The Green Cobra

Marv Channing and Gray Marrow

Real Name:

Jerry Burton
Joined Mighty Crusaders:

Red Circle Sorcery #8, August 1974

Origin:

Jerry Burton, a pulp collector, collected the 1930's adventures of the Cobra. In an odd coincidence, the advertising agency he worked for hired Malcolm Northridge, author of the Cobra. Jerry and Malcolm were assigned the Northern Airlines account and began working together. While working together Malcolm confided in Jerry that it was as if the Cobra was controlling his mind when he was writing the pulps. On night while walking home Jerry witnessed a mugging and in his desire to see justice done, the Cobra entered his consciousness and began talking to Jerry, convincing him to take on the role of the Cobra. The Cobra took control of Jerry mind dispensing justice with a .45 slug to the brain of evil doers. Jerry's wife, concerned about the hold the Cobra had taken over his life, burned his collection of Cobra pulps. Upon seeing the sight of his burring collection Jerry murdered his wife. The Cobra demanded justice for this murder and made Jerry kill himself.

History:

For fans of costumed heroes and masked crime-fighters, the most enjoyable story to appear during Red Circle Sorcery's nine issue run was "Die in the Name of the Law!" (RCS #8) Scripted by Mary Channing (who wrote a number of stories for the Red Circle Comics Group and other publishers in the early and mid-'70s and has since vanished from the comics one) with art (and most likely by Gray Morrow, this five page tale was about an art director for an advertising agency who became possessed by the spirit of a 30s pub fiction mystery man called the COBRA. This was the only time in the '70s that the Red Circle Comics Group came anywhere nay publishing anything resembling a superhero during its existence, and it was suspected by some readers at the time that "Die in the Name of the Law!" was meant as a test to see if there was any interest in a superhero series in general or a COBRA series in particular. As Red Circle had planned to release a costumed crime fighter title, we knew that they must have felt there was some interest in them publishing one. Unfortunately as the 70s Red Comics Group folded six months after the appearance of the COBRA, we'll never know for sure if they had any future plans for the COBRA.

Powers & Weapons:

Two Handguns and the voice of the Cobra.

Checklist:

Red Circle Sorcery #8, August 1974

TEXT BY: Jonathan A. Gilbert
The Groovy Age: Mystery Days at Riverdale High

ART BY: Gray Morrow

MICRO BY: Rik Offenberger