MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 984: THE GHOUL

(Green Mask v1 007, 1941)

The Ghoul has a simple, brutal, efficient racket: identify people who have large life insurance policies, murder them, and then extort the payout from their beneficiaries with threats of violence. What is unclear is exactly how long the racket has been going on, and whether the point we come in at represents some awkward teething troubles or a long-established operation beginning to crumble.

Either way, the Ghoul's last score is a mess: actor John Pierce is shot down mid-play and then the gang's lieutenant, Steve Pelley -himself a very recognizable New York crime figure scoops up Mrs Pierce in front of the theatre and brings her in to be shaken down. Aside from the fact that this is a sure way to draw attention to Pelley as the probable murderer (which he is)... the insurance claim hasn't even been filed yet! What the heck is the hurry?

Indeed, all of this suspicious activity attracts the attention of the Green Mask and Domino, who clean up the gang in short order. Please note the Green Mask's punch shattering the Ghoul's skull mask: this is a classic visual and always fun to see.

Categorized in: Extortionists, Murderers, Supranormal Beings (Undead (Ghouls))

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 946: THE GHOUL

(Silver Streak Comics 017, 1941)

Here's the thing about the Ghoul, aka "the Most Dangerous Madman of All Time": he's a stock character, the basic 1940s idea of the homicidal madman. He does have an obsession with collecting dead bodies as part of his attempts to restore the dead to life - hence the name - but he's otherwise very regular.

There are, however, several interesting things to note in the Ghoul's appearance:

First is the fact that the Daredevil's initial encounter with the Ghoul is said to have occurred "a few years ago," which is of course very interesting considering the fact that the Daredevil had at this point been operating for almost exactly one year. The reason for this discrepancy is twofold: 1. the history of a comics character is by no means tied to the dates that their adventures are published and 2. nobody involved in the production of this comic expected a pencil-necked geek like me to be counting up dates on his fingers eighty-odd years later. Fun stuff!

Secondly we get to see Daredevil just haul off and institutionalize the guy. I don't know if this was as easy in real life as in fiction, but it's always weird and horrifying when it happens in a comic.

Once the Ghoul escapes (because of course he escapes, what kind of story would it be otherwise?) Daredevil heads out to find him, but he in turn has come to Daredevil's house to get the jump on him. Just how does he know where Daredevil lives (and by extension who he is)? This is not explored. In the absence of his enemy, the Ghoul instead grabs Daredevil's fiance Tonia Saunders.

Tonia is taken to the Kingdom of the Ghoul (an overgrown island with a cave on it) in the Haunted Lake (a regular lake) and menaced with an oversized axe, but the Daredevil is hot on their trail.

The Ghoul, for all his reputation, is taken out just a quickly as he was the first time he and Daredevil clashed. Honestly, his entire career as a homicidal maniac has involved the killing of one (1) one man, a cemetery watchman who he beans with a shovel. I just don't know if he deserves to be locked up in an asylum for the "Hopelessly Insane" rather than treated in a more conventional manner. Oh well: it's back to the asylum once more.

Revenge killer score: 0/2

Categorized in: Accessories (Islands), Murder (Homicidal Maniac, Revenge Killer), Supranormal Beings (Ghouls)