Claw

Real Name: Unknown
First Appearance: Silver Streak Comics #1 (Dec. 1939)
Original Publisher: Lev Gleason
Created by: Jack Cole

Origin:

A chunk of mass blew off the planet Zylmarx and was hurdled towards Earth. It streaked over New York and landed in Tibet, far from civilization. For almost four years, the crater remained untouched. There were faint rumblings in the Earth, recorded on seismographs all over the world, but they were not considered unusual. Unknown to humanity, something was slowly developing within the meteor towards its awful birth... And then, early in 1939, the ground split open and out of the crater emerged a horrible sight... The Claw!

The ruler of the Pacific island nation of Ricca, the Claw is the ultimate villain, often called the God of Hate by his own people. The Claw's activities were apparently monitored by an Infernal supervisor and he could travel to Hades to request aid. The Claw's most commonly used power was his ability to make himself any size he wishes, and he usually maintained a height of at least 100 feet.  He towered over Manhattan when he first came to the U.S., where he would encounter his greatest foe - Daredevil. He was strong enough to pick up a train or rip the roof off of a building and he could not be killed by conventional firearms, though, being somewhat cowardly, he would usually retreat when he experienced pain. He had other ill-defined abilities as well which seemed to depend on the phases of the moon. He was served by a small army of human henchmen and by his goblin-like Clawites.

Over the years, the Claw faced a number of opponents, which included (in chronological order) - Jerry Morris, Major Carl Tarrant, Daredevil, the Ghost and Rocky X. The Ghost was the longest-running opponent of them all, fighting the Claw for twenty issues.  The Claw was seemingly killed numerous times, but he always managed to come back.

Claw left Earth during WWII by tricking the Nazis into building him a rocket. He went back to the planet Zylmarx and for decades built up an invasion force to conqueror the Earth. His plans are foiled by Rocky X and his allies.

Public Domain Appearances: 

Boy Illustories #89-#93

Captain Battle, Jr. #1

Captain Battle, Jr. #2 (as The Green Claw)

Daredevil Battles Hitler

Daredevil Comics #1-31

Silver Streak Comics #1-2, #6-11

Flame

Real Name: Gary Preston
First Appearance: Wonderworld Comics #3 (July 1939)
Original Publisher: Fox Features
Created by: Will Eisner & Lou Fine

Origin:

When Gary was a baby, his father, Charteris Preston, worked as a missionary in China. The elder Preston was washed away in a flood but managed to save baby Gary by placing him in a basket. The basket was washed downstream to Tibet, where Gary was rescued by a group of lamas. They raised Gary in the lamasery, where they trained him in their mystical ways. Through this training, Gary obtained the ability to control fire and heat. He can raise his own body temperature to the point where he can burst into flames or melt bullets. He can control and direct any flame in his presence. He can also teleport from place to place by appearing inside of any fire source, no matter how small. The Flame's one weakness is water, which can severely weaken him. In order to provide fire whenever he needs it, the Flame carries a small, pistol-sized flame thrower.

After the Flame was injured battling the Octopus, he instructed Linda Dale, his girlfriend, to use a secret formula that gave her the secret powers of the flame people, making her into Flame Girl.

Public Domain Appearances: 

Big 3 #1-7

Flame #1-8

Wonderworld Comics #3-33

Notes: 

In the real world, Tibet is located in mountains, so a flood couldn't carry anything "downstream" to Tibet.

Minimidget & Ritty

Real Names: Unknowns
First Appearance: Amazing-Man Comics #5 (1939)
Original Publisher: Centaur
Created by: John F. Kolb

Golden Age Origin: 

Becoming the target of the mad scientist Barmell's shrinking ray, a young man and his girlfriend, Ritty, are both permanently rendered 6" tall, though they retain some of their respective mass/strength. Initially sent to murder the scientist's relatives with a poison needle (ala the horror film, The Devil Doll), the duo is freed when the scientist blows up his lab when cornered by the FBI. Minimidget is supposedly killed by a mousetrap in this story but is revived by a paramedic in the following issue.

Minimidget and Ritty make the best of their bad situation and become superheroes. They have no powers, but they make use of tiny sports cars and miniature airplanes. Minimidget also carries a tiny sword and rides a trained rabbit named Bucky.

Golden Age Appearances: 

Amazing Man Comics #5-7 (as Minimidget the Miniature Man)

Amazing Man Comics #8-13 (as the Super-Midget)

Amazing Man Comics #14-25

Stars and Stripes Comics #2-6

TNT Todd

Real Name: Todd
First Appearance: Keen Detective Funnies Vol. 2 #3 (1939)
Original Publisher: Centaur
Created by: Victor E. Pazmiño

Golden Age Origin:

Todd was both an F.B.I. field agent and a chemist. However during an experiment, a strange purple gas was released accidentally into his lab. Because Todd could not escape, he inhaled large amounts of the gas which he discovered had given him superpowers such as flight, telescopic vision, and disintegrating beams fired from his hands. Todd then donned a bulletproof costume to become TNT Todd of the F.B.I.

When a villain tried electrocuting him with high voltage wires, it only made Todd more powerful.

Golden Age Appearances: 

Keen Detective Funnies Vol. 2 #3-5, 7-8, 19-22

(Note: He appeared as a superhero in #21 and 22 only)

Mighty Man

Real Name: Unknown

First Appearance: Amazing Man Comics #5 (1939)
Original Publisher: Centaur
Created by: Martin Filchock

Battle suit

Origin: 

Some time in the late 1800s, a group of pioneers entered a secret valley where everything was several times the normal size. They were unable to find their way out, so they settled. While most of them seem to have died out, one of their children survived. Because he was born within the valley, he was as tall as everything else there. He stood about 15 feet high and possessed incredible strength, even for his gigantic size. He became known as Mighty Man. He was trapped in the valley until a pair of prospectors discovered him and helped him enter the outside world. At first, he adventured throughout American west, overpowering his opponents through his strength and natural size. Eventually, he submitted to an experiment by his friend, the professor. The experiment gave him the ability to shrink to the size of a mouse or expand over a hundred feet tall, and he could also change his features.

Mighty Man aided Super Ann in his later appearances, but for some reason, he deliberately made sure the young heroine never actually saw him face-to-face.

Public Domain Appearances: 

Amazing Man Comics #5-23

Amazing Man Comics #24-25

Stars and Stripes Comics #2-4

Stars and Stripes Comics #5-6

Yarko the Great

Real Name: Yarko
First Appearance: Wonder Comics #2 (1939)
Original Publisher: Fox
Created by: Will Eisner

Origin: 

Yarko the Great was a talented stage magician but, secretly, also a real mage. Using his vast magical abilities, he battled criminals and supernatural forces such as the Devil and the personification of Death.

Powers and Abilities: 

Yarko possessed force field projection, duplication, shape-shifting, invisibility, intangibility, exorcism, telekinesis, levitation, and whatever else the plot required.

He had one weakness, though - he could not use his magic unless he could see.

Public Domain Appearances: 

Wonder Comics #2

Wonderworld Comics #3-33

Blue Beetle #1

Samson #4-5

Notes:

Mr. Mystic apparently started out as a character inspired by Yarko the Great (from the same creator).

Mister Midnite

Real Name: Neal Carruthers III
First Appearance: Silver Streak Comics #1 (Dec 1939)
Original Publisher: Lev Gleason
Created by: Unknown

Origin:

Neal Carruthers III is a wealthy young American sportsman who has an inexplicable ability to stop the passage of time. Carruthers is bored enough to try putting this talent to use helping the police. Donning a tuxedo, a red cape, and a domino mask, he assumes the identity of Mister Midnite. He leaves behind a calling card in the form of a watch dial with the hands set at midnight. He gets his information through his friend, Police Chief Birey, who has no idea that Carruthers is Mister Midnite. The police chief dislikes Mister Midnite because he constantly gives the police force a bad reputation, since by stopping the villains himself, he makes the police seem incompetent and inept.

Villains:

Will-O-Wisp is a ventriloquist pickpocket. He uses a glowing orb, either found by him or a device created by him, to distract people as he pickpockets them. He has commited more than twenty thefts and they have had an effect on the police, the people and even the criminal underworld.

Boss is a Crime Lord in the underworld of the city Mister Midnite protects. His operations are affected by Will-O-Wisp, causing him to dislike the villain. He has sent his men to take out Mister Midnite before.

Gunner is a thug who works under the Boss. He appears to be the leader of the Boss's gang members and is also the tallest. He wears a white suit.

Slip is a thug who works under the Boss. He has a talent for impersonating voices, demonstrated when he poses as Chief Birey during a phone call. He uses a small club in fights and is often seen smoking. He wears a dark gray suit.

Thick-Ears is a thug who works under the Boss. He wears a plaid suit.

The Little Men are a race of small men, possibly aliens. Most are bald, but some have a streak of hair down the center of their head. They have very large ears, noses and fangs. They seek to purge the world of beauty, especially women. They enjoy torture and destruction, having little regard for human life. They do not seem to know much of humans as they use a red gas that does not affect humans, but disintegrates Little Men. They keep these gases and other torture weapons in their Torture Dungeon under a rock pile in a grove outside the city limits.

Noman is a bald humanoid weapon of the Little Men who possesses incredible strength and has no pupils. He is described as easy to track. He requires a serum to become as powerful as he does and requires rest after a fight. He rests in a coffin.

Public Domain Appearances:

Silver Streak Comics #1-2

Notes:

In his first adventure he stops the natural flow of time at midnight on the seventh chime of the clock and in his second adventure has some connection to a mysterious power over time and light that can instantly transport him to where he wishes to go.

The police commisioner is named J. C. Wade.

To make time cease to move, he says "Stop Time!" He says "Time proceed" to resume the flow of time.

Lone Rider

Real Name: Unknown
First Appearance: Lightin' and the Lone Rider (January 1939)
Original Publisher: Lincoln Features Syndicate/Eastern Color
Created by: Jack Kirby (as Lance Kirby)

Golden Age Origin:

Lone Rider put on a black mask and costume and rode his horse Lightnin' to fight injustice. He was assisted by a Mexican guitar player named Diego and his son Pepito as well as Texas, the laziest man and quickest draw in the west. The Lone Rider also worked with Sheriff Hank Fletcher who the Rider disguised himself as when apprehending Hutch Kruger's gang so the sheriff would receive the credit.

His enemies included Hutch Kruger and his gang as well as the immortal 50,000 year old telepath known as Dr. Chuda.

At first his adventures seemed to be the Old West, but in Famous Funnies #66 elements of the modern day technology such as television screens and motor boats started showing up in the feature.

Golden Age Appearances:

Famous Funnies #61-80

Lightning and the Lone Rider Strip (January-February 1939)

Notes:

The Lone Rider was also a character that had his own book put out by Ajax-Farrell. The basic look of the characters were the same, but whether it was the same character or not is unclear.

Iron Skull

Real Name: Unknown
First Appearance: Amazing-Man Comics #5 (1939)
Original Publisher: Centaur
Created by: Carl Burgos

Origin:

The Iron Skull was originally a soldier who was gravely injured during World War II (which, in this timeline, was fought partially on American soil well into 1950s). He was brought to Chicago, where Dr. Watson, a surgeon at "Chicago Hospital," worked to replace his flesh and bones with metalic components. The resulting cyborg was super-strong, resistant to bullets and capable of limited telepathy. His new face was missing a nose, giving him a skull-like appearance.

By the year 1960, the Second World War wound down and reconstruction began. This year also saw a rise of rampant crime that the police struggled to contain. The cyborg decided to use his abilities to fight crime in Chicago as the Iron Skull.

In Amazing Comics #9, the story jumped forward to 1970, when America was once again threatened with war. The spies working for an unnamed country "spread terror throughout United States," forcing the Iron Skull to intercede. Two issues later, in 1971, war broke out in Europe and spy activities intensified.

In Amazing Comics #14, the Iron Skull set up operations in New York City. The next issue, he developed a mental link with D.A. of New York. The D.A. used that ability to alert the Iron Skull of any crime in progress.

Stars and Stripes #3, saw Iron Skull wearing a costume for the first time (a pair of trunks). The next issue, he inexplicably lost his hair and gained an ability to fly (not to mention a skull-and-crossbones logo on his chest).

Iron Skull wore a ring that he would use to stamp a skull and crossbones symbol on the foreheads of his vanquished foes.

Public Domain Appearances:

Amazing Man Comics #5-11, 14-20, 22

Stars and Stripes Comics #2-6

Notes:

The first two appearances of Iron Skull did not give any dates, nor did they reveal Iron Skull's origin. The story in Amazing Man Comics #7 revealed his origin and explained that his adventures were set in the future. The subsequent issues moved the story forward until Amazing Comics #14, when all references to future dates were dropped, and the technology got noticeably less futuristic (though a few pieces of advanced technology still occasionally showed up). Later stories included topical references to American military build-up and "the Fuhrer." This shift in setting may be due to the fact Issue 14 was when artist-writer Sam Gilman replaced the feature creator Carl Burges. Gilman either didn't know the story was supposed to be set in the past or didn't care.