GENERIC COSTUMED VILLAIN ROUND-UP 003

Yet another collection of also-rans and never-weres.

Philip White here got exactly one panel into his career as a masked spy chief before Madam Fatal unmasked him. (Crack Comics 014, 1941) 

An auctioneer named Basil ran an overly complicated scheme to steal the fabled Five Bloodstones of Mu. His plans were also undone by Madam Fatal and ended in his grisly demise. (Crack Comics 016, 1941)

This unnamed thief almost got away with the Dare Diamond under the very nose of detective Larry Steele. (Detective Comics v1 049, 1941)

A baseball pitcher named Howard got up to some shady betting schemes and ended up a generic costumed villain. Let this be a lesson, kids. Also part of his big plan involved shooting himself in the arm with a gimmicked up baseball mitt-gun, which is an early sign that you might not be cut out for costumed villainy. (Detective Comics v1 052, 1941)

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 207: THE BLACK WITCH

(Crack Comics 018, 1941)

The Black Witch is a member of a long comic book tradition: Haitian voodoo practitioners who use their sinister powers to get up to no good - in this case kidnapping the wife of one of Richard "Madam Fatal" Stanton's friends as raw material in a search for eternal youth.

The Black Witch is also part of a long-term demographic shift in comics: while the Haitian voodoo character is a staple villain s(and sometimes hero) into at least the 90s, in the early days they were basically all white folks like the Black Witch here, or the Master of Corpses. A question that I'm not qualified to answer: is this more racist than the state of things post 1960 or so when the population of voodoo villains more accurately represents the demographic makeup of Haiti or is it semi-vilifying an entire ethnoreligious group? 

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 205: THE JACKAL

(Crack Comics 017, 1941)

Like the Cloak before him, the Jackal started out as a fictional villain: made up by promoter Paxton Forbes to obfuscate his own role in murdering sea Captain Bly and stealing his treasure map. But if you do the very things you say that a villain has done, I would contend that you are, in fact, that villain. And Madam Fatal agrees, so there.

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 200: THE CRIMSON VULTURE

(Crack Comics 015, 1941)

The Crimson Vulture is a prime example of a character who could be so much better with just a little more oomph put behind him. His real name is Sarada, and he is a genius mechanical engineer who is back for revenge after being sent to prison. All well and good, but his actions - attempting to extort money from a series of rich men via mechanical vultures and then blowing them up when they refuse - have no in-story link to his motivation. They easily could, if, say, they were responsible for his incarceration or had profited from his genius while he was away, but no dice. Even if it was made clear that he was striking out at society in general, that would be more of a satisfying motivation.

He gets blown up by Madam Fatal, a suitably ignominious end for our less-than-satisfying 200th minor super-villain.

GENERIC COSTUMED VILLAIN ROUND-UP 002

Another collection of those middling muddlers who didn't quite make it to the minor leagues: the generic costumed villains!

Silas Greer here tried to kill his own nephew to get his fortune but was walloped by the Clock (and the Orchid!) for his troubles. (Crack Comics 002, 1940)

A gentleman with the unlikely name of Trag dressed up in this unusual mask in an attempt to frame a guy with the only slightly less unusual name of Doctor Prowl before Madam Fatal put the kibosh on him. (Crack Comics 008, 1940)

This here fella was the secret head of a protection racket shaking down all of the laundries in town. Scientific sleuth Wizard Wells knew it was one of the laundry owners behind the mask but not which one. Surprising nobody, it was the one named Natas. (Crack Comics 009, 1941)

Behind this mask is one General Korn, who responded to the US government not buying his remote bomb detonator by first blowing up part of Washington DC and then trying to explode the US Senate itself. But little did he know that Black Condor was on that senate, so he got caught post haste. (Crack Comics 013, 1941)

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 196: THE JESTER

(Crack Comics 010, 1941) 

The Jester is your standard costumed thief. He commits a series of daring robberies that would in the normal course of things land him in the slammer at the end of a super-hero's fist.

But before Madam Fatal, the hero of this particular feature, can get around to the business of stopping the Jester, the man himself shows up, knocks out Fatal's civilian guise Richard Stanton and kidnaps his friend Professor Mason. OR DOES HE?

No, he doesn't. It turns out that a gang of crooks is framing the real Jester in order to avoid suspicion, but since the Jester is in actuality Professor Mason's estranged son Robert, a rare hero-villain teamup ensues, Professor Mason is rescued and the usually absolutist morality of the Golden Age takes a break as the Jester is allowed to leave having fulfilled his filial duty.

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 193: THE TIGER WOMAN

(Crack Comics 009, 1941)

The Tiger Woman is another in a long line of characters who are vilified for pushing back against colonialism - in this case, American explorers appropriating her peoples' treasures. Or she would be if the way she was pushing back wasn't murder, which tends to muddy the righteousness of any cause.

She does have a really great costume, though. Top marks for style.

MINOR SUPER-HERO 022: MADAM FATAL

(Crack Comics 001-022, 1940-1942)

Madam Fatal is the alter ego of one Richard Stanton, famous actor and female impersonator. Shortly after retiring to settle down, Stanton's young daughter was kidnapped by a vengeful enemy and his wife died of grief. Going undercover as the elderly Madam Fatal in order to avoid recognition Stanton spent the next nine years looking for his child. In the first Madam Fatal adventure, he finds the kidnapper but not the kid and since the kidnapper ends up dead, the case of Richard Stanton's missing child just... never gets addressed again.

Madam Fatal comics are pretty fun as a rule. They're short and snappy, and since a big part of the character's appeal is the incongruity of a little old lady (as mentioned in the past, they got no respect in the Golden Age) being in adventure situations, she is extremely kinetic and rough and tumble.

There's absolutely no exploration of gender roles or sexuality because, duh, it's the 1940s, but Stanton and Fatal are generally treated as being two different genders. A modern revival of the character could do interesting things if done right, by the right people. Mostly though, Madam Fatal is a punchline in modern comics.

The exception to this came in The Shade v2 006, 2012. James Robinson (and Darwyn Cooke) introduced Hot Older Lady Madam Fatal, made her just as much of a shitkicker as the original, and even (finally) resolved the case of Richard Stanton's missing child. A worthy if brief revival!

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 190: THE ELECTRICAL WIZARD

(Crack Comics 007, 1940)

This is a weird guy. I'm not entirely sure what his deal is, to be honest. He's developed some sort of revolutionary hydroelectric generator and some sort of lightning projector and claims that they are "useless commercially" but doesn't really outline why. He extorts men with the last name Garr for some reason. I mean, it seems like it should be that the Garrs all got together and quashed his funding because he threatened their own business and now he's getting revenge. Or maybe he's the black sheep of the Garr family and now he's eliminating everyone else to inherit their monies. The guy needs just a bit more motivation!

Drowned by Madam Fatal.

NOTES - SEPTEMBER 2022

Places: 

The Chandler Building, seen here, is "half a mile high". In other words, about the same height as the Burj Khalifa! What a win for not-yet-Fawcett-City-but-not-quite-New-York-City! Even if the top does get blown off in this story! (Captain Marvel Adventures 003, 1941)

Decoration:

Really really excellent custom motivational poster hanging in Dr Sivana's hideout. (Captain Marvel Adventures 005, 1941)

WWI vets: Richard "Madam Fatal" Stanton (Crack Comics 002, 1940)