GENERIC COSTUMED VILLAIN ROUND-UP 004

They're back! They're costumed! They're generic!

Shorty Jones/ Generic Mummy: 

It's a sad day for me but I fear I have to classify this fake mummy as a generic costumed villain, even though he has a shortsword, one of the top swords. Ultimately, he's just a thief named Shorty Jones who robs the museum every night and even with the power of the fake mummy on his side Shorty just isn't interesting enough to qualify as a minor super-villain. (Detective Comics v1 053, 1941)

Gritter: 

Doc Savage battled this guy (real name the pretty good Gritter; posing as the amazingly-named Captain Blackstone Toy) who had a very complicated plan to blackmail the US Armed Forces. Also his chief henchman was named Fuzzy. (Doc Savage Comics 004, 1941)

Deputy Cal: 

This lady bandit is in fact Deputy Cal of the Twin Forks Sheriff's office. His idea to crossdress as a major part of his holdup persona totally pays off, but unfortunately for him he completely fails to disguise himself in any other way - same distinctive horse, same clothes, a very confrontational attitude to anyone looking into the holdups rather than keeping his head down - and he swiftly gets run in by the Fargo Kid. (Feature Comics 048, 1941)

Unnamed Killer: 

This unnamed stablehand is that most banal of killers, a jilted suitor going after the romantic rival. But he goes to such effort! It takes two tries - with a remote-controlled sailboat and a sniper rfle - to get the guy, at which point the Red Bee impersonates him and is attacked with battleaxe, scythe, pitchfork and trap door.

Plus he dresses up as Death for one attempt! Truly this man was as close to non-generic as it's possible to be while still being completely forgettable. (Hit Comics 014, 1941) 

MAD AND CRIMINAL SCIENTIST ROUND-UP 001

Like costumed villains, there are a lot of scientists out there doing crimes involving superscience but just missing the levels of interest, ambition or scale to graduate to true super-villain status. Sometimes this is because of poor planning or lack of vision and others just have the misfortune to run into a protagonist while still in the initial stages of their venture. And don't they deserve a forum just as much as the generic costumed villains we all love?

Julius Korn: 

Our first science fiend is Julius Korn, who takes over a lighthouse with his crew of misfits in order to use his ray machine to sink passing ships. It's unclear just why he does this - is it a weapons test, a piracy scheme, fifth column activity or plain sadism? - but he is thwarted by sea rover Dusty Dane and his pal Big Mike Cardigan and ends his days like so many other comic book scientists: exploding along with his invention. (Feature Comics 048, 1941)

the Professor: 

The Professor here operated a scheme whereby he used a magnetic engine killing ray to bring down mail planes in Arizona's Painted Desert. As befits a scientist operating in cowboy territory, he was willing to get his hands a bit dirtier than your typical effete science-man, but even that wasn't enough to save him from the Fargo Kid. (Feature Comics 051, 1941)

Unnamed Scientist: 

This unnamed fellow went to the trouble of developing anti-Flash technology - specifically, glasses with rotating lenses that allow him to see fast-moving objects - to protect his kidnap gang rather than, say, moving to another city (or marketing his glasses somewhere, natch) (Flash Comics v1 001, 1940)

(Trophy Room bonus: the Flash keeps the glasses)

Dr Jennings: 

This here's Dr Jennings, who works in a research lab with Jay "the Flash" Garrick and kidnaps a lot of people to live out his dream of establishing a colony on Mars but then is betrayed by his venture capitalist partner Enzil who just wants to establish himself as a Martian tyrant in a story that feels oddly prescient somehow? Anyhow the Flash is more focused on rehabilitation than your average Golden Age hero and so Jennings is allowed to go back to his old life after Enzil is vaporized by spider-aliens. (Flash Comics v1 024, 1941)