Alias

Matches Malone
Nick Name
Matches
Civilian ID
Unknown, last name Malone
Occupation

Arsonist

Criminal
Legal Status
Deceased citizen of the United States with a criminal record.
Nation or Planet of Origin
Hoboken, New Jersey
Group Affiliation
Criminal Gangs
Base of Operations

Hoboken, New Jersey

Gotham City
Height
~6'
Weight
~200 lbs.
Eye Color
Brown
Hair Color
Black
Skin Tone
Caucasian
Known Powers
Normal human with skills of a criminal.
Accessories
Match Book
Common Enemies
Batman
Regularly Appearing

Batman

Detective Comics
First Appearance
Batman as Matches: ?

Matches: Batman #588 (April, 2001)
Creator
Brian K. Vaughn & Scott McDaniel
Origin
Matches Malone and his brother Carver resorted to a life of crime after they were orphaned.  Their specialty was insurance fraud and arson, but they never crossed the line into violence.

Looking to expand their trade they made a move to Gotham City where they ran afoul of the Batman.  Nothing could be proved against the brothers, until Carver was found dead and Matches was both the police and Batman's first suspect.  Once again he evaded prosecution, but Batman was not deterred, and he watched Matches every move, until he apparently committed suicide by torching himself with gasoline.

Batman took this turn of events to create an undercover identity to infiltrate the criminal world.  Batman buried Malone next to his brother, learned all he could about the late Matches and assumed his identity.  But, what he did not know was that Malone was not dead.

Carver had committed suicide, after an arson resulted in the death of a homeless man.  Wishing to preserve his brothers honor Matches made the death look like a murder, and then faked his own death using the body of the burned homeless man.  He went underground for years, until he heard there was a bounty posted on him for informing on Scarface to Batman.

Returning to Gotham to clear his name he was confronted and shot by Scarface.  With his dying breath he made Batman swear revenge for his death.