January 1956 brings a new DC mag called “Showcase” to the stands. Showcase’s ostensible concept was to feature requested stories from readers in a “try-out” period. This first issue features stories about a regular fireman called “Fireman Farrell”. Later, of course, Showcase very soon would be used to feature new superheroes like the Challengers of […]
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Continuing to pile on Krypton coincidences, Superman #103 (Dec 1955) establishes that Superman’s grandfather had visited Earth 60+ years prior using an “experimental space machine”. Boy, that machine must have had serious problems that led to technological upheaval because Jor-El only manages to build a prototype space rocket to save his son thirty years later… […]
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In November 1955, Krypto the Super-Dog returns from space to frolic in Adventure Comics #220. Superboy gives him a matching super-cape so they can perform together at a circus. Krypto is the first recurring character since Lana Lang and the Kents that expand on the Silver Age world-building in Smallville.
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In The Brave and the Bold #3 (October 1955), Jon the Viking Prince rescues Captain Olaf from Baron Thorvold using a hammer he claims he finds in the sea and claims it is Thor’s. Unfortunately it is just trickery and not really Mjolnir. [Yup, three years after starting this blog, and over 8 months since […]
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In Detective Comics #225 (September 1955), another Silver Age superhero debuts: John Jones, Manhunter from Mars. Poor J’onn J’onnz is brought across space (and from an unspecified time period) to Earth by Professor Mark Erdel, who subsequently dies of shock before he can send him back to Mars. J’onn J’onnz reveals he was a scientist, […]
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In Adventure Comics #217 (August 1955), Superboy gets a shock when his parents Jor-El and Lara seemingly return to Earth after spending years trying to find their son. Superboy seems to go along with it and plans to leave Earth, Lana, Smallville and his foster parents behind – and we are left on a nice […]
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In Strange Adventures #62 (September 1955), an organization of inter-galactic space travelers rescues a human from Earth and reveal themselves as the “Watchdogs of Space”, a group that patrols the spaceways and helps from the shadows. They recruit this human into their organization. The Watchdogs sounds remarkably like the Green Lantern Corps, even down to […]
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In Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #8 (August 1955), Jimmy poses as Superboy alongside Superman to fake out a criminal who is threatening Superman’s secret identity. It seems like the character of Jimmy Olsen has really taken off by mid-1995 – giving readers that sense of escapism of being Superman-adjacent.
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The Sub-Mariner makes his last appearance of the 1950s in Sub-Mariner #42 (July 1955), closing out the last of an attempted resurgence of Marvel (Atlas) characters, just as DC is warming up the engines of its full Silver Age. Atlas Comics gave Sub-Mariner two years, but I guess it wasn’t enough to ignite an interest […]
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In Adventure Comics #216 (July 1955), Superboy discovers that a city from Krypton fell and crashed into a jungle on Earth years ago. Greedy explorers discover it while searching for diamonds along with a cache of kryptonite. Superboy has only one ally, a professor of archaeology, who helps Superboy by pretending he is Superman. Lucky […]
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