THE CHESS MASTER

Real Name: Jules Baxendale

Identity/Class: Human (World War II era)

Occupation: Criminal mastermind

Group Membership: His gang

Affiliations: Senator Berkley, Shady Deale, Markham, Ox, Sapper

Enemies: Night Raven

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Chessmaster, Grandmaster of Crime

Base of Operations: The City (probably New York); 1930s

First Appearance: Savage Action#3/2 (January, 1981)

Powers/Abilities: The Chess Master was a skilled plotter and schemer, with either the scientific ability to create a potent and undetectable neurotoxin or the means by which to obtain one. He was also exceptionally intelligent, and was one of very few people to locate Night Raven's secret headquarters. He was presumably also particularly good at chess.

History: (Savage Action#3/2 - BTS) - The Chess Master obtained evidence that Senator Berkley was misusing government funds for personal expenses. He used this in an attempt to blackmail Berkley into assisting him in some unspecified way. Berkley refused.

(Savage Action#3/2) - The Chess Master sent his henchmen from his highrise apartment to Berkley's home to give the senator one final chance to work with them. When he stood up to them, Chess Master's right-hand man, Markham, injected Berkley with a compound which rendered him effectively senile. The thugs reported to their boss and departed, leaving behind a happily babbling Berkley and a white pawn.

    Night Raven read about the mysterious happenings in the paper and set out to find an underworld informant. Coincidentally, Night Raven encountered his chosen informant, small-time hood Shady Deale, at the same instant that Chess Master's thugs Ox and Sapper were attacking Deale in order to warn him not to talk to anyone about his dealings with their employer. Night Raven fought the hoods off, giving Deale a chance to escape. Fearing that Night Raven would force information out of him, and that he would subsequently be killed by the Chess Master, Deale hurled his knife at the vigilante and ran. When he finally reached a taxi, however, he found that Night Raven had overtaken him and was waiting inside. Standing on the corner, Night Raven threatened Deale with his own knife, but before things could proceed any further, the Chess Master's thugs returned in a car and opened fire with machine guns. Night Raven was able to use the unlucky Deale as a shield, but Ox and Sapper escaped.

(Savage Action#4/3) - Night Raven followed the thugs' car back to the Chess Master's warehouse base. Sneaking in through a window, he took Ox, Sapper, and the Chess Master himself by surprise. The Chess Master rallied quickly, however, and disappeared through a hidden door in the wall. Night Raven shot out the lights and began a deadly waiting game with the thugs. When Ox made a move, the Dark Avenger was able to shoot him down, but Sapper shot him in the arm in return. Though injured, Night Raven was able to kill Sapper and return to his lair.

    Chess Master, however, had somehow discovered Night Raven's headquarters, and he was waiting along with Markham. Chess Master had Markham disarm Night Raven, but the henchman was instead overpowered and branded by the vigilante. In the thick mist of the headquarters, the Chess Master failed to recognize the Night Raven until it was too late. Though he did his best to escape, Night Raven stabbed the Chess Master with a syringe he took from Markham which contained the special neurotoxin.

Comments: Chess Master created by "Maxwell Stockbridge".
    Shady Deale created by Stockbridge and John Bolton.
    Ox and Sapper created by Stockbridge, Bolton and Lloyd (see comments).

    Chess Master's name is parsed "Chessmaster" in the titles and in the recap blurb in #4. He never actually calls himself the Grandmaster of Crime; only the narration does.