Ebony became the Spirit's first and most loyal partner. He was a taxi driver that encountered Denny Colt's alter ego while driving Ellen Dolan and Homer Creep past Wildwood Cemetery. Ebony was an intelligent person but, spoke with a heavy accent that later caused controversy over racial stereotypes (Will Eisner was always deeply fond of the character). As the Spirit's sidekick, Ebony fought crime with him at his side. He was very skilled despite his being depicted as a bad stereotype. He was even a skilled pilot and flew the Autoplane on various missions for the Spirit.