Friday Fiends: Good Guys Getting Greedy

Perhaps the greatest fiends of Charlton and MLJ didn't start out as such. And yet, each became consumed in his own success and dreams of conquest, albeit not on purpose. Honest!

When DC Comics attempted to craft an epic crossover throughout its various series, a new supervillain named Monarch appeared. A vile tyrant of the year 2030 who found his start in 1991, the one thing known about him was that he was a former superhero.

Although originally intended to be Captain Atom adopting this new alias, he was revealed to be another hero known as Hawk. However, Atom eventually adopted this identity after several time traveling machinations of the original, although his criminal career was relatively short and didn't taint his lasting legacy as a larger-than-life legend.

When MLJ Comics tried various means to brand their flagship series Pep a success, a comical lad named Archie introduced his readers to a world of teenage comics from which he would henchforth be king from which other publishers would aspire to imitate.

However, the side effect of this success led to the fall of costumed crusaders such as the Shield and Hangman, who once held sway over their small but significant share of readers. So, in essence, Archie ended up doing what several foes like the Hun and Captain Swastika couldn't... vanquish the underwear set... banishing them into comicbook limbo from which they would not return for nearly twenty years!

Getting Some Pep Into Your Step: Hangman vs Mother Goose!

Let's get some "Pep into your step" with a truncated tale from Pep #30 featuring the Hangman, prior to his radically rotten disposition as mid-60's villain turned mid-80's paternal ogre. An interesting diametric involves the relationship with he and his Charlton counterpart Punch's blond bombshells, the ever alluring Thelma (aka the "hand-me-down" girlfriend...sorry Comet your bro called dibs when you evaporated) and always evil Jewelee. Not to mention each having a propensity towards...well... goofiness despite the malevolence they try to exude.

Anyways, here we go...

Okay, so we understand around this time that Mad Hatter was already booked for an engagement with a certain Dark Knight detective, but couldn't this erstwhile earl of the eerie have found a better opponent than this creepy crone?

Yikes! On the trail of this pointy-hat predator, after she dealt with two of three sons in a mysterious Dickson family (wait... Dickson... Dickerson... could it be a connection? Or rather, the writer's laziness), our Stringed Sentinel is... roped... into a dangerous situation. Egads, however will he procure himself out of this situation? Never fear, gentle reader...

Well said, Punch, although we doubt Jewelee could get her hair stay immaculately pristine in windstorm quite like Thelma. Either she used a six-pack of hairspray of bobby-pins galore.

And speaking of the fairer sex... no fair throwing us a curve ball... a vengeful dude in drag? Sigh, face it he ain't no Captain Swastika, who had a better costume even though half of it was mere dress slacks.

Stay tuned for more installments of "Getting Some Pep Into Your Step".

Whatitsname Wednesdays: Hangman-Black Hood-Laugh

MLJ Comics' Special Comics #1 turns into Hangman Comics #2-8 then Black Hood Comics #11-19 graduating into Laugh Comics #20-400. On issue #85 the "Comics" is dropped from Laugh.

Cancelite - Thy Name is Character Limbo

While not meaning to be a Killjoy, we would like to have a lot to say about this humorous acrobatic vigilante. More is the pity, to dissect the wonderful Ditko would be a wonderful post in and of itself. Regrettably, after only two appearances this character fell into character limbo. Which is tragic in some cases, given the potential, while in other instances it's a merciful reprieve.

A case in point is the 1960's criminal Hangman, also played up to laughs although moreso in a machevellian manner. While we've already considered him and his strong parallel's to Charlton's Punch of Punch and Judy fame, the Hangman has some resonance with Killjoy as well. A seemingly in-your-face vigilante set against a more comical world, or at least one not to be taken of quite so seriously.

Steve Dickering may be a more approp comparison to Killjoy, as Steve's Hangman identity lasted all of two issues of Red Circle's Comet mini-series during the 80's, and then presumably a cameo in Mighty Crusaders #9 assisting in clearing the Shield's name from a murder rap (since the original Hangman died in the Comet series prior to this issue, Steve would be the logical choice for the man behind the mask). Hangman and Killjoy played against such a duo as Batman and the Joker over at DC Comics, the grim and the jovial, each matched well with the other in battles of both wit and brawn.

As for this blog, we're in a bit of a slowdown mode (but we'll pickup the pace later on) to recharge our creative batteries. Maybe we can revisit this topic once more?

Marvel Mondays: The Comets and their Avengers

In perhaps the most outright homage of a concept from the old MLJ by Marvel Comics, we introduce you our loyal (and few) readers to the Comet! Harris Moore was a citizen of New York City during the 1950's when, while simply minding his own business, one of those extremely confident plot devices... er a small comet... irradiated him. He was then transformed into a flying powerhouse, with the ability to manipulate electrical energy. Adopting the alias of the Comet, he became a crimefighter during a time when there not many, if any, operating publicly.

When Comet abruptly left his family, his son Frank thought this meant that his father was the victim of gangland. Hence, he created a flying pod and specialized hand gun that ensnared his foes, developing the alias of Crimebuster.

This is extremely similar to the modus operandi of the Hangman, who used ropes to entangle his foes, seeking vengence against criminals including the man who shot his brother  the Comet!

Unlike this pair, the MLJ/Mighty superhero siblings didn't play nice as the former heroic Hangman turned villain temporarily. They last spoke during the his dying breath with apologies exchanged between both brothers.

Even the flying pods were somewhat similar, although the now evil Hangman's choice of head gear left something to be desired!

Eventually, Frank met his father who had since taken up residence on an alien world named Xandar to protect it's residents (sound familiar...like say planet Altrox?). There he formed the Champions of Xander and eventually recruited his son into their ranks. Alas both father and son were killed in conflicts with alien forces. No doubt, this had something to do with the Comet connection between Marvel and MLJ's characters (MLJ owned the rights) and the family legacy connection of Crimebuster and the Hangman to their father and older brother, respectively.

Will there be another Charlton or Mighty MLJ character we can dig up for next Marvel Monday? Join us in seven days... or tomorrow!

Marvel Mondays: Meta-Human Mimics

Ah the "House of Idea", as Stan Lee called it. And it definitely was that and much much more. However, his publisher was also known in some circles as the "House of Recycled Ideas". Need proof? Consider these guys:

Okay, a homo sapien turned into a fly. Got it. A guy in a special suit that gains strength and becomes a human shield. Sure. A dude that inhales fumes allowing him to fly and emit radiation to transform into a living comet. Um, alright. And a rope slinging vigilante who, after figuring that his long last relative (read: living comet) is dead then decides to avenge his death. Whatever. Where have I heard this before?

Oh yeah! The Fly, Shield, Comet and Hangman! What a coincidence!

Or not. Stan Lee was allegedly not very keen on Mighty Comic's mocking of his style of comics and editorial writing (such as Jerry Ees for Siegel) and in the 1970's decided to do a back handed slap at his one time wimpy rival over at Archie. However, the most blatant copy, in this writer's humble opinion, was leveled against Charlton who always minded their own business and even revered the powerhouse publisher:

Two military captains gaining cosmic powers clad in bright garb traveling through space to champion a heroic age! Make Mine Mighty Charlton!

Sideline Sundays: Sidekicks Assemble!

When last we considered the colorful crusaders of World War II, the Shield and Judomaster, we briefly touched on their junior sidekicks. Dusty and Tiger had motivated the two senior members of their duets to continue their careers despite some adversities that came along the way. How did these two lads themselves become embroiled in costumed conflicts, and what became of them decades later? Let's briefly review their histories:

As happened surprisingly often in the golden age of comics, a young boy loses his parents due to tragic circumstances, arranged by a criminal, and inevitably run into a superhero! This occurred in Pep Comics #11. And the hero in question was the first patriotic clad hero in comics.

Sweet! Shield quickly stitched up a handy-dandy new costume for his little buddy. In an odd twist, he felt it necessary to saddle the kid with a cape which the Shield himself never bothered to wear. Anyway, in yet another coinkydink, Dusty already had full Olympic-level training in judo and acrobatics. Apparently the physical education program in schools back then was exceptional! Oh, and fear not, the gaudy yellow on red-and-blue suit was quickly swapped out for something more aesthetically pleasing.

Dusty quickly made friends with the Wizard's own sidekick, Roy the Super-Boy (yep that was is name!). Now the Boy Detective could swap notes with a fellow lad taken under the wing of a major hero, in Roy's case the Wizard. They had an eleven issue run in Special/Hangman/Black Hood Comics #1-11. And met the Hangman along the way, at least on covers.

When the Shield's lengthy run of appearances petered out in December 1945, so had Dusty's. He next appeared in Mighty Crusaders #4, in the oft quoted (here) tale "Too Many Super-Heroes", which reintroduced several heroes. Dusty was brought back to the future by Zambini's powers for some unspecified reason (Jerry Siegel's wacky plotting, perhaps).Then...

Bye bye, old chum. The perpetual-pup was zapped back to his own time where, according to the Original Shield #2, he "mysteriously disappeared". The operating theory around here is that he was kidnapped by a master criminal named the Keeper, a foe of Thunder Bunny, who had a propensity to keep just upright nuisances of gangland in suspended animation for decades. Dusty reappeared in Archie's Weird Mysteries #14 in April 2001, unaffected by the ravages of time alongside other World War II mystery men turned Mighty Crusaders who (aside for the Shield) inexplicably retained their youthful vigor. Until anexplanation is provided, we'll take it.

Tiger's first appearance was a bit more...unorthodox. While himself an orphan, he resided in a Japanese internment camp...in Wyoming! Even more bizarre, he was the secret servant of the sword wielding assassin know as the Cat who himself was attempting to cause a revolt within the camp. Cat lived right under the noses of the soldiers, and rather than lock him in solitary confinement the military brass send their star agent, Judomaster, to challenge his Oriental opponent in a definitive duel.

Despite some initial reservation of Judomaster's valor and worthiness, Tiger is soon swayed to the Allied side during these turbulent war years. And as seen in the last panel (originally on a later page), Tiger stowed away on board the plane of Rip Jagger (Judomaster), and ends up donning his costumed! The cat is out of the bag (well actually he was thrown off a cliff, but we digress). What next will become of this curious cub?

In the aforementioned adversity that had struck Rip, a blindness keeping him temporarily disoriented, the General devised as scheme whereby Tiger would assume Judomaster's role as a secret agent with the judo skill set. This motivated Rip to resume his alias, and the two decided to join forces in the last panel  that would give the Japs a one-two-punch.

Judomaster's team of Bushiri, Suzikawa and Tiger continued to assist him on several cases, including the last recorded in Judomaster #89.  The kid quickly earned his street cred using his mind as well as his physical attributes. While his training was extensive he had something more, something intrinsic in his nature that could be harnessed...perhaps..to train others. In fact, he did just that decades later with surprising results...

That lass that a much older Tiger is training is wealthy Senatorial daughter Eve Eden, wishing to train herself with the necessary skills to save her brother from another dimension. She would become Nightshade, and whether or not Tiger later became aware of her own dual identity, he would no doubt have been pleased with the good she accomplished thanks in-part to his own mentoring of her. As would his own mentor.

Two adventurous boys added to the long list of superhero sidekicks, using their wits and abilities, each only standing on the sidelines for a short time before jumping into their own legends.

Sideline Sundays: The Gals Behind Type A Dudes

Our comparison today is about as close as you can come to two characters that parallel each other. Both are strong-willed blonde women who do not back down. Both found themselves in relationships with heroes carrying HUGE chips on their shoulders, men with a cerebral side who invent the blunt instruments they use to bring justice to others. One of our ladies, Thelma Gordon had existed for decades, since her first appearance in Pep Comics, as a reporter for the Daily Star (a popular employer in the 1940's, apparently) investigating the Comet She was later retroactively inserted as the love interest of Comet's alter ego, John Dickering right from the beginning. The other gal, Nona O'Rourke, found herself gainfully employed by former diplomat turned scientist Christopher Smith, aka the Peacemaker, in the 60's. Let's examine their histories...on the sidelines:

 

Right away, we must begin questioning fare Thelma's taste in men. But it doesn't stop there! John isn't the only wacko.

 

Nona O'Rourke "beat out" her competition to be Christopher Smith's secretary (sorry, personal assistant). Note that shiner on her face! Whata chick! YOWZA!

 













Turns out gangsters try to rub out the Comet by kidnapping kid brother Bob. Then they kill the hero (he survives but disappears). Thelma rejects character limbo & latches on to new series lead Bob aka Hangman aka overbearing Jerk.

Like Thelma, Nona is terrified at the obsessive nature of her "man". He's more level headed than John. But he's also a big flirt . Who can't commit. But definitely smirks a lot! Because that was cool back in the swinging 60's.

Peacemaker #6, which itself was unpublished, was the last we would see this incarnation of Peacemaker's spunky sidekick. Thelma, however, was the supporting character that WOULD NOT DIE even when her first protagonist boyfriend bit the dust. That's not saying much, as all the Dickering men in her life, even her son (messed up by his father's abuse above) had serious issues that she couldn't help them resolve. Very tragic. But so is character limbo, where both are gal pals are in right now.

Friday Fiends: Bestial Bad Boys

Hangman and Thunderbolt battled this weeks pair of diabolic deviants, in Mighty Comics #48 and Peter Cannon--Thunderbolt #52. Two men ruling an isolated outpost imprisoning their fellow man, themselves enslaved by the savage pull of a bestial nature that seeks to overwhelm them.

Things start unassuming enough, as we're introduced to two authoritative men, Eric Gore and Warden Meggs. Each resides in an undesirable location that houses a terrible secret that would terrify all men!

Enter our fearless heroes, Peter Cannon in his civies (with his costume packed away during his sea voyage) and Bob Dickerson in his Hangman alias, himself recently reformed from a brief live of crime.

Gore reveals his secret origin, a transformation from research scientist to madman thanks to a transplanted ape hand. Meanwhile, the Prison Phantom appears  to strike down Hangman!

Pete dawns his costume to combat Gore, himself playing a mad game employing his bestial servants to battle T-Bolt. Prison Phantom does not ask his fellow inmates to rid him of his foe,  dealing with Hangman.

And it looks like he has gained the upper hand, preparing a ghastly execution for the gallows guardian.

Will the apes that swarm over T-Bolt continue to side with their master Gore when he shows how inhuman he is? The prisoners at the penitentary where Hangman is battling for his life are rooting for him to defeat the Phantom!

Having conquered the ape hordes, T-Bolt now much face the mad science of Gore himself! Things look dire! On the other hand, things are looking up for Hangman, who finally removes the metalic helmet of his hairy adversary!

Gore's end game leaves himself exposed to his death trap, with his ape saving T-Bolt! Hangman's trap catches the warden retiring who's split personality created Prison Phantom!



While Eric Gore's doom seemed to be permanent, the Prison Phantom would rise again to bedevil a new Hangman and his allies on a parallel Earth. A tale for another day. As is how they handled nasty head lice...ick.