(Action Comics v1 040, 1941)
Yet another foreign agent looking to weaken America, the Purple does so by forming what is supposedly a patriotic society but in reality is a collection of fervent dupes that can be aimed at whatever target he wishes. Mr America steps in and lays out the truth for the Purple Gang but I fear for the future of a community filled with that many dim bulbs.
As always, massive appreciation for a villain who dresses their henchmen in basically the same costume as them.
(Action Comics v1 036, 1941)
Another day, another spy from no specific nation striking at the US military for uncertain reasons. This one is even less successful than usual, as he almost blows up an Army convoy and almost blows up an artillery range. But what can I do: I’m a sucker for a monocle, a guy who throws poisoned darts and a neato name.
(Action Comics v1 035, 1941)
Yet another spy encountered by Clip Carson, the Adder was interested in blowing up the Panama Canal for unclear reasons. Much more interestingly, he took his name from a snake-shaped ring which both fatally poisoned those he punched with it and left a cool snake mark on the spot he hit, and evidently he used it enough that his men spoke of him in hushed terms as “the Child of Death,” which is an amazing name.
As with so many villains who use a cool signature weapon, the Adder ends up falling on his own ring. A sad end.
(Action Comics v1 035, 1941)
Yet another spy encountered by Clip Carson, the Adder was interested in blowing up the Panama Canal for unclear reasons. Much more interestingly, he took his name from a snake-shaped ring which both fatally poisoned those he punched with it and left a cool snake mark on the spot he hit, and evidently he used it enough that his men spoke of him in hushed terms as “the Child of Death,” which is an amazing name.
As with so many villains who use a cool signature weapon, the Adder ends up falling on his own ring. A sad end.
(Action Comics v1 035, 1941)
The Spider is a foreign agent with a lot of guys named Herman and Otto working for him who attempts to disrupt US military preparedness. To that end he blows up a military parade and almost manages to poison an entire army camp being captured by Mr America.
(Action Comics v1 035, 1941)
The Spider is a foreign agent with a lot of guys named Herman and Otto working for him who attempts to disrupt US military preparedness. To that end he blows up a military parade and almost manages to poison an entire army camp being captured by Mr America.
(Action Comics v1 032-033, 1941)
Mister Z is actually plantation owner Grasso, who is actually X-11, notorious agent of a “hostile government” whose schemes are placed in jeopardy when a mineral deposit is discovered near his hideout in Colombia. His efforts to shut down the incipient mining operations bring in adventurer Clip Carson but he meets his actual end when he’s gunned down by a young boy whose father he had killed.
(Mystery Men Comics 015, 1940)
Yet another crypto-Nazi spy/saboteur with a skull face operating in the US, but this one has an electron-gun!
SKULL SCORE: 5/5 full skull; full marks.
(Mystery Men Comics 015, 1940)
Yet another crypto-Nazi spy/saboteur with a skull face operating in the US, but this one has an electron-gun!
SKULL SCORE: 5/5 full skull; full marks.
(Detective Comics 041, 1940)
What makes them a super-villain? He’s an espionage guy with an invisibility formula.
What is interesting about them? Invisible guys are often pretty dull comic book villains, but I will give the Invisible Man/ Dr Ellis this: his cover identity is as a scientist in the team that is trying to catch him, and he’s evidently arrogant enough that he actually developed a formula for a gas that would render him visible again but assumed that investigator Cliff Crosby would not have the chemical knowhow to synthesize it. He was wrong!