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Category: 1941

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 143: THE CAMERA EYE

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 143: THE CAMERA EYE

(Adventure 066, 1941) Mr Cuthbert Cain, the Camera Eye (and I call him that because it’s what he himself signs on an ominous note – at various points in the story he is called the Camera Fiend and the Camera Criminal) is part of a long tradition of super-villains who take a recent technological or cultural trend and extrapolate it into a criminal gimmick – in this case, candid photography. Using black magic and photographic equipment, Cain captures souls and…

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MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 142: DR DARRK

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 142: DR DARRK

 (Adventure Comics 065, 1941) Another in a long line of scientist-villains faced by Hourman, Dr Darrk has a moderately cool name, a lighthouse HQ and an invisibility ray but ultimately is overshadowed by his really excellent robot goon, Giganto: Just look at that cool robot!

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 141: THE UNSEEN MAN

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 141: THE UNSEEN MAN

 (Adventure 064, 1941) The Unseen Man, aside from his pretty great name, is fairly run-of-the-mill: an art supply owner or employee who somehow develops an invisibility paint, he subsequently turns to crime and is captured by the Sandman. The reason that the Unseen Man gets such short shrift is that a lot of story real estate is taken up with a subplot of Dian Belmont wanting to be in on the adventure and generally getting in the way, despite discovering…

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MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 140: IKER

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 140: IKER

 (Adventure 064, 1941) Yet another Hourman mad scientist foe, Iker (properly Dr T.Z. Iker, but the only time that shows up is on a mailbox) is a classic Victim of Orthodoxy, having been kicked out of the Science Club by the hidebound Dr Orr for espousing “fake theories”. Said fake theories enable Iker to build a machine capable either of creating lifeforms out of energy drawn from the 5th Dimension or of drawing lifeforms from the 5th Dimension and giving…

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MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 139: IVAN BORLOFF

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 139: IVAN BORLOFF

 (Adventure 061, 1941) Ivan Borloff is a strange combination of things: a scientist with a super airship (the Cylindecraft) and a metal-destroying ray, he rains destruction down on New York City in pursuit of his goal of conquering the US (and by implication, the world), but also, it’s implied that he is affiliated with *foreign powers*, ie, fascists – possibly ones who didn’t quite know what they were getting into.  His name ringing more Russian might mean that he is…

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MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 138: DR DOOG

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 138: DR DOOG

 (Adventure 061, 1941) Starman’s first foe is also his first super-foe: the diabolical Dr Doog. Doog (and nothing is ever made of his name being Good, backward) has stolen a device called to Ultra-Dynamo from Professor Davis (above right) and is using it to disrupt electrical power across North America in service to his dreams of world domination. Doog brings in deathtraps, a hollowed-out mountain base and perhaps most importantly, a group of henchmen with the excellent name the Secret…

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MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 137: THE SHADE

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 137: THE SHADE

 (Action v1 043, 1941) Vigilante’s first super-foe has the misfortune to share his name with a certain Flash villain beloved of James Robinson, so it’s just as well that he’s nothing more than a gang boss who uses stage illusions to conceal his real identity because he is never seeing the light of day again. He did manage to make a second appearance in the Golden Age, so at least there’s that.

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 136: THE LEGION OF THE MASKED

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 136: THE LEGION OF THE MASKED

(Adventure Comics 058, 1941) The Barry O’Neill serial in Adventure Comics had basically been about Barry battling the dastardly villain Fang Gow (Minor Super-Villain 001) from its inception in 1935 to his death by sea mine six years later and evidently someone thought that it could continue as more of a free form adventure strip despite losing that structure (as well as its setting, having started as a comic set in Paris that had quietly moved to London about the time…

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MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 135: THE PURPLE

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 135: THE PURPLE

(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…

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