Why of why do they keep on hurting our boys? Meteor: Silver Streak’s partner Meteor is shot in the back by a Nazi, but it’s okay: the bullet only “nicked” his back. (Silver Streak Comics 016, 1941) Electro: Professor Zog, the brains behind Electro, is shot in the left arm. (Marvel Mystery Comics 016, 1941) the Sandman: The Sandman has a very rough 1940, starting with a shot to the right shoulder… (Adventure Comics 047, 1940) … then a shot…
Cops Shooting Fleeing Suspects: The NYPD do their level best to gun down the Challenger for wearing a mask near the scene of a crime. (Daring Mystery Comics 007, 1941) Some probably-also-NYPD officers try to do the same to the Black Cobra. (Dynamic Comics 001, 1941) Some definitely-NYPD officers try to gun down a fleeing Mask. (Exciting Comics 010, 1941) Honours: Heroic dog K-9 is given a medal and made an official officer in what is also likely supposed to…
More wounds for the wound god! American Ace: Minor Marvel adventure hero Parry Wade, aka the American Ace, is riddled through the torso and crashes his plane after a dogfight. He gets better. (Marvel Mystery Comics v1 003, 1940) Black X: Shot in the left shoulder by agents of Vlamir Koran, then nearly dies of exposure while seeking aid. (Smash Comics 001, 1939) Black X’s aide Batu gets shot in the left shoulder on his next mission, while Black X…
It’s a dangerous ol’ job, heroing. Thus, the Catalogue of Wounds! Green Lantern: While tied up in a burning house, Green Lantern must thrust his hands into the flames to escape. (All American Comics 031, 1941) Hawkgirl: Hawkgirl is shot in the back by an agent of Mister X while acting as a Hawkman decoy on her very first outing in costume (All-Star Comics 005, 1941) Hawkman: Shot in the left shoulder by Alexander the Great. (Flash Comics 002, 1940)…
Just which comic book character has taken the most punishment down through the years? join me as we compile the definitive guide to bodily trauma in the super class. Blackhawk: Blackhawk must set off an explosion from closer-than-optimal range and ends up getting lightly shredded. (Military Comics 003, 1941) Blackhawk’s next two adventures feature him getting whipped badly enough to mark up his torso, by the Black Tigress and the Scavengers, respectively. (Military Comics 004 & 005, 1941) Blackhawks: Blackhawk…
Among the many things that I have found interesting enough to keep track of over the years is just how many times super-heroes get wounded while going about their business. What does a shoulder look like after it’s been shot a dozen times, for example? If I had been really on the ball I would have also been noting every time someone was knocked out with a blow to the head as well, but we can’t all be perfect. Full catalogue here,…
Two shorts and two longs. Bajah: Minor Golden Age Marvel magician Dakor has to travel all the way to the fictional Indian kingdom of Nordu to rescue his friend’s daughter from one of those cults where they worship a random blonde white lady (one of the more embarrassing stupid pulp fiction concepts to make the jump to comics, in my opinion). All that is to set up the fact that the devil figure in this cult is the oft-invoked, never-seen…
GENERIC! COSTUMED! VILLAINS! It’s not much of a costume but this dude named Marmi does manage to use a trained cobra to steal a huge ruby before the Radio Squad gets him, which is a feat. (More Fun Comics 072, 1941) It’s possible that this fellow was meant to have a name but he never managed to say it over the Green Mask’s relentless mocking of his costume. He’s munitions magnate August Mincer, who has no obvious ties to Nazism…
Just a little crypto-fascist saboteur named Dr Vee who battled Dynamic Man but I like his name and I like his style. His sartorial style. Not the fascism. (Mystic v1 002, 1940) Lemo here has a mechanical mole-style tank and reckons he can take over the world with it after almost destroying one (1) circus tent. It’s a good thing he was blown up by one of Marvel’s many Herculeses before he could get too far and get disappointed. (Mystic…
(Mystic Comics v1 004, 1940) Professor Monte is the type of criminal scientist that I want to see in more comics: he has an idea (develop a gold-attracting magnet and use it to steal gold), he secures funding from crooked businessman Prentiss, he tests his device with a series of jewelry store robberies before scaling up to using the big dirigible-mounted model… he has a plan, in other words, rather than a vague idea of how they’re going to take…