MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 555: SHADDIBA

(Wonder Comics 002, 1939)

Shaddiba appears in the first adventure of magic hero Yarko the Great as an old enemy of Yarko who has come to the town of Hexville in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania. His exact reasons for doing so are unstated, so I reckon that it's equally likely that Hexville is an especially ripe spot for crime as that he was attracted by the old haunted mansion on the hill that he moves into. Comic book expectations aside I reckon that sourcing those has to be a real estate nightmare - I've certainly never had the opportunity to rent one.

Shaddiba's dumb name also introduces the possibility that perhaps Yarko is not alone, that all magic users in this continuity have made-up nonsense monikers. It's the only rational explanation!

Shaddiba does a lot of mouthing off to Yarko about what a great magician he is and how much Yarko sucks and to be fair Yarko is unable to break the mental hold that Shaddiba has on several locals in order to compel them to rob and murder (as well as on a local woman because he is a creep), but this is definitely classified as hubris.

The fact that Shaddiba lambastes Yarko for intruding on the "sacred arts" of the "magic of the East" and then immediately invokes Lucifer as the source of his power is weird.

The disagreement between the two magicians comes to a head in an all-out astral smackdown. A lot of the astral battling that we've seen so far (e.g., the one in this Mr Justice episode) has been quite quick-and-dirty decisive, so it's neat to see these fellows really get into it.

Shaddiba surrenders rather than be flung into the Chasm of Oblivion but if there's one trait almost universally shared by super-villains it's being a sore loser and so he blows himself to smithereens rather than live with the consequences of his actions.

MINOR SUPER-HERO ROUND-UP 015

Once again we take you to the world of the minor super-hero. See them dance for your amusement. 

the Mystic: 

Later known as Kardak the Mystic, the Mystic is a stage magician who uses stage magic to battle crime, specializing in fraudulent mediums etc. His stage magic eventually gets rounded up to real magic, of course. (Top-Notch Comics 001, 1939)

the Phantom o' the Hills:

The Phantom o' the Hills is an otherwise unnamed masked cowboy who rights wrongs in the Old West. In his first adventure he avenges the death of his younger brother but whether that's what got him into the vigilante game is not elaborated on. The only real thing that sets him apart from the ranks of other similar characters is his better-than-average name. (Western Picture Stories 001, 1937)

Wonder Man:

For all that (by some accounts) Will Eisner was explicitly told to make a Superman clone when he made him for Fox Features (and that DC successfully sued Fox into canning him), Wonder Man is only kind of like Superman. Maybe it's my modern image of what Superman is like but he's just a strong guy who jumps around catching artillery shells and beating up warmongers. Plus he gets his powers from a magic Tibetan ring! Plus he's blonde! (Wonder Comics 001, 1939)

Yarko the Great:

There are three major things to know about Yarko the Great: 

1. He's a magic-slinging hero in the classic mold, i.e., an American who has learned the secrets of the Far East and turned them to a career in stage magic/ crimefighting.

2. Like a lot of early Fox Features characters he was created by Will Eisner so his adventures tend to look pretty great.

3. "Yarko the Great" is - and this is an informed opinion - categorically the worst name that any magic-using Golden Age hero was saddled with. 

(Wonder Comics 002, 1939)

*UPDATE* the Flame *UPDATE*:

Just wish to draw everyone's attentions to the really boss custom-painted boat that the Flame was tooling around in during his first adventure. Plus he had a butler named Jarvis! (Wonderworld Comics 003, 1939)

**DOUBLE UPDATE**

And he has a plane! (Wonderworld Comics 004, 1939)

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 554: THE MASK

(Wonder Comics 001, 1939)

A gun runner doing business with rebel forces in the probably-South American country of Mauchako, the Mask doesn't bring a lot to the table beyond a fairly snazzy take on the low-effort costume. He's also the first foe faced by super-spy K-51 (is his original callsign of K-5, as you may have noticed). He's also a US Senator, which is a heckuva job to split your attention from - also, weirdly he's not our first one. He ends up employing K-51's childhood pal and then murdering said pal so it's not too surprising that he himself does not survive the adventure.

In conclusion, the Mask isn't terribly exciting. He does have a good look, so that's something.

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 553: LANDOR, MAKER OF MONSTERS

(Speed Comics 001, 1939)

Landor, Maker of Monsters is a fellow who hangs out in a castle and - no big surprise - makes monsters. He's also the title character of his feature, which is not unprecidented in Golden Age comics but worth noting whenever it's the case.

Landor is just about finished with his very first monster when socialites Tony Torrence and his fiance  Marcia NoLastName show up at his door seeking shelter from the stormy night. Just why they are on a mountain (in a storm, in the middle of the night) in what appear to be riding clothes is not elaborated on.

Landor's first creature, the Brute, is basically a frankenstein and is horny for Marcia. Not only does this mess up Tony and Marcia's nights but it leads to Landor himself being dashed against a wall when he acts threatening to Marcia and the Brute doesn't like it.

The Brute meets his end as a biological crash mat when he and Tony fall off a high balcony. Tony and Marcia flee and between the wall trauma and the obligatory laboratory fire Lando, Maker of Monsters is assumed to be dead.

But no! Landor lives! An ass has been made of you and of me! He is merely burnt to a crisp! And it is now he who is the horny one, or at least the one who creates a seven foot tall babe in a one-piece swimsuit to do his bidding - is this the one time where attempting to murder a young couple is the more wholesome of two options?

Carda (for that is the flying woman's name) meets with some initial success but is hampered by the fact that she is very flammable. Marcia sets her wings on fire entirely by accident, by merely holding a torch. This time Landor is thought to be dead because he leaps out of a high window.

In his third appearance, Landor has abandoned anthropomorphism entirely in favour of mobilizing a fleet of giant mosquitoes to enact his revenge on Tony and Marcia. As is becoming evident by this point, revenge is not a kind mistress to Landor - giant mosquitoes, while formidable, are vulnerable to both "getting shot" and "being exploded along with your boss and his castle" and so it's back to the drawing board for a fourth time. Once he gets over being exploded, of course.

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 552: BARON VON KAMPF

(Speed Comics 001, 1939) 

Baron von Kampf! Major recurring Shock Gibson villain and aspiring world conqueror. He's exactly the sort of evil, sneering gloating villain that I love to see vex the heroes of yesteryear, and due to the fact that his appearances are concentrated in the early days of the super-hero medium that's about all the characterization he gets. He wants to rule the world and he's a dick about it.

But who needs characterization when you've 1. got the appearance of a weird little goblin man and 2. employ the services of what are possibly the greatest henchmen of the Golden Age: the Zombies!

"This Better Not Awaken Anything In Me"

According to Baron von Kampf, the Zombies are radio-controlled creatures made out of animal parts. Just why they're called zombies is a mystery - the idea of the zombie as a resurrected corpse or corpselike drugged (or mystically enthralled) person was very much in the cultural ether in 1939, so who the heck knows?

Naming conventions aside the Zombies look terrific, particularly in a huge group - they're like something that Steve Ditko might draw swarming out of a portal to beat up Dr Strange.

Baron von Kampf's second appearance in Speed Comics 002 sadly does not involve the Zombies but does feature that old favourite gizmo, the engine killing ray, which von Kampf is employing to bring down airplanes in order to conquer the South American nation of El Matador. 

The real interesting thing about the Baron in this issue is that he still has on what I previously assumed to be some sort of surgical cap but might just be the top of his head? Like it's a metal plate or something? Like all aspects of the Baron's appearance it goes unmentioned in the text so we can only speculate on why exactly he is Like That.

Baron von Kampf shows up maybe half a dozen times total but the real attraction is the Zombies, who get a bit weirder as time goes on. We''l be seeing them again, I assure you.

MINOR SUPER-HERO ROUND-UP 014

Some real niche characters this time.

the Lone Star Rider:

An Old West hero so generic he only appeared once and never even got to track down the owlhoots who killed his parents in order to steal their land. Good gloves. (Smash Comics 002, 1939)

Shock Gibson:

Like Barry Allen after him, Charles (later Robert) Gibson is a young scientist working late into a stormy night when he is simultaneously struck by lightning and bathed in chemicals. Though he is called the Human Dynamo, for the first chunk of his career he functions as more of a Human Battery who stores an electrical charge that can be used to fuel various superhuman feats - super-strength, super-jumping (later full-on flight), and a shocking grasp.

Shock Gibson goes through more than a few costume changes over the years - sadly this goofy helmet is axed during the first one - but one consistent element in his design is lotsa cool electricity crackle when he uses his powers. (Speed Comics 001, 1939)

the Man With 1000 Faces:

Ted Parrish, famous film star, is bored with his humdrum life and so turns his considerable talent for quickchange artistry and disguise to the task of crimefighting. Just where he gets all of his accessories from is not elaborated on, so it's equally likely that he scavenges them from the environment as it is that he just hauls around an enormous hockey bag full of clothing etc everywhere he goes.

Parrish's mission is obviously hampered somewhat by the fact that Los Angeles' criminal fraternity knows that the Man With 1000 Faces exists and they should be on the lookout for him. How did they find out? Did Parrish blab to up the challenge and excitement of it all? (Speed Comics 001, 1939)

the Wizard:

Blane Whitney, AKA the Wizard, is the latest in seven generations of Whitneys (some of whom were also called the Wizard) to dedicate their lives in patriotic service to the USA. Plus he was a child prodigy who was charged to use his abilities to better mankind by Woodrow Wilson. Plus he's an inventive genius in virtually all fields, particularly various forms of engineering. Plus he has nearly superhuman physical abilities and a mind so highly developed that it is superhuman in that he can employ remote viewing to locate dangers and clues.

The Wizard was a pretty big player at MLJ in the 40s but has largely been abandoned in the various attempts to revive the MLJ characters at Archie and elsewhere - his biggest post-Golden Age appearance that I am aware of was as a super-villain fighting the Mighty Crusaders in the 60s. What does this say about the character - that he's perfectly serviceable but not very conceptually exciting? Yes, I reckon that sums him up. (Top-Notch Comics 001, 1939)

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 551: THE MAD PROFESSOR

(Smash Comics 004, 1939)

It's a classic set-up: squat in some out-of the-way location - an isolated island, a desert, or as in this case the mountains of Alaska - bring down planes or draw in ships using a big magnet or fake monster or as here an engine-killing ray, and bingo bango bongo you have your own fleet. You can supply your own crew or save even more money like the Mad Professor by subjecting the existing crew to a little light mind control.

Exactly why the Mad Professor (unofficial name used in captions) is doing this is never elaborated on. As far as I can tell he's got about 11 or so bombers which is hardly enough for the usual "take over the US" goal. Maybe he's just after Alaska.

One thing's for sure: the Mad Professor has not been doing this for long. His organization is riddled with problems, including very lax prisoner handling guidelines that allow escapee Wings Wendall to roam free for a while before he's even missed. 

Even more problematic is his mind control process. Uh, beyond it being a mind control process to begin with, that is. But logistically he has more than a hundred captured US Army bomber crew, all of whom are drugged into servitude. Judging by the timeline of the comic, the drug lasts a maximum of about two days and the drugees come back to themselves almost instantly upon it wearing off. And yet the Mad Professor and his men are seemingly administering doses on an ad hoc basis to the entire group, just before it wears off. The capacity for catastrophic failure is enormous, even without a G-2 agent roaming the facility!

(also note Wings Wendall displaying the weird anti-beard bias that I mention in the Memes of Yore entry)

Like I said, all of the captured pilots are close to recovering from their drugged state and they easily overpower the salaried staff. The Mad Professor gets away but then Wings Wendall takes him out with his own ray, all without anyone getting a coherent list of goals out of the guy.

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 550: THE NUMBERS

(Smash Comics 004, 1939)

The real heyday of the capital-a Anarchist as societal boogeyman was in the 1920s by my reckoning and so you don't get them in anything like the numbers of pseudo-Nazis and Yellow Perils in the comics of the 1930s, and then of course in the 1940s you get your Axis villains, followed by your dastardly Commies and this is all to say that I enjoy these fellows for their novelty if nothing else.

As for their specifics, well, they're anarchists, aren't they? Anarchists are devoted to the goals of blowing up infrastructure for no stated ideological reason other than unquestioning loyalty the their leader, right? Because that's what these guys do and so they're anarchists and they're anarchists so that's what they do. Simple.

Anyway, they manage to get themselves infiltrated by not one but two undercover operatives from Scotland Yard, because the anonymity of the hooded robe is a fickle mistress, particularly if you're always gathered in a big clump in a previously-established location.

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 549: THE GREEN LIZARD

(Smash Comics 004, 1939)

The Green Lizard is a Floridian crook who specializes in extorting wealthy men and then kidnapping them when they fail to pay. This is the sort of thing I've spoken of before and will again: it absolutely makes sense to adopt a colourful identity like this if you're a criminal in a super-hero universe, even in the not-exactly-a-rich-and-interconnected-tapestry Quality universe of 1939, with stories of the Clock or Bozo the Iron Man trickling out of New York. Heck, maybe it makes more sense in such a case: the costumed crook is a thing of the crime-ridden metropoli and suddenly it's here, in our swamp-adjacent gated community! I'm surprised that those millionaires didn't pay up immediately.

The Green Lizard of course doesn't reckon with the fact that the more millionaires he targets, the more likely a super-hero is to show up. And indeed John Blaine, his latest target, is pals with Kent "the Invisible Hood" Thurston!

Please note also that the Green Lizard signs his note with a little lizard drawing.

It's been a while so I don't recall if this is a recurring theme in Invisible Hood stories but the Green Lizard's henchmen experience some real cosmic horror at the idea of an invisible man that is easy to mock but on reflection quite relatable. I would probably freak out too!

I appreciate the simplicity of the Green Lizard's costume but must say that his mask while fine aesthetically looks absolutely miserable to wear. Like, it's either got to be held down so firmly that it's crushing his nose or so loosely that it flaps around every time he speaks. 

The Invisible Hood disposes of the Green Lizard with little trouble despite the horrible mud floors in his swamp lair showing off the Hood's location via his footprints. The millionaires are saved! The henchmen all get blowed up with the HQ!

But who was the Green Lizard? Would you be surprised to learn that it was John Blaine's green-suited butler from before? Neither was I! Though looking again it does appear to be two different green suits and I would call that a... questionable affectation for an incognito super-villain with the word "Green" in his name to have.

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 548: MADAME DOOM

(Smash Comics 004, 1939)

We will be seeing more of Madame Doom, as she is Black X's only real recurring foe (I think), but as far as 1939 goes she made one appearance and this is it. 

Madame Doom, a freelance spy, is working for "the dictators" in an attempt to steal US defense plans and prevent the signing of a pretty vague treaty that acts as a deus ex machina reason for war not to have broken out yet (war with the US, that is).

In this first appearance Madam Doom is a very by-the-book Will Eisner femme fatale: a ruthless lady with the hots for the hero (reciprocated).

Black X doesn't quite let her go on purpose but he certainly doesn't try very hard to catch her. This is a mistake! The bloom definitely wears off the rose in this relationship later on.

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 547: THE HOODED TERROR

(Smash Comics 003, 1939)

It's a good name but I'm afraid that the Hooded Terror is just a stock crypto-fascist European saboteur attempting to destroy the Panama Canal and trap the US fleet in the Pacific in order to set up an invasion of the East Coast. It's no great loss to fiction when he gets cold-cocked by G-2 agent Wings Wendall and left behind in a sinking submarine to drown.

Other than some degree of admiration for his ability to use a periscope while wearing a loose cloth mask over his eyes my one positive note about the Hooded Terror is that he had a real commitment to clear labelling. Never has exposition been handled so seamlessly.

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 546: PROFESSOR DWYER

(Smash Comics 003, 1939)

When a mysterious monster-man robs a London apartment by ripping a safe clean out of the wall, Captain Cook of Scotland Yard somehow intuits that this may be the work of disgraced London University scientist Professor Dwyer and manages to track him down to an abandoned castle on the moors outside the city (I take no responsibility for checking if there are moors just outside London. Or castles). His intuition is of course correct and he must contend with that most classic of comic book man-monsters: a gorilla with a human brain, wearing a suit.

Dwyer isn't the biggest villain, per se - he robs a safe, transplants a brain from a presumably-unwilling man into a gorilla and briefly kidnaps an elevator boy - but he certainly does manage to rack up an impressive checklist of mad science achievements before being taken into custody:

- fired and in fact confined to an asylum due to the unorthodox nature of his research

- asylum escapee

- castle HQ

- gorilla henchman

- in fact gorilla henchman with a human brain

- engine killing technology

- death ray technology

It's an impressive resume, capped off by his complete lack of physical ability that leads to him being captured  with exactly no trouble despite being armed. The gorilla-man unfortunately does not survive.

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 545: "?"

(Smash Comics 002, 1939)

An art thief, but an audacious art thief. "?" is so-named because he sends a message signed thus to the Paris Prefect of Police warning that he would steal the Mona Lisa from the Louvre and then actually does it from under the noses of the Prefect, the police and Captain Cook of Scotland Yard. Like, while in the same room as them - he just hits the lights and grabs the painting.

Then, a couple of days later, another note from "?" saying that he is going to put the painting back! And he approaches this task with the same level of audacity: reveal the location of the painting and then out the window.

Too bad for "?" that reckless audacity can be a bit predictable - he is immediately corralled on the street below and turns out to be criminal Renee Landrue, who simply stole the painting as a way to sell on 4 forged copies of the Mona Lisa. It's practically not even a crime! If only he hadn't tried to blow up Captain Cook and the Prefect in between the theft and the return, he'd practically be a folk hero! BRING BACK the audacious French thief "?", I say! Give Batman's filing system a workout!

REAL PERSON ROUND-UP 003

Once more they ride: the REAL PEOPLE OF COMICS

Abraham Lincoln:

Lincoln's shadow is used to symbolize the power of the US exerting a calming effect on the European belligerents. (Smash Comics 005, 1939)

Adolf Hitler:

Chancellor Rudolf of Wurtberg here is a more dynamic than usual Hitler analog (Smash Comics 004, 1939)

Misc minor appearances:

Getting some bad news about Nazi operations in Yugoslavia (Blue Ribbon Comics 015, 1941)

Captain Kidd:

For no particular reason this aviator/ adventurer is named after him. (Fantastic Comics 001, 1939)

Franklin Delano Roosevelt:

Discusses the threat of the Black Hand With J. Edgar Hoover (Blue Ribbon Comics 016, 1941)

Misc Minor Appearances: appraised of the danger of invasion by Vlamir Koran (Smash Comics 001, 1939) 

Seen ordering Americans in Europe to return home; meets Black Ace/X after he saves the transports that are returning them. (Smash Comics 003, 1939)

Determines to defensively arm the US (Smash Comics 005, 1939)

H.V. Kaltenborn:

Radio commentator, appears as "H.V. Baltenhorn" (Blue Ribbon Comics 017, 1941)

John Dillinger:

Gangster "Jack Dilger" is vexed by Ty-Gor. (Blue Ribbon Comics 015, 1941) 

Joseph Stalin:

The same 3/4 perspective shot always used for FDR, now in Stalin form! (Smash Comics 002, 1939)

Mahatma Gandhi:

Aside from the pun name "Mohlasos Candhi", this version of Gandhi is hitting a lot of the overt and casually racist checkmarks of the 1940s, including a disregard for the difference between India and the Middle East and a complete indifference for the distinction between Hindus and Muslims. Oh and also it's another classic adventure based on propping up colonial rule. (Blue Ribbon Comics 017, 1941)

Shirley Temple:

As "Curley Semple" ("Dixie Dugan" comic strip, 1935)

Sherlock Holmes:

Philpot Veep (along with his sidekick Waldo) was one of many humourous takes on Sherlock Holmes in Golden Age comics. Note also the wanted poster for G. Brenner, almost certainly referring to George Brenner, creator of the Clock. (Smash Comics 001, 1939)

BONUS PHILPOT VEEP, DRUG FIEND

COMIC BOOK DRAMA: in Smash Comics 005, George Brenner strikes back! Here's Philpot Veep scribe Joe Devlin depicted AS A CLOWN! EPIC GOLDEN AGE BEEF SPOTTED

Woodrow Wilson:

Meets and gives sage advice to young Blane Whitney, who would grow up to become MLJ hero the Wizard. I am legitimately flabbergasted to see Wilson show up in this capacity. (Top-Notch Comics 001, 1939)