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ALL
ABOUT MIGHTY CRUSADERS
Archie Comics put out a whole slew of superhero characters beginning in
our very first comic publication, BLUE RIBBON COMICS #1-- way back in
November, 1939. Other superhero titles we published during the 1940's
included ZIP COMICS, JACKPOT COMICS, HANGMAN COMICS, SHIELD-WIZARD COMICS
and even PEP COMICS-- which before Archie came along in issue #22, was
home to the first ever patriotic superhero, The Shield!
The Shield led off Archie's Silver Age (late
1950s through the 1960s) superhero publications in the famous Joe
Simon/Jack Kirby collaboration, THE DOUBLE LIFE OF PRIVATE STRONG. This
title was soon joined by another Simon/Kirby opus, THE ADVENTURES OF THE
FLY, as well as THE JAGUAR. By the mid-'60s, the superheroes were back in
full force in both MIGHTY COMICS PRESENTS and THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS, which
featured all of Archie's superhero characters teaming up for epic
adventures!

After taking a break in the 1970s, the heroes
returned in the 1980s, when Archie spun the heroes off into a new line of
comics called "Red Circle Comics." Leading the charge once again
was THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS, with THE SHIELD and THE FLY getting their own
series and BLUE RIBBON COMICS being revived to highlight the others.
The next incarnation of the heroes was IMPACT!
COMICS, a line of comics published by DC Comics, publishers of Superman
and Batman. Archie licensed the rights to DC and while many of their
titles received critical acclaim, there were already too many superhero
comics flooding the market so interest was curtailed.
Now, back home at Archie, the heroes are due for
a comeback. With interest in a new comic series at an all-time high and
possible movie versions of the heroes under discussion, look for the
Archie heroes to triumph mightily as we approach the Millennium!

Here's some background information on THE MIGHTY
CRUSADERS:
When evil threatens, the Mighty Crusaders are
earth's last line of defense! The roster is composed of earth's mightiest
heroes, although the line-up fluctuates from crises to crises. The key
team members are:
THE COMET: An experimental substance gives
young scientist John Dickering powers beyond belief-- including the power
of flight! He soon decides to use his newfound powers in the fight for
justice!
THE SHIELD: Chemist Joe Higgins devoted
his life to fighting evil after the murder of his father by the diabolical
Eraser. Donning a patriotic costume, this G-Man has become an
extraordinary hero!
THE WEB: Professor John Raymond,
criminologist and famed mystery writer, dons his web costume as he wages
psychological warfare against lawbreakers everywhere!
THE FLY: Attorney Tommy Troy, using the
powers of the magic ring given to him by Turan, emissary of the
extraterrestrial Fly People, transforms into the Fly. He possesses the
strength of 100 men, has the ability to see in all directions and is
endowed with super quick insect reflexes-- making him a super guardian of
justice!
FLY GIRL: Turan, the emissary of the
extraterrestrial Fly People, reacting to the fact that evil forces abound
throughout the world, decides to bestow a magic ring to another-- this
time, actress Kim Brand.
THE JAGUAR: Zoologist Ralph Hardy, friend
to all animals, picks up a mysterious jaguar belt left by the ancients and
transforms into The Jaguar-- complete with super-heightened animal powers!
THE BLACK HOOD: Following a family
tradition of crime fighting, Detective Matt Burland dons a black hood and
special utility vest to fight crime and corruption.
In addition to these core members, the following
have also served at one time or another:
THE HANGMAN, STEEL STERLING, PRIVATE STRONG, THE
FOX, THE DARKLING, BLACK JACK, CAPT. FLAG, MR. JUSTICE, FIREFLY, THE
WIZARD, INFERNO, BOB PHANTOM, FIREBALL, and more...
TM/©
2003 ACO
THE
ORIGIN OF THE WEB -- THE COSTUMED CRIMINOLOGIST!
Throughout his childhood, John Raymond strived
his best to do what was right. His brother Tom, however, chose to follow a
different path-- a path that landed him in and out of reform school-- and
later jail! John was determined to get inside just what made the criminal
mind tick. He grew up to be both a professor of criminology as well as a
respected author and lecturer on the subject. One fateful day, the
larcenous Tom broke out of prison and into Professor John's residence.
Intending to rob his law-abiding brother, Tom cut John's telephone line.
As luck would have it, the police were warning everyone in town of an
ensuing flood. Since they couldn't reach the Professor by phone, they
decided to pay him a personal visit, where they then nabbed jail-breaking
Tom! Inspired by the fact that Tom was snared in "a web of crime of
his own making"-- namely cutting the telephone wire-- Professor John
henceforth adapted the name "The Web." This master of mystery
has since donned a colorful costume to keep his own identity a mystery,
thereby aiding his fight against the lawless!
This comic retelling of THE WEB's origin appeared
in THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS, No. 1, published in March, 1983.
TM/©
2003 ACO
WEB
OF INTRIGUE!
November 1997
This month, our featured story is... THE WEB VS.
THE VIPEROUS VILLAINS! Originally presented in MIGHTY COMICS #43
(February, 1967), this titanic tale finds The Web up up against not one,
but two vile villains! They are Mr. Scare and The Stunner! Mr. Scare, the
master of disguise, is the conman's conman, while The Stunner provides the
muscle, using his electrified gloves to stop those who oppose them dead in
their tracks! Will two times the villains be too much to handle for our
hero? Apparently so, according to his wife Rose. To even the odds, she
decides to become a hero herself-- donning a mask and costume to become
POW-GIRL!
WEB
OF INTRIGUE!
December 1997
This month, our featured story is... THE MAD
CAPER OF THE MADMAN! Originally presented in FLY MAN #38 (July, 1968),
this story starts in slam-bang fashion with the Web making short work of
the Madman's "minions"-- namely, The "Acro- Bats!"
Once he dispenses with the hopeless henchman, he changes back into his
secret identity of criminologist John Raymond and goes home only to face a
greater threat-- a wife who feels neglected and her overbearing mother!
They're concerned that John's life is much too risky, and lecture him on
the dangers of violence. Meanwhile, the Madman, who has trailed the Web,
breaks into his home, planning to zap the Web with his Madness ray! In an
ironic twist, before John can change back into his costume, the Madman is
pummeled by his violence-hating wife and mother-in- law! It's just another
day in the life of the world's most harried, henpecked hero!
WEB
OF INTRIGUE!
January 1998
This month, our featured story is... THE WEB
VS. INFERNO, THE FIRE-BREATHER! Originally presented in MIGHTY
COMICS PRESENTS #50 (Oct., 1967), the story starts with The Web,
flanked by fellow heroes The Inferno and The Fox, all about to receive
awards for their valor. As the police commissioner hands The Web a
globe-shaped trophy, he holds it up to his ear and then... he throws a
left hook right into the Commissioner's chin! What gives?
It turns out the Commissioner is actually an
imposter, and the trophy is a bomb. The Web quickly defuses the bomb and
calms the audience, but his troubles don't end there. The Web's
beleaguered wife Rose, once again feeling neglected, takes a job at the
local museum. When the Web goes to check up on her, he is startled to walk
in on none other then The Inferno-- robbing the museum and burning its
priceless paintings! This Inferno is soon revealed as an imposter as well,
when the Web notices he lights the paintings with an ordinary match-- the
real Inferno, being a fire-breather, wouldn't need a match!
The Web still doesn't have this case wrapped up,
however, as Mr. Alexander-- Rose's boss-- puts the drop on he and Rose,
forcing them at gunpoint into the museum's cellar storage area. The
paintings that were burned upstairs were as fake as the Commissioner and
Inferno!
Mr. Alexander has the real paintings stored away,
prepared to sell them to underground collectors. Meanwhile, the public
will believe they were destroyed by the real Inferno! Mr. Alexander didn't
count on one thing, however: the real Inferno, tracking The Web because he
appeared nervous at the ceremony, saves the day-- and his reputation!
WEB
OF INTRIGUE!
March 1998
This month, our featured story is... UGLYMAN'S
UGLIEST PLOT! Originally presented in MIGHTY COMICS PRESENTS #40 (Nov.,
1966), this story starts smack dab in the middle of the action, as The Web
engages in furious fisticuffs with the foul fiend, Uglyman! Uglyman has
been wreaking havoc at the Fab Film Corporation-- attacking leading men
simply because they're better looking than he is! Chasing Uglyman into the
sewer, The Web loses the slippery snake. On his way out of the manhole,
The Web gets drenched by a sanitation truck! Is there no dignity for our
valiant hero? Reverting back to his secret identity of John Raymond, he
returns home in his sopping wet clothes (he wears his civilian clothes
under his superhero costume) and tries to sneak in, but his wife is
entertaining friends on the patio. If his wife Rosie found out he was out
fighting crime again, John would be in real trouble! Thinking fast, he
pretends to trip on the lawn sprinkler! His wife is too smart for him,
however, and realizes the scheme.
Later, John hears a report on the radio that
Uglyman plans to strike at Fab Film, so he decides to take his wife on a
guided tour of the studio. Of course, the rest of the tourists don't
realize that the saber-wielding musketeer is in actuality Uglyman, and
he's not play-acting! Ducking back behind some props, John resumes his
guise as The Web and another thrilling battle ensues! With the help of
Rosie, who wields a mean handbag, it's "fadeout" time for
Uglyman! Unmasked, Uglyman is revealed to be handsome newcomer Ernie
Misty-- his motive was to scare off all the other actors so he'd have all
the big roles to himself! It's just another day in the life comic's
favorite married titan!
WEB
OF INTRIGUE!
April 1998
This month, we go way back to the "Golden
Age" of comics for our featured story... THE WEB AND THE BOOK!
Originally presented in ZIP COMICS #35 (March, 1943), this story finds
Professor John Raymond reunited with his former teacher, Professor Andive
-- but not for long! It seems the good teacher has come across a rare book
of anthropological findings -- a book that finds him murdered that very
evening, a bookmark clutched in his death-grip! The bookmark reads has the
name, "William Foster" inscribed on it. The Web consults with
prison warden Flick, to see if there are any prisoners with the name
William Foster. It just so happens he's a recent parolee, and The Web sets
out to confront him at his home. He has the book -- but he swears he
didn't murder the old professor -- he just stole the book! Just as he's
about to reveal the secret of the book to The Web, a shot rings out,
claiming his life as well! Now The Web has a real mystery on his hands --
and the cops on his tail, who think he killed the suspect! The Web goes
undercover at the State Penitentiary and ends up right in the middle of a
prison riot. When the smoke clears, The Web gas taken chase with a
renegade prisoner. The prisoner will stop at nothing, and even kills a
guard! He almost gets away, when the remaining prison guards mow him down
in a hail of bullets and avenge their fellow guard's death. To everyone's
surprise, the prisoner turns out to be warden Flick instead! Everyone's
surprise except The Web, of course! After all, the warden was the only one
who knew of The Web's plans to visit the suspect. As it turns out, Foster
had been arrested for robbery but the loot was never recovered. The warden
figured Foster may have hid the money in the book-- and he was right! He
killed Foster in an attempt to get the money for himself! As always,
however, The Web puts it best:
"He's dead!-- Killed! He was
killed by a web of crime he could never escape!"
WEB
OF INTRIGUE!
May 1998
This month, we go take a peak
at one of the Web's more modern-day adventures. In fact, in THE KILLING
HOUR (from BLUE RIBBON COMICS #14, December, 1984) the scientific meets
the supernatural as The Web teams up with The Jaguar to clear up some
mysterious killings that have been taking place. Each victim sports a pair
of fang marks on their neck -- the Jaguar suspects a creature who isn't
human, while the Web... well, the Web isn't quite sure what the story is
but he suspects a cult! But that's the least of their worries as a new
threat appears to distract them: The Freelancer! Decked out in a battle
suit designed by T.R.I.U.M.P.H. labs, he aims to hold New York City
hostage... and ransom it for 10 million dollars! Hijacking a ship at the
Staten Island Ferry, it looks like he and his goons might just succeed --
but they don't realize devoted husband and commuter John Raymond... also
known as The Web... is onboard! Hearing the news bulletin on the radio,
Ralph Hardy, otherwise known as The Jaguar, leaps into action to help his
friend! The Freelancer, complete with an arsenal including grenades, is
proving to be quite a match for our daring duo, but before it's all done,
they've managed to not only cancel the Freelancer, but keep the ferry from
colliding with a nuclear submarine! All in a day's work for two of the
mightiest crusaders of all
WEB
OF INTRIGUE!
June 1998
This month, we go back in
time to the 1940s of comics to take a peak at one of the Web's Golden Age
adventures. And what a strange adventure it is! In "The Web and the
Dream," from ZIP COMICS #36 (April, 1943), elderly John Pierrepont
has a big problem: he keeps dreaming about killing people, and then when
he wakes up in the morning, to his shock and surprise, he reads in the
morning newspaper of the very same people's untimely deaths! The man's
son-in-law, Dr. Eric Graham, insists it all must be a coincidence. Ridden
with guilt, however, John Pierrepont turns himself in to the police.
Professor John Raymond, criminologist and alter ego of The Web, is called
in to investigate. The pieces of the puzzle don't fit together for
Raymond, and so he decides to don the familiar green and yellow garb of
that mighty crusader, The Web. The trail leads to the Bluebird Casino,
where The Web acknowledges, "Threads of murder in this town have led
there too often!" Finding a file filled with the names of those who
owed the casino money -- including those who were murdered. This, plus the
fact that traces of medication prescribed to Pierrepont by his son-in-law
lead The Web to a sensational conclusion: that Dr. Eric Graham used the
medicine to help hypnotize his own father-in-law into believing that he
had committed those crimes, instead of the real culprit, the Dr. himself!
The Web confronts Dr. Graham, and while he tries to escape, there is no
escape from justice! Once again, another criminal goes down, caught in a
"web of crime" of their own design -- one which they could not
break free from!
WEB
OF INTRIGUE!
July 1998
This month, we take a look at the web as a team
player -- as a member of that mightiest group of heroes ever, THE MIGHTY
CRUSADERS!!! In "Elimination Game Part One" from THE MIGHTY
CRUSADERS #4 (November, 1983), The Web finds himself in the thick of
battle alongside The Shield, as they try to fend off a gang of invaders
out to pilfer weapons from the Landsdown Military Complex! This should be
a one-two-three operation for our courageous crusaders, right? Wrong!
Because without rhyme or reason, the invaders perish before our heroes can
find out who sent them! It's just one of a series of thefts of
experimental prototype weapons. When The Web and The Shield return to
Crusaders headquarters, the Black Hood fills them in about The Death
Monger -- a vile villain who got that name because "he has
micro-circuitry implanted in the brains of his people -- so that if they
should ever be captured -- they die!" The Crusaders deduce that the
Death Monger is their man -- but what they haven't counted on is that he
and the supernatural entity, The Druid, have formed an evil alliance! With
the aid of Lodestone, Rogue Star, Dream-Demon and Brontosaurus --
collectively known as The Eliminators -- they plan to wipe out the
Crusaders once and for all! The Druid seems to have a particular interest
in Ralph Hardy -- otherwise known as The Jaguar -- and the magical belt he
wears! Disguising himself as "Red Bunyon," The Druid "tips
off" The Web that the Death Monger plans a raid on Greyfax Base. Of
course, it's a trap, and when the Crusaders arrive, a major battle ensues.
By Chapter's end, it appears our valiant heroes are down for the count --
but will they stay there? Join us again next month, as we look at the
continuing saga as it unfolded in THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS #5 (January,
1984)!...
WEB
OF INTRIGUE!
August 1998
This month, we take a look at The Web as a team
player -- as a member of that mightiest group of heroes ever, THE MIGHTY
CRUSADERS!!! You'll recall that last month, we revisited THE MIGHTY
CRUSADERS #4 (November 1983). Since that was on ongoing story, we pick up
with its continuation in THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS #5 (January 1984).
When last we left our heroes, the Crusaders had
been trapped and rendered unconscious by The Eliminators (Lodestone, Rogue
Star, Dream-Demon and Brontosaurus) under orders from The Deathmonger and
The Druid! More than anything else, The Druid wants the power of The
Jaguar's magic belt for his own, and he will stop at nothing to get it!
But the will of The Jaguar is strong. While he and his comrades lay
enslaved, The Jaguar's subconscious mind is visited by The Guardian - Lord
of the Animal Kingdom. With ferocious spirit, The Jaguar is revived -- but
only on another plane! A battle ensues in some strange "limbo"
-- where he is joined by The Shield, The Fly and Fly Girl. Even though the
battle is taking place in another dimension, it affects The Druid --
disturbs him to the point that his evil spell over our heroes in the
"real world" is broken! Woken from their slumber, our heroes,
including The Web, proceed to make short work of the Eliminators, about
whom The Web comments:
"Y'know, I don't like to
jump to hasty conclusions...but I'm beginning to think these guys don't
have our best interests at heart!"
The battle ensues, but something strange happens
-- the villains mysteriously vanish into thin air! And with them, a few of
our heroes! Will justice prevail?! To be continued next month...
WEB
OF INTRIGUE!
September 1998
This month, we
continue to take a look at The Web as a team player -- as a member of that
mightiest group of heroes ever, THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS!!! You'll recall that
last month, we revisited THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS #5 (January, 1984). Since
that was an ongoing story, we pick up with its continuation in THE MIGHTY
CRUSADERS #7 (May, 1984). Note: the story skipped an issue as "The
Shield" was featured in a solo story in THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS #6
(March, 1984).
When we last left our
heroes, the Crusaders had been trapped and rendered unconscious by The
Eliminators (Lodestone, Rogue Star, Dream Demon and Brontosaurus) under
orders from The Death Monger and The Druid! They even do the unthinkable
-- they steal The Jaguar's magic belt! While the villains gloat, however,
The Jaguar's subconscious mind is visited by The Guardian -- Lord of the
Animal Kingdom. With ferocious spirit, The Jaguar is revived -- but only
on another plane! A battle ensues in some strange "limbo" --
where he is joined by The Shield and Fly Girl. Can our heroes ever return
to the realm of reality?...
As the latest installment opens, The Darkling, a
recent addition to the Crusaders who has mystical powers, is conjuring up
an image of The Druid. As luck would have it, her keen concentration
enables her to find "the dimensional trail left by The Druid when he
teleported away!" The trail leads them to...Peru!
As the quest
continues, The Jaguar's subconscious is once again visited by Lord Varigon,
The Guardian, who explains the significance of his belt and why the
villains have stolen it! It seems that at the dawn of time, Varigon was
appointed to set up "an order of balance and harmony between the
differing aspects of nature." Lord S'ithh, the ruler of the reptile
kingdom, "grew greedy and began to expand beyond the parameters of
the boundaries set for him." Lord S'ithh ushered in the age of the
great dinosaurs, and the other powers warred with Lord S'ithh. These great
battles upset the balance of nature, however, and triggered the ice age.
This effectively ended the reign of the giant reptiles, and Lord S'ithh
vowed revenge on Lord Varigon. He attempted to exact that revenge during
the great age of the Incas, by acquiring the services of The Druid and The
Dream Demon. In exchange, he gave them immortality. The trio was able to
reawaken one of the fierce dinosaurs, but this deed did not go unnoticed
by Lord Varigon. He found a worthy Incan woman and bestowed upon her the
special Jaguar belt-- which contained his essence -- and restored
"the ancient link between man and animal." This female version
of The Jaguar managed to drive the dinosaur the villains revived back into
its pit.
All remained relatively calm until many, many
years later, when the monster was woken yet again and Ralph Hardy was
entrusted with the Jaguar's belt. Now, The Druid and The Dream Demon are
attempting to offer up The Shield, Fly Girl and The Jaguar as sacrifices
to Lord S'ithh, in order to increase his power. But they don't know that
The Jaguar has been tipped off by Lord Varigon! In the subconscious plane,
however, his friends are indeed sacrificed -- and Lord S'ithh is able to
drain the power of Varigon from the mighty Jaguar belt! The power is so
tremendous that it enables Lord S'ithh to resurrect the dinosaur once
again -- in the conscious realm! This time, however, it is met by the
Jaguar's fellow Crusaders, whom he has summoned. The Crusaders, however,
don't just have the dinosaurs to contend with -- they also must face an
army of zombies, including zombie versions of the Shield, Fly Girl and
Jaguar! Will good triumph over evil? Don't miss next month's installment!
WEB
OF INTRIGUE!
October 1998
This month, we continue to a look at the Web as a
team player -- as a member of that mightiest group of heroes ever, THE
MIGHTY CRUSADERS!!! You'll recall that last month, we revisited THE MIGHTY
CRUSADERS #7 (May, 1984). Since that was an ongoing story, we pick up with
its continuation in THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS #8 (July, 1984) When last we left
our heroes, The Druid and The Dream Demon were attempting to offer up The
Shield, Fly Girl and The Jaguar as sacrifices to Lord S'ithh, in order to
increase his power. But they didn't know that The Jaguar was tipped off by
Lord Varigon! In the subconscious plane, however, his friends were indeed
sacrificed -- and Lord S'ithh was able to drain the power of Varigon from
the mighty Jaguar belt -- a power so tremendous it enabled Lord S'ithh to
resurrect a mighty dinosaur! The Crusaders did their best against the
dinosaur and an army of zombies -- including zombie versions of the
Shield, Fly Girl and Jaguar!
As the battle rages on, The Druid gets the shock
of his life, as Lord S'ithh himself possesses his body! With Crusaders
turned into slaves and the evil S'ithh possessing immeasurable power, it
really looks like the end. As long as S'ithh has the Jaguar's belt, there
is nothing anyone can do, including Lord Varigon. But Varigon still has
the power of his thoughts, and realizing The Darkling has extra-sensory
perception, he wills her to his realm, where he reveals to her that her
powers are great enough to defeat the evil that has befallen the heroes.
He instructs her to save her fallen comrade's spirits from limbo, and once
she does, they are able to return to both their earthly body and the earth
itself! A battle of epic proportions ensues, and in the midst of it, The
Jaguar, his energy sapped, summons whatever strength he has left to
reclaim his belt from Lord S'ithh! S'ithh, his power gone, fades into
oblivion, and the dinosaurs destroy the temple and the villains, just as
our heroes escape! Such are the cosmically cool lives of earth's mightiest
heroes!
WEB
OF INTRIGUE!
November 1988
This month, we continue to a look at the Web as a
team player -- as a member of that mightiest group of heroes ever, THE
MIGHTY CRUSADERS!!!
This month's story is "Grid Lock" from
THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS #8 (December, 1984). Our story begins with attorney
Thomas Troy hailing a taxi as he leaves district court. Imagine his
surprise when he hears an announcement over the cab's radio that The
Mighty Crusadersare slated to appear at Madison Square Garden!
Furthermore, Troy spots a billboard making the same claim! That's news to
him. Instructing the cabbie to take him to the radio station, Troy dons
his Fly costume to investigate. Armed thugs have sabotaged the station and
are forcing the disk jockeys to announce the Crusaders' bogus appearance.
The Fly gets a confession out of one of the cowardly curs -- it seems they
want the entire city to congregate at Times Square, causing a traffic jam
of epic proportions. While everyone's stuck in gridlock, the gang plans to
knock over five different banks! Once their plan is revealed, however,
it's child's play for the Crusaders, who split up and use their unique
powers to thwart each of the bank heists!
Unfortunately, a more nefarious plan was afoot --
while the Crusaders were busy with the bank robbers, the crooked coalition
of Delta III had their lackeys procure the military's satellite codes!
Will these foul fiends use this against the world? Not if the Crusaders
have anything to say about it. Stay tuned for further thrilling adventures
of the Mighty Crusaders!
WEB
OF INTRIGUE!
December 1998
This month, we continue to a look at The Web as a
team player -- as a member of that mightiest group of heroes ever, THE
MIGHTY CRUSADERS!!! This month's story is "Old Legends Never
Die" from THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS #9 (September, 1984).
In this poignant story, the most patriotic, noble
hero of all, The Shield, relaxes in his apartment and reflects upon his
life, and how he's been given a second chance after being in limbo for
over 30 years. His moment of introspection is shattered when policemen
appear at his door-- with a warrant for his arrest! While maintaining his
innocence, The Shield honors law enforcement and willfully allows himself
to be incarcerated.
It seems The Shield busted up a crime scene, and
one of the crooks wound up dead! Thus begins the trial of the century, as
The Shield's fellow Crusaders must prove his innocence. The trail leads to
nowhere, until The Fly comes upon a spider at the crime scene. In a
last-ditch, desperate effort, The Fly tries to telepathically communicate
with the spider. To his amazement, his psychic power, which previously
only worked on flies, also worked on the spider! Perhaps his will to help
his friend was strong enough to enhance his powers. Whatever the reason,
the Fly soon learns the truth: the robbery was orchestrated by the Brain
Emperor!
The Brain Emperor knew that The Shield had been
tipped off to the robbery, and planned an extra-special scheme: he'd have
one of his henchmen kill the Shield using an "Antlean Atomizer"
disguised as a common handgun! He wouldn't tell them which one of them had
the special gun, though. He expected them all to follow orders and shoot
The Shield. And he used one of his favorite tricks -- "brain
disrupters" surgically inserted in his henchman's skulls, so that he
can destroy their minds at will! And he does eliminate one of his men --
the one who refused to shoot, who also happened to hold the Antlean
Atomizer!
The Brain Emperor wasn't beat though -- he knew
The Shield would be blamed for the death, and if he couldn't have The
Shield killed, having him behind bars was just as good! But how will The
Fly convince a jury that he talked to a spider? The Crusaders still needed
proof to clear their friend. Tracking down the Brain Emperor himself, the
heroes battled his minions in an attempt to get the Antlean Atomizer.
Alas, this attempt at justice failed, as The Brain Emperor managed to
escape.
All was not lost, as The Fly -- or more
precisely, his alter ego, attorney Thomas Troy, had one last ace up his
sleeve: MR. JUSTICE! The supernatural hero resurrected the deceased hood
and was able to get him to confess! The verdict: NOT GUILTY!
For The Shield, it was a bittersweet memory, as
he pondered his ability to be a hero in the modern world -- a world where
the rules change every second and so does public opinion!
WEB OF INTRIGUE!
January 1999
This month, we continue to a look at the Web as a
team player -- as a member of that mightiest group of heroes ever, THE
MIGHTY CRUSADERS!!! This month's story is "A Hero's Rage" from
THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS #11 (March, 1985). This epic tale goes down as one of
the most hero-filled, action-packed ever -- and a tale where personal
values and vendettas clash!
It all starts when Kip "The Black
Hood" Burland is summoned to the city morgue. He's faced with the
unfortunate task of identifying his slain Uncle Matt -- the previous Black
Hood, and the man who taught him everything he knew, training Kip so that
he too could carry on the crusade and one day don the black hood himself!
Something strange troubled Kip -- his uncle was wearing his original Black
Hood costume, even though he had passed that mantle onto Kip several years
earlier! Along with his uniform, an pink eraser was left on Uncle Matt's
chest -- the trademark of The Eraser!
Determined to bring his uncle's murderer to
justice, Kip dons the original costume and brings his case to the other
Crusaders. Kip lets the others know in no uncertain terms that he craves
vengeance, but it is The Web who is the voice of reason, pleading
that due process of the law be followed. What the heroes don't know,
however, is that a tracking device was placed on Uncle Matt's costume by The
Riot Squad -- a terrible trio consisting of The Eraser, The
Sting and The Buzzard. They figured Kip would bring the
original Black Hood costume back to the Crusaders' hidden base -- allowing
them to infiltrate it!!!
A battle ensues as the villains get the drop on
the Crusaders, but the battle abruptly stops -- literally, as the
Crusaders stand frozen in place! The Brain Emperor appears,
gloating about how he was finally able to cloud the Crusaders minds while
they were busy concentrating on the Riot Squad!
While the Riot Squad simply wants to kill the
Crusaders, The Brain Emperor proposes something much more fiendish --
brain-washing the heroes to do his bidding! The Brain Emperor convinces
the other villains that this is a good idea, and an evil alliance is
formed.
All is not lost, however. The Darkling was
not present when the rogues' attacked, and she recruits additional heroes
-- such as The Fox and (in this story, anyway) ex-Crusader The
Comet to help rescue her friends. The villains, however, anticipate
them, and when the heroic trio show up at Crusaders' headquarters, they
are greeted by the mind- controlled Crusaders, who are programmed to
annihilate them!
While the fight rages on, The Brain Emperor
engages in a mental duel with Darkling, sending her hurtling through
countless astral planes! But this fight has its price, as The Comet takes
advantage of the Brain Emperor being distracted and zaps him into
submission! Knowing when the time is right to beat feet, the Brain Emperor
flees, leaving the Riot Squad behind to tackle the heroes -- no longer
brainwashed -- on their own!
When all is said and done, the villains are
defeated, but the cost is high: the Brain Emperor is still at large, two
Crusaders are lost and Crusaders HQ is totalled! Can normalcy be restored?
Don't miss the next exciting installment!
WEB OF INTRIGUE!
February 1999
This month, we continue to a look at the Web as a
team player -- as a member of that mightiest group of heroes ever, THE
MIGHTY CRUSADERS!!!
This month's story is "Atlantis
Rising!" from THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS #1 (March, 1983). In this
thrilling issue -- the issue that resurrected the Crusaders team, which
only previously saw print in the 1960s -- the stakes are raised from the
outset!
It seems The Brain Emperor is up to his usual
antics, with a plan (once again) to wipe out all the Earth's heroes! Seems
he's enlisted the aid of organized crime -- little do they know he'll turn
on them and force them to be his slaves! And it all ties in to a later
issue -- MIGHTY
CRUSADERS #11, the issue we examined last month!
Using his mighty satellite, the Brain Emperor
sends energy beams down to disrupt the Earth. Meanwhile, Eterno the Tyrant
has his own designs on the planet! He teams with The Brain Emperor, but
both secretly plan to eliminate the other once they've achieved world
domination! The ensuing mayhem causes all sorts of problems for the
individual heroes, who are soon called upon by The Comet to help him "investigate
the atmospheric phenomena -- the negative ion transmissions -- that are
creating havoc in New York!"
The Comet theorizes that "there is an
orbiting satellite somewhere, causing such a disturbance!" The
problem is, it's protected by a cloaking device. But these are the Earth's
mightiest crusaders we're talking about, right?
Mighty enough, but before the issue's end they'll
have some mighty big obstacles to overcome -- the least of which are giant
androids rising from the ocean's depths! While the Crusaders mount a
defensive against them, however, Eterno plays the ultimate hand -- finally
having captured the power he needed, he re-establishes his mind link and
he and his living city become one once! Atlantis has risen again! Will
mankind survive! Tune in next month!
WEB OF INTRIGUE!
March 1999
This month's story is "The Genesis
Conspiracy" from THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS #2 (May, 1983), continuing the
"Atlantis Rising!" saga from THE
MIGHTY CRUSADERS #1 (March, 1983), which we examined last month. When
we last left our heroes, they had their hands full battling giant androids
from the ocean's depths! But that's not the worst of it: while the
Crusaders were locked in combat, Eterno re-established his mind
link and he and his living city become one once more -- causing Atlantis
to rise again!
Since birds of a feather flock together, Eterno
enlisted the aid of another tyrant, The Brain Emperor, in order to
realize his evil scheme. But The Brain Emperor could care less about
Eterno's plans -- he has plans of his own:
While
he [Eterno] foolishly basks in the atomic power surge caused by the
premature rising of Atlantis, it is I, The Brain Emperor, who shall assume
final control!
As The Brain Emperor considers Eterno his only
real threat, his plan is to have The Crusaders defeat him so he'll be out
of the way!
The Brain Emperor starts by luring the Crusaders
to his previously cloaked satellite high in the cosmos -- the same one
that was causing all sorts of havoc in New York last issue! Once there, he
tells them of Eterno's plans to create Crusader replicants to do his
bidding!
Meanwhile, Eterno does just that, but with one
catch: he creates them in the form of Crusaders' past, rather than current
members. Dubbing them "The Malevolent Legion Of Juggernauts,"
the replicants have taken on the appearance of such stalwarts as Steel
Sterling, The Fox, Capt. Flag, The Hangman, Firefly, etc. Needless to
say, a chaos looms ahead as these mighty titans become locked in battle!
What will be the final outcome? Will the real heroes beat the fake ones?
Will The Brain Emperor get the upper hand of Eterno, or vice versa? Can
Earth survive? Be with us next month, as we present the next exciting
chapter in this epic saga!!!
WEB OF INTRIGUE!
April - June 1999
This month's story is
"The Darkling Ingredient" from THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS #3 (July,
1983), concluding the "Atlantis Rising!" saga from THE MIGHTY
CRUSADERS #1 (March, 1983) and THE
MIGHTY CRUSADERS #2 (May, 1983). For three issues, the Crusaders have
been in a struggle to save the world. Eterno, with the help of The Brain
Emperor, plans to rid earth of the Crusaders and take over the word! But
secretly, The Brain Emperor has plans of his own. Now, the Crusaders are
stuck in the middle of this den of thieves!
The war between these two creeps gets underway
when Eterno creates replicants of former Crusaders to do his bidding and
dubs them "The Malevolent Legion Of Juggernauts." Now, as the
third issue in this epic saga opens, we learn how The Brain Emperor plans
to counter this move: by brainwashing The
Comet to follow his evil ways! The stage is set for the showdown of
the century as mind-controlled titans clash in a fight to the finish --
their evil manipulators laughing maniacally at ringside!
It all comes to a boil when Eterno
"separates" his consciousness so he can inhabit the bodies of
his replicants. They are holed up in the domed city of Atlantis, where
several abducted Crusaders lie unconscious. On the outside world, the army
and the "free" crusaders wonder how they'll win this battle --
the army relentlessly bombs the dome, hoping to crack it and gain entry.
Meanwhile, The Brain Emperor hops from one dimensional plane to another
hoping to gather the psychic energy needed to enter the dome himself. In
his travels, he is spotted by The Darkling, a beautiful hero who has
psychic abilities of her own! She puts them to use immediately, by
restoring The Comet to his right mind, as well as his original powers!
Soon, the Comet and Darkling join the free Crusaders, and The Comet has
switched back to his original costume! They hatch a plan to get into that
dome...
They better hurry! The battle lines have been
drawn, and the dome is starting to rock! The evil fiends have sent their
mind-controlled captives into battle so intense, it's nearly apocalyptic!
With The Darkling's powers of teleportation, however, the party's about to
get mighty crowded, as she, The Shield and The Comet join the fray! Just
as it looks like the entire dome will explode, The Comet's ship flies by
to eclipse the sun-- which changes the trajectory of the domed city and
causes it to rise! It also loosens the mind-control of the heroes!
Evacuating, the titans land to a heroes' welcome. The victory is
bittersweet, however, as the leader of The Crusaders-- The Crusaders-- The
Comet, makes a startling announcement: he's resigning from the Crusaders!
He explains how The Brain Emperor's psychic jolt triggered a chain
reaction of changes in his body:
You
see, I thought my powers were on the blink, but really, it was my original
disintegrator power resurfacing! It's gone full circle -- and I've become
the person I used to be! That's caused a problem. My dark, fateful past
has also returned to haunt me. I need time-- to conquer some old
"demons" -- and come to terms with a few new ones.
Will The Comet return?
Join us next month for another thrilling tale from our "web of
intrigue!"
WEB OF INTRIGUE!
July 1999
This month's story is "Liquid Fire"
from THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS #12 (June, 1985). The story dives right into the
action, with theCrusaders trying to avert a major disaster -- a liquified
natural gas tranker has run aground on Liberty Island, and they must
defuse the situation before the tanker blows itself -- and the whole
island -- to smithereens! But can they survive their own explosive
personalities?
Yes, it seems the Crusaders have been fighting
side-by-side for quite a while now, and they may just be begging on each
others' nerves! Nevertheless, they manager to save the day...again! For
their efforts, they are awarded a government contract, instituted by one
Col. Mike Kold.
Since their headquarters were recently destroyed,
the Crusaders needed support for both a base of operations and general
funding to support the necessary costs of crimefighting. The Web, however,
is immediately converned due to rumors of improper conduct on the part of
Col. Kold.
The Web is also concerned that the government may
have the right to send the Crusaders off to war in land, like the Middle
East! His fears are validated when they arrive at their new
headquarters... a certifiable DUMP! But the colonel promises unlimited
labor and materials to refurbish it, so the Crusaders soldier on. But will
they be safe for long? Does Col. Kold have something else up his sleeve?
Only time will tell...
WEB OF INTRIGUE!
August 1999
This month's story is perhaps the most offbeat
Crusaders adventure yet: "A Is For Alien, B Is For Boston, C Is For
Crusaders" from BLUE RIBBON COMICS #13 (October, 1984). And how could
it not be offbeat? After all, it features a surprise guest-star who is not
your ordinary, run-of-the-mill superhero-- namely, Thunder Bunny! (Thunder
Bunny began life at another publisher, Charlton Comics, before landing
alongside Archie Comics' famous Crusaders. His visit was brief but
notable). Yes, that muscle-bound rabbit created by Martin L. Greim was
soon to find himself up to his rather long ears in action and intrigue.
It all starts when the government calls in The
Mighty Crusaders to investigate U.F.O.' sightings throughout the city of
Boston. Caught up in the excitement is young Bobby, who secretly is
Thunder Bunny! Concerned of reports that officials think HE is one of the
aliens, he plans to meet with the Mighty Crusaders and set the record
straight. Picturing his super-heroic alias in his mind, he claps his hands
and is miraculously transformed into the world's mightiest rodent... er,
rabbit! Meanwhile, the Crusaders are briefed on the alien situation at the
State House. It seems the crew of the missing Trawler spacecraft
returned-- with a holographic message from another world! A hideous
intergalactic "merchant" names Lu-Ta from the M-7 galaxy is
demanding human craftsmen give up their freedom to act as slaves on his
planet-- or earth will face total annihilation!
The Crusaders are incensed by the message and vow
to defeat the aliens-- which is exactly the moment Thunder Bunny flies
into the room! Believing Thunder Bunny is in league with Lu-Ta, the
Crusaders take chase after him, leaving him no time to explain! A massive
battle ensues, wherein Thunder Bunny proves you can look goofy and still
kick butt! But he's smart enough to know they can't fight forever, so when
he's out of sight, he changes back to Bobby just long enough for the
Crusaders to compose themselves. Then, changing back into Thunder Bunny,
he approaches the more subdued Crusaders in friendship, explaining
himself. They are amazed he can talk, and believe him when he says he's
not in league with Lu-Ta.
Realizing they've been wasting valuable time, the
heroes decide to unite against their common enemy-- and just in time, too,
as Lu-Ta has unleashed a deadly fleet of alien-manned space ships to
savage the city! The Crusaders and their new friend put up a valiant fight
against the aliens, but just as it seems they will win the battle, the
aliens prepare to launch their disruption cannon, whose force would
obliterate the Earth within seconds! The Crusaders soon learn they have a
valuable ally in Thunder Bunny-- since the creatures of M-7 were the one's
to destroy his original home planet!
With sheer guts and determination, Thunder Bunny
hurtles his way toward the ship and destroys it before IT can destroy the
Earth. His energy spent, he falls back to Earth, but where we do not
know-- leaving the Crusaders to ponder if they'll ever see his like again!
WEB OF INTRIGUE!
September 1999
In "Heads I Win, Tails You Lose" from
BLUE RIBBON COMICS # 7 (April, 1984), The Fox finds himself caught between
his livid girlfriend, Delilah, who feels The Fox's superheroics have
driven a wedge into their relationship; and The Eraser, who has just
escaped from the asylum and is looking for revenge! Well, when it comes to
the sour love lives of superheroes, there's only one place to turn-- and
so, Paul Patton, aka The Fox, pays a visit to criminologist John Raymond,
who in reality is The Web-- henpecked hero!
While The Web dispenses his valuable advice to
The Fox, the word comes in of The Eraser's doctor's untimely end, and so
the duo find themselves on duty! The Eraser's trail leads to the local
hospital, where his numer one henchman, Martial Law, is recovering from a
run-in with The Fox. The heroes spring into action, easily dispensing of
the dastardly duo. But The Fox's problems are just starting.
Vowing to reveal his identiy to Delilah and patch
up their relationship once and for all, The Fox shows up at her
apartment-- only to have Delilah lunge at him with a knife! He has no
choice to defend himself and then... mysteriously, Delilah morphs into The
Brain Emperor!
It was all an evil trick! But most awful of all,
The Brain Emperor hands The Fox a "Dear John" note from
Delilah-- she just can't endure the rock-em sock-em lifestyle of a
superhero any longer! Has she left The Fox for good? In the end, love is
the toughest challenge of all for The Fox!
WEB OF INTRIGUE!
October 1999
This month's featured story is an untitled tale
from THE BLACK HOOD #2 (August, 1983) and features the "return"
of The Fox, part of the 1980s re-launch of Archie's superhero universe.
This amusing tale features the unique art of Alex Toth in a story that
invokes the classic movies of Humphrey Bogart.
The Fox character is reintroduced with his the
mythology of his original 1940s incarnation left intact: he is secretly
Paul Patton, ace newspaper reporter/photographer.
The intrigue starts in a colorful hotel in
tangier, when a burly stranger sneaks up on Paul Patton and knocks him
flat! The thug explains it's a message from Petey Bosco, a Chicago
mobster. "He's still pretty hot about yer news pitchers nailin' him
into da' pen, from three to ten!," says the thug, making reference to
Patton's article that helped land Bosco in jail. The thug reveals himself
as Cosmo Gilly, an ex-pro boxer who "came dat close t'bein'
heavyweight champeen-- twice!"
In an ironic twist, the two become friendly, and
although Cosmo doesn't spill the beans, Patton has reason to believe
someone may be after Cosmo. Right he is! Donning his Fox costume, he
interrogates several of the underworld riff raff that litter the streets
of Tangier. The trail is cold, so the two sit back for dinner at the Hotel
Dada, where Cosmo reveals his wife and brother are the ones who suggested
he take a cruise to Tangiers.
Suddenly, shots ring out in the hotel restaurant!
Patton swings into action as The Fox and who does he find? Cosmo's wife
and brother, of course! Holed up in suite 27, the two are booking a flight
for their getaway, thinking that Cosmo is done for. It is they who are
done for, however, and The Fox makes short work of the dastardly duo, who
were out to collect the insurance money on Cosmo!
Getting plenty of photos to use in his article
upon his return to the USA, Patton goes to visit Cosmo in the hospital.
Being the big strong guy he is, Cosmo has survived! The two friends soon
return to the USA for further crime-fighting adventures!
WEB OF INTRIGUE!
November 1999
Ha ha! Snared you!
That's what you get when you come too close to The Web! Well, now that
you're here, we might as well share one of The Web's "glory
stories!" That's right, every month you can get "caught" up
in a classic tale featuring that crime-fighting crusader, The Web!
Last month, we took a look at one of the Web's
best buddies, The Fox! This month, our focus is on the vivacious SHE-FOX!!
Jumping into action in THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS #13
(September, 1985), this sassy heroine loved to upstage The Fox! She starts
right off the bat, as The Fox tries to stop street vandals from stealing
his hubcaps. While The Fox is outmaneuvered by the teens, The She-Fox
appears out of nowhere to stop them in their tracks! The foxy duo soon
learn from the teens that an illegal "chop shop" has been
sending youth around to steal parts of cars.
Reluctantly teaming up, the competitive heroes
crash the chop shop-- literally, as The Fox's "Flying Fox"
roadster is equipped with a battering ram! The battle rages, but even
though they're winning, both The Fox and the She-Fox are wary of one
another-- the Fox is especially embarrassed when one of the thugs refers
to The She-Fox as his partner! It seems that, outside of working with The
Crusaders, The Fox prefers to work alone, and doesn't want his thunder
stolen by anyone! He should be grateful for the help, though, because
before too long, the unlikely team has pulled the plug on the operation.
Having cleaned up the crooks, the two quickly go
their separate ways, careful not to be seen changing into their secret
identities. Little do they know that in civilian life, they already know
each other-- as boyfriend and girlfriend!
Later, our heroes-- in their alter ego guises of
Paul Patton and Delilah Monaco-- embrace and kiss, as a news report on the
television declares, "Now that the voluptuous vixen prowls our city
streets, who needs The Fox? Will the black-garbed crusader be forced into
early retirement by his female counterpart?" More importantly, can
Paul and Delilah stay together if they ever find out they're really The
Fox and The She-Fox?!
In the life of a super-hero, the intrigue never
ends!
WEB OF INTRIGUE!
December 1999
This month, we take a look at an epic tale that
was nearly the Crusaders' last: "The Mighty Crusaders' Blackest
Day," from THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS #6 (August, 1966).
The action is there from the start, with The Fly
and Fly Girl trying to save some civilians from giant metallic dogs being
commandeered by mysterious, helmeted figures. Making short work of the
metal monsters, The Fly and Fly Girl aren't expecting the reaction they
get from the civilians -- they're MAD! It turns out that they're all CIA
agents on "special maneuvers," testing out special weapons.
Naturally, the "interference" by the superheroes ruined the
tests.
Meanwhile, The Shield is having similar problems.
Collaring a pair of crooks, he's ready to cart them off to jail when a
pair of FBI agents reads him the riot act:
"We recognized these hoods as
members of a mob that also runs a big counterfeiting operation! If not for
your interference, we could've trailed them to their secret
headquarters!"
As if that weren't enough, it gets worse --
spotting threatening orbs in the sky, The Comet investigates. In
self-defense, he obliterates it with a de-atomizing ray. But The Comet
winds up in trouble too -- the Secret Service was taking film footage of
the unworldly orbs for research, and The Comet's attack scared them all
off!
Last but not least, The Black Hood commits an
embarrassing boo boo -- bringing down the chief of police, who was
masquerading as a criminal as part of a prank for a special event in his
honor!
You would think the day couldn't possibly get
worse -- but it does! To find out how, look for next month's (January's)"Way
Uncool Dude Of The Month" column featuring the evil Maestro!
TM/©
2003 ACO
THE
"S" FILES!
November 1997
This time, our focus is on costumes. Did you ever
wonder what material a hero's costume is made of?

We asked The Web, and here's what he had to say:
"Our costumes are made of
neoprene-- the same material that wetsuits are made from. That way, our
trunks don't ride up on us when they get wet!"
Be with us next time, when we present another
little known heroic fun fact!
THE
"S" FILES!
December 1997
This time, we present the top ten gift ideas on
every titan's holiday wish list:
TOP TEN THINGS TO GET A HERO FOR CHRISTMAS OR
HANUKKAH!:
#10:
Boot polish
#9: Munchies for their utility belt
#8: A detailed Atlas, for those long flights from home
#7: A box-set of classic Superguy episodes on videocassette!
#6: The keys to the city... any city!
#5: New knuckles (it's painful punching out punks!)
#4: A gift-certificate good for a year's worth of dry-cleaning!
#3: A girlfriend to keep teen sidekicks out of their hair!
#2: A new pair of X-Ray Specs!
...and the #1 item on every hero's wish list:
A clone of their alter-ego-- who
can spend more time with their significant other!
THE
"S" FILES!
January 1998
This time, we present the top ten New Year's
Resolutions on every heroes' list:
TOP TEN NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS OF THE MIGHTY
CRUSADERS:
#10:
Ask questions first-- then pummel!
#9: Use more doors-- it's expensive fixing windows!
#8: Be more patient with their pesty teen sidekicks!
#7: Save the world first, flirt with damsel in distress second!
#6: No more corny speeches when it looks like the bad guys are about to
destroy them!
#5: Give the right of way to their fellow, flying crusaders!
#4: Work out more-- then they won't need an armor suit!
#3: No more recreational use of X-Ray Vision!
#2: Stop revealing secret identities to everyone!
...and the #1 item on every hero's list of New
Year's Resolutions:
Make sure their agent gets them
script approval rights on any movies about their lives (nobody likes a BAD
superhero movie-- and there have been plenty)!
THE
"S" FILES!
February 1989
Since this month is February, and February means
Valentine's Day, we thought we'd offer some romantic suggestions for those
heroic Romeo's venturing forth this Valentine's Eve:
TOP TEN MOST ROMANTIC THINGS TO DO ON A
"SUPER-DATE":
#10:
Protect your mate by beating up the phony monsters in the Tunnel Of Love!
#9: Instead of giving her a rose, give her a whole rosewood tree -- after
all, you're strong enough!
#8: Instead of a varsity sweater, let your best gal wear your cape!
#7: Wow your date by making her think you're psychic-- use your X-Ray
Vision to "predict" what her fortune cookie says!
#6: Use your heat vision to cook the perfect steak, but be careful not to
burn it! #5: Take your significant other to the gym and impress her by
benchpressing 1000 times more than the strongest guy in the place!
#4: Instead of flying, take a cab to a movie or restaurant for a change!
#3: Go to the laundromat and engage in sweet talk while your
super-costumes swirl around in the spin cycle!
#2: Fly over abandoned warehouses and see if you can spot any
super-villains smooching!
...and the #1 suggestion for a romantic
Valentine's "Super-Date":
Using your super-strength, crush
a rock into a perfect, heart- shaped diamond and give it to your
sweetheart!
THE
"S" FILES!
March 1998
Since this month is March, and Spring is just
around the corner. That means that would-be athletes everywhere are
forming softball teams! It seems that every supermarket, factory and radio
station in a given city have their own softball leagues, so why should
superheroes be any different? Well, The Mighty Crusaders are getting ready
to step up to the plate too - and here is their starting line-up (and
why):
PITCHER: The Shield.
Naturally, the leader of the Crusaders should lead our heroes on the mound
as well!
CATCHER: The Web.
Spiders are known to catch flies in their webs, and likewise, The Web
catches balls in his glove !
CENTERFIELD: The Fly
(speaking of flies!) He is just the type of level-headed guy you want in
centerfield. Of course, he is not allowed to bat - he might hit too many
pop-out "fly" balls! So he has a designated hitter.
DESIGNATED HITTER: Steel
Sterling. Stepping up to the plate in place of The Fly is this powerhouse
hitter - sure to send 'em out of the park! But he needs a designated
runner because his muscular legs get in his way.
DESIGNATED RUNNER: The
Fly. Okay, once Steel belts 'em out into the field, The Fly is allowed to
run around the bases (hey, we don't want to give the guy a complex!)
RIGHT FIELD AND LEFT
FIELD: The Jaguar and The Fox. Because you need speedy guys in the
outfield to chase after all of those balls!
SHORT STOP: Bob Phantom.
Because... well, because he is short!
FIRST BASE: Black Jack.
He is sharp and sprightly - and he is sure to tag any runner out who leads
too far off first!
SECOND BASE: The Comet .
His keen reflexes make him the perfect guy to pull off double plays!
THIRD BASE: The Black
Hood. This guy is tough and he has quite an imposing presence. Good at
keeping guys from stealing home!
MANAGER: The Hangman.
Hey, would you want to upset your manager if his name was The Hangman?
Neither would the other Crusaders, into whom The Hangman has struck fear
and terror! Expect them to play their best and have a winning season under
The Hangman's watchful eyes.!
THE
"S" FILES!
April 1998

Since this month is April, and April 1st is
"April Fool's Day," we thought we'd concentrate on one of the
most auspicious members of the Mighty Crusaders -- NOT! We're speaking, of
course, about CAPT. SPROCKET, who enjoyed a healthy run for a few years in
the pages of ARCHIE'S MADHOUSE. The following strip originally ran in
ARCHIE'S MADHOUSE #53 (April, 1967). It's a great example of what made
this hero so super-- NOT!!!
THE "S" FILES!
May – July 1998
"S"
stands for "super," and every month we'll give you tasty
tidbits regarding what helps make a hero a hero.
This time, we're offering you something special
-- a contest! YOU be the one to show US what makes a hero a hero! Here's
the plot: there's a new bad guy in town, called THE MIXER. This diabolical
fiend has a special weapon that, when aimed at one or more superheroes,
actually combines them into ONE hero! You're job is this: look at the
"All About The Mighty Crusaders" page. Pick two or more of the
superheroes, then draw one new character made up of all the
characteristics of the heroes you've chosen. For example, if you chose THE
WEB and THE SHIELD, you might have the top half of his costume red, white
and blue, and the bottom half yellow and green. He could have webbing
under his arms, but carry a shield. You get the idea. If you want, you can
even name this new hero you've concocted. If you're really ambitious, you
can even draw your rendition of THE MIXER. What does he look like? Is he a
giant cement mixer with legs? A walking blender? You decide! Send your
drawings to the address below and we'll put the best ones up on our site
in a future edition of the S-FILES!:
Send
your entries to:
Paul
Castiglia
THE MIXER/WEB SITE CONTEST
c/o Archie Comic Publications, Inc.
325 Fayette Avenue
Mamaroneck, NY 10543
THE
"S" FILES!
September 1998
This month, we're proud to present the first
winner of our "Mixer" Contest. (To find out how you can
enter this contest, check out our
previous month's edition of The "S" Files.)
Now, without further ado, our winner is:
Christian
L. of New York
Here's his winning entry:
MIGHTY CRUSADERS MELDED IN
MIXER MELEE! CITY IN PANIC
Not
even in his most diabolical fantasy could THE MIXER hope to ensnare
the entire Crusaders team in his fiendish trap, but what if he did? I
present THE MIGHTY CRUSADER, a composite of the entire assemblage
of Mighty Crusaders.
Here's
a breakdown of the costume elements which the Crusader inherits from each
team member:
Here's
a breakdown of the costume elements which the Crusader inherits from each
team member:
·
Legbands from The Shield
·
Collar from The Jaguar
·
Belt from Steel Sterling
·
Wings from The Fly and
Fly Girl
·
Cape from Captain Flag
·
Sleeves from The Comet
·
Chest symbol from a
composite of Firefly and The Fox
·
Tunic from Bob Phantom
·
Leggings from The Black
Hood
·
Visor from The Wizard
·
Rope from The Hangman
·
Arm webbing from The Web
·
Bracelets from Fireball
·
Holster from Black Jack
·
Head crest from Mr.
Justice
·
Mask from Inferno
Congratulations, Christian!
Keep sending those entries in -- maybe next
month, yours will show up here! Send them to:
·
Paul Castiglia
THE MIXER/WEB SITE CONTEST
c/o Archie Comic Publications, Inc.
325 Fayette Avenue
Mamaroneck, NY 10543
THE
"S" FILES!
October 1998
This
month, we're proud to present our October winner of our "Mixer"
Contest.
Now,
without further ado, our winner is:
Miktung
K. from Hong Kong
Here's
Miktung's winning entry:

FIRE
GIRL
A combination of Fly Girl, Fireball and Firefly.
Congratulations, Miktung!
Keep
sending those entries in, and maybe next month, yours will show up here!
Send them to:
Paul
Castiglia
THE MIXER/WEB SITE CONTEST
c/o Archie Comic Publications, Inc.
325 Fayette Avenue
Mamaroneck, NY 10543
THE
"S" FILES!
November 1998
"S" stands for "SUPER,"
and every month we'll give you tasty tidbits regarding what helps make a
hero a hero.
This month, we're proud to present our November
winner of our "Mixer" Contest.
Now, without further ado, our winner is:
Fallon
C. of Nash Creek, New Brunswick, Canada
Here's
Fallon's winning entry
 
JAGUARFLY
A combination of The Fly and The Jaguar
...and THE MIXER himself!
Congratulations, Fallon!
Keep sending those entries in, and maybe next
month, yours will show up here! Send them to:
Paul
Castiglia
THE MIXER/WEB SITE CONTEST
c/o Archie Comic Publications, Inc.
325 Fayette Avenue
Mamaroneck, NY 10543
THE
"S" FILES!
December 1998
This
time, we're offering a new feature: origins of some of our favorite
superheroes! Let's get the ball rolling with one the coolest, the
bombastic Black Jack!

:



]
THE "S" FILES!
January 1999
This time, we're offering a new feature: origins
of some of our favorite superheroes! Let's get the ball rolling with the
story of The Comet!



THE "S" FILES!
February 1999
S" stands for "SUPER,"
and every month we'll give you tasty tidbits regarding what helps make a
hero a hero.
Here's the third installment of our series
re-telling the origins of some of our favorite superheroes. This month,
we'll take a look at The Black Hood!


THE "S" FILES!
The Origin of Steel Sterling
March
1999

THE "S" FILES!
April – May 1999
Here's
the fifth installment of our series re-telling the origins of some of our
favorite superheroes. This month, we'll take a look at The Jaguar!


THE "S" FILES!
June 1999
Here's the sixth installment of our series
re-telling the origins of some of our favorite superheroes. This month,
we'll take a look at The Shield!


THE "S" FILES!
July - November 1999
S" stands for "SUPER,"
and every month we'll give you tasty tidbits regarding what helps make a
hero a hero.
Here's the seventh installment of our series
re-telling the origins of some of our favorite superheroes. This month,
we'll take a look at Mr. Justice!
THE
"S" FILES!
June 2000
"S"
stands for "SUPER," and in each new installment we'll
give you tasty tidbits regarding what helps make a hero a hero.
This
time, we continue our special series of public service announcements
featuring some of our favorite superheroes! This time, our featured hero
is Capt. Flag, teaching us all about Bicycle Safety!
THE
"S" FILES!
July 2000
"S" stands for "SUPER,"
and in each new installment we'll give you tasty tidbits regarding what
helps make a hero a hero.
This
time, we continue our special series of public service announcements
featuring some of our favorite superheroes! This time, our featured hero
is Bob Phantom, teaching us all about Roller-Blading Safety!
TM/©
2003 ACO
WAY UN-COOL DUDE OF THE MONTH!
November 1997
This
time, we're proud (NOT!) to present... THE FLIPPER! The Flipper was a
rouge circus acrobat who used gymnastics to gyp the law-abiding. In the
story, "The Web Versus The Flipper" from MIGHTY COMICS #46 (May,
1967), this nimble no-goodnik terrorized a Mayoral conference and robbed
Roxley's Department Store! The Big Top proved to be "The Big
Stop" for The Flipper, however, when The Web tracked him back to his
circus lair and did some flipping of his own!
WAY UN-COOL DUDE OF THE MONTH!
December 1997
This time, we're
proud (NOT!) to present... THE PHANTOM OF THE PENITENTIARY! The most
striking feature of this rascally rogue was the fact that he bore an
uncanny resemblance to the title monster in one of the many 1950s monster
flicks that's "so bad it's good": ROBOT MONSTER! That no-budget,
no-brainer drive-in classic featured a monster from outer space who was
less than scary: all the producer could afford was a gorilla suit and a
helmet for the poor chap! Of course, an artist's imagination isn't limited
by budgets-- so we can only guess that THE PHANTOM OF THE PENITENTIARY
wore basically the same exact outfit because the artist was up late trying
to meet a deadline, and this turkey of turkeys flickered in the background
on his TV screen! But while his outfit may have been uncool, the character
turned out to be rather tragic. In a story bearing his name which
originally appeared in MIGHTY COMICS #47 (July, 1967), this hairy hooligan
hassled The Hangman! Everyone knows that's a bad move! By story's end, it
was revealed that this towering figure was none other than former- warden
Meggs! How did an average, middle-aged man pull off such a rampage? The
thought of enforced retirement pushed him over the edge and started to
suffer from a split personality! When his dark side took over, he donned
this strange outfit and had the super-human strength of a madman! With a
spotless record of law enforcement before his affliction, the Hangman had
compassion for him, and looked forward to his rehabilitation.
WAY UN-COOL DUDE OF THE MONTH!
January 1998
This time, we're
proud (NOT!) to present... THE KNAVE! The Shield tangled with this
no-goodnik in the pages of MIGHTY COMICS PRESENTS #41, (Dec.,
1966).
Poor Shield-- all
he wants to do is land a steady job for his alter ego, Joe Higgins. Soon,
he's singing "I've been working on the railroad," as a railroad
construction worker... but no sooner does he get this job than his
livelihood is derailed! Spotting a notorious gang of train-robbers, he
feigns cowardice and is fired from his job-- but he had no choice, because
he had to leave the site to nab those crooks! Nab them he does, but as he
prepares to leave, a young man hands The Shield what he's told is a fan
letter-- but he's instructed not to read it for an hour. Well, read it he
does... and it turns out to be a challenge from a new super-baddie on the
scene: The Knave! This character, claiming to be an all-star athlete using
his prowess for crime, wants to play the Shield for sport-- will the
Shield be able to stop his crime wave? The battle lines are drawn as The
Shield, as instructed, meets the Medieval-garbed crook at the local sports
store at Midnight. At first, the Knave appears to be no match for our
hero, but when he grabs a bag full of golf clubs and flings them at the
Shield, it's lights out for the star-spangled crusader! The next evening,
The Shield receives another note-- this time the Knave's target is a
wealthy business man's yacht! The game of cat and mouse takes The Shield
from the crystal waters to the dock of the pier to a marine museum-- where
the Shield finally nabs this slippery suspect-- in a fish net, of course!
WAY UN-COOL DUDE OF THE MONTH!
February 1998
This time, we're proud (NOT!) to present...
THE MIND MONSTER! This creepy crook with the crate- sized cranium created
chaos for The Jaguar in a story appropriately titled, THE JAGUAR VS. THE
MIND MONSTER, from THE JAGUAR #12 (May, 1963).
It all began when
master scientist, Ralph Hardy, invented a "Memory Ray"-- a
revolutionary device which increases the power of an animal's brain so
that they can memorize facts and learn anything instantly! As fate would
have it, late one night a dim-witted thief breaks into Ralph Hardy's lab,
hoping to score some "priceless stuff" from his safe! Within
moments, he's tripped over the Memory Ray, setting it off! This once
typical-looking thug now has a head the size of a medicine ball-- and a
lumpy one at that! Horrified at his reflection in a mirror, he wants to
destroy the machine-- but then realizes he may need it to change himself
back. He reasons that only Hardy would know how to counteract his
condition. Miraculously, his mind instantly tells him Ralph Hardy's phone
number. Realizing he can instantly solve any puzzle or problem, the
crook's mind figures out the combination to the safe's lock! Not only
that, he realizes that Ralph Hardy and The Jaguar are one and the same! He
comes up with a master plan: steal as much money as possible, and then
blackmail Hardy, threatening to reveal his secret identity if he won't
change him back! Just when it looks like he'll get away with it, the
unexpected happens: the ray's reaction wears off naturally, changing the
"Mind Monster" back to his regular, hoodlum self-- with no
memory of ever having had intelligence! The security of the world... and
Ralph Hardy's vault... and The Jaguar's secret identity... are all safe
once more, thanks to the crazy-mixed-up world of science!
WAY UN-COOL DUDE OF THE MONTH!
March 1998
This
time, we are proud (NOT!) to present... THE HAMMERHEAD! Appearing in THE
MIGHTY CRUSADERS #7 (October, 1966) in a story titled, THE SAVAGE
HAMMERHEAD, this was a baddie who literally lived up to his name! Looking
like professional wrestler George "The Animal" Steele, this
brute sported a black and red jumpsuit with a hammerhead helmet! It all
begins when The Shield and The Black Hood are high overhead, patrolling
the world in their "C-Craft." Suddenly, their flying machine
goes off course. It is being pulled to the ground by a mysterious magnetic
force! It soon becomes apparent that a magnetic ray machine is behind the
abduction. As the duo exit their ship, they are set upon by a humangous
mechanical spider - with giant hammers for arms! Dodging the crushing
blows of these gigantic tentacles, our heroes are greeted by Hammerhead
himself! Hammerhead announces his plans to annihilate them and the rest of
The Crusaders and launch a campaign of "larceny unlimited!"
While he tangles with The Shield and The Black Hood, his giant-spider
contraption resumes its attack, much to Hamm |