Originally, Ryder's transformation into the Creeper involved activating a device that granted superhuman abilities while also causing his face to be covered in yellow make-up, his hair to be concealed by a green wig, and his clothing to be instantly replaced by a yellow and red costume with green trunks and a sheepskin cape; as the Creeper, Ryder then shifted his voice tone and acted chaotically in order to intimidate foes and protect his identity. Starting in 1987, it was said Ryder suffered an actual slight change in personality when he became the Creeper, as the device not only empowered him and dressed him in a costume but also altered his brain chemistry. Starting in 1997, Ryder and the Creeper are treated as two personalities sharing the same body. The 2006-2007 miniseries "The Creeper" (vol. 2) presented a new origin. Starting with this story, Ryder's transformation no longer involved a costume and was now depicted as a physical transformation into a yellow-skinned, green-haired superhuman with a different face, voice and body and a red mane of fur sprouting from his shoulders and back. Along with his strange appearance, the Creeper is characterized by superhuman strength, agility, healing and stamina, as well as a maniacal laugh. Starting in the 1990s, this laugh has been able to cause pain or immobility in enemies. Through experience and training, the Creeper is a formidable fighter and acrobat. In the "New 52" continuity, a short-lived incarnation of the Creeper was a villain, not a hero; a malicious oni (demon) who inhabited human hosts in order to create chaos.