Also known as Ogon Bat, the Golden Bat is a Japanese superhero created by Suzuki Ichiro and Takeo Nagamatsu in 1931 who originally debuted in a kamishibai (paper theater). It is considered to be the world's first comic book superhero, and is a precursor to later superhero characters such as the Japanese kamishibai character Prince of Gamma (debut early 1930s), and the American comic book characters Superman (debut 1938) and Batman (debut 1939).
The main antagonist, Nazo, is believed to have inspired other similar super-villains, the most notable examples being The Mekon from Dan Dare, Davros from Doctor Who and Dr. Claw from Inspector Gadget.