Savant (DC Comics)

Savant
Savant, art by Joe Bennett
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Birds of Prey #56 (August, 2003)
Created by	Gail Simone Ed Benes
In-story information
Alter ego	Brian Durlin
Team affiliations	Suicide Squad
Partnerships	Creote
Abilities	Genius, exhibits forgetfulness due to chemical imbalance

Savant is a comic book character from DC Comics.

Brian Durlin, better known as Savant, is the spoiled heir to an enormous fortune. Savant had moved to Gotham City to become a self-styled vigilante. However, after Batman discouraged his involvement in vigilantism because of his lack of care to protect others, he turned his own formidable computer skills into a profitable blackmailing business. Savant was joined in this by an ex-Russian KGB agent named Creote.

Savant later kidnapped Black Canary in hopes to get the real identity of Batman from Oracle. However, he was soon defeated by her team. Oracle then made the decision to attempt to rehabilitate him, mainly in order to keep his data files on hundreds of real villains. Like his namesake, he is a genius; however, due to a chemical imbalance he exhibits a non-linear memory and seems to be quite forgetful. Savant has also exhibited feelings for Oracle, probably rooted in his envy of her computer skills.

Savant went on, under Oracle's control, to clean up a Gotham neighborhood. However his unique methods lead Oracle to regret her decision. Savant and Creote then joined forces with The Huntress to take over the Gotham mafia by placing Huntress as capo.

As part of a plan by Calculator to get to Oracle, Savant was kidnapped and tortured by agents of the Secret Society of Super Villains. However his non-linear memory helped him to resist the interrogation, making it appear to last only a few hours rather than the days it had really been. He was rescued by the Birds of Prey and out of anger pushed the villain Black Spider out of a window. Spider survived, meaning the Birds did not have to arrest Savant for murder, though he did end his association with Oracle.

He and Creote turn up alongside dozens of former Birds of Prey and friends of Barbara to confront Spy Smasher.