Thursday, November 17, 2022

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 211: THE MAD MADESPOS

(Crackajack Funnies 038-040, 1941)


It's my favourite Golden Age Batman knockoff the Owl again and this time he's up against the Madespos, a whole family of homicidal maniacs with their very own gorilla pal!


The Madespos had already been collared by the Owl (in an unseen adventure of his civilian guise of Nick Terry, PI) some time earlier, so our tale begins with their escape from Lenmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane with the help of their well-dressed gorilla friend. 


In addition to the gorilla the family consists of Ma Madespo and her four unnamed, nearly identical sons (one wears glasses and two are taller than the rest. This is not relevant). They're armed to the teeth and have holed up in a fortified mansion supplied by...


The Masked Ambassador! A surprise second Minor Super-Villain 212 (if just barely) and smarter-than-average fifth columnist from Axis-coded Yugonia who has weaponized the Madespos rather than risk his own hide in sabotaging the American military. If he wasn't caught by the Owl literally one panel after putting on his mask he might just be the most effective villain on this list.


Sadly for the Madespos, the Owl soon takes advantage of a police siege of their mansion to befriend the ill-treated gorilla and bring the whole lot of them in.

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