Byron Lewis, also known as Mothman, was one of the first superheroes and a member of the Minutemen. After a long bout of drinking, he had a complete mental breakdown and was admitted into the Overlook Asylum in Maine.
Biography[]
Minutemen[]
Byron Lewis made his debut as a flight-based costumed adventurer known as Mothman and joined the Minutemen to further his crimefighting pursuits.
HUAC Interrogation[]
In 1954, Byron Lewis attended the World Science Fiction Convention in Cleveland, Ohio with a group of screenwriters, novelists, and comic book artists allegedly linked to socialist clubs. Lewis was photographed at the event and the New Frontiersman published an article along with the photos criticizing Lewis' alleged ties to socialism.
In response to the article, the House Un-American Activities Committee demanded that all costumed adventurers reveal their identities to the government. Due to the left-wing friends that Lewis had cultivated, his clearance was considerably more difficult than his companions.
Health Decline[]
Lewis was eventually cleared, but the investigations were both lengthy and ruthless. The pressure of this meeting further prompted his future drinking problem.
Overlook Asylum[]
After a long bout of drinking, Lewis had a complete mental breakdown. He was admitted into the Overlook Asylum in Kennebunkport, Maine where he spent the remainder of his years until his death.[1]
Legacy[]
The titular character of the 1970s black mask film Tarantula was based on Mothman.
In 2019, a hit series called American Hero Story: Minutemen aired, dramatizing all the known information about Lewis's time with the Minutemen.
By 2019, Lewis' flight technology was successfully emulated by the pubic and evolved from the crude flight technology that he originally wore during his Minutemen days. It is notably used by photo journalists to capture pictures while flying with the help of wing-like suits. Tulsa detective Red Scare refers to the users of this technology as “moths", a reference to the late Minuteman.[2]
Trivia[]
- Byron Lewis was known to have read the novel Fogdancing obsessively during his final years.[1]
Behind the Scenes[]
- Though an actor portraying Mothman in the fictional television series, American Hero Story, first appeared in "It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice", Byron Lewis himself wouldn't appear until "This Extraordinary Being". Both real-life actors went uncredited in their roles.