Who's This? A malicious musician.
The facts: Created to fight Jay Garrick in All-Flash #32 (December 1947-January 1948) the Fiddler was created by Robert Kanigher and Lee Elias. He only had one more appearance in the Golden Age (see below) because superheroes were on their way out by that time, but he would appear as one of the villains in the seminal Flash #123 which established the existence of Earth-2. He joins the Injustice Society, which allows him to appear in the Bronze Age All-Star Comics and Infinity Inc. He continues to appear here and there after Crisis until he's killed by Deadshot in Villains United (2005). Blackest Night makes him one of the Black Lanterns, confirming that death as "permanent". It hasn't prevented him from appearing since DC Rebirth, of course, though his part in the Legion of Zoom at least has Thawne plucking him from the past.
How you could have heard of him: Various incarnations of the Fiddler, including some female ones, have appeared on the Flash and Stargirl TV shows.
Example story: Comic Cavalcade #28 (August-September 1948), "The Flash Concerto" by Robert Kanigher, Irwin Hasen and Bernie Sachs
Socialite Joan Williams - the Flash's future wife - has lured a famous retired concert violinist to play at her charity event. Once rich donors sit down to hear him play, however, it turns out he's pretty terrible. He even gets heckled, at which point he takes his mask off and reveals he's an insulted Fiddler. He plays one of HIS trademark tunes and everyone crumples in their seats. Everyone except Jay Garrick, who is soon on stage to prevent the villain from stealing the night's donations.
Like all great posers, he blames the instrument for why he played badly. It's a great weapon, but maybe isn't tuned for concerns. He's the FIDDLER, not the VIOLINIST, if such a distinction is useful. The music makes two big busts (statues, not society ladies) crash on top of him, and the Fiddler is off with the loot. But Jay has an idea of how to trap the Fiddler using his own vanity.
The old Craig's List trick! And it works because the Fiddler was sure to check to obits page the next day. This is Supervillain 101 we don't always think about. Now, the most important thing you have to know about the Fiddler is that he drives car shaped like a violin.
It's really hard to park, which is probably why he cracked and turn to crime. That and being a frustrated artist. That one comes up a lot. Another important thing to note is that he can use his fiddle like a bow.
But late-era Jay Garrick is already pulling vibration tricks like he's Barry Allen, so no go. Until Fiddler shoots an explosive arrow (did he raid Oliver Queen's quiver?) and Jay is out for the count. This time, there IS a Flash obituary in the paper. There's also an article about a lost concerto being found and stored at the Keystone Museum, a concerto experts say is unplayable. "Challenge accepted!" says the Fiddler, foolish to think the Flash won't plant MORE stories in the paper.
Now, remember how I made a big deal of the Fiddle Car? Let me present the FIDDLE-SUB!
Is it too early for me to declare the Fiddler might be the greatest supervillain of the Golden Age? Maybe. Because the armored truck contains not the prized (and fictional) concerto, but the Flash himself. The Fiddler lobs his fiddle at him in surrender--NOT!
The fiddle is explosive, and this time, the Fiddler puts the Flash in a torpedo and shoots him out into the bottom of the Mississippi. And he's back on track to win that Greatest award! Of course the Flash uses "physics" to redirect the torpedo up and sinks the sub. He'll have plenty of time to fiddle with his next plan... IN JAIL! (It's a Fox TV programming joke, but Jay really does say stuff like that a lot in this story.)
Love a good themed villain, and the Fiddler is a strong early example that isn't attached to Batman. But where does he get those wonderful toys?
Who's Next? A blazing All-Star.
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