First appearing in Rex the Wonder Dog #4 in 1952, this simple but intelligent African chimpanzee went from obscure back-up feature character to an integral part of the dark and magical superhero adventures of the DC Universe.
Preferring to be called Detective Chimp or DC, he considered his other name, Bobo T Chimpanzee, to be oppressive and insulting. DC has not divulged his true name but the Phantom Stranger claimed it is “mostly a screech and three grunts” and was otherwise unpronounceable. The closest English translation is “Magnificent Finder of Tasty Grubs.”
10 Smart But Normal
Fred Thorpe captured the young chimpanzee on the equatorial coast of Africa and brought him back to America to be part of a carnival act that he was calling “Bobo the Detective Chimpanzee”. He would teach the chimp to answer predetermined questions to give the illusion that Bobo was making deductions.
Thorpe and Bobo formed a strong bond because Thorpe took such good care of him and provided him with a safer life than he would have had. Bobo went on to become a “helper” to the local sheriff when he helped solve Thorpe’s murder. Unusually intelligent even before Thorpe’s training, Bobo understood English and could communicate through gestures and hand signals.
9 The Fountain of Youth
Bobo’s simple existence changed when he discovered the legendary Fountain of Youth in Bimini with his friend and fellow animal hero Rex the Wonder Dog. Bobo and Rex drank from the Fountain and it dramatically changed them in significant ways. Rex had been injured on their way there and the Fountain healed him, invigorated him and gave him eternal life.
Bobo gained even more abilities from the Fountain. In addition to immortality and vitality, Bobo gained the ability to speak to every animal in their own language. This includes speaking to human beings. He can also read any written language. The Fountain heightened the already considerable intellects of both animals to genius levels.
8 The Chimp Detective
Now able to communicate with humans and having learned deduction skills from his sheriff friend, Bobo chose to go into business for himself as a detective. Opening up an agency, he did well, at first. A chimpanzee detective was kind of a novelty. And he did well, solving small and large crimes. He also worked with the governmental agency called the Bureau of Amplified Animals with his old friend Rex for a time.
His good times did not last, however. As a primate, Bobo has no legal standing in human society and could not make deadbeat clients pay him. He also could not testify in court and has no civil rights himself. As his business dissolved, Bobo began to smoke and drink heavily.
7 Croatoan Society
Known as the Guild of Detection or simply as the Croatoans, the Croatoan Society is a secret organization of detectives that meets regularly in the House of Mystery. Within the meeting area are libraries filled with unsolved cases, ranging from criminal to cosmic. The group is named after the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the 16th Century Roanoke Colony in what would be modern-day North Carolina.
In addition to Detective Chimp, the Croatoans host other members including the Martian Manhunter, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Slam Bradley, Ralph Dibny, the Elongated Man and his wife Sue, the Question, Dr. Terri Thirteen, among others. Batman was just recently inducted into the group.
6 Oblivion Bar
The Oblivion Bar is a drinking establishment run by Jim Rook, aka Nightmaster, that exists in a pocket dimension that is accessible only to those with magical ability. There are portals in nearly every city in the world and various dimensions but they are invisible to normal people. The bar is also a “No Fly Zone” for conflicts between magic users and was a refuge in times of conflict.
When his life began to fall apart, Bobo began to drink heavily and became a regular fixture at the Oblivion Bar. He became friends with Rook and took up a regular booth at the bar. That location proved fortuitous when the Spectre declared war on the 9th Age of Magic.
5 Shadowpact
Unlikely allies Ragman and Enchantress have come to the Oblivion Bar to warn the magic users there that the Spectre had gone insane and was destroying magic. The new Eclipso had driven Spectre insane. The bar patrons were fairly skeptical until the partially drunk Bobo spoke up and pulled a small black mouse from his pocket that he said was the Phantom Stranger. The Spectre had turned the Stranger into a mouse because he was one of the few beings that could have stopped him and that Spectre could not destroy outright.
Bobo used his superior tactical skills to assemble a team to take on the Spectre that he called Shadowpact. Along with Black Alice and Nightshade, Shadowpact was able to funnel their collective magical abilities through Black Alice and into Billy Batson so that Captain Marvel could battle the Spectre.
4 Shadowpact’s Year in Hell
The villainous magical team called the Pentacle had trapped the city of Riverrock, Wyoming behind a mystical shield and were sacrificing its inhabitants to maintain the shield. The Phantom Stranger was able to open the shield enough for the members of Shadowpact to enter but no one, even Superman, was able to bring it down.
Each team engaged in several battles with their “counterparts” but Bobo was able to get the better of his counterpart Kid Karnevil, freed the team and overcame the Pentacle. What they didn’t know was the rest of the world thought that they had died, as it had occurred during a year in the outside world since the team entered the bubble.
3 The Guardian of Fate
One of the consequences of the battle with the Spectre was the temporary destruction of the Rock of Eternity and the escape of the Seven Deadly Sins. In the midst of that battle, the Last Doctor Fate gave the Helm to Bobo before he died. Although he was briefly tempted, Bobo gave it to Captain Marvel to throw it into space to literally let fate decide.
Inexplicably, the helmet returned to Earth, hit Bobo in the head and knocked him out. When he awoke, he found that the helmet now fit him and he was filled with the knowledge of everything and the powers of Fate. He goes to the lead Gotham Police officer from earlier in the day and together they solve several cases until the knowledge began to over-flood his brain and Bobo released it back into the void to find a new Doctor Fate.
2 The New Nightmaster
Bobo’s friend Jim Rook was a former rock star, the proprietor of the Oblivion Bar and, more importantly, the hero The Nightmaster. In charge of defending the realm of Myrra with the mystical Sword of Night, Rook had many adventures and was part of the hero team Primal Force as well as Shadowpact with Bobo.
Again, opening the Oblivion Bar in times of trouble, Rook stayed behind to cover the escape the heroes and was impaled to the bar with the Sword of Night throw the head by the Batman Who Laughs. The sword, its powers, and responsibilities would eventually fall to Bobo.
1 Justice League Dark
Magic was broken and Wonder Woman could feel it, but everyone in the magical community, even long-time allies like former League member Zatanna, refused to help her find out the cause. Drinking with Bobo alone in the Oblivion Bar, Diana lamented that she was a magical being as well and couldn’t understand why no one would help. Bobo offered his deductive services to try to figure the mystery out.
Meanwhile, magic users were meeting to find a way to deal with this problem and despite their own better judgment, Zatanna and Swamp Thing found themselves allied with Diana to fight the Otherkind, the Upsidedown Man, Hecate, and the ultimate architect behind the destruction of magic, the Lord of Order Nabu.