The concept and first character, created by Joe Greene and Stan Aschmeier, first appeared in "All-American Comics" #69 (November–December 1945) as a single-use thief in the Doctor Mid-Nite strip. The name was reused for a single appearance character in "Blackhawk" #163 (August 1961), and later for a character that became a recurring opponent of Aquaman. Within the context of the stories, this latter Fisherman is originally presented as an international criminal specializing in the theft of rare objects and scientific inventions. He utilizes a high tech pressure suit, collapsible fishing rod, and gimmick "lures" in his crimes. While his identity is never revealed, enough is known about him for the Gotham City coroner to state that a man wearing a copy of his equipment that is killed in Gotham is not the same person who faced Aquaman.