Posted: 8/18/2009
12:24:35 PM by MR. SILVERAGE
CLICK HERE FOR FULL COLOR PDF
ASK MR.
SILVERAGE
As promised in that article, here's the sidebar on additional Golden
Age MLJ characters who were revived in the Silver Age, specifically
in Mighty Crusaders #4, and are just aching for their return to the
spotlight:
Too Many Super-Heroes!
The Ask Mr. Silver Age column in CBG #1558 details the variety of
MLJ heroes who were revived during the Silver Age and went on to
careers of at least a couple of appearances. Some experienced
significant careers, while others had a cup of coffee or two.
On top of those players, the potential roster expanded considerably
with Mighty Crusaders #4 (Apr 66), in which a number of heroes tried
to join the team (unasked, I should point out).
All were based on Golden Age characters who had appeared primarily
in Blue Ribbon (MLJ’s first comic), Top-Notch Comics and Zip Comics.
The title, to give an indication of the issue’s approach, was “Too
Many Super Heroes.” Although that may be a difficult concept to
grasp, MC #4 may have achieved it.
While the story featured all of the characters who had appeared in
other stories, it also included a number of Golden Age heroes who
made just that one Silver Age appearance. That list comprises:
Black Jack: Another cop, this time Detective Jack Jones (no
relation, I imagine, to John Jones, the Martian Manhunter), was
captured by crooks who intended to kill him. But he escaped and
vowed vengeance in the guise of Black Jack (because he liked to play
blackjack with the cops in the station, don’t ask). He appeared in
16 issues of Zip Comics starting with #20 (Nov 41).
In MC #4, he hitched a ride in the Fox-Car along with The Web, Bob
Phantom and The Fox to meet the Crusaders, but he didn’t bring much
to the party.
Bob Phantom: Bob, as I call him, first appeared in Blue
Ribbon Comics #2 (Dec 39) and #3 (Jan 40) and then moved to
Top-Notch Comics #3 (Feb 40), where he stayed through issue #25 (Mar
42). Broadway theater columnist Walt Whitney never explained where
he got his useful power or his all-time goofiest name. It’s probably
better that way.
Likewise, Bob enjoyed his ride in the Fox-Car in MC #4, but didn’t
add much to the action.
Captain Flag (and Yank the Eagle): Kidnapped by the dastardly
villain Black Hand to coerce his father into revealing his
invention’s secrets, drunken playboy Tom Townsend watched his father
die rather than reveal his secrets. The son was saved by an eagle,
which carried him back to its nest and nursed him back to health. In
return, Tom made a costume out of the American flag the eagle
brought to the nest one day and became Captain Flag. Hey, I don’t
write ‘em, I just read ‘em. Cap appeared in seven issues of Blue
Ribbon Comics beginning with #16 (Sep 41). With an origin like that,
his short run isn’t too surprising.
Cap added to the red, white and blue cacophony by teaming with The
Shield and Dusty in a longish slugfest against The Hangman in MC #4.
This was Dusty’s first meeting with the new Shield, when he sensed
that the new guy wasn’t his old partner.
Dusty: The only survivor of a plane that crashed due to
sabotage, Dusty Simmons became the ward of Joe (The Shield) Higgins
and became his crime-fighting partner. His story was told in Pep
Comics #11 (Jan 41), and he appeared in most Shield stories (except
for the first few Shield-Wizard issues). He also formed a
partnership with The Wizard’s sidekick, Roy the Super Boy, and they
appeared as the Boy Buddies in Hangman Comics #2-8 and Black Hood
Comics #9-11.
Despite his guardian The Shield’s substantial revival in the Silver
Age, Dusty’s only appearance came in MC #4, where he realized the
new Shield was not the old Shield. The Shield decided he would tell
Dusty the story, but we never saw it.
The Fireball: While battling an arson fire, fireman Ted Tyler
fell unconscious in a laboratory. He was coated with chemicals that
were activated by the fire’s heat, giving him the ability to absorb
and control fire. That made him handy as a fireman and even handier
as The Fireball, who appeared in nine issues of Pep Comics starting
with #12 (Feb 41) fighting evil arsonists.
Fireball was the first outsider to ask to join the team in MC #4,
but he was quickly joined by Inferno and Firefly. They all tried out
their fire powers on each other and then took to the sky to fight
the Dragon. He tried to burn them up, but that trick never works on
three fire-heroes, and it didn’t work here, either.
Firefly: Biochemist Harley Hudson gained the power to
replicate the strength and leaping abilities of insects. He also
figured out how to make himself glow like his namesake, a neat
trick. He made 20 appearances in Top-Notch Comics starting with #8
(Sep 40).
Firefly tried to join the Crusaders in MC #4 and arrived just after
Fireball asked to join. He leaped from the fire-guys’ saucer to
attack The Dragon on his own and was accused of looking for glory
rather than teamed-up justice. He was defeated, and The Dragon (aka
Hangman) escaped.
The Miracle Man (aka Zambini, the Miracle Man): Zachary
Zambini first appeared as The Miracle Man in Zip Comics #1 (Feb 40),
a magical guy whose best gimmick was being able to repel any evil
force and return it to its source. He had a healthy run through Zip
#35 (Mar 43), mumbling arcane chants and clutching an amulet. You
know the drill.
Zam argued it out with Kardak over which of them should join the
Crusaders as the magical member in MC #4. The he teamed with Kardak
to save the day.
The Mystic (later Kardak, the Mystic Magician): Your basic
top-notch magician, The Mystic debuted in Top-Notch Comics #1 (Dec
39) and appeared there through #29.
After arguing with Zambini about which of them was the greater
magician in MC #4, Kardak projected an image of evil-doing on the
wall to indicate where the Crusaders were needed, and then teamed
with Zambini to defeat The Wizard and Hangman with the help of our
next guest.
Roy, the Super Boy: Nope, I didn’t make him up, he was the
sidekick to The Wizard, a popular character who began in Top-Notch
Comics. Following the usual pattern, orphan Roy Rossman was
befriended by Blaine (The Wizard) Whitney and became his
crime-fighting assistant starting in Top-Notch Comics #8 (Sep 40).
He also teamed with the aforementioned Dusty as the Boy Buddies in
their own series.
Roy returned as the Mighty-Boy (no doubt sensitive to copyright
claims) and saved the day in MC #4. He used his magical powers to
call upon the youthful Wizard from the past to help combat the
older, evil Wizard. He in turn had been brought out of the past by
Zambini and Kardak. When the villains were defeated, the young
Wizard and Roy returned to the past.
Jaguar: The only hero to try out for the Mighty Crusaders
without a Golden Age lineage, The Jaguar (aka famed zoologist Ralph
Hardy) followed The Fly into The Silver Age beginning with
Adventures of the Jaguar #1 (Sep 61), where he resided for 15 issues
. He also landed 14 solo stories in Laugh and Pep during this time.
Jag used a magical jaguar belt to communicate with animals and gain
super-animal powers, although he mostly used flight, super-strength,
and his telepathy.
Jag kept to himself for the most part, but he helped battle The
Wizard in MC #4 for a few panels, and then returned in #5 as a
member of The Terrific Three with Mr. Justice and Steel Sterling.
-- Craig Shutt |
