Monsters In The Dell!

There was a moment in the 1960's when two fads bonded and caught hold at the comic book publisher Dell. The classic monsters of Universal had caught fire thanks to magazines like Famous Monsters from Filmland and shows like The Munsters. Superheroes were all over thanks to the rollicking success of upstart Marvel. Dell reached out with both hands and grabbed monsters in one and superheroes in the other and produced some of the wackiest comic books ever to grace the racks. We got Frankenstein, Dracula and Werewolf, the first two bizarre misfit superheroes and the third a super-spy (yet another fad).  These series burned brightly and burned out swiftly. Thanks to the talents of Tony Tallarico and Bill Fraccio these heroes came to "life" and will always be with us.

But what if there had been others. Certainly Universal made more monster movies. Karl Heitmueller Jr. gives us a peek at Tough Guy Goods and Services. Take a gander above at what might have been, enjoy and look for more. You'll be glad you did.

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The Golden Derby - December 1965!

Fifty years ago this month Charlton continued its transition into the "Action Hero" era with the publication of the final issue of Blue Beetle written by a young fan-turned-pro Roy Thomas and drawn by the regular team of Bill Fraccio and Tony Tallarico. "The Eye of Horus" showcases one of Roy's go-to plots, drawing in the elements of ancient mythology. And in Captain Atom this month, Cap battles his first full-fledged super-villain, the chromatic Dr. Spectro, a master of color and mood. Cap looked especially good in his gold and red togs as rendered by Steve Ditko and Rocke Mastroserio. The quixotic Dr. Spectro would prove to be one of Cap's more durable opponents and one of his more intriguing as his powers kept altering from appearance to appearance. This month also saw the final issue of the long-running Fightin' Air Force, this one starring short-time flying hero American Eagle. The Pat Masulli and Rocke Mastroserio cover art is magnetic. Also on the war front is an issue of Marine War Heroes with a cover by Masulli and Mastroserio, an odd one which reveals the inner thoughts of soldiers as they trod off to battle about their leadership, a question which gained real potency in the throes of the Vietnam War era. As always Charlton continued to publish romance books as evidenced by this striking issue of Teen-Age Love sporting a typically beautiful cover by Dick Giordano.

More to come next month.

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The Golden Derby - October 1965!

Fifty years ago this month things were really beginning to heat up at Charlton. Captain Atom returned in new adventures for the first time in nearly a decade and the stories were by his original creative team of Joe Gill and Steve Ditko. Charlton still was producing some handsome westerns like Billy the Kid (one of the longest running westerns from any company) and Wyatt Earp, a sturdy seller, but a book which would soon disappear from the stands. As always Charlton had a line of war books full of short tales and some few regular features. Charlton stood out from their competition in the war arena in that they would feature stories set in the then ongoing war in Vietnam. DC and Marvel waged battle safely on the historical fronts of World Wars I and II but rarely ventured into the quagmire which America found itself in during the 60's. Charlton went there, often with Commie-bashing zeal left over from an earlier decade but sometimes with a sense of tragedy which spoke to the larger issues war dealt with. This month's issue of Fightin' Army is just such a moment akin to the sentiment found in John Wayne's much more bombastic peon to the war The Green Berets from a few years later. Rocke Mastroserio is a favorite artist of mine and his talent can really be seen on the three covers he did for this month's presentation, the war cover in tandem with Pat Masulli. Finally we have Blue Beetle by Joe Gill, Tony Tallarico and Bill Fraccio, one of Charlton's superhero revivals which was falling on hard times since its sensibilities were not really in the moment. I love these charming tales for what they are and this particular issue in which BB battles The Praying Mantis Man and his army of giant insects was perhaps my first Charlton comic book. A real wild tale with energy if not subtlety.

More next month.

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The Golden Derby - June 1965!

I'm starting up a new feature here at the Dojo, where one of its primary interests has always been the comics produced by the Connecticut publisher Charlton. Charlton was a long-standing company in the field beginning during the Golden Age and giving up the ghost finally in 1986 after decades of relentless comics production, following an array of trends which waxed and waned over the years. But fifty years ago or thereabouts, they began to make arguably their greatest and most memorable contribution to the field, the "Action Heroes".

Over the next few years, in a regular series of monthly posts I'd like to take a look at how that started. Each month will feature five or so striking covers from the array which was available on the stands exactly fifty years ago, and hopefully we'll see the splendid rise and sadly the lamentable fall of one of comics most fascinating experiments.

Since the traditional gift for a fiftieth anniversary is gold and since Charlton Publishing was located in Derby, Connecticut, I'm going to label these monthly posts "The Golden Derby", an homage to the classic Hollywood coffee shop The Brown Derby. (I've always liked that weirdo image and of course Bullwinkle and Rocky once searched tirelessly for the "The Kirwood Derby", but that's another story. It's a stretch I know, but it's the best I could come up with. Sigh.)

Action-Heroes House Ad from June, 1965

Let's begin with what was on the stands in June, 1965.

Fifty years ago at Charlton, Pat Masulli was the editor of the comics line and follow the usual pattern at the company, he had instructed his staff to make some superheroes. To that end they had created Son of Vulcan (not on sale in June) and revived and revised one of their long-held properties, inherited from the Golden Age, the Blue Beetle.  Both comics were produced by the team of Tony Tallarico and Bill Fracchio. But as charming as these products could be, they didn't seem to have the then-modern polish the fans were finding at the upstart Marvel who was setting the trend. Also available was Strange Suspense Stories which was reprinting choice Captain Atom reprints from the early 60's by Joe Gill and the great Steve Ditko.

Charlton was still producing westerns, this month featuring Billy the Kid and the Cheyenne Kid among others. As always romance was a steady reliable part of the Charlton game plan with titles like Sweethearts and Teen-Age Love. War also with several available with several titles including an issue of Battlefield Action which sported a very striking cover by Pat Masulli and  Rocke Mastroserio, the best cover of the month in my opinion. On the war front was the debut of American Eagle in Fightin' Air Force, a feature with an action hero feel and likely a Dick Giordano cover. The impressive Jungle Tales of Tarzan comic had just been abruptly cancelled the previous month after the Edgar Rice Burroughs Estate raised a ruckus over the unofficial adaptation. One book which debuted was a titled called Special War Series, which showcased familiar war adventures, but which would in a few months time offer up something quite special indeed.

To see all of the Charlton offerings for June, 1965 check out this link to Mike's Amazing World.

More next month for another installment.

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The Son Of Vulcan Reports - Extra!

While the second part of the DC report is being prepared, here is a bit of unpublished original artwork. I found this wonderful piece of artwork by Bill Fraccio and Tony Tallarico (presumably)here, but there is no mention of its context. I assume this is part of an unpublished Son of Vulcan story. It's a rather exciting page.

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The Son Of Vulcan Reports #5

Son of Vulcan Volume 2, Number 50 is dated January, 1966. The editor in chief and creator of Son of Vulcan is Pat Masulli. The artwork is supplied once again by Bill Fraccio and Tony Tallarico. They also supplied the artwork on the cover. The big news this time is that Roy Thomas, a neophyte writer from the fan community offers up the script, Roy "Not-Yet-The-Boy" Thomas begins his comics career here with this story in the final issue of Son of Vulcan. Here's a link to see what else was on the stands when this issue arrived.

"The Second Trojan War" begins with Johnny Mann of World-Wide Correspondents interviewing movie director A.J. Colosso who is making a movie about the Trojan War. Colosso regales Johnny with some background info, essentially laying out some of the more famous details from Homer's epic saga. But then a scream from Lisa Collins, the starlet of the picture sends Colosso running. Johnny takes that chance to transform into Son of Vulcan.

He finds the actress threatened by runaway horses pulling a chariot, and using his strength from the gods, the "Mightiest of Mortals" pulls horses, chariot and all into the sky and out of harm's way. Lisa is ecstatic and gives her hero a big kiss but then is frustrated when Colosso fails to get this moment on camera denying her the publicity. Then the actor playing Achilles quits the movie. Son of Vulcan agrees to play the part and help Colosso out.

The scene shifts to the secret lair of Dr.Kong, the arch-nemesis of Son of Vulcan who is using his defective robot assistant "Adam Klink" to undermine the movie production for reasons that go unstated.

Son of Vulcan starts his movie career but has it interrupted when Lisa is again threatened by a falling wall, but she is saved when Son of Vulcan puts himself between her and the falling debris. But she is unhappy he didn't just sweep her up in his arms out of harm's way. The section closes with Lisa unhappy with Colosso and her hero Son of Vulcan and SoV convinced there's more to her than meets the eye. Dr.Kong threatens to do more mischief.

"Green Goo" is a one-page text story about the sudden and dangerous appearance of a murky green ooze which rises from the ocean's waters and begins to creep across the ground. After much hubbub and speculation about its origins, and some significant damage a military officer suggests that great ditches be cut to allow the goo to follow the path of least resistance back to its origins in the sea. It works for now.


Part 2 "Prisoners of Doctor Kong" begins with Son of Vulcan using a great gladiator's net to throw the stone debris into space. He and Colosso then discover the metal footprint of Adam Klink and suspect sabotage. That night Adam Klink appears and kidnaps Lisa and Son of Vulcan sees and follows. But when Klink drops down a narrow hole in the ground, SoV is forced to change back to Johnny Mann to follow him down. This allows him to be captured by Dr.Kong and he manacled to the wall and gagged.

Kong then introduces his weapon, the Anima-Ray which he plans to use to animate great statues like the Statue of Liberty and the Sphinx and thus conquer the world. Kong leaves to start more trouble for the movie company and leaves Johnny being guarded by the clumsy Klink. But Johnny is at last able to remove his gag and transforms into Son of Vulcan and with one blow demolishes Adam Klink. He then follows Kong and is stunned at what he sees.


Part 3 "The Trojan Horse Walks!" starts as Son of Vulcan is confronted by the enormous Trojan Horse, built for the movie, and the behemoth is walking and promptly attacks Son of Vulcan. The battle rages, as SoV calls down a mace.

Ultimately he uses bow and a flaming arrow to begin a fire in the mouth of the giant false horse but it makes the Horse even more wild and out of control. Son of Vulcan saves the director Colosso from being crushed under the hooves, but then he realizes that Lisa Collins is captive inside the Trojan Horse.

Rushing into the monster, he frees Lisa and the Horse at last burns to the ground. Dr.Kong then animates a local stream of water and sends it against Son of Vulcan but with the water pursuing him wherever he went, SoV is able to turn it against Kong by flying right past him. Overwhelmed by the water, Kong's Anima-Ray is destroyed and the threat is at last over.

The scene shifts several months later to the Hollywood premiere of the movie "Warrior Against Troy" starring Lisa Collins and Son of Vulcan and Lisa Collins is interviewed by Johnny Mann. She is upset and throws a camera at his head when he suggests the star of the movie is Son of Vulcan and not Lisa herself, somehow Johnny interprets to mean Lisa might be interested romantically in the Son of Vulcan.

Dr.Kong plots further trouble from his jail cell in final panel.

"The Strangers" follows several aliens as they arrive one by one across the globe and are confronted by various creatures in various climates. They are startled by a snake, upset by a skunk, bothered by a hornet's nest, assaulted by a snapping turtle, attacked by a bull, and swatted by a housewife before deciding to leave the planet and head home with the words "Go!Man...Go!!". The artwork is by Ernie Bache.


This is the final issue of Charlton's Son of Vulcan series. With a costume redesigned by fan Dave Cockrum last issue and a complete script by fan Roy Thomas this issue, it's clear that Charlton is attempting to tap that base of dedicated comic book readers who have been kindled by the success of DC and Marvel especially. This script by Roy is a bit of a Hail Mary, a last-ditch attempt to generate some interest in Son of Vulcan, a hero who clearly seems not to have found an audience.
The stage is set for a change of editorial regimes as Pat Masulli will give way to Dick Giordano and the era of "Action Heroes" looms.

This particular story is very different from previous issues in that the gods are not present at all. Only Vulcan is referenced at all but he is not seen. Of course there's much mythology present in the shape of the movie about the Trojan War, but the whole feel of this story is different. Ironically in this story about the most famous war in history, the anti-war theme which has been a part of most previous issues is ignored.

One thing though that does alas come through is a change in personality for Son of Vulcan. He sounds more like the perpetual adolescents that populate early comics, the kind who are awkward around girls for no particular reason. That's clearly an attempt to characterize Son of Vulcan, but it's a bit of a cliche and doesn't fit him I fear.

"Adam Klink" is a clear reference to "Adam Link" the creation of Eando (Earl and Otto) Binder who appeared in science fiction stories and in comics tales. It's a clever spin, and the idea of a malfunctioning henchman robot is a neat one.

All in all this is a sturdy enough comic, but it turns away from what made Son of Vulcan distinctive, perhaps with good reason. It's regrettable the series ends with this story, but I imagine Dr.Kong is still in prison to this day. What a wretched little man.


With the next issue, the numbering will continue, but the title will change to Thunderbolt, the action hero created by Pete Morisi. Looking at the house ad above, it seems this was a last minute decision as the ad suggests that Thunderbolt will continue and so will Son of Vulcan. But apparently Thunderbolt's series gets cancelled after a single issue and he takes over for Vulcan's favorite Son.

Charlton apparently was able to get quick results from the sales of its books and the company wasted no time in making moves to maximize sales and the precious shelf space they battled for each and every day.


There is some evidence that Roy Thomas and fan artists Biljo White and Sam Grainger proposed a revised Son of Vulcan to Charlton Comics, but nothing came of it. A single page of this proposal can be found in Bill Schelly's Fandom's Finest Comics. It showcases a sleeker Son of Vulcan, minus the large helmet and the full armor.

Later Son of Vulcan will get sold to DC Comics along with the other "Action Heroes" (how he got grouped with them is anyone's guess)and next time we take a look at his brief time at DC Comics.

More to come.

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The Son Of Vulcan Reports #4

Son of Vulcan Volume Two, Number 49 is dated November 1965. This comic continues the numbering of Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds. The editor in chief and creator of Son of Vulcan is Pat Masulli. The script is by Joe Gill. The interior artwork is by the reliable team of Bill Fraccio and Tony Tallarico. The cover art is by Bill Fraccio and the inks are by Rocke Mastroserio. (The Grand Comic Book Database attributes these inks to Tallarico, but I disagree.) Here's a link to see what else was on the newsstands when this Son of Vulcan comic first appeared.


"The Diamond Dancers" begins in the big city where Dr.Kong, arch-enemy of Son of Vulcan is inspecting some diamonds at the Diamond Exchange. He then heads over to the theater where under the name of "Changchin" he is appearing in a play titled "A Chinese Folly". There he removes his large ring which is actually a camera and orders a young lady to develop the film.

Meanwhile Johnny Mann is interviewing the head of the Exchange and asks him if he thinks the two billion dollars worth of jewels are in threat of robbery and is assured such a thing is impossible.

Dr.Kong gets into his costume and heads to the stage while Johnny decides to take in a show. He recognizes his old enemy despite the costume and make-up and changes into Son of Vulcan, this time sporting a somewhat more elaborate costume. (More on that later.)

The Story then shifts back in time to the end of last issue when Mars was under attack by sea creatures. He escapes that threat and then finds large stores of diamonds in the Arctic. He decides to use this wealth to assume the identity of Warren Masters, and heads to the city and the diamond exchange. He finds himself outside the performance of "A Chinese Folly" at the same time that Son of Vulcan is demanding to see Dr.Kong.


Son of Vulcan confronts Dr.Kong and the two battle, Kong using his enormous electric sword and SoV using an axe. Son of Vulcan is struck down by Kong as Mars/Masters appears. The two villains talks and decide to work together to defeat their common foe. To that end they find a great pile driver at a local building site and using a steel beam drive the invulnerable Son of Vulcan deep into the Earth, creating a prison for him.

"The Magic Wand" is a one-page text piece telling the story of a television show and its special effects guru Burt Carsons. Carsons was contracted to create effects for a new show called "The Magic Wand", particularly a way to seemingly explode boulders and he does so by creating a "magic wand" powered by electricity which is immensely powerful and which is then used by its creator to take over the world.

Part II "The Living Tomb" begins as Son of Vulcan calls out to his adopted father Vulcan for help but it turns out that Vulcan and Venus have been forbidden by Jupiter to help SoV since his activities had forced Jupiter to banish Mars. Nonetheless Vulcan sends a fireball to help and it ignites a seam of coal in the ground around SoV and this allows him to explosively escape the trap.


Son of Vulcan then seeks out Dr.Kong and changes to Johnny Mann to do so. Meanwhile the two villains are working together to break into the Diamond Exchange, which shares a wall with the theater and while Kong uses fireworks to create a distraction on stage, Mars/Masters uses a bazooka to break through. Johnny Mann confronts Kong but must change to Son of Vulcan to escape his sword which then breaks on SoV's mighty shield.

Mars/Masters then appears and uses gas to subdue Son of Vulcan. Then he and Dr.Kong gather the diamonds and repair the wall, being careful to put Son of Vulcan within so he will get the blame. But the villains fall out as Mars wants Kong to pay for his crimes, but Kong is too clever and captures the god in a booby-trapped chair.



In Olympus Vulcan sends the real King Midas to assist Son of Vulcan by changing the Diamond Exchange wall to softer gold which SoV can break through easily.


He confronts Mars/Masters and learns that Dr.Kong is seeking to escape by boat. Flying to the docks, he finds the ship and learns that Kong is not yet aboard. He then goes underwater, finds Kong's one-man submarine and disables it. As Kong sinks to the bottom, Son of Vulcan returns the stolen diamonds and when he returns to the theater finds Mars gone but threatening to return.

"Enemies of the Deep" is a three-page comic story featuring dangerous sea creatures such as the hammerhead shark, the sea leopard, the killer whale, and the moray eel. The story features art by Frank McLaughlin.


This is hugely fun, if hugely goofy issue. The way the two villains with their immense abilities work so mightily to steal some paltry diamonds is mildly hilarious. Son of Vulcan seems to completely stumble across the plot, and this story to a greater degree than earlier one seems utterly dependent upon coincidence to work.


The new look of Son of Vulcan is the handiwork of a young Dave Cockrum, who would be very famous later for revising the look of DC's Legion of Superheroes and later Marvel's X-Men. This new armor is more detailed, but I'm not sure myself if it's a stronger design. The added details seem I think to detract from the basic shape, and make the whole thing a bit muddy. But if because of the perceived dreary costume or whatever, clearly the series was lagging in sales, and this was an attempt to salvage it. Cockrum gets no mention inside the issue, but they did give him billing of his work on the cover itself, possibly since covers typically go to press last.

This penultimate issue of Son of Vulcan is a hoot, but with only a single Charlton episode remaining things look grim for our hero.


This story was reprinted by Alan Class in Uncanny Tales #87.

A little more to come.

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The Son Of Vulcan Reports #3

Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds Volume 1, Number 48 is dated September, 1965. The editor-in-chief and creator of Son of Vulcan is Pat Masulli. The cover is by regular artists Bill Fraccio and Tony Tallarico, who also provide the artwork on the main story inside. The writer is again Joe Gill. Here is what else was on the newsstands when this issue arrived.

"Fury of the War God" begins with a symbolic splash page showing a chained Son of Vulcan threatened by a disguised Mars, God of War and despairing of getting aid from Olympus.

The story proper begins in the jungles of Vietnam where Mars is checking out the ongoing struggle between the forces of North and South Vietnam. A furious lightning bolt erupts and he is summoned to the throne of Jupiter who voices his displeasure with his son and his warlike ways, and wishes he could be more like the Son of Vulcan.

The scene shifts to the offices of the news syndicate which employs Johnny Mann and who is getting his latest assignment. It is to go to the waters of the Arctic and explore the disappearance of three meteorologists. The waters are the domain of a whaler named Captain Tusk. Johnny thinks a better story is to be found in the Near East where mobs have been attacking embassies, but he is overruled.

The scene shifts again to the Near East where it is revealed that Mars is manipulating the crowds to create the attacks on the embassies, to foment aggression against the Americans. Jupiter though has had enough and punishes Mars for his meddling by casting him down to Earth, and stripped of much of his godly might and power. Ironically he is cast down right into the area of the Arctic into which Johnny Man is headed.

There Mars finds Captain Tusk and his lovely daughter Sally at dinner. Mars then captures the pair of them and makes himself the twin of Captain Tusk, thus taking control of his whaling fleet. He puts his captives in an ice cave where the missing scientists also happen to be.

"Imbalance" is a one-page text piece about a city that suddenly finds that half of it is sinking and other half is rising. It turns out that one side has too many tall skyscrapers and it has created an imbalance. A professor puts forth a dramatic plan to demolish enough buildings on one side to balance the city again. Desperate this plan is used and hence forth any large building on one side will be matched with another on the other.

Part 2 "The New Captain Tusk" begins as Mars disguised as Tusk is leading his whaling fleet on a rampage through the Northern waters attacking vessels and planes alike to establish his claim. News of this violent behavior reaches Johnny Mann who becomes Son of Vulcan and flies to investigate. Following an odd electronic signal he finds the Tusks and the scientists within the ice cave and calls upon Vulcan for aid to help them. Vulcan sends a ball of fire which melts the ice posthaste.

Mars witnesses the release via a remote camera and races to the scene in a rocket-powered snow sled. He finds and attacks Son of Vulcan who soon enough discovers that his enemy is an imposter and has enormous strength. He knocks SoV out and escapes. Son of Vulcan divines that it must be Mars he is battling with and flies after his nemesis, confronting him aboard his ship where once again Son of Vulcan is struck down, this time by a thunder strike. Chained, Son of Vulcan is the fake Tusk's prisoner.

Part 3 "The Villain" has the ship controlled by Mars/Tusk rampaging through the Northern waters with Son of Vulcan chained and held prisoner in the bow. This is seen from Olympus and Jupiter incorrectly surmises that SoV is the culprit behind this latest wave of violence. Vulcan protests, but to no avail. Mars/Tusk continues his attacks until he is confronted by a U.S.Naval vessel armed with nuclear shells.

These shells are fired and the conflagration is ferocious but only succeeds in freeing Son of Vulcan who once again takes after the fleeing Mars/Tusk who tries to use a harpoon gun against our hero. Sally Tusk intercedes and causes him to fire into the ship itself which blows up. Son of Vulcan saves Sally from attacking Killer Whales, but it is left to Mars to save the real Captain Tusk, which he in fact does, proving he is not all bad.

Mars disappears and is presumed dead, but Johnny Mann now safe aboard a naval ship along with both Captain and Sally Tusk is not so sure, and feels he will need to be guarded against the eventual return of the war god.

"Volcano" is a three-page comic story about various real world volcanos throughout the world and history. Mentioned are volcanoes Vesuvius, Krakatoa, Pelee, and Mauna Loa among others. The art is supplied by Rocke Mastroserio.


This is the last issue of Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds by that title. And it was the one issue of the adventures of Son of Vulcan I most wanted since seeing the cover as a boy in early Charlton comics house ads. I mistakenly thought Jim Aparo did the cover for years until I was able to see a copy of the comic firsthand at long last. It's easily the best Son of Vulcan cover aside from the debut issue.

The adventure establishes firmly Mars as the primary opponent of SoV, a similar situation to what Charlton's Hercules will find a few years later under the capable hands of Joe Gill and Sam Glanzman when Ares, the Greek equivalent proves to be his primary menace. We also get a peek at the feud between Jupiter and Vulcan as their sons are compared.

The anti-war theme reappears in this issue, with the conflict in Vietnam described by Mars as not even a proper conflict given its low-tech manner.

It's hard really to understand the nature of Captain Tusk's situation in the Arctic as he seems to claim vast stretches of ocean as his domain. Under what legal right he claims this territory is uncertain and unstated.

Another solid entertainment by rock-solid professionals. With the next issue the amateur fan creators will be making their presence felt on the Son of Vulcan.


The story was reprinted by Alan Class in Secrets of the Unknown #169.

More to come.

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The Son Of Vulcan Reports #2

Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds Volume 1, Number 47 starring Son of Vulcan is dated July, 1965. The editor in chief is Pat Masulli, who is credited with creating Son of Vulcan. The cover is by Bill Fraccio and Tony Tallarico who are also the artists of record for most of the interiors of the comic. The writer for this issue is Joe Gill, the iron man of Charlton scribes. Here is what was on the newsstands when this issue hit.

"The Golden Curse" begins with a discourse on marriage, wealth, and greed, and introduces our main players. We first meet Leonard Lambie, a professor of mythology at a small university. He lives a life of relative poverty and is put upon by his unhappy wife. He reads of the exploits of Son of Vulcan and wishes that he too could access the powers of the gods. He especially dreams of having the power of King Midas as he does the evening dishes with his disapproving wife glaring at him.

The scene shifts to the apartment of Johnny Mann, reporter and mortal identity of the Son of Vulcan. He is awakened by a heavenly announcement that Mars, the God of War will soon arrive to bring him to Olympus to face judgement. Mars, who is not happy that Son of Vulcan has been successful with his godly gifts, brings him to Olympus where he is reunited with his adopted father Vulcan and the beautiful Venus. Jupiter sits upon his throne and pronounces that in the case of Cyprete (from the debut issue) Son of Vulcan has performed well. This does not go over well with Mars who plots to undermine SoV's success.

To that end he visits the disgruntled Leonard Lambie and gifts him with the gauntlets of King Midas, which can turn objects to gold. But Mars fails intentionally to tell Lambie that the effect wears off after forty-eight hours.


"Planet Urth" is a one-page text piece which is actually a letter from the Martian leader Mishi Ucha, and puts forth his strong opinions about how the Maritians should best pursue their military goals. He urges war with the Venusians, to show the upstarts their proper place in the galaxy and he then suggests war with the Saturnians should be next. He is dismissive of the idea of "Project Urth" put forth by Professor Slumpshi because Ucha finds the idea that intelligent life could be on the humble planet too remote a possibility to consider.

The story of Leonard Lambie continues as he demonstrates his new godly gifts to his wife by changing the trash can to gold. She remains unimpressed so he changes her to gold too in a fit of anger. He enjoys the new quiet it brings.

Meanwhile Johnny Mann is given a new assignment to investigate Zoloto, the world's biggest gold dealer and a man who has been suspiciously hoarding gold and hiding it. Johnny goes to Zoloto's offices, replete with golden themes, and is violently ejected at gunpoint. He passes Leonard Lambie who meets with Zoloto to turn his new gold into hard cash. Zoloto, after seeing the gauntlets work, strikes a bargain with Lambie and sends him on his way, but then sends his henchmen to follow him.


At his home Lambie adopts a costume befitting his Midas role as Mars looks down upon him satisfied that Son of Vulcan will falter in the face of this new threat. Johnny Mann though has followed Zoloto's thugs to Lambie's house and seeing their violent intentions transforms into the mighty Son of Vulcan and faces off against them. But Lambie turns SoV into a gold statue too and the whole lot then are taken to Zoloto's grotto where the statues of SoV and Lambie's wife are about to be melted down to make ingots.

Lambie though wants them to be saved and Zoloto relents momentarily only to show Lambie how little authority he has. Son of Vulcan is still able to think, if not move, and he uses telepathy to tell Lambie that Zoloto only wants to remove him and his gauntlets as they will only make his gold cheaper by increasing the relative supply. Then SoV and Lambie's wife are put back on the conveyor belt to be melted down.


Son of Vulcan though does not melt, his godly powers making him invulnerable and he turns back to his true nature. He calls upon Vulcan to send him a mace which he does and SoV then demolishes the furnace. Zoloto attempts to escape and use poison gas to kill everyone in the grotto but Lambie turns him to gold before can act. Mars is unhappy that SoV has succeeded.

The police arrive and Son of Vulcan explains things and Lambie submits himself to the authorities for his two "murders". But then the forty-eight hours pass and Lambie's wife reverts to normal. Since the effect is not permanent, the police are sure Lambie's punishment will be less severe.

Son of Vulcan returns the gauntlets of Midas back to Olympus were Mars is forced to confess he was behind the scheme the whole time. As Jupiter lavishes praise on Son of Vulcan Mars plots revenge as does Zoloto in a prison cell far away. With these looming threats and the mention of Dr.Kong also, Son of Vulcan's future looks far from bright.

"Strange Galaxy" is a three-page comic story about a space ship and its lone occupant Major Rauss that heads to the Moon too fast, misses it entirely and instead heads into deep space and a galaxy far away only to land on a distant planet where the pilot is met with relatively hospitality. The art is by Charles Nicholas on pencils and Rocke Mastroserio on inks.


This is a solid issue of Charlton entertainment. The characters so well explained last issue are vivid and the story falls into place quickly. Joe Gill's script is lean and there's a real momentum to the storytelling in this one. The artwork by Fraccio and Tallarico is a wonderful example of what they can do.

The cover is a busy and hectic one indeed, and sadly not very dynamic. The bearded King Midas with his long white beard is not the Leonard Lambie we have inside. The costume and crown are similar but he's a smaller fellow with no whiskers at all.

This issue was something of a grail book for me for many years. Before the convenience of the internet, rounding up back issues was a slow process indeed. I looked for this particular issue for at least five years before finding a moth-eaten copy. It was a great to have it and be able to at long last read the entire Son of Vulcan Charlton saga. It's that kind of satisfaction that makes this hobby so much fun.


This story was reprinted by Alan Class in Uncanny Tales #180.

More to come.

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The Son Of Vulcan Reports #1

Son of Vulcan debuted in Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds Volume 1, Number 46 dated May, 1965. The dynamic cover is by Dick Giordano. The editor and writer of the debut issue and also the credited creator of Son of Vulcan was Pat Masulli. Bill Fraccio the penciller and Tony Tallarico the inker supplied the interior artwork for much of the comic. Here is what was on the stands when the Son of Vulcan series debuted.

"A Mighty Champion is Born!" begins with a dynamic splash page showing a fully-armored Son of Vulcan between the Roman god Mars and the Roman god Vulcan and announces that SoV will be a hero on Earth.

The story is told in first person by John ("Johnny") Mann, a reporter who was wounded in Korea and has an artificial leg. On the island of Cyprete, after leaving a tenure as a reporter in Vietnam, Johnny is musing about the folly of war and while walking through some Roman ruins asks why the gods, if gods there be, allow such foolishness. There is burst of lightning and Johnny is struck down, seemingly by the very hand of a god itself.

He awakens surrounded by the full pantheon of the Romans and is immediately threatened by Mars, the god of war who offers to dispose of the fragile human by dropping him out of his chariot. Jupiter then confronts Johnny from his throne and asks why such a weak human would criticize the gods. Johnny stands up for himself and says that as a reporter it is his job to tell the truth. Mars again threatens Johnny, but Vulcan steps in and suggests there might be more to this human that they think. Impressed by his bold honesty, Vulcan is allowed to question Johnny since, as Jupiter points out, it was Vulcan himself who is an creator of mankind. Johnny repeats his criticism of the gods lack of action while wars are waged on Earth and even Jupiter threatens the brazen young man. But Venus steps in and asks a favor that Johnny be spared. Then Vulcan takes Johnny under his wing, pleads his case be considered.


The debate continues, but ultimately because Vulcan sees virtue in Johnny is allowed to help him when Jupiter puts the challenge before Johnny to step up and fight to solve the problems he has identified. To that end, Johnny is granted some aspects of the power of Vulcan himself, over the objections of Mars. First Vulcan fashions armor for Johnny, and then Venus gives him the added strength and vitality needed to wear it and wield the mighty weapons at his disposal. He is not to be limited to one weapon, but may summon any weapon he needs such as a spear, a sword, or a sling. Fully prepared, the newly christened "Son of Vulcan" is dispatched back to Earth to find and battle the threats to world peace.

"The Snake People" is a one-page text piece which tells of a man who dreams of a deadly green snake with red eyes. When he draws the snake and shows it to experts, he is summoned and confronted by the police who are investigating mysterious deaths perhaps caused by just such a snake, as reported by one man who survived long enough to report. He is told of a cult who worship snakes and even believe they can become them. The man is given police protection and sure enough he dreams of the snake again and then finds he is about to be bitten when a shot rings out and the snake is slain. A man's body is found where the snake had been and the whole affair is reported as the attack of a mere intruder.

"Watchdogs of the Deep" is a one-page comics tale about how sharks make effective guardians for deep sea activities in the Cold War, making things difficult for Communist spies, but also being quite dangerous to the forces of the free world. The artwork is by Bill Molno.


"He Stands Alone" is the second Son of Vulcan story in this issue. It is written by Pat Masulli, and the art is again by the team of Bill Fraccio and Tony Tallarico. The time is 1965 and the Son of Vulcan returns to the island of Cyprete where live to distinct populations, the Preterons and the Cyclates, both who believe in the myth of the Giant Gladiator, who will one day appear and lead one of those groups to domination of the other and the whole island.

Son of Vulcan transforms back to Johnny Mann and drops out of the sky onto the island, where he heads immediately to speak to General Ator of the Cyclates, hoping to bring reason to the situation. He finds though that Ator is a firm believer in the myth of the Gladiator. Johnny then tracks down a rumor that the Giant Gladiator has already appeared and indeed finds the giant in a local village of the Preteons, urging them on to war. Transforming into Son of Vulcan, he follows the giant as he heads to a giant colosseum known as the "Tomb of the Gladiators". Behind a great stone door, he hears a voice not belonging to the Gladiator and finds the Asian villain Dr.Kong reveal he is behind this charade and that he is plotting to take over the island himself. But SoV is careless and Kong drops him through a trapdoor into a well where he must fight a deadly octopus. The epic struggle with the octopus lasts all night, but in the morning Son of Vulcan is at last able to overcome the beast and escape the trap.

He then finds the Cyclates led by Ator and the Preteons on a battlefield ready to wage war as the Giant Gladiator pledges control to the victorious army. Son of Vulcan intervenes and agrees to battle the Gladiator. A furious battle ensues during which SoV uses many weapons including a fiery sling and his enormous shield. Ultimately he deciphers the secret of the Gladiator and calls for the sword of Ulysses and with a single stroke stabs the Gladiator through his helmet, whereupon the giant falls to the ground. It is revealed that the Gladiator is actually a giant robot and the both the deceived groups, the Cyclates and the Preteons seek the mastermind Dr.Kong who is seemingly crushed beneath the falling ruins of the colosseum. As Johnny Mann drives out of Cyprete though, we see the evil Dr.Kong in disguise already scheming for his revenge.

"The Minatures" is a one-page science fiction story about Earth men who must meet a race of ten-foot tall giants as they descend in their rockets. The aliens discover that the Earth men are much larger than they and immediately decide to leave. It is revealed that the Earth men have used robotic duplicates to deceive the aliens. The artwork is by Rocke Mastroserio.

"The Roman Gods on Mount Olympus" is a three-page overview of the Roman pantheon and associated myths. Jupiter, Neptuen, Juno, Pluto, Minerva, Vulcan, Mars, Apollo, Venus, Cupid, Mercury, Saturn, Janus, Pan, Midas, and Atlas all get a single panel of description. The artwork is by Charles Nicholas.


There's little denying the similarity of the premise of Son of Vulcan to Marvel's Thor who had debuted three years earlier. A lame human who is given the power of the gods does seem all too familiar. But that is also the premise of Captain Marvel Jr., and Freddy Freeman and not Dr.Don Blake nor Johnny Mann is the one who gets the powers. So this is a long-standing premise with a great deal of history. It is a bit of an irony that Thor debuted in a long-running mystery tale comic with no previous history of superheroes and so did Son of Vulcan, but there it is.

The anti-war sentiment in this story really is remarkable, given that we are talking about a 1965 comic book. Vietnam is name-checked, though Johnny's experience is mostly with Korea. The futility of war seems almost to be the underlying theme of the whole comic. Of course the dilemma is what to do with an armored hero who hates war, but is all too willing to fight. The pacifism is muddled, as it would be later when Charlton's other Peacemaker would debut a few years later. I imagine "Cyprete" is a reference to Cyprus, which suffered from similar ethnic divisions.

The strongest aspect of this comic is the characterization which is surprisingly rich for a Charlton comic of this era. The gods are distinctive and Johnny himself has a specific voice, a consistent tone especially in the very talky origin story.

Most folks will criticize the artwork, but personally I've always been a fan of the Fraccio-Tallarico team. I find their work while it might lack the polish of some has an incredible kinetic energy that really moves the reader along. The action can be uninspiring in places, but awesome in others. There's a lot of story to be told in this first pair of tales and so I cut them some slack if panels seem a bit static as information is delivered.

Son of Vulcan is a fun comic from a company which was only known at the time for two superheroes -- Captain Atom and Blue Beetle. Only the Beetle was being published new at the same time as Son of Vulcan debuted while reprints of Captain Atom are just being rolled out.

There will be more to come.

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