230 – That Time-Travelling Flash

The Golden Age Flash time travels for the first time in Flash Comics #44 (June 1943). The explanation is ludicrous, but then again, so are comic books in general! 😀 The Flash eventually helps save the Earth of 2443 by bombarding a visiting sun that was over-heating the Earth with “atomic bullets” and using his […]

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229 – Batman, Jerry Robinson Style

Sometimes the art in Batman varied throughout mid 1943, as seen in this panel from Batman #18 (June 1943). Up to this point, the “house style” for Batman has been very close to the Bob Kane style, but it seems like Jerry Robinson felt the need to provide his own stamp on the Batman look. […]

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228 – Steve Suspects

Steve Trevor suspects that Diana is Wonder Woman for the first time in Sensation Comics #20 (June 1943). He aggressively tries to take her glasses off in anger, but she gets out of by using super-ventriloquism and hopping out a window to meet Steve at the door as Wonder Woman.

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227 – Doctor Psycho

A new recurring villain for Wonder Woman is introduced in Wonder Woman #5 (May 1943): Doctor Psycho. Doctor Psycho is a misshapen mysogynist dwarf with abilities to hypnotize and can shape ectoplasm into human forms. An equally grotesque villain, The Duke of Deception, enlists Doctor Psycho to prevent women from helping with the war effort.

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226 – Naughty Naughty, Mr. Spirit!

The Spirit continues to evolve – the story in Police Comics #20 (April 1943) evokes horror as Ogre Goran, a vicious convict escapes, is horribly burned in a fire by his ex-fiance, then is captured by The Spirit. Ebony White shows surprising intelligence and deductive reasoning, proving he is more than just a racial stereotype.

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225 – Superman Admits He is in Love

Lois Lane is proposed to by an obnoxious millionaire in Action Comics #61, (April 1943)… and she accepts. This forces Superman into the realization that he cares for Lois. He decides on a drastic step, to reveal his identity: … but she doesn’t believe him. In the end, it turns out Lois was only accepting […]

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224 – Billy is not Captain Marvel

A neat story in which Billy Batson is transported 1000 years into the future results in a mixup when he tries to change into Captain Marvel by saying Shazam! I thought it was interesting is the clarification that Captain Marvel seems to be a completely different persona than Billy, and is just “answering” Billy’s call. […]

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223 – Lois, Super Woman!

Five years after the debut of Action Comics, we get the first time that Lois Lane gains super-powers in Action Comics #60 (March 1943). After a car accident in which Lois gets a head injury, Superman gives her a blood transfusion which results in her gaining all his powers. Lois decides on costumed adventuring. Note […]

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222 – Captain America Two-Parter

Captain America has a “continued next month” story in February 1943. I’m starting to notice this more now so it seems like some comic book companies feel comfortable enough with their readership to pull this stunt. The next issue even has a “previously” panel:

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221 – Cousins Tweed

Batman’s rogue gallery of villains get two more additions in the form of Tweedledee and Tweedledum in Detective Comics #74 (February 1943), created by Don Cameron, who was busy in the DC Universe in 1942 and 1943! Dumfree Tweed and his cousin Deever Tweed look so much alike they are often mistaken for brothers… they […]

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