The Curse of Skeleton Munroe

Category: Wraith

  • CATALOGUE OF WOUNDS 012

    If I keep at this long enough then we will find the super-hero with the most comically-long list of wounds sustained in the course of their adventures. Currently in the lead: the Green Mask! Unless we’re talking about head traumas, in which case I must direct your gaze to the Blue Beetle.

    Domino the Miracle Boy:

    Shot in the right shoulder by Dr Moru while heroically leaping in front of a gun to save the Green Mask. (Mystery Men Comics 029, 1941)

    the Green Mask:

    Slashed on the left side of his head by the Manx’s weird wrist-claw. (Mystery Men Comics 026, 1941)

    Mr Justice:

    Mr Justice is a ghost-type super-hero, so his origin involves a gruesome death, in this case being hacked to pieces by some historically-questionable Englishmen. (Blue Ribbon Comics 009, 1941)

    It’s not quite as universal a trait, but Mr Justice also maintains a human form for times when he is not engaging in super-heroics, and since he’s already dead it doesn’t matter how often he sustains mortal wounds, such as this instance of him being riddled with bullets. (Blue Ribbon Comics 009, 1941)

    Or here, when he is fatally blasted by a beam. (Blue Ribbon Comics 010, 1941)

    (and again a few minutes later)

    Or just plain shot in the head. It’s just a shortcut to the emergence of Mr Justice from his mortal shell. (Jackpot Comics 002, 1941) 

    Sergeant Spook: 

    And speaking of ghostly super-heroes and their fatal origins, here’s Sergeant Spook blowing himself up with his poor lab safety. (Blue Bolt v1 001, 1940)

    Simba:

    Simba, newly-reformed nemesis of Dick Cole, gets his skull creased with a bullet by Dr Karno (Blue Bolt v2 006, 1941)

    Sub-Zero:

    Sub-Zero also gets his skull creased, but since he’s so cold he’s bulletproof Professor X has to use a white-hot bullet to do it. (Blue Bolt Comics v1 005, 1940)

    the Wraith: 

    Finally we have the Wraith, who becomes a ghost thanks to being riddled with bullets during a drive-by.  (Mystery Men Comics 027, 1941)

  • MINOR SUPER-HERO ROUND-UP 001

    Some minor super-heroes I only have a small amount to say about:

    the Wraith:

    The Wraith is a very similar concept to the Spectre: a murdered cop comes back to mete out justice. They even have the same white/ green colour scheme, only reversed. A few things about the Wraith that sets him apart: though he does have some general ghost powers his main trick is possession, he is limited to the hours between midnight and dawn, and he has weird gross arms. A major difference between him and the Spectre is that whereas the latter broke up with his fiance the minute he became a dead guy, the Wraith is all about the romantic possibilities of being a ghost, as seen in the second panel above where he seems to be erotically passing through a nude woman. (Mystery Men Comics 027-031, 1941-1942)

    Dr Hypno: 

    Dr Hypno, “psychologist, chemist, hypnotist and criminologist” develops a technique for temporarily placing his mind into an animal and lucky for him there’s always one handy when he sees a crime go.(Amazing-Man Comics 014-021, 1940-1941)

    Dash Dartwell, the Human Meteor:

    Like a surprising number of other Golden Age speedsters Dash Dartwell (who incidentally has the most on-the-nose name I have seen in a long time) gets his powers from his teacher, in this case one Dr Moss. Dartwell remains a student at “Dravrah University” so his adventures hew closer to those of a college sportsman with lots of unscrupulous gamblers attempting to influence the results of sporting events between Dravrah and their rival Elay. Also, Dartwell’s powers wear off pretty quickly so he’s constantly popping Metabo-Accelerater pills while he messes up college track statistics for everyone. (Amazing-Man Comics 021, 1941)

    Tommy the Amazing Kid:

    Amazing-Man already had a cool sidekick named Zona Henderson but I guess Robin or some other kid sidekick was a bit too popular because she was replaced with her younger brother Tommy, who was hiding under a couch when Aman got a power boost and was left with enhanced strength and the ability to fly. He’s a little wiener who says things like “jumpin’ jellybeans!” all the time. It’s a real downgrade. (Amazing-Man Comics 023-026, 1941-1942)

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 451: THE HOODED KILLER

    (Mystery Men Comics 029, 1941)

    The Hooded Killer AKA the Hooded Man AKA the Hooded Figure is your average lawyer personal secretary who has killed his client and is now attempting to kill his client’s heirs because once they’re all gone then he gets the money. Do you know that because of comic books ad police procedurals every time the subject of wills comes up this is the kid of thing that runs through my mind? Hopefully I never have enough money that one of my nieces is tempted to get a cloak and speed up the inheritance.

    This particular fellow gets caught by the Wraith, because the Wraith is a ghost with needs and the Hooded Killer is trying to stab his love interest. Plus justice must prevail, I suppose.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 451: THE HOODED KILLER

    (Mystery Men Comics 029, 1941)

    The Hooded Killer AKA the Hooded Man AKA the Hooded Figure is your average lawyer personal secretary who has killed his client and is now attempting to kill his client’s heirs because once they’re all gone then he gets the money. Do you know that because of comic books ad police procedurals every time the subject of wills comes up this is the kid of thing that runs through my mind? Hopefully I never have enough money that one of my nieces is tempted to get a cloak and speed up the inheritance.

    This particular fellow gets caught by the Wraith, because the Wraith is a ghost with needs and the Hooded Killer is trying to stab his love interest. Plus justice must prevail, I suppose.