Leland Owlsley (Earth-616)

"You're a far more dangerous foe than I suspected, Daredevil... But I'm still your master! I'm heavier... more powerful... more cunning! And remember... we're fighting on **my** home grounds!"

--**The Owl**

## History

### Origin

Leland "Owl" Owlsley was a ruthless financier, although he had a respectable image. An internal audit by IRS discovered files relating Owlsley with different illegal business enterprises. Owlsley decided to get rid of his previous image, and began scheming to become a crimelord in New York City. He began by hiring thugs for the Owl's Gang and created a small crime empire. Somehow, "the Owl" managed to get a serum he supposedly used to glide and even fly for short distances; he had to use the serum frequently to retain these powers.

### Daredevil

The Owl fought Daredevil, who defeated him, although he managed to escape. A subsequent encounter led him to jail, but only for a misdemeanor. The Owl left the jail soon after that, on parole, and immediately kidnapped the judge who had convicted him. Daredevil rescued the judge, but the Owl escaped.

Wanting to avoid Daredevil and the police, the Owl decided to "fly low" to avoid attention and moved to San Francisco. There he met Mr. Kline, another criminal who sent the Owl to capture Daredevil. However, Daredevil was helped by the Black Widow, a former Russian agent and crimefighter. The Owl was again defeated, and again ran away before being jailed.

The Owl then moved to Chicago, where he obtained a technology to drain knowledge from human brains. He hoped to increase his own knowledge, but was opposed by a crimefighter known as The Cat.

The Owl returned to San Francisco with the technology. He built the machine again and captured Daredevil, wanting to use the machine on him, and then blackmailed Daredevil's partner Black Widow so she would kidnap an expert veterinarian required in the Owl's schemes. The Owl was unaware that the vet had become superheroine Shanna the She-Devil, who allied with the Widow against the Owl: Shanna pretended to be a helpless victim until the Owl centered his attention in re-capturing the Widow. Then, Shanna rescued Daredevil and the Owl was again defeated.

### Neurological Problem

The Owl then caught a weakening illness that would paralyzed his legs, probably as a secondary effect of his serum. The Owl returned to New York and established a new headquarters, The Aerie, in New Jersey Palisades. There, he freed the Man-Bull from prison, so he could use him as a thug, and ordered him to kidnap eminent neurologist, Professor Brent Kerwin. He hoped Kerwin could heal his neurological problem. However, Daredevil stopped the Man-Bull before he could take Kerwin to The Aerie. Scared, the Owl looked for another specialist in a different state. Dr. Howard Petrovic built an exoskeleton for his legs and joined a flying device to his spine. Soon after that, the Owl fought Daredevil on air and discovered that Petrovic had sabotaged his device, and the Owl fell into the Hudson to his apparent death.

The Owl's Gang rescued the Owl, and made Kerwin examine him. Kerwin designed a neurological pacemaker so that the Owl could survive. However, Daredevil and Spider-Man went to rescue Kerwin and fought and defeated the Owl. This caused him an anxiety stroke, breaking the pacemaker, and the Owl went into a coma. The Owl recovered and made the Tinkerer repair his braces. He also got a flying support module to compensate his legs. He then tried to launch a great crime wave, but Spider-Man and the Black Widow stopped him.