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

Rainbow Boy

Real Name: Jay Watson
First Appearance: Reg'lar Fellers Heroic Comics #14 (Sept 1942)
Original Publisher: Eastern Color Printing
Created by: Unknown

Origin: 

Having somehow gained superhuman "rainbow control" that only works when light is shining on him (but can be overcome through the use of an "ingenious solar battery"), Jay Watson, worker for the "Wizard Kid Radio Program", became the crime fighter Rainbow Boy, often working alongside fellow hero, Hydroman. He can also fly at the speed of light and shape his rainbow trail at will.

Public Domain Appearances:

Reg'lar Fellers Heroic Comics #14-20, 25