The Curse of Skeleton Munroe

Category: world destruction

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 155: MAZDA THE GREAT

    (All-Star Comics 003, 1940)

    Much of the information that we have on Mazda the Great comes from the mouth of one of his dying henchmen at the end of the story, but what reason would he have to lie? According to this man, Mazda was a scientist (I assume a vulcanologist. An enormous one!) who developed both technology to control/ redirect the energies of a volcano and also volcano-proof suits. Thus equipped, he set up shop in the crater of Mount Krakatoa along with his minions, dubbed the Fire Ghosts.

    It’s a bit unclear whether Mazda actually planned on taking over the world or destroying it – he said destroy while his minion said conquer – but either way, he was chucked into the volcano for his troubles, once Hawkman showed up on the scene.

    A lot of reasons to like this fella – I love a huge guy and I love a skull hat, and on a scientist? Beautiful. He also manages to maintain enough gravitas that I always remember him as having a pseudo-noble goal for his conquest/destruction but on further examination it seems that he just has volcano-weaponizing technology and wants to use it.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 108: UNNAMED MAGE

    (More Fun Comics 058, 1940)

    I love this guy, for all that he’s unnamed. He kills an immortal snake that lives in the Nile in order to steal the magic book that it guards. The first spell he tries summons all of the wealthy men in a wide radius and compels them to give up their cash to him. The second spell he tries starts to tear the world apart, though it’s unclear whether that was his goal or if he was trying to punch above his weight. Either way, Dr Fate is forced to take him out to restore order.

    Also he dresses like Marvel’s Sphinx, which is a neat coincidence.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 108: UNNAMED MAGE

    (More Fun Comics 058, 1940)

    I love this guy, for all that he’s unnamed. He kills an immortal snake that lives in the Nile in order to steal the magic book that it guards. The first spell he tries summons all of the wealthy men in a wide radius and compels them to give up their cash to him. The second spell he tries starts to tear the world apart, though it’s unclear whether that was his goal or if he was trying to punch above his weight. Either way, Dr Fate is forced to take him out to restore order.

    Also he dresses like Marvel’s Sphinx, which is a neat coincidence.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 075: “UNCLE”

    (Adventure Comics 057, 1940)

    As I’ve said before, sometimes a character is very clearly a super-villain but chooses no name for themself, in which case for administrative purposes I pick something that the text boxes or other characters refer to them as and go with that. Scientists are usually easy – they just go by their name. This fellow, on the other hand, is basically only ever referred to as “Uncle,” so Uncle I call him.

    And Uncle is a credible threat! He tries to ransom the world by threatening to destroy it by knocking it off of its orbit, then actually tries to do it in a fit of pique – it’s only the timely intervention of Sandman that saves the day.

    In the last entry, when I was talking about mad scientists as perfect characters to bring back as reformed? This is the kind of guy I had in mind. What a gift to a cast!