MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 609 UPDATE: LUCIFER

When we covered the Fourth Dimensional being called Lucifer, who might be the for-real Devil (if the Fourth Dimension is also the afterlife) and might just be a big weirdo (if it isn't), I said that we would see him again. Well here he is!

Flip Falcon next encounters Lucifer after he takes a woman named Nora into the Fourth Dimension in order to heal her face, which was scarred with acid by a vindictive man. This is a noble quest, but it once again raises the question of just how all these regular people are accessing accurate information about the properties of the Fourth Dimension, e.g., that it contains "a purifying element which restores the marred"? It's not Flip, as he never seems to know about these things when people tell him about them. Then who? Is Flip's assistant Peg publishing 4D guidebooks on the sly?

Regardless of where she got it, Nora's information was sound and her face is cured almost immediately upon entering Flip's dimensional portal. And just as soon as she is healed, Lucifer swoops in and kidnaps her in order to turn her into a giant woman with "my mind" as he puts it, and whether this is meant literally or if it's just a way of saying that she will have his moral outlook is tough to say. Either way, it's a real wild insight into Lucifer's psychology and sense of the romantic.

We never do get to meet Lucifer's ideal woman, as Flip Falcon simply zips in to interrupt the process and then sneaks out the back door. It is, all in all, an embarrassing episode for the (possible) arch-devil. (Fantastic Comics 015, 1941)

This humiliating defeat possibly explains why Lucifer's next appearance involves him returning to his roots with an attempt to wipe out humanity. Specifically (vaguely?) he is forcing "elements of dimension space" into our atmosphere, to disastrous effect.

 Unfortunately for Lucifer, Flip Falcon has a new trick since he last foiled this specific plan by this specific guy, and so rather than employing his trail of pan-dimensional energy to merely immobilize his foe, he instead annihilates him utterly. What the destruction of the Great Adversary might mean to the faithful is not explored. (Fantastic Comics 020, 1941)

ALIENS AND SO FORTH ROUND-UP 043

We've met a few of them in the past, but here's another dose of the inhabitants of the Fourth Dimension, as explored by Flip Falcon.

Zezo:

Zezo works for the Fourth Dimensional villain Lucifer as a guardian. We don't learn too much about this fellow - is he a one-off or representative of a whole species, for example - but I like his moxie and his big teeth. (Fantastic Comics 015, 1941)

Koggo:

Koggo is an even more mysterious fellow than Zezo, given that he is more obviously the product of a civilization of some sort: he has clothing and weapons and hypodermics full of Agony Serum, and also a conceptual framework that allows him to believe that human pilots are somehow trying to invade the Fourth Dimension. This leads him to kill and kidnap several of them until he is stopped when he is exploded by Flip Falcon. (Fantastic Comics 018, 1941)

Fourth Dimensional Dragons: 

Fourth Dimensional dragons have a body plan that is a variation of the modern fantasy concept of the wyvern, with wings and front limbs appended to a long serpentine body. It's unclear just how intelligent they are: Robbo here acts like an animal, but he also has a name. (Fantastic Comics 015, 1941)

Serpo (Poison Dragon of the Elements) also has a name, but given his seeming status as more of a natural disaster than an inhabitant of the Fourth Dimension, that might just be equivalent to when we name hurricanes. Intriguingly, Serpo is able to cross the dimensional boundaries under his own power.

Serpo comes to the attention of Flip Falcon after he abducts a woman from Earth and learns too late that he is susceptible to being exploded. (Fantastic Comics 016, 1941)

Demi-Things:

Any time you talk about Flip Falcon and the Fourth Dimension, you're going to get Demi-Things coming up. The first time this occurs is when Gogo, Master of the Demi-Things attempts to abduct the same woman who had already been snatched by Serpo. And just like Serpo, Gogo is unprepared for the explosive power of Flip's dimensional energy. (Fantastic Comics 016, 1941) 

The death of Gogo opens the way for Kandor to become Lord of the Demi-Things, and while we have no indication of whether he is a more benevolent ruler than his predecessor, he certainly is aware of the fact that he rules at Flip Falcon's whim. Or perhaps they really are friends, who knows. (Fantastic Comics 018, 1941)

Finally, we have Zorka, the Giant Demi-Thing. Zorka guards a region of the Fourth Dimension containing the element "acco-nito." Why? This is not explained - perhaps it's just a classic case of treasure-hoarding. In any case, Flip needs so acco-nito to save a woman's life, so Zorka gets exploded.(Fantastic Comics 019, 1941)

Octopus Men:

Strictly speaking, the Octopus Men are not Fourth Dimensional beings, instead, they are the inhabitants of the wandering planet Octo, which up and wanders straight through the dimensional barrier one day and allows the Octopus Men to start beating ten kinds of hell out of the Demi-Things.

Despite this, the Octopus Men prove just as vulnerable to being exploded as all of Flip's other enemies, which he discovers after intervening to prevent the conquered Demi-Things from being impressed into a life of space piracy by the Octopus Men's boss, a human man named Otho. Just how he came to be on an extrasolar planet in the first place, let alone in charge of the place, is left unexplored, but since Flip drags him back to Earth to stand trial we must assume that that's where he started out. I have no idea what Flip thinks that the charges might be, by the way. (Fantastic Comics 017, 1941)

Unnamed Species: 

This unnamed fellow is remarkable mostly for being the antagonist of Flip Falcon's final adventure. He seems to live on a planetoid by himself, has captured space explorer Irwin Burns and demands help in his plan to go to Earth and kidnap a woman (he needs a "queen" and can't be bothered to date).

As befits the final Flip Falcon villain, this fellow gets exploded. It's a real shame that this is our last look at the Fourth Dimension as the cosmology was getting very weird: it's another dimension but also Hell and/or Purgatory and it connects to all space and time and as a result of this you can just kind of pass from our dimension to it by travelling far enough out into space? I mean, talk about a rich setting for cosmic horror. (Fantastic Comics 021, 1941) 

DEMONIC ROUND-UP 004

Look out! It's the hordes of Hell!

Storm-Demon: 

Summoned by the evil magic-user Trug to destroy Ibis the Invincible and Taia, the Storm-Demon proves to be no match for the god Osiris, summoned by Ibis in self defense. Really appreciate the route one, "guy made out of storm clouds," aesthetic of this fellow. (Whiz Comics 016, 1941)

She-Devil:

Despite the failure of his first demonic minion, Trug employs this She-Devil to lay in wait for Ibis and Taia along the path to his lair. I sincerely hope that this actually is a demon and not just a magically disguised fist-fightin' lady hired by Trug to beat the tar out of them, because while Ibis is completely fooled by the "lady in distress" act, Taia is not so trusting and uses the Ibistick to light her up. (Whiz Comics 017, 1941)

Unnamed Demon: 

This unnamed demon, summoned by villainous magician the Half-Man as a weapon of mass destruction against his country's enemies, is a bit generic but not every demon needs to be a star. Much more interesting is the Ancient Egyptian-themed being summoned by Taia to counter it. Just what is his deal and where did he get that cool flail? (Whiz Comics 024, 1941)

Lucifer: 

Though this version of Lucifer buys souls, lives in a place alternately called "Hades" and "the Inferno" and is, you know, named Lucifer, the text consistently refers to him as a "genii" rather than a demon. Who knows why but it's a fact. 

Never seen, this Lucifer has already bought the Claw's soul at some point in the past and now lends him further power so that he can make one last attempt at destroying Daredevil. Why do this seemingly for free? Perhaps removing Daredevil from the playing field, rather than helping the Claw, is the goal. Or maybe Lucifer is just nice! 

The Claw does not in fact manage to defeat Daredevil and is thereafter confined to the continent of Asia for his failure. For, like, one issue. (Silver Streak Comics 011, 1941) 

Lucifer's Minions: 

In addition to the draconic Guard of the Gate of the Inferno above, Lucifer supplies the Claw with a variety of demonic beings to help him in his quest. A brief rundown: 

Winged Beasts!

Poison-Fanged Eagle-Men! 

The Three-Headed Dragon! 

Gigantic Snakes! (these ones are my favourites)

And a general demonic rabble that includes a few of the types we saw before but more importantly that cool caveman-demon!

Ultimately, the forces of Hades prove no match for Daredevil and his boomerang. Most of them end up buried under an avalanche, and while my RPG-influenced mind assumes that that means that they are all then banished back to Hell it's entirely possible that they are just dead. (Silver Streak Comics 011, 1941)

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Look out! Its demons!

Lucifer: 

Dastardly voodoo man the Voodoo Man has this version of Lucifer possess a young woman for some dang reason. He's got a pretty good look with the sideburns and all, but is surprisingly easy to chase away with an anemically-presented crucifix. (Weird Comics 006, 1940)

the Unholy One: 

The Unholy One is an infernal servant of some kind who has been summoned as a sort of demonic search engine by the Green Sorceress. He appears in the early Simon & Kirby days of Blue Bolt, so he gets an appropriate level of gravitas and "this guy's face is too gross to show you" angles to render him nice and memorable. I like him! (Blue Bolt v1 005, 1940)

Unnamed Being: 

If I'm honest I must admit that I have no idea what this guy is. Heroic former uggo Sir Champion encounters him while searching an extradimensional dreamscape for his liege/lover Camilla after she is abducted to there by the wizard Thoth. He is generally helpful, but "capricious, horned extradimensional being" equals "demon" in my eyes. Plus he's nude! (Jungle Comics 011, 1940)

the Fire-Devil:

Perhaps you will recall our old friend the Witch-Master, lord of the witches of Salem. Well, he in turn serves this fellow, who is referred to as the Fire-Devil throughout the adventure due to the fact that he is summoned out of a bonfire. The various titles that the Witch-Master gives him - Great King of Evil, Great King of Inferno, etc - indicate that he is held in some esteem, but the fact that he can't endure the "level stare" of preteen Mark Kent does diminish this somewhat.

Also humiliating: the fact that a simple bucket of water is sufficient to banish him back to the underworld. (Slam-Bang Comics 005, 1940)