Showing posts with label Crime Smashers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crime Smashers. Show all posts

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


Super Ann

Real Name: Ann Star
First Appearance: Amazing Man Comics #24 (1941)
Original Publisher: Centaur
Created by: Martin Filchock

Superstar suit
Origin:

When Ann Star was a child, she was caught outside in a fierce snow storm. She managed to survive by taking refuge in a cave until the storm was over. In the cave, she discovered and old hermit from another planet who could not stand the light of day. He taught her secrets that gave her super strength and increased resistance to damage. Now known as Super Ann, she is depicted as always running on tiptoes, ballerina style, and as having many Superman-like powers. These powers include super speed, super strength, and the ability to leap tall buildings. Starting in 1941, Super Ann was aided by Mighty Man 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 #24-25
Stars and Stripes Comics #5-6

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.

Nightro

Real Name: Hugh Goddard
First Appearance: Daredevil Comics #2 (1941)
Original Publisher: Lev Gleason
Created by: Dick Wood and George Roussos

Golden Age Origin: 

Hugh Goddard was left for dead in a radium mine by criminals. He survived the experience but was blinded by the radiation. Wanting revenge, he uncovered a pair of special glasses that gave him his sight back, but they only worked if he avoided light. He then created the identity of Nightro, which he would use to terrify and fight crime. Hugh Goddard was accompanied by his guide dog, Blackie, during the day, but at night, he donned his glasses to become Nightro. Sometimes Blackie accompanied him on missions as an attack dog.

Golden Age Appearances:

Daredevil Comics #2-8

Nightmare & Sleepy

Real Names: Bob White & Terry Wake
First Appearance: Clue Comics #1 (1943)
Original Publisher: Hillman
Created by: Alan Mandel & Dan Barry

Origin:
Sleepy becomes Night Terror

Alternative uniform
Nightmare and Sleepy are wrestler Bob White and his teenage manager, Terry Wake, respectively. They are just regular Joes who put on costumes and fight crime without super powers or gadgets.

Most of their superhero careers featured Nightmare wearing a skeleton-like costume and Sleepy dressed like the Grim Reaper. The skeleton's designs were lined with phosophoros, which created the illusion of moving, glowing skeleton in the dark.

Nightmare and Sleepy later switched costumes.

Public Domain Appearances:

Clue Comics vol. 1 #1-12
vol. 2 #1-2

Moon Girl

Real Name: Clare Lune
First Appearance: The Happy Houlihans #1 (1947)
Original Publisher: E.C. Comics
Created by: Max Gaines, Gardner Fox, & Sheldon Moldoff

Origin:

Raised in a small kingdom in a remote part of Samarkand, the girl known as the Princess of the Moon was taught that she came from a long line of women who had been unbeatable in battle. Unfortunately, she wasn't told this until after she had sworn to herself that she would never marry a man unless he was a superior warrior to her.

Taking her family heirloom, a moonstone said to make the wearer invincible, she left her home and traveled to America in search of Prince Mengu, a suitor she had liked but easily defeated. Finding him working as a teacher under an assumed name, she created her own false identity, Clare Lane, and found work at the same school. She then convinced Prince Mengu to join her in fighting crime in their real identities.

Later, she was joined by a female sidekick called Star. Moon Girl fought enemies such as Satana, Mabelene, Invaders from Venus, Lurani, and Undina.

Powers and Abilities:

She has superhuman strength, owns a moonstone which makes her "superior to any man" and invincible in battle, and has a telepathically controlled "moonship" plane.

Public Domain Appearances:

The Happy Houlihans #1
Animal Fables #7
Moon Girl and the Prince #1
Moon Girl #2-6
Moon Girl Fights Crime #7-8
A Moon, a Girl… Romance #9

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.

Master Mystic

Real Name: Unknown
First Appearance: Green Giant Comics #1, 1940
Original Publisher: Pelican Press
Created by: Victor E. Pazmino

Golden Age Origin:

Master Mystic had developed to the utmost the power of mind over matter, which allowed him to defy gravity, project his voice to thousands, turn into vapor, create materials from nothing, emit "liquidating rays" from his mind that destroy objects by "melting" them.

He had a tower "at the top of the world".

In his first adventure he battled Rango, an evil Slovanian scientist who made himself a giant to exact revenge upon those who foiled his attempts at world domination.

Golden Age Appearances: 

Green Giant Comics #1, 1940, Pelican Press.


Harpy

Real Name: Belle Martin
First Appearance: Tim Holt #30 (June-July, 1952)
Original Publisher: Magazine Enterprises
Created by: Dick Ayers

Origin: 
New suit

Belle's father, Will Martin, was killed by his workers, over a gold mine he discovered near the small town of El Dorado. 15 years later, with the help of Eli Welles, she sought to gain revenge on the killers and reclaim the gold mine. However, she was brought to justice by the Ghost Rider.

As the Harpy, Belle wore metal claws with which she could kill. She also wore a pair of wings that helped her to glide and she rigged up wires at the scene of her attacks, in order to appear as if she were flying. As a former circus aerialist, she was extremely strong and agile, capable of taking on men with savage strength. She also used poison needles to kill.

Golden Age Appearances: 

Tim Holt #30

Fly-Man

Real Name: Clip Foster
First Appearance: Spitfire Comics #1 (Aug 1941)
Original Publisher: Harvey
Created by: Sam Glanzman

Golden Age Origin:

Clip Foster is a heavyweight boxer who is shrunk to fly size by his father, an inventor and scientist. Before the process is reversed, gangsters enter the lab and kill Clip’s father. They also knock over acid, which burns and disfigures Clip’s face. He swears revenge and designs a costume for himself that includes working wings.

Golden Age Appearances:

Spitfire Comics #1-2

Fatman the Human Flying Saucer

Real Name: Van Crawford, Jr.
First Appearance: Fatman, the Human Flying Saucer #1 (Apr. 1967)
Original Publisher: Lightning Comics
Created by: C. C. Beck and Otto Binder

Origin:

Multi-millionaire owner of a string of hobby shops, and the world’s leading expert on hobbies of all sorts, Van Crawford was out for a walk one day when he saw a flying saucer crash. Going to its aid, he discovered the saucer was really a shape-shifting alien.

To reward Van Crawford for helping him, the alien gave him a drink that Crawford thought tasted like a chocolate milkshake, it however was really the substance the race the alien belonged to used to turn into flying saucers.

Van Crawford found that now he too could transform the same way, devising a costume, and calling himself Fatman, he devoted himself to fighting evil.

Before long, he gained a side-kick in a teenager who, due to a magic spell, could coat himself in tin calling himself Tinman.

In his third and final appearance, he was briefly King of Octogonia, a position he bought for $25,000 (even though he thought he was buiying stamps).

Powers and Abilities:

When in flying saucer form, Van Crawford could fly faster than sound, fire force beams, travel underwater unaffected and deflect bullets.

When in his Van Crawford form he was remarkable agile and gymnastic and was able to use his girth as a weapon itself by doing things such as landing on adversaries after a triple forward flip or just hitting them with his belly. He could also communicate telepathically.

Public Domain Appearances:

Fatman, the Human Flying Saucer #1-3

Notes:

Having been released in 1967 by a company no longer in existence, the character can be considered an Orphan Work.

Van Crawford aka Fatman aka The Human Flying Saucer was billed as “the only comic hero with 3 identities (although he actually had 4: when in his saucer-form, he would sometimes go by "Saucer Man")!"

Dreamer

"I am Dr. Kent Marlow... I'm a psychiatrist, a doctor who heals the mind... I specialise in dreams."


Real Name: Dr. Kent Marlow
Aliases: The Master of Morpheus, Satan of Sleep
First Appearance: Wow Comics #24 (1944)
Original Publisher: Commercial Signs of Canada/Bell Features
Created by: Jerry Lazare

Origin:

A psychiatrist by day, by night Dr. Kent Marlow would set out to solve problems of a different sort as The Dreamer!

Possessing the uncanny power of predicting the future in his dreams, Marlow clad himself in a red cape, green tights with blue trunks and a billowing white shirt, using the two pistols carried on his belt to stop crimes before they could happen!

Under the oval design on his shirt, the word "Morpheus" is emblazoned.

His enemies included The Cane, the crew of the "San Raoul," Rabar of Moon Island, Rabar's minion Nod, and the Polite Pirate.

Golden Age Appearances:

Active Comics #28
Smasher Comics #7 (Cover only)
Wow Comics #24-30

Dick Cole

Real Name: Richard "Dick" Cole
First Appearance: Blue Bolt Comics #1 (Jun. 1940)
Original Publisher: Novelty Press
Created by: Bob Davis

Golden Age Origin:

Dick Cole was a student at the Farr Military Academy, a military academy somewhere on the East Coast of United States. He was born in 1923. Less then a month later, his mother gave him up because his father was dead and she had no means to take care of him on her own.[1] Wanting to give him a best chance in life, she left him on the doorstep of Professor Blair. She heard that Professor Blair knew a way to raise a child so that it may become "a perfect specimen of manhood." Professor Blair realized that he finally had a chance to put his theories into practice.

Over the next few years, Professor Blair used the combination of "special vitamin serums" and radiation treatment to boost Dick's physical and mental development. Dick was able to walk when he was six months old and talk when he was one year old. He breezed through public schools, graduating from Junior High at 10 and from High School at 12, earning the highest honors along the way. Over the next five years, Professor Blair took Dick around the world, where, in the Bruce Wayne-like fashion, Dick learned all sorts of athletic skills. To help Dick appreciate American values, Professor Blair took Dick to (unnamed) totalitarian countries.

When Dick turned 17, Professor Blair made his young charge swear that he wouldn't use his abilities for selfish and/or malevolent reasons. Then, he enrolled Dick in Farr Military Academy.

From that point on, Dick tried his best to lead the life of an average military cadet. But, being a 1940s comic book character and all, he often wound up in situations where he had to use his abilities to stop criminals, foreign spies and other menaces.

Powers and Abilities:

Thanks to Professor Blair's unique upbringing, Dick Cole was stronger, faster and more agile than an average human being. He was capable of picking up and processing information quickly and more efficiently - for example, he was able to learn how to pole-vault just by watching the track team do it. While Dick can be injured, he is more resilient than ordinary humans.

Golden Age Appearances:

4 Most Comics #1-31
Blue Bolt Comics #1-101
Young King Cole V1 #1-2, V2 #1, 5
Dick Cole (Novelty) #1-5
Dick Cole (Star) #6-10 (the apperances in issues 7-10 are reprints)
Dick Cole (Accepted) #7, 9 (reprints only)

Diamond Jack

Real Name: Jack
First Appearance: Slam Bang Comics #1 (1940)
Original Publisher: Fawcett
Created by: Gus Ricca

Golden Age Origin:

Diamond Jack (last name never revealed) was given a ring with an inset magic diamond by an old magician. The magic diamond was later revealed to have been the lost eye-jewel of the god Khor from a temple in the Far East. The ring gave him the ability to create whatever he imagined and transmute objects. The ring also gave him super strength, invulnerability, super senses, the ability to heal others, limited flight, and a few other plot-convenient abilities. He used the magic ring to fight crime.

Golden Age Appearances:

Slam Bang Comics #1-7
Wow Comics #1

Dash the Human Meteor

Real Name: Dash (Dashford) Dartwell
First Appearance: Amazing-Man Comics #22 (1941)
Original Publisher: Centaur
Created by: Harry Francis Campbell

Golden Age Origin:

Dash Dartwell was a college athlete at Dravrah University. He was given Metabo-tablets by his bio-chemistry professor, Dr. Drew Moss. The pills gave him powers such as superhuman speed and recovery. Each tablet's effect only lasted for a comparatively short time. He used the pills to win an inter-college track meet against rival school Elay University, breaking four world records at the same time. The press dubbed him the Human Meteor, a name he later used when he decided to use his new abilities to fight criminals such as Slug.

Golden Age Appearances:

Amazing-Man Comics #21-22
Stars and Stripes Comics #2
The Arrow #3

Comet

Real Name: John Dickering
First Appearance: Pep Comics #1 (1940)
Original Publisher: MLJ
Created by: Jack Cole

Golden Age Origin:

John Dickering was a chemist who discovered a special gas that was many times lighter than Hydrogen. If the gas is injected into the human body, they can achieve flying leaps. Dickering injected himself, but soon discovers there was a side-effect, eye beams that are fired whenever John would cross his eyes. However, glass could not be penetrated by Dickering's dissolvo-vision. So, he wears glass goggles to keep his powers under control. John Dickering decides to use his powers as the costumed hero the Comet. His reporter girlfriend Thelma Gordon assisted him by running news-stories about Comet's good deeds.

However, the Comet is killed when he tries to save his brother Bob from being shot by gangster gunfire. Bob Dickering would become the hero Hangman to avenge his brother's death. He also would go on to date his brother's ex-girlfriend Thelma.

Powers and Abilities:

The Comet's powers are flight and disintegrating eye beams.

Golden Age Appearances:

Pep Comics #1-17

Blue Lady


Real Name: Lucille Martin
First Appearance: Amazing-Man Comics #24 (1941)
Original Publisher: Centaur
Created by: Frollo

Bluebird
Origin:

Lucille Martin, an adventurous novelist, was returning from a vacation in China when she met an elegant Chinese lady. This lady asked Lucille to safeguard a package for her. In the event that she should be meet with foul-play, she was to deliver the package to Chin Liang in Washington, DC. The lady also gave her a bluebird-shaped ring which was said to grant superpowers to the wearer.

One night, the power went out, and Martin knew that people had come for the package. While hiding in her bedroom, she began playing with the Bluebird Ring, but it fell off and she then stepped on it in the dark. This released some of the gas within it, which Lucille breathed in, not noticing until it was too late. The gas she inhaled gave her the strength of ten men, heightened reflexes and possibly resistance to up to 38 caliber bullets. In her second adventure these powers could be neutralized by the villains covering the ring on her finger with oil (although depriving her of the ring entirely would supposedly bring bad luck). By her third adventure she had learned to release the blue gas as a mist that made her temporarily invisible which came in useful against the Trigger and his gang of white-hooded thugs.

Public Domain Appearances:

Amazing Man Comics #24-26

Air Woman

Real Name: Sally Dunlop
First Appearance: Triumph Comics #21 (Aug/Sept. 1944)
Original Publisher: Commercial Signs of Canada/Bell Features
Created by: Jerry Lazare

Sally becomes a true winged Air Woman
Origin:

The short piece was about Sally Dunlop, a young woman enlisted in the Canadian Women’s Service of the R.C.A.F. and how she managed to radio down a “crippled ‘Douglas Bomber’” and rescue the two pilots from the crash landing.

Notes:

Air Woman was one of 8 Lazare creations referred to as orphan “left-overs,” stories that were one-shot “try-outs” or “fillers.”