And He Was Called Blackhawk

The Blackhawk team exists because of one man, known only as Blackhawk. When his brother and sister-in-law are killed, "the flyer," a Polish soldier, vows revenge against the Nazis that killed them.

This perhaps explains Blackhawk's often ruthless and cold demeanor. The exception is with his team, and occasionally with the ladies. (There are many ladies for Blackhawk.) According to Jim Steranko's History of Comics, "He was a man in total control - unapproachable, unforgiving, unfathomable. He was his own law and his own morality. He lived in a world dominated by an atmosphere of fatalism. He was the first comic book anti-hero."

Blackhawk debut in August 1941 as part of the new Quality Comics Anthology, Military Comics.

Military Comics # 01 pg 03 //04 //05 //06 //07 //08 //09 //10 //11 //12//13 [Scans by cimmerian32, cleaned by yours truly]

This vague origin for Blackhawk would soon not matter. He would be man without a past. Even the building of the Blackhawk team is never explained when they appear in #2. This mystery seemed to work for the nazi-fighting pilot as the Blackhawk sales soared, making them the lead title in the analogy. By 1944, Military Comics' newsstands sales were equal to Captain America, The Flash and Batman.

The mystery of Blackhawk would be dissolved by DC in the 1976 as the title was revived after seven years for a short run. Luckily, sliver age doesn't concern us here.

Who created the Blackhawks has long been debated. The clearest answer comes from the 1999 San Diego Comic Con in the 'Spotlight on BLACKHAWK,' with Will Eisner and Chuck Cuidera. The transcript is here. An interesting read and resource for any golden age fan.

Mr. Muscles!

Brett Carson suffered from polio, but through determination and hard work he was able to become the most prefect man on earth--Mr. Muscles!
Mr. Muscles came to be from the mind of Jerry Siegel in March 1956. Charlton threw in the towel on Blue Beetle (1955), and kept the numbering from his magazine as they replaced him with Mr. Muscles. Bill Fraccio was the artist for the first issue, #22. For the second and last issue, Charles Nicholas and John Forte were in charge of the art with Siegel still doing all the stories.
It is important to point out this is the ad in the front of the comic. Both issues are full of ads just like these, making it seems like a big advisement.
Not only did Mr. Muscles have a sidekick, but there was a Miss Muscles too! She only lasted two pages in issue #22.
You can read the origin story from #22 on scans_daily along with Miss Muscles' story (with a backup link here). You can read the story of Kid Muscle and Mr. Muscles vs. Jake Armbuster on dreamwith.

The final story in issue #23 is call "Steeple Jack," but more on him in another post.

In the way of more information...there isn't much....

International Catalog of Superheroes: Mr. Muscles
Oddball Comics - Mr. Muscles

The Comet

Jack Cole is remembered for his creation of Plastic Man, but the stretchy superhero wasn't his first super powered savior.

Scientist John Dickering discovers a gas 50 times lighter than hydrogen. By injecting this gas into his blood he gains he the ability jump high into the air, achieving near flight. After his experiments continue he finds that by crossing his eyes he can focus beams to desegregate whatever is in his path. Knowing what this could do in the wrong hands, John destroys the formula and picks up a costume to become The Comet.

Meet John Dickering, The Comet!

The Comet ran trough Pep Comics #17, but Jack Cole was only the writer as far as #5. Before Cole left he had John meet reporter Thelma Gordon, who remained his girlfriend till the end of his series.
Shortly before he meets Thelma, he is hypnotized into stealing and killing a police officer, becoming a fugitive. Thelma believes he is innocence and falls in love with him. For a while the two work together, by #17 she is asking him to turn himself in so they can live normally.

Read the story arc "Pencils of Doom" from Pep Comics #11 and #12 here.

In #17 John's brother Bob is introduced and soon would become another big player in Pep Comics.

For More Information...
The Comet - Don Markstein's Toonopedia
The Comet (International Superhero)
Dangerous Origins, part 2
The Mighty Crusaders (The Comet was a member when revived later in comics)
Be sure to check the tags for more on The Comet.

Blaze Barton and The World of the Future

In 50017 A.D. the Earth is spiraling towards the sun. Professor Solis and his daughter Betty (Avis by #3) create a great, heat-proof city for the best and brightest. The rest of the humans dies, and in their place the creatures from the center of the Earth have crawled out to live.

Blaze Barton (dropping "and The World of the Future" after issues #1) ran for 13 issues of Hit Comics. Information of the creator is unknown, but artist for the first story was Henry Kiefer. Blaze goes though a lot of artist and a lot of gal pals.

You're set to read Blaze Barton now. That's all you really need know.

Hit Comics #1 "Doomsday and Afterwards" Writer Unknown; Pencils Henry Kiefer

Page 01//Page 02//Page 03//Page 04//Page 05//

More Information...

Unused Quality Comics Characters

Earth X Timeline

711 and Destiny

Daniel Dyce was an up and coming lawyer. When life long friend and look a like Jacob Horn commits an unspeakable crime, Daniel takes the rap just long enough for his friend to see his son born. On the way to the hospital Jacob Horn is killed in an accident, the truth passing away with him.

Daniel Dyce  knows he will spend the rest of his life as prisoner #711.

Desperate, Daniel finds a means of escape. He spends all his time digging a tunnel past the jail walls. By the time he finshes his digging to his freedom, he no longer believes he can have a life beyond the jail walls, so he crawls back in. Daniel does deiced to use the tunnel. He snanks out at night to become a crime fighter.

Leaving the jail to investigate tips he hears in it's halls, and retuning to jail life during the day. He takes his prisoner number as his costumed name.

711 began running in Police Comics #1 (Aug 1947), written and drawn by George Brenner

Read the Origin of 711 and 711 stories from Police Comics #8 and #9.

But Wait--There is more!
[Spoliers for 711]

711 only ran until Police Comics #15 (January 1943). His final fight is with a man called Oscar Jones, an escaped prisoner from the same jail that holds Daniel. Police Comics #15 tells the story of Oscar's life to the moment he shoots 711 down.

At the end of the comic a man is silhouetted in a dark archway as Oscar runs away. This man is to be Destiny.

Destiny is never given a name, but when we meet him is completely broke, only having enough for his next meal or the price of admission to a show where a drawing for $500 is taking place.

He picks the show, where he meets a performing physic that explains to him that he is able to rule the future of others. Not believing, he leaves, only to decide to try what the physic said. When his finds himself transported to another place, he comes to believe that he is Destiny.

Drawn to the scenes of crimes by a sixth sense, Destiny has transported himself to the office of a plastic surgeon being held up by Oscar Jones, 711's killer. Convinced Destiny is not human when he is faced with the story of how he killed 711, Oscar Jones jumps out a window, escaping.

Destiny's vow to bring Jones to justice is enough for the ghost of 711, who is now able to move on. Destiny spends the next two issues doing just that.

Read right here in Police Comics #15-17
Find more info at...
711 (Quality Comics)
711 at internationalhero.co.uk
711 at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
Destiny at internationalhero.co.uk
The origin of 711 has been reprinted by DC in Police Comics # 1

Madam Fatal, first cross-dressing superhero

Madam Fatal began running in Crack Comics #1 (May 1940), a creation of Art Pinajian. Fatal debut six months before DC's cross-dressing Red Tornado in Scribbly. Madam's final appearance was in Crack Comics #22 (March 1942) . Pinajian drew the series until the end.

Madam Fatal was really retired actor Richard Stanton. When his daughter was kidnapped, he set about making a new life for himself as an old woman. His foes now underestimated his speed and strength, and he easily topped them. No one knew of his secret but his pet bird, a parrot named Hamlet.
Stanton does save his daughter, but continues fighting crime as an old woman. Though now, instead living only as her, he swishes between identities.

Fatal shows up once in the modern era as part of the DCU. At the funeral of Wes Dodds, Wildcat (Ted Grant) mentions Madam Fatal's funeral, where no one showed up but he traveling cast of La Cage aux Folles (JSA #1). Stanton is buried in Valhalla Cemetery.

Read the Origin from Crack Comics #1 here! [Link fixed 06/2012]

At someone point Golden Age Comic Book Stories had “The Secret of the Rex” from Crack Comics #8 on the site, but the link no longer works. I've linked to it in hopes it will come back someday.

Gold Nuggets: Madam Fatal...Drag Queen of Justice! looks at some panels from Crack Comics #11

Read her final story at Crack Comics #22. [Dead link - I'll post the story at a later date 06/2012]

For more info on Madam Fatal....
Toonopedia article on Madam Fatal
Madam Fatal Profile on International Hero
Gay League - Madame Fatal

Señorita Rio

Señorita Rio, Rita Farrar or Consuela Maria Ascencion De Las Vegas, was an American secret agent. She disguised herself as a Brazilian entertainer, taking advantage of her Latin background to go in to place other agents could blend in. She was often assigned to root out fascists Central and South America during World War II.

Senorita Rio appeared in #19-71 (1942 to 1951). The only exception is #69 when the comic dropped from 52 pages to 36. She has a lot of big name artist throughout her run: Nick Cardy, Lily Renee, Jack Kamen, and Bob Lubbers. Most notable due to the amount of time she spend on it is Lily Renee, see her interview with TCJ below.

Further info after the comics!
Fight Comics #19 (June 1942) "Swastika Web" [First appearance] Art by Nice Cardy Read it here OR take it page by page - Page 01//  02 // 03  // 04//  05 // 06 // 07 // 08

Fight Comics #47 (Dec. 1946) "Horror's Hacienda" Story by "Morgan Hawkins" (often used pen name, unknown owner); Art by Lily Renee Read it here or see it on comics19-at flicker. (Note that the pages are backwards.) And checkout the rest of Fight Comics #47 on a Highlight Reel.

Oddball Comics has a recap of “The Santo Bello Assignment” from Knockout Adventures #1

Links
Rio Rita (Toonpeida)
Rio Rita Profile (FemForce)
The Comics Journal - Lily Renée - An interview with the interesting woman who did so much of the art for the strip.

The Jester

The Jester never made it on a single cover, but he made it into every issues from Smash Comics #22 (1941) to Smash Comics #85 (1949; Last issue). He was a creation of Paul Gustavson and an unknown writer (possibly Gustavson too).

DC Comics acquired the Jester along with the other Quality Comics characters in 1956, but has sparsely used him. He shows up in All-Star Squadron #31 and #60, mostly as face in the crowd. His only modern appearance was in Starman #46, where, in flashback, he teams up with the first Starman against Icicle, Fiddler, and the Gambler. He gives up being a costumed hero and becomes a normal cop. His final fate is unknown.
There is good info already out there on The Jester, and no need of me repeating it here. After his origin story below, you'll find links to some informative pages on the funnyman hero.

From Smash Comics #22, the first appearance of the Jester...

page 1

page 2 // page 3 // page 4 // page 5

Be sure to check the tags for more of the Jester.

Links

The Jester - Don Markstein's Toonopedia
The Jester (Quality Comics) - Wikipedia
Comic Book DB - The Jester (DC)

"Daffy and Deke."

Staring in Smash Comics #41 (March 1943), Gill Fox began a humor strip called "Daffy and Deke." Daffy Dill is a lady wrestler, moved from a small town to find Deke Parsons. Deke is her crooked wrestling manager. He fled to the big city to escape people he owed money. You can check out their first story below.



























































After Gil Fox left to fight in World War II, Bart Tumey took over duties for the title. He continued on the comic till Smash Comics #85 in 1949, the last issue. The writer is listed as Tumey by Comic Book DB for a number of issues after he starts his run, but it is a good bet that he continued to do them the rest of the run too. (Not proven, do not quote me.)

As of Smash Comics #43, the comic was renamed to just be "Daffy." The strip underwent more changes in the coming years. Daffy stayed tall and strong, but slimed down and began to reflect the times more in dress and looks.

In Daffy size jokes are a consent, and many of the plots over the years are about losing weight.

If you're still looking for more Daffy check out Smash Comics - Daffy and Deke on Flicker for the story from #42

The Origin of Blackhawk

History has proven that whenever liberty is smothered and men lie crushed beneath oppression there always rises a man to defend the helpless…liberate the enslaved and crush the tyrant…such a man is Blackhawk…out of the ruins of Europe and out of the hopeless mass of defeated people he comes, smashing the evil before him...

Read the Origin of Blackhawk here.


*Note: This is not a scan from the reprint.

Blackhawk - Zinda Blake and The Blonde

"Zinda is an ace flyer, able to easily handle any type of aircraft. She is a fine markswoman, skilled in the use of a variety of weapons, and has superior abilities in hand-to-hand combat." -- Comic Book DB - Lady Blackhawk (01 - Zinda Blake)

For the first, offical appearance of Lady Blackhawk see Blackhawk #133 (1959) on Scans_daily! [This link it dead! I'm sorry =(]]

Zinda shows up next in Blackhawk #140 where she is named an Honorary Member. *This link is also gone, but for a replacement see this blog)

Now, to quote Wiki: "Military Comics #20 (July, 1943) featured a story about a woman who attempts to become the first woman member of the Blackhawks, who looks, sounds and behaves much like Zinda Blake, although she does not divulge her name, and never calls herself Lady Blackhawk. In the story, she flies to Blackhawk Island, declares herself part of the team, and helps the Blackhawks on a mission behind German lines. Ultimately, she rescues Blackhawk himself. Some say that this is Zinda Blake's true first appearance, but this has never been official."

Read Military Comics #20 The Blonde Bomber

Info links
Who's Who: Lady Blackhawk (Zinda Blake)
Cosmic Teams Profile that cover more of her history to today.
Zinda Blake on Wikipedia
Comic Book DB - Lady Blackhawk (01 - Zinda Blake)

The Origin of Flame Girl

When The Flame's popularity began to fade a attempt was made to refresh the Big 3 member with partner in Wonderworld #30 (Oct. 1941). Writer Basil Berold is actually Lou Fine. He took over all the work on the The Flame after Will Eisner left.Flame Girl has one of the most over dramatic introduction ads I have ever seen. I looked for the issue because of the ad.

Go check it whole story out on Scans_daily.
The Flame lay there, on the ground, helpless, dying… and if he passed on, so would all those innocent people whom he had sworn to protect….But there was still one way could come to their rescue, by passing the secret of his flame powers on to the one person he could trust the most….Linda Dale…

The Black Terror & Tim

When it was superhero chic to wear gold and purple one brave pharmacist would jump on to the scene dressed in black, a skull and crossbones across his chest.

The Black Terror joined the superhero boom in Exciting Comics #9. Six months after his introduction, he had his own comic. The only other character from the publisher to have the honor being the Fighting Yank.

Since his golden age run he has been echoed by imitators and revived to make a number of appearances. Most recently, he is appearing in Project Superpowers. Since I made a post for Flame Girl, and I plan one for Miss Masque, I knew I had to make one for him and Tim. I wanted to show off how much of a loser interesting he was.

Now, you can see how it all got started.

Go read it on scans daily!