Fox Feature Syndicate published Wonder Comics #1 in March 1939. Wonder Man was Fred Carson, a timid radio engineer and inventor. While in Tibet, a yogi gave him a ring which granted him super strength and invulnerability. He was created by Will Eisner. You can already see Eisner’s innovative layouts with Wonder Man’s arm extending […]
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In early Superman stories like Action Comics #10 (February 1939), Jerry Siegel made sure that Clark Kent was the mask, cooking up situations where Clark had to appear cowardly or have less integrity. In this story, Clark gives up his source, an escaped convict from a brutal prison where the superintendent tortured the inmates. In […]
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The idea that Superman may be hiding in plain sight as a regular guy is voiced for the first time in Action Comics #9, January 1939. I like how Jerry Siegel seems to be building this world that Superman inhabits month-by-month, even if the story ideas themselves are sometimes a bit ludicrous. I also love […]
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The normally grounded Slam Bradley and Shorty encounter a scientist who has invented a time machine, joining Bobby and Binks as time travelers. They meet bird and flower men in 2 Billion A.D. I must have missed the story where Slam water skiied over a shark…
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In December 1938, Action Comics #8 featured the first time Superman used his super hearing power, setting the stage for what was to be a gradual widening of Superman’s powers to god-like abilities. Action Comics #8 also featured Superman deciding that the right way to set a bunch of wayward kids straight was to demolish […]
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The Crimson Avenger was the first masked hero in the DC Universe to be a fugitive from the law, operating outside of it: A vigilante. November 1938 was special for DC because for the first time it featured two of its costumed adventures on comic book covers (Superman on Action and Crimson Avenger on Adventure […]
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September 1938 also saw the debut of The Crimson Avenger in Detective Comics #20 by Jim Chambers. Basically the Crimson Avenger was a knock-off of The Green Hornet, having a mask, a gas gun and an Asian sidekick named Wing – but he is DC’s first masked hero, so I guess he deserves a mention.
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Centaur Publications included a new strip in Funny Pages #21 (vol. 2 #10) July 1938 called The Arrow (no, not the TV show and nothing to do with DC’s Green Arrow, still three years away). The Arrow was a superhero that relied on archery as a gimmick and had a costume and a secret identity. […]
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Superman‘s powers grew over the years, but being bulletproof was one of the few that were there from the beginning (the other two being increased strength and speed). Above is a panel from Action Comics #2 (June 1938).
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Zatara was the second major DC character introduced in Action Comics #1 (May 1938). Unlike Superman, Zatara is more of a copy of an existing character: Mandrake the Magician. He even gains a similar mustache in the next issue. He had the ability to cast spells by saying words backwards, though sometimes he is able […]
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