Description: Dean Denton was a reformed burglar who decided to fight crime as The Deacon to make up for his past misdeeds. He set up shop in an abandoned church in the marshes near Center City. The Deacon wore a deacon's uniform as a disguise. He had what was essentially a secret public identity - he lived his daily life as the Deacon and everybody knew where he could be reached.
Description: Madam Satan was a mortal woman. When she found out her fiancé's parents didn't approve of her impending marriage, she murdered them. As they were dying, they managed to tell their son who had done the deed. Naturally, the fiancé wasn't happy to hear that, and he wound up killing her. The murderess went to Hell, where she became a loyal servant to Satan himself. Her job was to seduce men into losing their souls. Brother Sunbeam was her arch-enemy. He tried to capture her in a bottle but, never could.
Description: Steve Prentice was a lawyer. After being set up in a murder case, he decided to become like the fabled Pied Piper and draw those criminal rats out of hiding. The Pied Piper had a large and unique collection of flutes with some even having the ability to control the weak minded.
Description: Sheena was the first female hero in comics, and the first female character to get her own self-titled comic book. Sheena was the child of explorer Cardwell Rivington. However, her father was killed accidentally by a native witch doctor named Koba. Koba then raised Sheena as his own daughter because he felt it was his duty. Once grown, she became queen of the tribe and met Bob Reynolds, whom she chose as her mate. In her second origin, Sheena was an orphan of missionaries. Bob was called Rick Thorne and Koba's role was fulfilled by a female witch named N'bid Ela.
Description: John Doyle was a lawyer framed by crooked politicians and then sent to jail for crimes he didn't commit. He manages to break out by taking the keys off a security guard he knocks out. Once out of jail, he clears his name and then then keeps the his prison uniform as his superhero costume and decides to continue fighting crime as the Zebra. While he has no powers, the Zebra is skilled in combat. The Zebra fought villains such as Dr. Diabole, Ego, Bale, the Rattler, the Human Frog, and Dr. Anteater.
Description: Butterfly was the first African-American superheroine in comics. The Hell-Rider issues were mature-audience magazines not covered by comic books' Comics Code Authority. Outfitted with a jetpack for flying and a costume laden with incredibly bright strobe lights to blind her enemies, Marian Michaels is a Las Vegas cabaret singer by night and the crime-fighting Butterfly by even later night. In her first appearance, she investigates the Claw, a group of cat costume-wearing heroin dealers who are using their profits to build a fascist army out in the desert. She often worked with Hell-Rider and Julie Storm.
Description: In 1914, an orphaned child named John Aman was chosen by the Tibetan Council of Seven to be trained to both mental and physical perfection. When he was 25, he was ready to fight crime in the outside world. He returned to America and did just that. Amazing Man's powers include super strength, invulnerability, and the ability to make himself disappear in a cloud of green vapor. It is because of that last power that he is also known as the "Green Mist." Amazing Man's arch-enemy is The Great Question, an evil telepath who was exiled from the Council of Seven after Aman exposed his true nature.
Description: Kay, a morning newscaster of “Breakfast With Kay,” turned into the crime-fighter Magga the Magnificent when she uttered the phrase “om mani padme hum,” which was also used by Green Lama to invoke his powers. As Magga the Magnificent, Kay possessed the powers of flight and super-strength. In her first and only comic appearance, she helped a woman gain her inheritance.
Description: Jane Arden was an internationally syndicated daily newspaper comic strip which ran from 1927 to 1968. The title character was the original "spunky girl reporter," actively seeking to infiltrate and expose criminal activity rather than just report on its consequences and served as a prototype for later characters such as Superman supporting character Lois Lane and fellow comic strip heroine, Brenda Starr.
Description: Nobody suspected that Lady Luck was actually Brenda Banks, a "debutante crime buster bored with social life" who decided to become a "modern lady Robin Hood." Her costume was not that of a traditional comic book vigilante; It was an emerald green gown, a green hat, and a green silk veil that hung over her face to disguise her identity. She solved blackmail cases, spy cases, kidnappings, and any other cases that came her way. As Brenda Banks, she was in love with Police Chief Hardy Moore; ironically, Moore's job was to bring in Lady Luck. Brenda's brawny Italian chauffeur Peecolo served as Lady Luck's assistant.
Description: Baron Povalsky was a Polish nobleman who, following the German invasion of his country, became a one-man resistance fighter. He created two new identities, the first was Major Hurtz, which he used to spy on the Nazis from the inside, and the second was the Marksman. As the Marksman, Povalsky fought the Germans using his archery skills while wearing a red hood. Only old Vorka, his faithful manservant, knew the Baron's secret identity. Marksman operated from a small hidden room in a tower. His enemies included the Crossbow and Fraulein Halunke.
Description: Dave Clark was a radio announcer at UMAX but he decided to become a nocturnal crime-fighter, Midnight. His identity was based on a radio character who he voiced at the station when the actor was ill. His assistants included Gabby, a talking monkey, and Doc Wackey, reformed criminal/mad scientist. Later he was aided by Sniffer Snoop, an inept private detective. Midnight had no superpowers, but he was a skilled boxer. He carried several weapons and gadgets including a gun loaded with sleep-darts and a two-way wrist radio. He also carried a vacuum gun which fired a suction cup attached to a line of strong silk.
Description: Chuck Lane was a rookie cop who felt he could do more good than by just being a cop alone. He learned his ancestor was a jester in a medieval court and used his ancestry to base the costumed identity of Jester. As the Jester, Lane became a comical crime fighter making a laughing-stock out of his enemies. The Jester was known to be unpredictable and would use his eerie laugh and jingling bells to intimidate criminals. Chuck wore his jester costume underneath his cop uniform.
Description: This Tarzan-esque adventure story begins with this foreword: “American-born, college educated, Lion Man is a young scientist, sent by the United Nations to watch over the fearsome ‘Magic Mountain’ of the African Gold Coast. Within its crater lies the world’s largest deposit of Uranium enough to make an atom bomb that could destroy the world. Lion Man’s job is to report on the doings of any treacherous nation that might seek to carry away any of the lethal stuff for the purpose of war." The Lion-Man's mischievous sidekick was a young war orphan named Bubba. They fought the villainous Doctor Blut Sangro, an evil figure, and his guide, Brossed the Beachcomber.
Description: Policewoman Dolly O’Dare is a hard-boiled police detective. Her nemesis is "the sinister Baron Blue and his subtle system of larceny and murder." Blue, a gentleman thief, is initially successful in his crimes but always driven off by the clever and tough O’Dare, who will go undercover at a fashion show if necessary to catch the Baron.
Description: Doug and Rod Strange are identical twins who were separated at birth, when Rod was kidnapped by the pirate Sin Chow, enemy of the twins' father, Neville Strange. Raised in pirate dens by Sin Show, Rod became a dangerous criminal mastermind. After spending 5 years in prison, for a crime committed by a brother he never knew existed, Doug decides to track down the man who framed him. In the process, Doug became a highly respected inspector with Scotland Yard. When the brothers finally met, Doug became determined to track down his mysterious look alike. So began a war between the brothers, in which each impersonated the other, or one captured the other and delivered them to their own enemies.
Description: Space Patrol is a science fiction adventure series that was originally aimed at juvenile audiences of the early 1950's via television, radio, and comic books. However, it soon developed a sizable adult audience such that by 1954, the program consistently ranked in the top 10 shows broadcast on a Saturday.
Description: Fred Parrish, a star football player at Harvard, is practicing in a remote mountainous area with two friends when a storm develops.The three run to escape the storm but are struck by lightning with only Parrish surviving. He manages to get to his small private plane to fly for help, but crashes in a very deep valley when his plane is struck by lightning also. He is rescued from his crash and brought into a subterranean lab by mysterious figures. In the lab Dr. Bertoff heals him with scientific expertise and his radium deposits. Dr Bertoff gives him new powers harnessing the lightning that was still active in his body and informs him that he needs to use them to stop the invasion of the forces of the Green Sorceress.
Description: In his lone adventure as Capt. V, Alan Dale (later changed to "Hale" without explanation) battled the cunning devices of the Royal Family of Crime. Afterwards, he took on a new superhero name from his profession, which was that of a puppet maker. He transforms into the Puppeteer whenever Raven, his talking bald eagle, plays Beethoven's Fifth Symphony on a magic pipe organ in the back of Alan's puppet shop. His powers include super strength and traveling at super-speed by way of his red, white, and blue "v-beam."
Description: The Green Ghost was a mysterious hero who made criminals think they were dealing with the supernatural. The Green Ghost had no powers, but outside of his clever tricks, he also used green darts which criminals know are his calling cards. The Green Ghost was also not above lethal force as he killed a gangster by shooting him in the throat with one of his darts. Both his identity and costume are left undescribed in the story.
Description: Bruce Carter I was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Given a special mission by General George Washington, Carter was killed by British spies, and the information he was carrying fell into enemy hands. His spirit was confined to Earth for his failure. Bruce Carter III was the spitting image of his grandfather. He was visited by the ghost of Bruce Carter I, who showed him the location of a magical cloak and tri-corner hat that would give the wearer invulnerability and super strength.
Description: In a world of humanoid animals, Pussy Katnip was a hat-check girl and sometimes torch singer at the Kit Kat Night Club. However, when she “smells trouble” or danger, Pussy found some privacy and took a swig, either from the hip flask she often carried or from a bottle hidden in her apartment or at the club, of a substance she had invented which she called “Fizz” or “Katnip Fizz.” For a short time, it boosted both her natural agility and strength to super levels, while at the same time raising her “trouble sense” to full blown clairvoyance, letting her tell when “mugs” much bigger than her were about to take a swing at her, as well as other psychic abilities.
Description: Jill Trent, the Science Sleuth, was a female adventurer from an unknown American city. She solved crimes through combination of her detective skills and scientific ingenuity. Jill was assisted by her best friend, Daisy Smythe. Both Jill and Daisy were quite capable of handling themselves in the fight, demonstrating proficiency with guns and some basic, but effective, fighting skills.
Description: Rod Hathway was a wealthy aristocrat and philanthropist living in the city of Great New York around the year 2255. As a hobby, he began solving crimes on Earth, Mars and Venus and soon became one of the most feared crime fighters on all three planets. He took the name "Avenger" to protect his identity. He was assisted by his friend, Dot Kenny, who took the name Teena. His enemies included Set Maag and the Gargoyle, among others. As the Avenger, Rod wore an armored space suit, that allowed him to survive in space. He also carried a ray gun and a variety of high tech gadgets such as an x-ray vision gun. He was a good fighter and an excellent detective.
Description: Rick Evans was a young space explorer who lived in Future City. He commanded his own rocketship and saved the Earth and other planets from evil plots. He was accompanied by a beautiful girl named Professor Astra who served as navigator and their goofy young assistant, Stringbean. They confronted a wide range of alien threats including Xako, the scaly six-armed Martian named Lugo and the Volutans, among others.
Description: Torchy's first appearance was as a comic strip in the Fort Hamilton Base newspaper in 1944. Torchy Todd, was the blonde bombshell that all the men loved. She began her long and colorful life mainly as a morale booster for the US Army. She is one of the most risqué comic characters of The Golden Age! Torchy's depiction changed from story to story. Sometimes she was naive and didn't realize the effect she had on men. Other times she understood that effect, but couldn't quite get her head around the reason why she had it. Yet in other stories, Torchy deliberately used her assets to her own advantage.
Description: Friday Foster appeared in an early 1970s Chicago Tribune comic strip. It ran from 1970 to 1974 and was notable for featuring one of the first African-American women as the title character in a comic strip. Jackie Ormes' Torchy predated it. Foster was an assistant fashion photographer at a glamour magazine and often moonlighted as a detective. In 1975, Friday Foster was adapted into a blaxploitation film of the same name, starring Pam Grier.
Description: Ace Harlem was an African-American police detective who operated in an unnamed American city (most likely New York City). He was an observant, skillful detective with a track record that earned him the respect of the city's African-American community. He was a strong believer in justice as an innate force in the universe, that, one way or another, anybody who embarks on the life of crime will eventually suffer the consequences. He came into conflict with the professional criminal, Charm Root.
Description: Fantomah, the "Mystery Woman of the Jungle," is a mysterious goddess-like being who protects the jungles of Africa. She has vast magical power, to the point of being practically omnipotent, and can transform herself into a frightening blue phantom/skeleton creature as well as a floating skull with blonde hair. Fantomah often used her vast magical powers to sentence her enemies to bizarre and brutal punishments. For instance, in Jungle Comics #7 she transforms a band of greedy diamond miners who oppressed the natives into one man, then sends that man to an "unfound world" to be enslaved by hideous green fanged monsters, then sent into a pit of cobras, and then absorbed into a wall by a giant hand.
Description: Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy was a radio adventure series which maintained its popularity from 1933 to 1951. The storylines centered on the globe-trotting adventures of Armstrong, a popular athlete at Hudson High School, his friends Billy Fairfield and Billy's sister Betty, and their Uncle Jim, James Fairfield, an industrialist. In 1936 the Parents Institute began publishing their Jack Armstrong comic book which had a 13-issue run.
Description: Joe Smith's father, John, was a medical doctor who took his wife to Japan in 1932. Joe was born shortly thereafter, making him a Japanese citizen. Joe's father saved the life of Wan Tung, the leader of the community and the most famous judo expert in all of Japan. For this, Wan Tung chose to teach judo to Joe alongside his own son, Yoshimiru. In 1953, Dr. Smith decided Joe should return to America to finish his studies. Once arriving at school, Joe met a bully, Spike, and a gal pal, Judy. After a brief skirmish with Spike, Joe agreed to teach both Spike and Judy judo but, only for self-defence.
Description: Lobo was the first African American comic book character to headline his own series. The two-issue series chronicled the Old West adventures of a wealthy, unnamed African-American gunslinger called "Lobo" by the first issue's antagonists. On the foreheads of vanquished criminals, Lobo would leave the calling card of a gold coin imprinted with the images of a wolf and the letter "L".
Description: The emergence of Torchy Brown marked the first appearance of an independent African-American woman in a nationally syndicated comic strip. Torchy's self-reliance drove her to leave her Mississippi home at an early age and pursue her dreams of performing on stage, ultimately becoming a staple act at Harlem's Cotton Club. The character often tackled hot-button issues like racism, pollution, and social injustice in a comedic and approachable way. Because Torchy's syndication was largely limited to papers with circulation extended only to Black constituents, the character has only recently gained long overdue widespread attention.
