The son of the wealthy Rathaway family, Hartley Rathaway was born deaf. Unwilling to have a son with what they perceived as a defect, they spent millions on restoring Hartley's hearing. He was given cochlear implants that gave him massively enhanced hearing. Becoming obsessed with sound, and particularly with music, he began working on sonic technology. Discovering a way to use his sonics to hypnotize others, he parlayed this new ability into a life of crime. Initially joining up with the Rogues, he soon found that a life of crime was not for him. He left the Rogues and reformed, becoming a vigilante hero. Pied Piper was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino. He is inspired by the traditional German legend of the Pied Piper. He made his first appearance in The Flash #106.