Though DC just introduced the concept of the multiverse, Gardner Fox didn’t stop reinterpreting Golden Age characters in the Silver Age: The Atom debuts in Showcase #34, July 1961). Ray Palmer is a graduate student and fellowship physicist who seeks to shrink matter via using white dwarf star material. He has a girlfriend named Jean […]
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Flash Comics #123 (July 1961) has the official birth of the DC multiverse in the landmark story “Flash of Two Worlds”. After super-speed vibrating during a show for charity, Barry Allen’s Silver Age Flash finds himself in a similar-but-different world, where Central City is replaced by Keystone City. Remembering that Jay Garrick, the “fictional” inspiration […]
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DC continues to attempt Golden Age revivals of their characters in The Brave and the Bold #34 (Dec 1960) with Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Drawn by none other than the amazing Joe Kubert and written by none other than the pretty cool Gardner Fox, this Hawk-couple are alien police officers from the planet Thanegar. Katar and […]
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Atlas/Marvel comics on sale in June 1960 feature more giant monsters. This month’s round-up features Gomdulla the Living Pharoah, Gor-Kill the Living Demon, and Groot the Monster from Planet X. Groot! Yes, that tree-creature from Guardians of the Galaxy! In this first appearance, Groot is your typical alien-monster affair from Atlas at the time. It’s […]
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18 years after his debut, Aquaman’s origin gets a complete re-tooling in Adventure Comics #260 (March 1959). This seems like DC wanted to bring Aquaman into the Silver Age in a big way. Aquaman is forced to reveal his origin story to a submarine commander who is testing nuclear depth charges in the ocean. The […]
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DC decided that the new Silver Age Flash was a success in his Showcase try-outs and gives him his own magazine in Flash #105 (December 1958). This happens to be exactly 10 years after the Golden Age Flash magazine was cancelled, and DC decided to keep the series numbering. This issue marks the debut of […]
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Comic book historians like to call the appearance of the Silver Age Flash (Barry Allen) in Showcase #4 (July 1956) the beginning of the Silver Age of Comic Books. From my standpoint, having gone through the first twenty years of superhero comic books, I don’t think there is single defining moment. I believe the Silver […]
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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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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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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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