Gold Nuggets: The Man of Steel! (No, the OTHER one)

The Obscure Adventures of Comics' Greatest Generation!

Before they changed their name and full-time focus to "Archie Comics", MLJ Comics published a modest selection of superhero titles during the Golden Age of Comics. One such title was Zip Comics, starring a guy named Steel Sterling, Man of Steel. Despite sharing Superman's famous sobriquet (Steel actually beat him to it), there was one aspect of Steel Sterling that made him utterly unique in the history of comics: having the only origin story to involve skinny dipping in a vat of molten steel!

After gangsters financially ruined and then killed his father, scientist John Sterling vowed to battle "gangdom" by making himself invulnerable to physical harm. Coating himself with a chemical of his own invention, Sterling then jumped into the red-hot cauldron and emerged with the "resistance, the magnetism, and strength of steel" (and rivet-encrusted swim trunks).

That's right...Steel was protected from
 ALL forms of destruction, including...

And that was just his first story!

Of course, the only thing Steel Sterling was vulnerable to were the low sales that struck down most superhero comics following World War II. Disappearing for several years, Sterling has briefly resurfaced for various revivals of the old MLJ heroes.

But let's not dwell on the decline of Steel and his fellow 4th-stringers.  Instead, let's think of the happier times...like when Steel would activate his magnetism-powers by running his fingers through his hair!

Comments

[Wes C]

I remember seeing ads for Steel in the early 80's Red Circle Archie revival. If I recall Rudy Nebres was doing the art (or at least art for the ad I remember).

That second panel just kills me. Who amongst us hasn't had the urge to plunge headfirst into a vat of molten metal?

BTW: The Black Hood comics Red Circle put out have back up stories of the Fox written and drawn by Alex Toth - some of the best comics art I've ever seen.

Here's a link to one of the pages
http://www.sweaterthieves.com/uploaded_images/toth_lg_web.jpg

Sorry to veer so far off topic, I just can't resist a chance to praise those comics!

[ShadowWing Tronix]

Archie also had their old super hero character's origins in a set of strips appearing in Sonic the Hedgehog, some with a PSA slant. Steel Sterling was one of them, but I believe it was his son strangly drawn to a forge. Then he walks in and comes out with super powers. I'd have to look for it.

[Skeeter]

What can you say? It's science.