Mousey Rattner was a young thief who operated in Dick Tracy's city. She had dark eyes and blond hair that she typically wore tied back, with bangs. She had the habit of smoking cigarettes.
Mousey had a rapport with small animals, particularly white rats. She raised and trained them, often letting them crawl around her head, neck, and shoulders.
The Rattner Family[]
Mousey was the daughter of "Papa" Rattner, a known criminal. Mousey was also known to police, and had a reputation for being a "terror".
Mousey and her father devised a theft scheme in which Mousey would smuggle white rats into a store and release them. In the ensuing panic, she and her father would steal from the cash register and flee. Her father carried a gun to be used if the distraction was not effective.
Mousey and her father came to Dick Tracy's attention following one of these robberies that had gone wrong. Papa Rattner shot a store clerk, and Mousey struck a young child with their car during the getaway. The clerk and the child both survived, but Mousey and her father knew that they were now at an increased rick of being discovered by police.
Mousey terrorizes her father
In spite of this, Mousey insisted that the robberies continue. She and her father continued to use the same tactics, now making their getaways on foot. When Papa complained, Mousey menaced him with some of her rats (of which he was afraid). Mousey decided to conduct a more daring robbery on her own, stealing a $6,000 mink coat.
While Mousey was carrying out this robbery, her father died while attempting to drown the rats she had left in their home. Mousey fled the city, evading police and abandoning the coat in a hollow tree in woods.
Unbeknownst to Mousey, the coat was later found and worn by B.O. Plenty (who was hiding from the authorities at the time due to a misunderstanding). The situation with the Plenty family briefly distracted Tracy from the search for Mousey.
Back to the City[]
Mousey befriended a woman named Jenny, who gave her a job and lodging at a pet store, Mousey was well-suited to the work, and was successful at it. However, she eventually returned to her previous ways, raising white rats to be used in robberies. Jenny noticed that Mousey had obtained some fine clothes and jewelry, and became suspicious.
Around this same time, Mousey was working in the pet shop's front window and was recognized by the young boy she had hit with her car. The boy and his mother reported this to the police, and Jenny cooperated with their inquiries. Mousey learned that the police were closing in on her, and attempted to escape by hiding in a pile of Christmas trees that had been loaded onto a nearby truck.
Tracy and Sam Catchem observed some of Mousey's white rats climbing out of the pile of trees, and they drew the young woman out by pretending that they were about to set the trees on fire. Mousey surrendered and was taken into custody. She struck Sam Catchem in the face as they rode together in a police car.
Mousey's Reform[]
Mousey, as drawn by Rick Fletcher
Mousey served a term in prison and was later released. She was hired at a pet store, and enjoyed making an honest living. She eventually became the store manager and co-owner, re-naming it after herself.
Mousey was visited by Dick Tracy while he investigating threats that had been made against him, but was found not to be responsible. Although she had reconciled with Tracy, she was not one of the former criminals who were present at the wedding of Junior and Sparkle Plenty.