Comic Coverage

Gold Nuggets: Billy "Hot Lips" Batson

Although it's been over fifty years since the fabled Golden Age of Comics came to a close, the grit and heroism of those simple tales can still inspire the jaded audience of today.  That's why I'm kicking off a new feature titled Gold Nuggets, offering glimpses of the jaw-dropping courage and no-nonsense moxie (and occasional stupidity) of the Greatest Generation of comic book characters.

Our inagural Gold Nugget comes from Fawcett's Captain Marvel Adventures #1 (1941).  In a story titled "Captain Marvel vs. Z" (by the team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, no less), Billy Batson is captured by Dr. Sivana and his super-powered minion "Z", who then leave him bound and gagged in Sivana's burning hideout.

With the gag preventing Billy from yelling "SHAZAM", he's done for, right?

WRONG!

Billy uses his quick wits (and freakish
flexibility) to burn the gag off of his face!

If that doesn't gain Billy Batson an instant induction into
the Testosterone Hall of Fame, I don't know what will.

Gold Nuggets: Pyroman!

The Obscure Adventures of Comics' Greatest Generation!

For anyone who's still under the impression that the Golden Age of Comics was a genteel time of Golly-Gee-Whiz wholesomeness, I'll let Pyroman of America's Best Comics #18 (Nedor Comics, 1946) convince you otherwise.

Gaining electro-magnetic powers after a mistaken trip to the electric chair (oops!), research student Dick Martin (not the Laugh-In guy) apparently still had enough faith in the justice system to fight crime as Pyroman.

On a quest to regain the stolen Electrosorber device, Pyroman is all business as he dispatches a gang of costumed thugs...and by "dispatches" I mean horribly and painfully seared by electricity!

(click on the panels for a larger view)

Like I said....ALL-BUSINESS!

One unlucky stiff gets strangled while being electrocuted (click to enlarge), as his crudely-drawn face shows equal parts horror, pain, and stunned disbelief.  After the smoke of smoldering, electrocuted flesh clears, Pyroman reassures the uniformed Authority Figure the Electrosorber is now in safe hands...only to suffer a snotty retort from his standard-issue haughty girlfriend.

---

BONUS!

Gaze upon the stangely doodled-looking facial hair of Rex Topsed, arch enemy of Pyroman (click on his mug for a better look).

"Topsed"?  What's that all about?

Ah, you see, "Topsed" read backwards is "Despot", making it clear to Rex that he was "born to rule"!  Mwah ha haaaa!

Gold Nuggets: The Comet!

The Obscure Adventures of Comics' Greatest Generation!

"What has been will be again, what has been done
will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."
-Ecclesiastes 1, verse 9

When Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created Cyclops for their 1963 X-Men title, you'd think a character who shoots destructive eye-beams through a protective visor was something truly unique in the "nothing new under the sun" world of comic book superheroes.

Actually, MLJ Magazines (later known as Archie Comics) beat Stan and Jack to the punch more than 23 years earlier with a character named The Comet, who made his debut in Pep Comics #1 (1940). 

Written and drawn by future Plastic Man creator Jack Cole, the Comet was actually scientist John Dickering, whose repeated injections of a mysterious gas gave him lighter-than-air leaping ability (yay!) and eyebeams that could completely disintegrate anything (yikes!). Fortunately, Dickering designed a special visor made of glass to block his deadly optic rays (much like the ruby-quartz visor of Cyclops) and decided to use his powers to benefit humanity.

Like most Golden Agers, The Comet had a brusk, no-nonsense way of dealing with bad guys, as this little scene illustrates:

(click on the panels for a larger view)

However, that pales in comparison to the story's thrilling climax, as a vengeful Comet raises his visor wide open to melt the thugs into nothingness!

WHEW!  Justice....Golden Age Style! Ironically from the guy best known for the wacky and whimsical adventures of Plastic Man!

Gold Nuggets: Doll Man vs. The Baseball Bandits

The Obscure Adventures of Comics' Greatest Generation!

What could be worse than baseball being used for evil?  Why, with Opening Day a mere six days away, how could anyone commit such borderline blasphemy to The Great American Pastime?  Good thing the Doll Man was on the case!

Created in 1939 by the legendary Will Eisner (of Spirit fame), chemist Darrell Dane developed a formula that allowed him to shrink to a height of 6 inches while still retaining his normal-size strength....making him the first of a number of shrinking superheroes (as far as I can tell).

In Doll Man #13 (Quality Comics, 1947), Spade Solenko and his prison baseball team escape and commit baseball-themed crimes all over town...leaving it up to the Bare-Legged Wonder's pistol-packin' prowess to strike 'em out (click on the panels for a super-sized view):

It should be noted that a common (and disturbing) theme running through Doll Man's Golden Age career was how often he was subdued and tied-up. This adventure was no exception, as the Baseball Bandits eventually get the best of the Tiny Titan, duct tape him to a baseball bat, then lob baseball grenades at him! 

Of course, Mr. Dane eventually escapes and takes out the rest of the gang...but not before losing whatever remaining crumbs of dignity the six-inch adult man might have possessed.

Gold Nuggets: Captain Marvel...HARDCORE!

The Obscure Adventures of Comics' Greatest Generation!

Much like the early adventures of Superman (to whom he's often been compared), the nascent Captain Marvel was a surprisingly ruthless fella. So much so, one would think the "H" in his magic word "SHAZAM" should have stood for hardcore instead of "Hercules".

Case in point: This little incident from Captain Marvel Adventures #1 (1941), as told by a couple of guys named Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.

(click on the panels for a larger view)

HOLY MOLEY!

Gold Nuggets: Blondes vs. Brunettes!

The Obscure Adventures of Comics' Greatest Generation!

The universe is on the cusp of a bloody war, as
two intergalactic rulers battle over....hair color?

Who can stop this follicle-based conflagration?

Enter...Rock Braddon
of The Space Legion!

Created by Vernon Henkel for Quality Comics, The Space Legion regularly appeared in Crack Comics (yes, Crack Comics), and starred the dashing Rock Braddon and Commander Crosby.  Now, let's rejoin Rock as he practices the delicate art of diplomacy!

Gold Nuggets: All You Need is a Great Catch Phrase

The Obscure Adventures of Comics' Greatest Generation!

Who can forget the great superhero catch phrases?  Echoing down through the ages, these timeless "war cries" are almost as renowned as the heroes themselves...

At this point I know you're thinking, "Hold the phone, Mark! The 'Yah Yah Yah' guy...what gives?"

Why, he's none other than The Fox, who made his debut in MLJ's Blue Ribbon Comics #4 (1940).  The epic tale begins as newspaper photographer Paul Patton "larns" a lesson from the evil Night Riders!

(click on the panels for a larger view)

Things went from bad to worse when Paul's editor demoted him to Inquiring Photographer, the paper's "most loathsome job".  The reason for his rash of bad luck?  According to Paul himself: Not foxy enough!

As the only superhero to be inspired by a song
on the radio, Paul gets down to business....

Was Paul's incorporation of the  "synchro-flash automatic camera" into his costume the first example of high-tech superheroics?  Sure, stuffing a camera (and bulb-flash) into a costume looks pretty silly by 21st century standards of miniaturized tech...but in 1940? Uber-Snazzy!

With his costume complete, Paul Patton stands before his mirror as The Fox!

Later: Behold!  The sheer terror of a guy in a baggy outfit
with bunny ears yelling "Yah Yah Yah Yaahhhhh!"

So, the next time you hear that legendary cry of "Yah, Yah, Yah, Yaaahhh!", you'll know you're under the watchful eye (and hidden camera) of The Fox!

That, or you're about to be attacked by a crazy bag lady.

   

Gold Nuggets: Madam Fatal...Drag Queen of Justice!

The Obscure Adventures of Comics' Greatest Generation!

The Golden Age of comics was a time overflowing with oddities and eccentricities, but few of them equalled the all-encompassing weirdness of Madam Fatal.

You see, Madam was actually Mister Richard Stanton, a former actor who posed as an old woman to rescue his daughter from kidnappers. Believing his elderly female appearance would be underestimated by criminals, Stanton embarked upon a crime-fighting career as Madam Fatal.. .becoming comics' first transvestite superhero (though certainly not the last).

Created by writer/artist Art Pilajian, Madam Fatal made his/her debut in Crack Comics #1 (1940) and appeared in 22 issues.  Let's join the crime-busting cross-dresser in issue #11, as Madam Fatal faces the threat of a tiny gangster named Dwarf Rogan...

Dwarf Rogan's challenge:

Fatal's riposte...

Thus, a happy...yet vaguely unsettling ending.

Gold Nuggets: Bulletman...the Original Head-Banger.

The Obscure Adventures of Comics' Greatest Generation!

Could there anything cooler
than having the ability to fly?

Of course not.  Well, unless you count having the ability to fly while crashing through stuff head-first!

Such was the life of Jim Barr, who developed the amazing Gravity Regulator Helmet to fight crime as Bulletman!  Realizing the importance of a couple having shared interests, Jim made a Gravity Regulator Helmet for his girlfriend Susan, who became his partner Bulletgirl (and later his wife). Heck, he even made a helmet for his dog (as...you guessed it...Bulletdog).

Published by Fawcett Comics, Bulletman was second only to Captain Marvel in popularity, who was even outselling Superman at one point..so obviously kids of the 1940's appreciated the intrinsic coolness of flying through stuff head-first while wearing canary yellow tights.

In Bulletman #5 (1942), Jim and Susan encountered the skeezy Dr. Riddle.  Much like the the Riddler of Batman fame, Dr. Riddle enjoyed leaving cryptic riddles for victims and pursuers alike.  After multiple pages of riddles, traps, narrow escapes and cat-and-mouse pursuit, Bulletman finally turned the tables on Dr. Riddle and offered him a riddle of his own...

Ahh...nothing like the smell of due process in the morning, hmm?

Note to my fellow Children of the 70's:  The Golden Age Bulletman should in no way be confused with Bulletman, the Human Bullet of the G.I. Joe Super Adventure Team....despite having the same name, bright red tunic and the cool ability to fly through stuff head-first.

Gold Nuggets: Buckskin...Crusading School Principal!

The Obscure Adventures of Comics' Greatest Generation!

Answer: BUCKSKIN, terror of all saboteurs and traitors!

Secretly a mild-mannered high school principal named Robert Blake (no, not the guy from Baretta), Buckskin defended the United States homefront in the pages of Super-Mystery Comics, published by Ace Magazines.

In the July 1942 issue, a Nazi operative named the Black Buzzard plots to crash an airplane into a "giant munitions plant"!  Ahh...but how would he get past the diligent anti-aircraft squadron guarding the plant? 

Why, with poisoned coffee, of course!

This looks like a job for BUCKSKIN and his trusty pet eagle TALON!

As Buckskin gives the saboteurs a thorough thrashing, the escaping Black Buzzard guns him down! Like all fictional animal companions, Talon follows Buckskin's complex instructions and flies to warn their Liberty Club pals!

Buckskin soon awakens from "insensibility", heroically drags himself to the nearby airfield, and takes to the skies to stop the Black Buzzard.  When he and his remarkably fast-flying eagle catch up to the Nazi fiend, Talon loops a rope around his tail fin(!)...allowing Buckskin to climb onto the moving airplane (despite a bullet in his shoulder and heavy blood loss)!

With his costume fringes flapping madly in the wind, Buckskin finally makes it into the cockpit, knocks the plane into a death dive, then escapes at the last possible second into a convenient pond!

With yet another Nazi threat foiled, what better way for Principal Blake to celebrate than to be casually humiliated by a young Buckskin fan?