Mike Gibbs, Guerilla took on the Japanese in a trenchcoat and fedora throughout World War 2. In Adventure Comics #92 (April 1944), we find him in Korea trying to inspire its leader to revolt against Japanese occupation. From this story I learned that 1) artists did know how to draw Asian people that were not […]
Read More »
In September 1943, Otto Binder created Miss America for Marvel Mystery Comics #49, because we needed more patriotic-themed super-heroines, apparently (remember Liberty Belle?). Miss America is Madeline Joyce, the daughter of a billionaire who encounters a freak accident in an experimental electrical laboratory and gains superhuman strength and the ability to fly.
Read More »
I picture Stan Lee in the 1960s poring through old Marvel comic books in search of new villain ideas and coming across Captain America #32 (Sept 1943). In that issue, Captain America faces off against two new Nazi villains in two separate stories: The Mole Man and The Vulture. Not to be confused with their […]
Read More »
Woops – one more post before we leave 1942 behind for good! I thought it would be a good time to skip back a month and cover at least one superhero debut that I missed: Liberty Belle makes her debut hiding out in Boy Commandos #1. Liberty Belle was a World War II heroine who, […]
Read More »
In All-Star Comics #11 (April 1942), members of the Justice Society of America decide to join the United States armed forces as civilians to help with World War II. Eventually, the generals decide that having super-powered civilians in the forces is too disruptive, so they decide to form the Justice Battalion of America. In the […]
Read More »
U.S. comic books keep up their strong support for World War II throughout 1942. In March 1942, almost every comic book had their heroes fighting the Japanese or the Germans. In the March 1942 issue of Marvel Mystery Comics (#31), the Human Torch gives it to the Japanese.
Read More »
In Mystic Comics #6 (July 1941), Timely introduces a new costumed hero, The Destroyer, who focused on sabotaging Nazis during World War II. What’s unique about the Destroyer is that he was created by Stan Lee. Stan Lee started his career writing filler stories for Captain America and The Vision, but this is his most […]
Read More »
A new Marvel Comics villain debuts in Captain America #5 (May 1941): The Ringmaster! The Silver Age version of this character was a bit more well-known, but both were co-created by Jack Kirby. Both Ringmaster characters were tall, lean, wore a top hat, had a long face and a mustache. This version was a Nazi […]
Read More »
In All-Star Comics #4 (February 1941), the Justice Society of America goes to war against subversives and fifth-columnists… basically Nazis. This was the first adventure the team fought together (even though each character had his own mission that took up the bulk of the story).
Read More »
In Marvel Mystery Comics #17 (January 1941), the Human Torch and Namor appear together again, but this time as allies fighting the Nazis. The two still spar a bit with each other before they learn to cooperate. I had no idea this hallmark of Marvel Comics existed from the Golden Age!
Read More »