Team-Up Tuesdays: Sentinels VS Society

Charlton had an inordinate number of "street-level" superheroes, i.e. non-powered costumed crusaders. The only ones that had demonstrative superhuman attributes during the silver age "Action-Heroes" era was Captain Atom and Nightshade. Nevertheless, these individuals harkened back to the 1940's Justice Society of America, which also had several "normal" members amongst their ranks. How would these twin teams compare in a head-to-head matchup? Let's see:

• Sandman vs Peacemaker - Two helmeted heroes with non-lethal guns designed to immobilize their foes. Armed with tremendous wealth, inventive minds and true tenacity. Howeve, Peacemaker had more technology on his side. Advantage: Peacemaker.
• Doctor Mid-Nite vs Blue Beetle - Each man wore special goggles, devised special guns (Doc's cryotuber and Blue's bb-gun), distorted vision (Doc's blackout bombs and Blue's flare gun), and had "fauna" for sidekicks (Doc's Hooty the Owl and Blue's Bug). Both athletic and inventive, the Bug vehicle tips the balance devisely here. Advantage: Blue Beetle.
• Starman vs Captain Atom - Energy-weilding avengers, harnessing cosmic radiation unabling them to manipulate fundamental forces. In a matchup, both would fare well in battle, however Starman depends on his Cosmic Rod to empower him while the Captain possessed his superpowers due to his accidental origin. Advantage: Captain Atom.

• The Atom vs the Question - Fierce fist-fighters, charging into battle unreservedly showing the depth of their courage and conviction. Question can talk a mean blue-streak on philosophy and so forth, however when atomically powered the Atom's superstrength and "atomic punch" makes him hard to beat in this head-to-head. Advantage: The Atom.
• Mister Terrific vs Peter Cannon...Thunderbolt - The Man of 1000 Talents versus another man of 1000 Talents. Physical, psychological, tactical, intellectual... these gamely clad crusaders would have the most epic of confrontations. Advantage: Toss Up.
• Wildcat vs Judomaster - The heavy weight champion of the world and the judo master of the world. Fists and feets a-flying. Random rage against methodic might. If this thing went more than a couple rounds, and it would... Advantage: Wildcat.
• Black Canary vs Nightshade (neither shown) - The fine fighting femmes are skilled in multiple disciplines in the martial arts. Each came equipped with various gadgets as well. However, Nightshade is able to phase into shadows. Advantage: Black Canary.

Charlton, Incorporated: Slueth Suits

We think Vic Sage finally met his match, no offense Renee Montoya!

Under the Hood: The Makings of a Question

Crusading journalist Vic Sage at a deep-seated desire, undoubtedly due to his objectivism believes held by his idol Ayn Rand, felt the need to do more. And more was definitely needed as his home, Hub City, was a cesspool of crime and corruption needing a courageous crimefighter to curtail its cunning crooks.

Enter the Question.

However, while Sage had physical attributes allowing him to hold his own versus most opponents... particularly due to his fueled fearless fighting spirit... he could not openly combat criminals on the streets while televised publicly as an opinionated anchorman.

Enter Aristotle Roder.

Roder was the scientist who developed a revolutionary technique that would, in essence, transform Sage into superhero. And this technique would be the defining trait for Vic's alter ego.

The tool that Roder developed for his friend was pseudoderm, which mimics a a perfect, invisible skin-imitating bandage. 

In one rendition of his origin, the Question first encountered this scientific miracle when Aristotle enlisted Sage's aid to retrieve it from the hands of a felon using it for illicit purposes. Using the material as a mask, Vic decided to wear it as a long-term fix for his alias.

According to DC Wikia: "The Question Mask perfectly hides the features of its wearer, making it seem as though the face is non-existent, and completely covered in skin. It does not impede breathing or eyesight. The mask is hidden in an easily concealable belt. The balled up pseudoderm is in the buckle, where it can be easily removed and rolled out to cover the face. A special chemical applied to the face that mimics aftershave, when combined with a gas released from the belt, makes the mask stick to the face so fast that it cannot be taken off by hand or any conventional means. A second spray of gas makes it come off."

But it is the man behind the mask that truly makes the Question... unique.

DC Dopplegangers: Restless Reporters

Steve Ditko was the superstar artist seeking creative freedom throughout his career. Rarely achieving his ideal setting to unleash his unorthodox take on art and storytelling, at least twice he struck a similar cord. The result were two potential legends.

The Question debuted in 1967 as a backup feature of Derby Connecticut's Charlton Comics' Blue Beetle, for five issues. A sixth issue of the hero's adventures were compiled in Mysterious Suspense in 1968.

The Creeper debuted in 1968, after his former employer's superhero action line essentially folded (the Phantom not withstanding) in an issue Showcase before six issues of his self-titled series. And besides having short-lived runs before being revived years later, each had other similarities:

• Jack Ryder and Vic Sage were temperamental television personalities who espoused the ideals of their creator of objectivism, although Jack much less so.
• Each had a blonde coworker at their television stations that struck just as many nerves and heartstrings of our heroes.
• In their costumed identity, intelligent scientists bestowed them with devices that transformed them from well known television personalities into notorious heroes.
• Law enforcement authorities had an edgy relationship with this pair, with their most consistent allies being blue garbed millionaires Batman and Blue Beetle.

While never achieving the limelight of A-list heroes from the main publishers, each gained an appreciative fanbase which allowed them time and again to return, most of the time beside their fellow crusaders.

DCAU: Animated Question

courtesy of http://dcanimated.wikia.com/wiki/Question

The Question was a superhero and a member of the Justice League after the Thanagarian invasion. He was known for his "crackpot"^[2] conspiracy theories and brilliant deductive skills. He used a special flesh-colored mask that covered his face, along with a special yellow gas^[3][4] could change the colors of his hair and clothing. The Question was possibly the most unconventional superhero ever to join the organization. He was a paranoid investigator who, by his own admission, shamelessly went through everyone's trash,^[3] drove a car with no license plates,^[1][5] and believed there was an ominous conspiracy inherent to everything.

Contents [show] 1 History 1.1 Assignments 1.2 Flourishing Romance 1.3 Cadmus 1.4 Abilities and Equipment 2 Appearances and References 2.1 Justice League Unlimited 3 Footnotes 4 External links

History

Assignments

The Question assisted Supergirl and Green Arrow in uncovering the truth behind Supergirl's eerie dreams, leading him to Galatea, her evil clone. Although his teammates regard him as a nut for his over the top theories, such as the connections between boy bands and global warming, and the Girl Scouts and the crop circle phenomenon, the fact is that the Question delivers results. Therefore, Batman appointed him to find a link between Cadmus and Lex Luthor.^[3]

Flourishing Romance

While the Question was investigating, the Huntress approached him offering information on Cadmus, if he would help her track down Steven Mandragora, the man who killed her parents. Even though the Question knew she had nothing on the mysterious organization, he played along, simply because he was fond of the Huntress. The Question is incredibly perceptive, and he most likely investigated the background of every Leaguer, seeing as he knew everything about the Huntress before they met. After the Question dissuaded her from murdering Mandragora in front of his son, the Huntress took a liking to him, and they started dating.^[1]

Cadmus

With the help of the Huntress, the Question stole high-security files from a Cadmus terminal, in hopes of finding their link to Luthor. After cracking the files, he gained access to several classified information, namely Amanda Waller's simulations and everything about the Justice Lords. When the Question saw the security tape of Superman killing President Lex Luthor in the parallel universe,^[6] he became convinced that those events were predestined to happen in his own reality, considering the events that led up to that fateful moment, were also already unfolding. The Question saw how Waller's simulations predicted that a war between the Justice League and the government would result in Armageddon. So, he confronted Superman, who, in spite of assuring they would never fight the government, didn't reassure a much disturbed Question. So, he headed off to LexCorp, where he was determined to kill Luthor in order to prevent Superman from doing so. Seeing as he was a "well-known crackpot", the Question believed that his actions wouldn't affect the League's reputation, and was willing to commit that sacrifice to guarantee Superman's untainted legacy. However, he was thwarted by Luthor, who mysteriously exhibited superhuman strength and easily knocked him around. The Question was then taken under Cadmus custody, where Dr. Moon tortured him for the location of the stolen files.^[2]
He was finally rescued by Superman and the Huntress, who carried him out of the facilityafter a fight with Captain Atom. He was teleported to the Watchtower, where he recuperated with the Huntress on his side.^[4] Shortly after, when the Ultimen invaded the Watchtower, the Question mustered enough strength to knock out one Juice clone with a bedpan, promptly saving his love, the Huntress.^[7]
After full recovery, the Question kept going out with the Huntress and resumed his pursuit to uncover conspiracies. His latest discovery was that Baskin-Robbins has, not 31, but 32 flavors,^[8] contrary to general beliefs. Then Question answered the world-wide call to the entire Justice League when Darkseid invaded Earth, and managed to run over a few Parademons with his car.^[5]

Abilities and Equipment

Despite possessing no special powers or gadgets, the Question was a skilled martial artist,^[1][3] endowed with brilliant deductive skills and a genius intellect. He was also very skilled in the intimidation and interrogation of criminals, on par with Batman. His intimidation skills were derived from, at least in part, his featureless mask, which could be quite scary to an average person.^[3]
He always saw the clue everyone overlooked, and solved the conundrums he set himself out to investigate. The Question was always very suspicious of everything, and his inquisitive mind earned him a reputation of being paranoid and eccentric. Aside from his distinctive "faceless" mask and classic GTO, the Question used no notable equipment.

Charlton Meets MLJ Week: Mystery Boyfriend

Okay so like when they kiss, how does that work, exactly?

Thunder Agents at DC Week: Thunder Agents #1

Thunder Agents done DC Animated style, as presented on the cover of their upcoming first issue. Interesting that none of the character redesigns that have rolled out of their new publisher is reflected on this cover, which is a telling sign that "you don't mess with a classic" adage.

While the jury is still out on whether or not this reboot will match the cult status (if not outright fanfare) of the original series and its various reiterations throughout various publishers in the decades since their first appearance. They merit consideration, for sure.

And back to the animated style, our friend the Question over on Earth-Four is no doubt curious about how these Earth-MLJ Agents will answer the following queries:

Will the original concept be diluted with to much 21st century tampering?

Is the characterization going to be as strong as the original classic series?

Can this team function as distinct from the rest of the DC Universe?

How will they be presented to satisfy their old and new fanbase?

When will their series be canceled... or make it to the big time?

Friday Fiends: Mechanical Monster Madmen

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty is only skin deep. And so on and so forth. So goes such adages on physical appearances. And today as never before western society is obsessed with this... so much so that anyone who is unattractive on the outside is thought to be even more so on the inside. At least, that was the thought in the 60's and 70's when Pascal and Enigma were introduced.

Our tales begin with a meeting of a heroic pair: Fly and Shield (Fly #8), and Blue Beetle and Question (Charlton Bullseye #1).

As the gentlemen met during impending threats of high tech gangs, they soon learned that the masterminds behind them were monsters of the worst kind... humans turned evil!

Pascal was born with a facial disfigurement that modern medicine couldn't fix, causing him to turn to  amonster movies motif. Enigma was simply a madman hiding his face out of vanity!

Pascal would return years after his initial defeat for a rematch with the Fly, when a director used Pascal's life story as the basis for a film. Enigma had a previous undocumented case battling Beetle.

In both instances, these tales also led to the mad monsters' defeat!

Friday Fiends: High-Tech Napoleons

Our two stooges for this week are really C class super villains. Oh sure, they come in fancy flying craft of gold, with blasters that seem to neutralize our powerhouse protagonists, the Shield and Captain Atom (alongside his fellow Sentinels of Justice in their sole "named" appearance), and at the start of the contest they *seem* menacing enough. But alas, it t'wasn't to be. Presenting: the Gloater and the Manipulator. Two real pint-sized one-hit wonders that we *have* to mention for equal time sake!

After a dizzying array of futuristic gadgets inside Gloater's armor, we seek the evil that lurks in this man's heart. Which is overpowered by the wimpy factor after a good star-spangled spanking! He would return for a fleeting appearance in a mass group shot of ultra-criminals, but nevermore focused on (thank goodness). And in the end, he's sent packing to his era with his visions of matching the wickedness of history's most infamous fiends crushed in as many pieces as his armor. Spanked into submission:

______________________________________________

A millionaire businessman named Jonathan Barrington Collingsworth Junior decided one day that the world was not enough (hmmmm, an interesting name for a movie, perhaps?) So he adopted the alias of the Manipulator to live up to the infamous dictators of old. So he channeled his inner Doc Doom and found himself a fantastic four to plague his existence!

Somehow, amazingly, he pulls off what no one else was able to accomplish through the decades of the Action-Heroes' publishing existence. Make them all play nice and in the same sandbox...as in motivate them to join together against a common foe. Okay, Cap Atom and Nightshade had a thing going, and Blue Beetle and Question got together once formally and prior to that informally (Quest was in his civvies on that occasion). Still this was quite an accomplishment, only not the kind the Manipulator would be proud of. Thankfully, while his army of Fiery-Icer, Ironarm,and the Madmen kinda fell flat against our Sentinels, Jr. had enlisted a henchman who seriously upgraded since his last appearance:

And that was that, as both masterminds slunk back into the depths of comic book limbo. And aren't we thankful that we don't have to relive *that* painful experience again? Blue Beetle sure is! Ouch.

Masked Men - No Superpowers but Superstyle!

We have been very remiss to skip the following two entries. It's not that we don't love them, but they were both late entries to the silver-age (in fact, one technically didn't make the 60's comic book "silver" age but is definitely a bronze-age boy). They were no fuss, no muss. No flashy powers or costumes... aside from that which covered their heads during their crusades against crime. And yet... they each had something distinct that made them beloved and moved their publishers to revitalize them in the 1980's, and then in the 1990's in somewhat radical departures that only built upon their legends. So without further ado, we proudly present our Masked Men of the Moment... The Question and The Black Hood.

There was already a Black Hood from the 1940's MLJ Comics, a Matthew Kip Burland. Originally a defrocked cop that was trained by a mysterious Hermit then becoming the Man of Mystery under the Hood. He lasted into the 1960's, thanks in large part to being turned into an ageless phantom for a few years. Turns out the Hermit *may* have been a Burland, who bequeathed Matt with an identity that had been passed on from generation to generation (no, not this guy). Quite a pedigree he was born into!

When his nephew Kip likewise found himself black balled by his own police force for attempting to rat out organized crime, which was firmly entrenched in local law enforcement, Matt inspired him to dawn the unique mask that made his alias famous. Realizing that this would become a full time job since the evil element has become so sophisticated since Matt's day, Kip retired from the force in partial disgrace and set up shop as a private investigator/troubleshooter/hood clad vigilante.

Enlisting the aid of local weapons inventor Mr. Damian, the Hood is soon armed with a unique pepperbox gun which fires gas, explosive shells, syringe bullets, and magnesium flare pellets. And the Hoodcycle, which allowed him maximum mobility.While this protected him from an assortment of criminal thugs, it did not protect his heart, which fell in love with a girl named Carolyn. Whom he attempted to protect... and ended up losing. We see his approach towards her killer, which is a common thread with his contemporary the Question (see below)....

While it seems like Black Hood is doomed to be alone, without so much as a stable supporting cast (aside from Damian), he eventually is befriended by the Comet and his revived Mighty Crusaders. Perhaps thinking of the good times he had standing on Uncle Matt's shoulders, he even gives him a supercharged motorcycle-rocket when he accidentally destroys the Hoodcycle. Only Hood's writer Grey Morrow wasn't to keen on sci-fi tech, and granted him a variation of the Hoodcycle shortly thereafter. 

Nevertheless, Kip ends up standing alongside the Crusaders throughout their modern day run, eventually turning into a cigar-chomping grump after his uncle is killed by these guys). Completely mis-characterized, unless of course he was replaced by a secret double agent planted in the Crusaders by the government. But that is another story for another time.

Now we turn our attention to the Question, who appeared before the Hood but also after (depending on which incarnation you refer to, of course). Reporter Vic Sage was about as outspoken a reporter as you can get, and he's been the focus of some excellent posts elsewhere, including a silver-age history over at the Silver Age blog. To sum up the guts and sinew of what makes the man behind the mask, let's quickly recap the essential facts about Mr. Sage. Starting with his extended social circle:

Yes, Vic has a large cast of characters, in fact perhaps the largest since another of Steve Ditko's creations. Who coincidentally was also in the journalism field, but we digress. Let's Marvel over our faceless wonder (speaking of which, I wonder if a race of alien women obsessed with faceless men would be interested in this guy?). This oft-reprinted page is the holy grail where explaining the Question's niche is concerned:

An inventor, this one named Professor Rodor, inventing gadgetry essential to our masked marauder's crimefighting? Sound familiar? Clad in nothing more distinct than his mask? Deja vu? And the Question was through and through an Objectivist in both his identities, which caused him to be alienated from collective society which he viewed as soulless. And his approach on a criminal element that would threaten his lovely girlfriend Nora Lace was not to be messed with if your a dime-store dupe.

Harsh! When Ditko finished his run of this character, in the sole issue of Mysterious Suspense, other writers had a different take on both sides of the Sage. He kept his hard edge but without the philosophical underpinnings that made the Question an Ayn Rand's answer to a hero with a tinge of hubris. He suddenly became the objective counterpoint to the run of the mill working class hero, like the Blue Beetle. Note this first team-up between the other half of future Sentinels of Justice:

Leaping into the fray without a fancy vehicle nor spandex, he quickly proves he's on equal footing with an self-styled superhero and may, in fact, have a leg up where being calm-cool-collect is concerned like in this impending death trap of the evil enemy of the Beetle, the Enigma...

And what became of these courageous masked everymen? Well one became all... psychological...

And the other reinterpretation by the Distinctive Competitor turned Consumer of our publishers was... psychotic!

While the basis of both characters remained, the charm of their initial incarnations lost some of what made them stand out from the pact. Maybe someday those versions will return to grace the comic pages once more.

Friday Fiends: Cancelite, Thy Name Is Sales!

Cancelite. An plot device of Jerry Siegel (yeah...THAT Siegel!) used to level the playing field between good and bad guys. Except he shouldn't have leveled it...instead it should have been elevated. It was a period time in mid to late 60's that was riding the crest of Batman's campy television series. Nearly all comics publishers produced their own brand of superheroes...or in the case of Mighty Comics (Shield, Steel Sterling, etc) and Mighty/Radio Comics (Blue Beetle, Captain Atom) reintroduce their earlier creations. For the former, a more serious approach was taken to their presentation...for the latter, a more light-hearted one. Neither took.

1965 Comic Book Sales Figures
Average Total Paid Circulation as Reported in Publishers' Statements of Ownership

	Title	Publisher	Avg. paid circ.
1)	Superman	DC	823,829
2)	Superboy	DC	672,681
3)	Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane	DC	556,091
4)	Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen	DC	554,931
5)	Action Comics	DC	525,254
6)	Adventure Comics	DC	520,440
7)	Archie	Archie	467,552
8)	World's Finest Comics	DC	465,842
9)	Batman	DC	453,745
10)	Walt Disney's Comics & Stories	Gold Key	410,209
11)	Justice League of America	DC	389,285
12)	Treasure Chest	Catholic Guild	386,171
13)	Flintstones	Gold Key	374,322
14)	Tarzan	Gold Key	356,699
15)	Metal Men	DC	334,245
16)	Uncle Scrooge	Gold Key	330,925
17)	Betty and Veronica	Archie	328,969
18)	G.I. Combat	DC	320,607
19)	Detective Comics	DC	304,414
20)	Flash	DC	298,151
21)	Walt Disney's Donald Duck	Gold Key	298,144
22)	Life with Archie	Archie	293,651
23)	Bugs Bunny	Gold Key	291,816
24)	The Three Stooges	Gold Key	288,967
25)	Korak	Gold Key	278,800
26)	Tom and Jerry	Gold Key	276,980
27)	Archie's Joke Book	Archie	273,679
28)	Green Lantern	DC	273,527
29)	Our Army at War	DC	270,100
30)	Laugh Comics	Archie	269,747
31)	Archie's Pal Jughead	Archie	269,512
32)	Archie Giant Series	Archie	256,516
33)	Twilight Zone	Gold Key	256,050
34)	Atom	DC	255,254
35)	Archie's Pals 'n' Gals	Archie	253,860
36)	Woody Woodpecker	Gold Key	250,340
37)	Turok, Son of Stone	Gold Key	250,316
38)	Yogi Bear	Gold Key	250,175
39)	Brave & Bold	DC	249,768
40)	All-American Men of War	DC	247,717
41)	Aquaman	DC	247,140
42)	Little Lulu	Gold Key	246,650
43)	Top Cat	Gold Key	245,387
44)	Bonanza	Gold Key	244,042
45)	Daffy Duck	Gold Key	243,825
46)	Star-Spangled Comics	DC	243,700
47)	Beetle Bailey	Gold Key	237,700
48)	Magnus	Gold Key	236,713
49)	Showcase	DC	235,091
50)	Journey into Mystery	Marvel	232,644
51)	Madhouse	Archie	231,934
52)	Mickey Mouse	Gold Key	231,814
53)	Strange Tales	Marvel	230,285
54)	Tomahawk	DC	229,979
55)	Phantom	Gold Key	229,890
56)	Doctor Solar	Gold Key	226,720
57)	Tales to Astonish	Marvel	224,346
58)	Tales of Suspense	Marvel	222,060
59)	Challengers of the Unknown	DC	220,965
60)	Pep Comics	Archie	220,010
61)	Millie the Model	Marvel	219,427
62)	Lost in Space	Gold Key	216,775
63)	Combat	Dell	210,687
64)	Wonder Woman	DC	209,918
65)	Adventures of Jerry Lewis	DC	209,691
66)	Young Love	DC	206,456
67)	Doom Patrol	DC	200,188
68)	House of Mystery	DC	196,677
69)	Kid Colt Outlaw	Marvel	193,506
70)	Rawhide Kid	Marvel	192,540
71)	Adventures of Bob Hope	DC	191,656
72)	Sea Devils	DC	182,866
73)	Mystery in Space	DC	182,376
74)	Thirteen	Dell	175,169
75)	Sugar & Spike	DC	175,089
76)	Forbidden Worlds	ACG	172,270
77)	Unknown Worlds	ACG	168,330
78)	Adventures into the Unknown	ACG	163,049
79)	Fox & The Crow	DC	160,515
80)	Adventures of the Fly	Archie	160,235
81)	Fightin' Army	Charlton	144,865
82)	Fightin' Marines	Charlton	144,487
83)	Hot Rods and Racing Cars	Charlton	143,342
84)	Sweethearts	Charlton	142,208
85)	Love Diary	Charlton	141,333
86)	Billy the Kid	Charlton	140,635
87)	Romantic Story	Charlton	140,528
88)	I Love You	Charlton	139,689
89)	Strange Suspense Stories	Charlton	131,350
90)	Space War	Charlton	130,490
91)	Texas Rangers in Action	Charlton	126,665
92)	Outlaws of the West	Charlton	126,012
93)	Cheyenne Kid	Charlton	118,124
	Average for comics		263,090

Charlton's diverse line of Son of Vulcan, Blue Beetle and Captain Atom soon spawned additional titles such as Judomaster, Sarge Steel and Thunderbolt. From these titles, other characters were introduced such as a new Blue Beetle, Nightshade and Question. All of these provided unique takes on the heroic genre, from cosmic to mythological to scientific to perfectionism to objectivism. Mighty Comics derivative line of Fly-Man, Mighty Crusaders, their version of the Shadow, and Mighty Comic's Black Hood, Web, and others seemed to borrow elements from other classic characters and turn them on their metaphorical head while trying to grab giggles and laughs that ultimately fell flat. Both looked for niches that weren't there.

1966 Comic Book Sales Figures
Average Total Paid Circulation as Reported in Publishers' Statements of Ownership

	Title	Publisher	Avg. paid circ.
1)	Batman	DC	898,470
2)	Superman	DC	719,976
3)	Superboy	DC	608,386
4)	Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane	DC	530,808
5)	Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen	DC	523,455
6)	World's Finest Comics	DC	513,201
7)	Archie	Archie	491,691
8)	Action Comics	DC	491,135
9)	Adventure Comics	DC	481,234
10)	Justice League of America	DC	408,219
11)	Detective Comics	DC	404,339
12)	Metal Men	DC	396,506
13)	Treasure Chest	Catholic Guild	348,305
14)	Walt Disney's Comics & Stories	Gold Key	346,250
15)	Betty and Veronica	Archie	342,295
16)	Amazing Spider-Man	Marvel	340,155
17)	Tarzan	Gold Key	338,052
18)	Flintstones	Gold Key	332,362
19)	Fantastic Four	Marvel	329,379
20)	Flash	DC	325,404
21)	Life with Archie	Archie	300,954
22)	Uncle Scrooge	Gold Key	297,516
23)	Thor	Marvel	296,251
24)	Archie's Pal Jughead	Archie	284,928
25)	Laugh Comics	Archie	282,731
26)	Brave & Bold	DC	279,406
27)	Bugs Bunny	Gold Key	276,949
28)	Tom and Jerry	Gold Key	271,920
29)	Korak	Gold Key	270,923
30)	Avengers	Marvel	269,994
31)	Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos	Marvel	268,499
32)	The Three Stooges	Gold Key	266,701
33)	Walt Disney's Donald Duck	Gold Key	265,932
34)	Archie's Pals 'n' Gals	Archie	265,476
35)	Porky Pig	Gold Key	261,850
36)	Strange Tales	Marvel	261,069
37)	Twilight Zone	Gold Key	259,703
38)	Tales to Astonish	Marvel	256,145
39)	G.I. Combat	DC	255,496
40)	X-Men	Marvel	255,070
41)	Daffy Duck	Gold Key	254,750
42)	Mighty Samson	Gold Key	254,725
43)	Lost in Space	Gold Key	253,025
44)	Archie Giant Series	Archie	252,427
45)	Tales of Suspense	Marvel	252,239
46)	Showcase	DC	250,512
47)	Pep Comics	Archie	248,718
48)	Woody Woodpecker	Gold Key	248,199
49)	Yogi Bear	Gold Key	247,356
50)	Green Lantern	DC	245,699
51)	Turok, Son of Stone	Gold Key	245,202
52)	Little Lulu	Gold Key	245,000
53)	Our Army at War	DC	243,906
54)	Magnus	Gold Key	236,304
55)	Atom	DC	232,850
56)	Bonanza	Gold Key	230,033
57)	Blackhawk	DC	228,453
58)	Aquaman	DC	228,403
59)	Mickey Mouse	Gold Key	225,716
60)	Doctor Solar	Gold Key	224,936
61)	Phantom	Gold Key/King	221,141
62)	Wonder Woman	DC	220,168
63)	Archie's Madhouse	Archie	220,056
64)	Star-Spangled Comics	DC	215,495
65)	Kid Colt Outlaw	Marvel	214,555
66)	Tomahawk	DC	212,954
67)	Adventures of Jerry Lewis	DC	211,934
68)	Challengers of the Unknown	DC	210,316
69)	Our Fighting Forces	DC	207,885
70)	Little Archie	Archie	206,321
71)	Young Romance	DC	204,613
72)	Sad Sack	Harvey	204,253
73)	Rawhide Kid	Marvel	202,823
74)	Adventures of Bob Hope	DC	194,004
75)	Doom Patrol	DC	191,420
76)	Sugar & Spike	DC	190,515
77)	Millie the Model	Marvel	190,217
78)	Tales of the Unexpected	DC	185,650
79)	House of Mystery	DC	183,934
80)	Strange Adventures	DC	174,922
81)	Sea Devils	DC	168,731
82)	Unknown Worlds	ACG	162,684
83)	Thirteen	Dell	161,231
84)	Forbidden Worlds	ACG	160,520
85)	Adventures into the Unknown	ACG	155,102
86)	Teen-Age Love	Charlton	148,813
87)	Fox & The Crow	DC	142,720
88)	Army War Heroes	Charlton	133,205
89)	Fightin' Army	Charlton	129,514
90)	Texas Rangers in Action	Charlton	125,114
91)	Outlaws of the West	Charlton	124,813
92)	Fightin' Marines	Charlton	123,517
93)	Strange Suspense Stories	Charlton	123,267
94)	Cheyenne Kid	Charlton	116,320
	Average for comics		271,323

 After a mere three years from 1965 to 1967 of a concerted effort to launch a limited line of action-heroes, both publishers receded back to that which made them successful. In Mighty's case, it was its parent company Archie's line of teenage humor. And for Charlton, with the exception of licensed legend the Phantom, it was their love/war/old west comics that kept them in the game. Check out some of these titles...far down the list!

1967 Comic Book Sales Figures
Average Total Paid Circulation as Reported in Publishers' Statements of Ownership

	Title	Publisher	Avg. paid circ.
1)	Batman	DC	805,700
2)	Superman	DC	649,300
3)	Superboy	DC	547,100
4)	World's Finest Comics	DC	537,200
5)	Archie	Archie	484,648
6)	Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen	DC	450,700
7)	Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane	DC	448,400
8)	Detective Comics	DC	425,700
9)	Action Comics	DC	420,900
10)	Adventure Comics	DC	412,800
11)	Man from U.N.C.L.E.	Dell	411,235
12)	Justice League of America	DC	385,800
13)	Tarzan	Gold Key	384,450
14)	Amazing Spider-Man	Marvel	361,663
15)	Betty and Veronica	Archie	349,632
16)	Brave & Bold	DC	342,400
17)	Fantastic Four	Marvel	329,536
18)	Walt Disney's Comics & Stories	Gold Key	310,665
19)	Dennis the Menace	Fawcett	308,736
20)	Treasure Chest	Catholic Guild	306,803
21)	Thor	Marvel	298,219
22)	Archie's Pal Jughead	Archie	287,422
23)	Laugh Comics	Archie	285,544
24)	Archie's Joke Book	Archie	282,199
25)	Flintstones	Gold Key	279,885
26)	Uncle Scrooge	Gold Key	278,901
27)	Daredevil	Gold Key	275,361
28)	Life with Archie	Archie	275,099
29)	Korak	Gold Key	270,050
30)	Avengers	Marvel	269,139
31)	Tales to Astonish	Marvel	269,132
32)	Flash	DC	267,000
33)	Bugs Bunny	Gold Key	266,815
34)	Uncanny X-Men	Marvel	266,034
35)	Lost in Space	Gold Key	264,667
36)	Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos	Marvel	260,930
37)	Tales of Suspense	Marvel	257,342
38)	Tom and Jerry	Gold Key	256,448
39)	Walt Disney's Donald Duck	Gold Key	255,470
40)	The Three Stooges	Gold Key	253,384
41)	Archie Giant Series	Archie	248,241
42)	Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea	Gold Key	243,688
43)	Pep Comics	Archie	242,821
44)	Porky Pig	Gold Key	241,735
45)	Strange Tales	Marvel	241,561
46)	Archie's Pals 'n' Gals	Archie	240,407
47)	Metal Men	DC	239,700
48)	Mighty Samson	Gold Key	238,075
49)	Twilight Zone	Gold Key	236,720
50)	Aquaman	DC	234,200
51)	Turok, Son of Stone	Gold Key	232,565
52)	Yogi Bear	Gold Key	229,100
53)	Bonanza	Gold Key	225,625
54)	Little Lulu	Gold Key	224,800
55)	Woody Woodpecker	Gold Key	220,783
56)	Magnus	Gold Key	215,100
57)	Daffy Duck	Gold Key	212,225
58)	Doctor Solar	Gold Key	208,135
59)	Rawhide Kid	Marvel	205,221
60)	Mickey Mouse	Gold Key	205,083
61)	G.I. Combat	DC	202,100
62)	Green Lantern	DC	201,700
63)	Our Army at War	DC	196,500
64)	Madhouse	Archie	196,057
65)	Sad Sack	Harvey	192,213
66)	Little Archie	Archie	191,623
67)	Showcase	DC	189,500
68)	Young Romance	DC	187,400
69)	Young Love	DC	187,400
70)	Atom	DC	184,100
71)	Challengers of the Unknown	DC	182,200
72)	Adventures of Jerry Lewis	DC	180,800
73)	Little Dot	Harvey	179,592
74)	Girls' Love Stories	DC	178,300
75)	Spooky	Harvey	177,303
76)	Wonder Woman	DC	175,000
77)	Heart Throbs	DC	174,500
78)	Millie the Model	Marvel	173,519
79)	Little Lotta	Harvey	171,055
80)	Falling in Love	DC	170,400
81)	Girls' Romances	DC	170,400
82)	Tomahawk	DC	165,700
83)	Tales of the Unexpected	DC	162,600
84)	Star-Spangled War Stories	DC	160,000
85)	House of Mystery	DC	158,500
86)	Doom Patrol	DC	157,900
87)	Blackhawk	DC	157,700
88)	Teen-Age Love	Charlton	152,317
89)	Our Fighting Forces	DC	152,200
90)	Sugar & Spike	DC	150,200
91)	Secret Hearts	DC	149,700
92)	Strange Adventures	DC	146,600
93)	Army War Heroes	Charlton	140,005
94)	Billy the Kid	Charlton	136,615
95)	Unusual Tales	Charlton	135,266
96)	Romantic Story	Charlton	134,018
97)	Career Girl Romances	Charlton	125,710
98)	Fightin' Marines	Charlton	123,517
99)	Teenage Hotrodders	Charlton	120,890
100)	Sweethearts	Charlton	120,713
101)	Hot Rods and Racing Cars	Charlton	120,563
102)	Cheyenne Kid	Charlton	120,328
103)	I Love You	Charlton	120,310
104)	Outlaws of the West	Charlton	118,313
105)	Grand Prix	Charlton	118,002
106)	Fightin' Army	Charlton	117,513
107)	Love Diary	Charlton	115,412
108)	Fox & The Crow	DC	114,700
109)	Just Married	Charlton	112,413
110)	Teen Confessions	Charlton	111,410
111)	Texas Rangers in Action	Charlton	110,615
	Average for comics		239,366

While all these characters were later revived...ironically by the same mother-of-all publisher for superheroes DC...something was lost. For despite their flaws...be it in printing process for Charlton or plotting process for Mighty...there was a charm hidden between the panels. However, their own Fiend, Cancellation...was the one enemy that could beat the combined forces of our scores of silver-age stalwarts. And sagging sales is the true Kryptonite...er Cancelite...of any superhero.

(Special thanks to Comichron.com for their compilation of the above sales figures.