ALIENS AND SO FORTH ROUND-UP 055

More aliens? Just how many more can there be?

Fantasans:

When time/space traveller Whiz Wilson visits Earth of the year 4400 CE, he finds that it is being bombarded by comets originating from the far-off planet Fantasa. Going there with the aid of his trusty Futuroscope, he learns that Molla, the rightful ruler of Fantasa, has been deposed by the wicked Gorano and that Gorano has a fanatical (and unexplained) hatred of humanity that is his reason for the comet attack. One quick Futuroscope-aided counter-coup later and Fantasa is back in more peaceful hands and Earth is safe. (Lightning Comics v2 003, 1941)

Mercurian Cave-People:

The very first outer space adventure of the Space Rovers sees them taking an unexpected rocket trip and being forced to make a landing on Mercury to get their bearings. Once they disembark they discover that the fire caused by their landing has been taken as a sign that the local deity (the Fire God, God-Style: Animistic) is angry and demands sacrifice. Ted and Jane pitch in to save the poor sacrifice, and in a rare happy ending for such people she gets to haul ass across the river to marry a dude named Kulu. (Exciting Comics 002, 1940)

Mercurians of Thian:

Having ruined the sacrifice, Ted is next up for being burned at the stake, and to make matters worse, Jane is hauled off by a giant bird (which turns out to be called a Mercurian Roc) before she can free him.

Ted manages to free himself, and the two both end up in the city of Thian, which is populated by a second kind of Mercurian who are possessed of more advanced technology than the Cave-People but who look absolutely terrible. They aren't even particularly good hosts, as can be seen here when they drug and capture the Star Rovers before the main course arrives.

And just what is the reason that these Mercurians had for treating their guests so rudely? Because they only live for twenty years and they need people from more long-lived species to study (i.e. vivisect) so that they can live to a somewhat riper old age. 

Since these particular tests subjects are space heroes, things go poorly from here. Head Scientist Flaedo gets electrocuted, the Star Rovers escape on Roc-back and the Mercurians of Thian hopefully reconsider their commitment to scientific ethics. (Exciting Comics 002, 1940) 

Mercurians:

Time adventurer Stuart Taylor and his companions Dr and Laura Hayward encounter this society of possibly human-derived Mercurians when they voyage to the year 4000 in pursuit of a man named Rogro who has stolen Dr Hayward's time technology. The major difference between Mercurians and humans is the fact that the former all have "synthetic blood" which makes them vulnerable to extreme heat and must be quite inconvenient for someone living on what is generally acknowledge to be a pretty hot planet.

Though the Mercurian society seems peaceful when they arrive, things go south quickly once Rogro promises the Mercurian king that he can engineer new blood for everyone if he can use the blood inside of Stuart and his friends as raw materials. The time travellers only survive the resulting riots by smashing up the protective dome over the Mercurian city (and note the fact that the writer now says that the Mercurians have a problem with oxygen instead of heat. Why? Who knows). (Jumbo Comics 019, 1940)

CATALOGUE OF WOUNDS 014

I've finally caught up on all the backlogged wounds! Only new wounds for the catalogue going forward.

the Dart:

The Dart has come all the way from Ancient Rome to the present day (1940) only to be shot in the left arm. (Weird Comics 006, 1940)

Doc Strange:

Though the text box says that Doc Strange is "riddled with bullets" in this exchange, the subsequent first aid suggests that his left arm bore the brunt of the damage. (Thrilling Comics 001, 1940)

the Falcon:

The Falcon gets a classic head creasing. (Human Torch v1 002, 1940)

Ferret:

Despite the fact that these crooks manage to capture Ferret and force him to remove his bulletproof vest, they not only then choose to shoot him in the head but fail to actually shoot him in the head fatally and instead do a classic skull crease. (Marvel Mystery Comics v1 008, 1940)

the Flame:

The Flame gets in on the classic skull crease game. (Wonderworld Comics 018, 1940)

the Masked Rider:

Not to be left out, the Masked Raider sustains a head crease, classic. (Startling Comics 001, 1940)

And again a few issues later. (Startling Comics 004, 1940)

the Spirit:

The Spirit (who I'm sure will be a frequent visitor to the Catalogue of Wounds) is shot in the left shoulder by Dr Cobra. (Spirit Section, June 9, 1940)

A few months later: shot in the right shoulder. (The Spirit Section, September 22, 1940) 

And a few months after that, the right shoulder again, this time by the Black Queen. (The Spirit Section, November 10, 1940)

Thor, God of Thunder:

Thor's alter identity of Grant Farrel is shot in the back, wounding him badly enough that it takes weeks for him to recover. (Weird Comics 003, 1940)

Yarko the Great:

Even Yarko's great magic cannot save him from occasionally being shot in the right arm. (Wonderworld Comics 004, 1940)

MONSTER, CRITTER AND CREATURE ROUND-UP 001

I've threatened to do it for long enough, it's time for the creatures to have their day.

Alligator Men:

Our very first creatures are also our first tough call. Steel Sterling fights these Alligator Men in Brazonia, South America while on the trail of Dr Yar (aka the Black Knight), and with any group of intelligent humanoids there is the question: did our villain make them using the power of mad science, or did he find them in the jungle and convince them to follow him?

The thing that sways my opinion on the Alligator Men is the fact that Dr Yar also has this swarm of giant mosquitoes at his command. If someone is going to the trouble of overcoming the square cube law to create a not-very-successful trap for his arch enemy then bioengineering a batch of alligator-headed goons has got to be a walk in the park, comparatively. (Zip Comics 003, 1940)

Alligoscerous:

This alligoscerous, a lake monster native to the hidden Diamond Empire in Asia and burdened with a most unlovely name, makes an attempt to dine on the Rocket and his allies and pays for it with its eyes. (Pep Comics 004, 1940)

Allosaurus:

Abdallah is a minor Centaur Publications character who has fantastical adventures in 10th Century Arabia, such as in this instance, when a caravan he is leading is attacked by a pack of allosaurus. It's honestly giving me a warm flashback to AD&D adventure modules.

Continuing in the tabletop RPG theme, later in that same story Abdallah must travel through an underground dungeon of sorts to save his father's life, and does battle with this very heraldic griffin. (Funny Pages v3 008, 1939)

Amphisaur:

The amphisaur, an ancient dinosaur hibernating below the sea floor, is awakened by Naval manoeuvres and immediately begins laying waste to the works of mankind. It's very Gozilla-before-Godzilla, though without the poignancy of the nuclear war metaphor.

Though the beast's hide is proof against all conventional weaponry and it is even immune to mummy-turned-super-hero Mystico's arcane power for the slightly contrived reason that it dates from before magic was invented, it is ultimately undone when an entire skyscraper is repurposed into a jumbo-sized spear to impale it. (Startling Comics 004, 1940)

the Sea Dragon:

The Sea Dragon, which pops up to vex and befuddle the US Navy in Hawaii, is in reality a classic (and astonishingly huge) submarine disguised as a monster and operated by an unnamed, not-quite-Japanese, Navy. (Captain America Comics 005, 1941)

Tangako:

Adventurer Reef Kinkaid and his companions, stranded in a lost valley filled with prehistoric life in the Amazon jungle, must confront a variety of monsters, including the horned cave-ape tangako, which Reef grapples to death...

... the cave-dwelling alagasaurus, which he grapples and beats to death...

... and the annoyingly-spelled pterodactl, which he grapples to death. (Amazing-Man Comics 016, 1940)

Bonus Dinosaurs!

 

These random dinosaurs and prehistoric mammals are encountered by the Black Hood during a confusing trip through time. (Jackpot Comics 003, 1941)

CATALOGUE OF WOUNDS 013

If I see a wound, I catalogue it.

Camilla, Queen of the Lost Empire:

Shot in the back with an arrow. (Jungle Comics 019, 1941)

Captain Flag:

Nearly dies of the Black Hand's horrible hand disease. (Blue Ribbon Comics 016, 1941)

the Cat-Man:

Stabbed in the chest, to death (he gets better). (Crash Comics Adventures 004, 1940)

Killed by a blood-freezing ray. He gets better again. (Crash Comics Adventures 005, 1940)

Dynamo:

Dynamo gets his skull creased by a bullet in the classic fashion. (Science Comics 005, 1940)

the Green Mask:

Michael Shelby is shot in the chest, prompting pal Professor Lascomb to stick him in the machine that turns him into the Green Mask. (Green Mask v1 001 1940)

Domino the Miracle Boy:

Later in the same issue, the boy known only as Don gets seriously exploded and must also be placed in the machine. (Green Mask v1 001, 1940)

Kaänga: 

Not even being an off-brand Tarzan can save you from being shot in the left shoulder,, as Kaänga learns here. (Jungle Comics 010, 1940)

the Mask:

District Attorney Colby is blinded by acid as part of his journey to becoming the Mask. (Exciting Comics 001, 1940)

Tabu, Wizard of the Jungle:

Tabu is shot in the right shoulder by this jerk. (Jungle Comics 019, 1941)

Just one issue later, Tabu is speared in the right arm by a different jerk. (Jungle Comics 020, 1941)