see perfectly clear in total darkness without the aid of artificial enhancements, despite the fact that he was blind.

Teams & affiliations
Justice Society of AmericaJustice League
★ First appearance
All-American Comics #25
Apr 1941

Part of the Doctor Mid-Nite legacy

Charles McNider is one of 2 heroes to carry the Doctor Mid-Nite mantle. See the whole Doctor Mid-Nite family ▸

Top series

Covers through the years — 1941–2019

All-Star Comics #8 1941
All-Star Comics #8
All-Star Comics #42 1948
All-Star Comics #42
Justice League of America #29 1964
Justice League of America #29
Justice League of America #64 1968
Justice League of America #64
Justice League of America #110 1974
Justice League of America #110
Justice League of America #195 1981
Justice League of America #195
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #3 1985
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #3
Guy Gardner: Warrior #31 1995
Guy Gardner: Warrior #31
Starman #37 1997
Starman #37
Green Arrow #13 2002
Green Arrow #13
Countdown #47 2007
Countdown #47
Solo: The Deluxe Edition #[nn] 2013
Solo: The Deluxe Edition #[nn]
Crisis on Infinite Earths Companion Deluxe Edition #1 2019
Crisis on Infinite Earths Companion Deluxe Edition #1

Appearances

All-Star Comics (1940)
Sensation Comics (1942)
#2
The American Legion (1926)
#4
All-American Comics (1939)
Leave It to Binky (1948)
#2
Justice League of America (1960)
DC 100-Page Super Spectacular (1971)
#6
DC Special Series (1977)
#10
Super Action Album (1980)
#15
DC Comics Presents (1978)
All-Star Squadron (1981)
The Comics Journal (1977)
#71
All-Star Squadron Annual (1982)
#2
Infinity, Inc. (1984)
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe (1985)
Secret Origins (1986)
#14
Who's Who: Update '87 (1987)
#1
Young All-Stars (1987)
Flash Annual (1987)
#3
Showcase '95 (1995)
#1
Guy Gardner: Warrior (1994)
#31
Starman (1994)
Green Lantern Secret Files (1998)
#1
Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. (1999)
The All-Star Companion (2000)
#1
Golden Age Secret Files (2001)
#1
Green Arrow (2001)
#13
DC 100-Page Super Spectacular No. 6 Replica Edition (2004)
All Star Comics Archives (1991)
#10
JSA (1999)
Solo (2004)
#7
Countdown (2007)
#47
DCU: Legacies (2010)
Showcase Presents: Green Lantern (2005)
#5
Justice Society of America (2007)
#50
The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2011)
#7
DC Comics Presents: The Teen Titans (2011)
#1
DC Universe: Legacies (2011)
Bizarre Thrills: The Paragon Publications Story (2012)
#1
Justice Society of America: Monument Point (2012)
Solo: The Deluxe Edition (2013)
Wonder Woman '77 (2015)
#1
Justice Society of America: A Celebration of 75 Years (2015)
JSA by Geoff Johns (2018)
#1
Crisis on Infinite Earths Companion Deluxe Edition (2018)
#1
The Flash (2016)
Justice League of America by Brad Meltzer: The Deluxe Edition (2020)
Who's Who Omnibus (2021)
#1
The Human Target (2022)
#1
DC Finest: Justice League of America: The Bridge Between Earths (2024)
DC Finest: Justice Society of America: For America and Democracy (2024)
DC Finest: Justice League of America: The Return (2025)