When it comes to Ditko heroes there is no question that the epitome is The Question. By this time Ditko had created or co-created Captain Atom, Spider-Man, Dr.Strange as well as this zippy new Blue Beetle. But it's clear to my eye that The Question is the hero Ditko always wanted to create, and actually he did it twice. More on that anon. But to answer the query Ditko poses on his very appearance "Who is the Question?"
Created in the back pages of "The All-New"
Blue Beetle, The Question was in fact hard-hitting reporter and ginger Vic Sage. Sage worked in the rough and tumble streets of Crown City, investigating corruption and crime regardless of where it led and who in positions of influence and power might be embarrassed or implicated. Vic Sage spoke his own mind, a mind guided by strict adherence to reason and evidence. He works for Worldwide Broadcasting and is assisted by his tough as nails team of Fred Pine, Al Kert, Bob Hasel, and the lovely Nora Lace. His boss is Sam Starr who stands by Vic in thick and thin. He is harassed by Star's son Syd and daughter Celia. The latter two are looking to find ways to get rid of Sage since his journalism often agitates advertisers and high muckamucks alike and so potential earnings.
Vic espouses the philosophy of Objectivism and demands that he be treated by its tenets as well. He doesn't expect his employer to keep him out of loyalty but because it's in his ultimate best interests to get the truth out. Likewise his staff are not there because of him, but because they too like all "good" citizens need a world in which the rules are applied fairly. It's a bit much really to swallow and offers up a slender view of mankind. Emotions are seen as needless in the running a just society and in fact compassion and charity are deemed actual detriments as it undermines the clarity with which all folks should shoulder their burden and produce for themselves.
Aside from philosophy what sets The Question apart from other heroes is his face, or specially the lack of one. Vic Sage gets his Question identity thanks to the work of Professor Rodor who designed a mask which covers the face but doesn't appear to offer up any openings and a handy gas that when released will changed the colors of suits so as to make The Question a hero who can leap into action on a moment's notice. (Much easier than the endless costume woes confronted by Spider-Man.) The Question punches out villains with a fighting style reminiscent of Will Eisner's The Spirit though he doesn't seem to get beat up and pummeled as much.
After his appearances in
Blue Beetle, The Question was featured in a single comic titled
Mysterious Suspense #1. This issue was offered up after Dick Giordano had led a migration of Charlton talent, including Steve Ditko over to DC. (Correction: The real story is that Giordano was tipped off about the changes happening at DC by Steve Ditko who had already jumped over to the DCU.)
Some years later DC bought the "Action Heroes" after the collapse of Charlton and tried a number of ways to fit them into the DCU. There was success with Blue Beetle, failure with Captain Atom, and The Question as revised by Denny O'Neil was Ditko's character much at all, save they looked sort of the same.
Twenty years ago (yikes) DC celebrated The Question and Ditko by making
Mysterious Suspense part of their Millennium reprint series. No other Charlton hero was afforded this honor, and likely The Question got it not only for the work of Ditko, but also because the hero inspired Rorschach of Alan Moore's
Watchmen series. Sadly today when The Question is mentioned that's the first thing anyone mentions. I mention it last on purpose to try and bring balance to the universe. To read the one and only issue of
Mysterious Suspense go
here.
Ditko wasn't done when he first posed his "Question" though. He also gave us an "Answer", and that's the subject of tomorrow's post.