Danny & his Genie

Real Name: Danny
First Appearance: Lucky Comics vol. 1 #7 (April/May 1942)
Original Publisher: Maple Leaf Publishing
Created by: Vernon Miller

Origin: 

Danny was a bright, young lad who was given a ring by a mysterious man. Whenever rubbed, the ring would summon a Genie who would appear like magic. Together they would solve mysteries involving haunted houses and such.

Public Domain Appearances: 

Lucky Comics vol. 1 #7-8

vol. 2 #7

Funnyman

Real Name: Larry Davis
First Appearance: Funnyman #1 (1948)
Original Publisher: Magazine Enterprises
Created by: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

Golden Age Origin:

TV Comedian Larry Davis was convinced by his girlfriend and manager, June Farrell, to do a superhero-like publicity stunt where Larry would defeat Happy, an actor playing a criminal, as a crime fighting clown. However, Larry ends up defeating a real criminal by mistake.  He decides he likes being a hero, and becomes Funnyman, the Comic Crimebuster, protector of Empire City -- much to the chagrin of June and Happy, who are the sole people who know his secret.

Using his practical joke themed gadgets, Funnyman battled villains such as Lazar, Cheval, Slippery Sam, Doc Gimmick and his assistant Torgo, "Ants" Plants, Flathead Floogie, and Monsieur Cheval. Others included the robotic Kute Knockout, Timidio the Timid Menace, Giggles Cain, Leapin' Lena, and Hee-Haw Johnson. In his final issue, he fought Schemer Beamer and his gang: Bug-Eyes, Crusher, Rockjaw, and the Curve.

Funnyman also had two superhero imitators, Comicman and Laffman, who wanted to drive their rival out of the funny superhero business. While they were not villains, they were not allies of Funnyman. Funnyman also had an adversary on the police force named Sgt. Harrigan, who disliked the crimefighter and was tired of him constantly stealing his thunder.

Vehicles: 

Funnyman employed several vehicles in his crime fighting endeavors, including a scooter that had his face on it. His car, Jet-Jallopy, used photo-electric cells to give it intelligence and was equipped with oil slick, water hoses, bullet-proof glass, voice activation, flight, and a mechanical scoop.

Golden Age Appearances: 

Funnyman #1-6

Limited run in a newspaper comic strip of its own after the comic series ended.

Notes: 

*This character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joel Shuster, the creators of Superman. The two had left DC comics (National Periodicals) after a dispute over rights over Superman and tried to start a new character at a new magazine company. The character didn't gain too much popularity.

*The character is loosely based on comedian Danny Kaye. Scholars have theorized the character is less allegorical than Superman, but more straight-forward Jewish-Proud.

*DC comics featured a cameo of the character in the series "52", as one of the heroes carrying the coffin of Booster Gold.

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.

Ghost Woman

Real Name: Unknown
First Appearance: Star-Studded Comics #1 (1945)
Original Publisher: Cambridge House
Created by: Unknown

Origin: 

In the dead of night on a hazardous road, an unknown woman is speeding through the countryside. She is on her way to contact John, a man who's about to leave overseas because he believes his wife and baby are dead. Unbeknownst to him, the child isn't dead. Unfortunately, the woman's car crashes along a curve, killing its occupant. The dead woman soon becomes a ghost. However, she doesn't realize she is dead and proceeds to will herself to John's house but, to her surprise, she cannot be seen or heard by him.

Despite the fact that a mad dog is roaming the countryside, the despondent John goes for a walk. While on his stroll, he's spotted by a man who also sees Ghost Woman. This man is in fact a werewolf and can see ghosts thanks to his curse. He grapples with Ghost Woman while John flees. Ghost Woman discovers during the fight that she can touch supernatural things with no problem and also realizes that silver can kill a werewolf. She tries to give John clues such as exerting her will and moving a blunderbuss and silver fork. The werewolf regroups with his werewolf pack and leads an attack. The alpha male is killed by a shot from a silver bullet. The others flee, and John vows to make hunting them down his life's mission.

Public Domain Appearances: 

Star-Studded Comics #1 (1945)

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

Eagle

Real Name: Captain Bill Powers
First Appearance: Science Comics #1 (1940)
Original Publisher: Fox Features
Created by: Lester Raye

Origin: 

Wealthy scientist and American patriot, Bill Powers first fought the Nazis as a spy and then put on a patriotic costume and battled them as the Eagle. He was assisted by his sidekick, Buddy.

The Eagle battled many foes, including the likes of the Beast, the Gimp and the Scarecrow. The Eagle was willing to kill his enemies if need be.

Powers and Abilities: 

At one time, he had wings and could fly. Later, he developed an anti-gravity solution which he soaked his cape in before every adventure. He also possessed great strength.

Public Domain Appearances: 

Science Comics #1-8

Weird Comics #8-20

Eagle #1-4

Yellowjacket

Real Name: Vince Harley
First Appearance: Yellowjacket Comics #1 (1944)
Original Publisher: Charlton
Created by: Unknown

Golden Age Origin: 

Vince Harley is a crime fiction writer looking for information on the perfect crime plot because his stories have gotten stale. While at home, relaxing and tending to his bees, Harley is surprised by a woman who appears at his door exhausted and collapses. When he gets her to his couch she tells him that her name is Judy Graves and that she is being chased, before falling unconscious. While she is out cold Vince searches for clues about her and finds valuable jewels in her pocket book. Tired himself he falls asleep in a chair and awakens to gangster Jake Mallon asking him the whereabouts of the girl.

Feigning ignorance, he is roughed up by Mallon's thugs and knocked out. Mallon and his thugs decide to kill Vince by letting his bees sting him to death, they pour the bugs onto his body and leave. Judy comes out of hiding from a closet and watches amazed as the bugs do no harm to Vince but return to their apiary. It turns out "he is one of those rare people that bees don’t sting". Inspired by his ordeal Vince dons a costume similar to a yellow jacket and goes to confront Mallon and his men, sending Judy to the police. At the gangsters hideout Yellowjacket defeats the criminals and escapes as Judy brings the authorities to apprehend the mobsters.

He had a nephew, Yellowjacket Jr., though the two never met on-panel.

Powers & Abilities: 

Vince has the ability to control swarms of bees.

Golden Age Appearances: 

Jack in the Box Comics #11

T-N-T Comics #1

Yellowjacket Comics #1-10

Note: 

Vince's costume and name must refer only to color because Yellowjackets are actually in the wasp classification.

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)

Sentinel

Real Name: None
First Appearance: Liberty Scouts #3 (1941)
Original Publisher: Centaur
Created by: George Wilson

Golden Age Origin: 

The ghost of a Revolutionary War minuteman, known only as the Sentinel, was released when a Revolutionary War cannon was fired for the first time in 150 years. He was created by the "Spirit of America." The Sentinel used his powers to fight both crime and the enemies of America. He possessed the power to control flames (including the ability to transform his body into a small flame), teleportation, flight, and intangibility. He is also transported to wherever America needs him most.

Golden Age Appearances: 

Liberty Scouts Comics #3

Man of War Comics #1-2

Liberty Guards Comics

Comics McCormick

Real Name: Comics McCormick
First Appearance: Terrific Comics #2 (March 1944)
Original Publisher: Helnit/Continental/E.C.
Created by: Ed Wheelan

Golden Age Origin: 

"Comics" McCormick was "The World's #1 Comic Book Fan." He lived with his mother Mary McCormick, a factory worker, and his older sister Connie McCormick, a secretary. His friends included his girlfriend Rosalie Brown and also fellow comics fans Wilbur Wiggins and Ajax Johnson who, along with Comics, were all members of the Little Conqueror's Athletic and Reading Club. Other members of his supporting cast included Officer Kelly, a friendly neighborhood cop, and Miss Susan Slate, Comics' patient school teacher.

Comics had a vivid imagination and would dream about going on adventures with his favorite comic book heroes and doing battle with super villains. Some of the heroes who teamed up with Comics included Voltage, Inspector Cosmic, Captain Catapult, and Marvel Maid. Examples of some of the villains he faced include the Super-Robot, the Octopus, the Space Pirates,and Dr. Hunchback. In addition, Comics mentioned reading about heroes such as Super-Dame, Lady Wonder, the Pink Pidgeon, and the Crimson Canary, though he never teamed-up with them.

Often during these dreams Comics would gain superpowers himself, use gadgets, or put on a costume. Even when he did not have powers, Comics usually carried a gun, sometimes a standard one other times a ray gun, during his dreams.

Golden Age Appearances: 

Fat and Slat #1-4

The Land of the Lost Comics #6

Terrific Comics #2-6

Cat-Man Comics #28

Black Lion

Real Name: George Davis
First Appearance: Wonderworld Comics #21 (January 1941)
Original Publisher: Fox Features
Created by: Jerome Peters

Golden Age Origin:

George Davis, a very successful (and therefore bored) big game hunter, decides to go after the most dangerous game and begins hunting criminals. He is never specifically said to have superpowers, but the stories show him surviving otherwise mortal wounds in superhuman fashion. He is cat-like in his agility and strength and is a good fighter. He is helped by his side-kick, Cub.

Black Lion battled Blitz, the notorious super-criminal.

Golden Age Appearances: 

Wonderworld Comics #21-27

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).

Yankee Doodle Jones and Dandy

Real Names: Unknown
First Appearance: Yankee Comics #1 (1941)
Original Publisher: Harry A. Chesler
Created by: Lou Fine

Golden Age Origin: 

Dandy was the unnamed son of the scientist who created Yankee Doodle Jones. He watched the android's creation from the sidelines. When his father injected the artificial man secret formula that gave him heightened strength, speed,and near-invulnerability, the young boy wished that he too would receive an injection, but moments later, a group of Nazi's agents broke in and mortally wounded the boy's father.

Dandy becomes Yankee Doodle Dandy

Yankee Doodle Jones fought the Nazis, and the scientist's son was eager to help as well. He injected himself with the secret fluid. While they stopped the Nazis, Dandy's father died, but with his last words he told his son and his creation to use their powers to defend America, giving them their respective codenames.

The newly minted superhero duo proceeded to lounge around and do nothing until they were approached by Uncle Sam, who ordered them to investigate the mysterious deaths of his agents. The search lead them to two Nazi agents - the costumed Leader and the Hag, who used her voodoo-like powers to choke the agents from a distance. Yankee Doodle Jones and Dandy were able to stop the Nazi agents, killing them both in the process.

Golden Age Appearances:

Yankee Comics #1-4

Bulls Eye Comics #11 (Reprint)

Dynamite Comics #8 (Reprint)

Hello Pal Comics #1

Wraith

Real Name: Gary Kennedy
First Appearance: Mystery Men #27 (1941)
Original Publisher: Fox Features Syndicate
Created by: Paul Devlln

Golden Age Origin: 

Gary Kennedy and his brother were shot down by criminals. He vowed to return from the dead to avenge his brother's death - and he did, becoming a ghost with the ability to be super strong when solid and fly or possess people as a ghost. He used his new ghostly powers to fight crime.

Golden Age Appearances: 

Mystery Men Comics #27-31

Wonder Boy

Real Name: Unknown
First Appearance: National Comics #1 (1940)
Original Publisher: Quality /Ajax-Farrell/Elliot
Created by: Toni Blum and John Celardo

the kid becomes Wonderman

Golden Age Origin:

Wonder Boy was the last survivor of the planet Viro.

He escaped his home world's explosion on a spaceship, hurling through space and time and crashing into the heart of Chicago. He survived, but when he tried to explain his origin to the local police, they didn't believe him and placed him in an orphanage.

He sulked for a while, but when he heard that a Mongol warlord was trying to invade Europe, he left the orphanage and stopped the warlord's forces single-handedly. He decided to continue to use his superhuman abilities to fight Nazis and criminals.

Powers and Abilities:

Wonder Boy had "the strength of a thousand men" as well as a degree of super speed. The comic is unclear as to whether his powers were natural Viran abilities or result of Earth's unique conditions.

Wonder Boy was one of the few superheroes who never so much as attempted to keep a secret identity.

Golden Age Appearances:

National Comics #1-26

Bomber Comics #1-4

Terrific Comics #16

Wonder Boy #17-18

Notes:

When he started appearing in Bomber Comics, he gained something of a permanent supporting cast. He found a friend in Professor Benson and a potential love interest in professor's daughter, Sally Benson.

Web

Real Name: John Raymond
First Appearance: Zip Comics #27 (1942)
Original Publisher: MLJ
Created by: John Cassone

Golden Age Origin:

John Raymond was a college professor of criminology and a mystery writer. He became interested in criminology when his brother, Tim, broke the law and wanted to know what led men to a life of crime. However while he only theorized about criminals by day, he became the crime fighter Web at night.

During one of his early adventures, he rescues Rose Wayne, a former student of Raymond, from the Black Dragon of Death. She later discovered his secret identity by noticing a spider clasp that was dropped by the professor.

His enemies included Captain Murder and Count Berlin.

Golden Age Appearances: 

Zip Comics #27-38

Volton the Human Generator

Real Name: Unknown
First Appearance: Cat-Man Comics #8 (Mar 1942)
Original Publisher: Holyoke
Created by: Joe Kubert

Golden Age Origin:

Volton possesses what is called "the electrical power of elongation." He is super strong, he can fly, and he can emit bolts of lightning and electrify his hands.

Golden Age Appearances: 

Cat-Man Comics #8-12

Notes:

Volton stories were the first published work of Joe Kubert, a comic book creator who went on to do lots of stuff for many, many comic publishers.

Marvel Comics introduced Volton as a reimagined character in the Marvel Universe.

Veiled Avenger

Real Name: Ginny Spears
First Appearance: Spotlight Comics #1 (1944)
Original Publisher: Harry A. Chesler
Created by: Unknown

Golden Age Origin:

Ginny Spears was a district attorney's secretary who became fed up with crime. She decides to become the costumed crime fighter known as the Veiled Avenger. Armed only with her bullwhip, the Veiled Avenger had no superpowers. She was not above using deadly force against her enemies, going as far as using her whip to make her foes shoot each other and themselves.

Golden Age Appearances: 

Spotlight Comics #1-3

Red Seal Comics #16

Notes: 

The Veiled Avenger was ranked tenth in the Huffington Post's list of the 10 Most Badass Comic Book Heroines.

U.S. Jones

Real Name: Unknown
First Appearance: Wonderworld Comics #28 (1941)
Original Publisher: Fox Features
Created by: Bob Farrow & Louis Cazeneuve

Origin:

U.S. Jones was a patriotic crime fighter with no powers. His real name, if he had one, was never stated. He was assisted by a friend called the Grumbler. He eventually became a government-sponsored Secret Service agent. His enemies included the White Killer and Black Snake.

Public Domain Appearances: 

Wonderworld Comics #28-33

U. S. Jones #1-2

Twilight

Real Name: Terry Gardner
First Appearance: Clue Comics #1 (1943)
Original Publisher: Hillman
Created by: John Cassone

Origin: 

Marine Sergeant Terry Gardner, a former private detective and former champion wrestler, tangles with some Germans, Maxim and Nada, who seek to murder Wilmer, the man Gardner is protecting. The Nazis, though, kill a gypsy. The gypsy's parrot, named Snoopy, helps Gardner to avenge his owner's death. Snoopy visits Gardner and inspires him by giving him a card telling him that "At Twilight you will be Master." Thus inspired, Terry buys a costume for himself and begins fighting crime as Twilight. Among his opponents were Boss Bogus, the Counterfeiter, Baby Face and his shrinking gas, and Brother, a gorilla thug dressed as a human and disguised with bandages. He is helped by Snoopy the Parrot, a wisecracking, foul-mouthed talking bird who he uses to gather information.

Public Domain Appearances: 

Clue Comics #1-5, 7, 9