The Curse of Skeleton Munroe

Category: Mask

  • REAL PERSON ROUND-UP 019

    For various definitions of the word real. 

    Adolf Hitler: 

    Just why this nonsense-language-speaking pilot henchman of the Mask is named Reltih is a mystery, but it’s also a fact. BONUS VERY ANNOYING THING: I can decipher the nonsense in that second panel as “I’ll murder the bum” but this makes me think that I should be able to do the same with the rest of his half-dozen or so lines of dialogue but I can’t. Utterly vexing!

    The Mask also employs an English-speaker with the very annoying name of Inilossom in the same issue. (Whiz Comics 010, 1940)

    Here’s straightforward Hitler analog King Rodend of Kalnar about to be beaten up by the Flame. (Wonderworld Comics 011, 1940)

    Wretched humour comic “Don Quixote in Modern Times” features villain “Adolphus Stalini”. (Wonderworld Comics 020, 1940)  

    Devil’s Island: 

    Newsreel camerawoman Patty O’Day covers a prisoner’s revolt on the penal colony in what might just be the least sympathetic portrayal of Devil’s Island in comics. (Wonderworld Comics 015, 1940)

    J. Edgar Hoover:

    Minor appearances: 

    Whiz Comics 003a, 1940 

    Whiz Comics 005, 1940 

    John Galt: 

    File this one under “amazing coincidences”. A character named John Galt, a full seventeen years before Atlas Shrugged is published. And to top it off:

    Dr John Galt’s radium has been stolen by Dr James Kirk (aka Doctor Death), a full twenty-six years before Star Trek debuts. Would it be a bit more narratively satisfying if John Galt was the selfish shitheel and James Kirk was the selfless hospital administrator? Sure, but that’s just details. (Whiz Comics 002, 1940)

    the Koh-i-Noor Diamond:

    Reporter Scoop Smith is sent on assignment to find the fabled South African Rooirand Emerald, which his editor sees as a direct parallel to the Koh-i-noor. Just how this is the case is what baffles me – I initially thought that it might have been stolen and editor Lane was thinking of the Agatha Christie novel in which that happened, but the more I look at it the more I think that it’s just a big gem that some white guys are trying to steal. 

    (this story also has one of the more stupid desus ex machina endings in all comics, when the sacred snake handler of the isolationist tribe that worship the emerald turns out to be Sam Jones, African American train porter and eternally loyal to Smith because of a five dollar tip) (Whiz Comics 004, 1940) 

    Lázaro Cárdenas del Rio: 

    You know me: I love to dunk on old comics for their portrayals of in-office world leaders, and let’s just say that if you look up a picture of Lázaro Cárdenas, president of Mexico from 1934 to November of 1940, he doesn’t have a long white beard. I didn’t bother to check if the President of Mexico has an enormous ornate throne to sit in, but I can only hope. (Whiz Comics 005, 1940)

    Mata Hari: 

    Hundanian spy Mata Dara, the latest in a long line of women in espionage to have a sound-alike name to Mata Hari. (Zip Comics 001, 1940)

    Senusret III: 

    Mentioned as being a cousin of Taia’s in Whiz Comics 002, “King Senwosri” aka Pharaoh Senusret III then makes an appearance in person as he rises from the dead to punish an American explorer for violating the sanctity of his tomb. He returns to his eternal slumber after an intervention by cousin Taia and cousin-in-law Ibis the Invincible. (Whiz Comics 003b, 1940)

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 044 UPDATE: THE MASK (REVISITED)

    (Whiz Comics 002-011, 1940) 

    I first wrote about the Mask back in the early days when I was trying to keep things short – a laudible goal and one I have not always stuck to, but there’s such a thing as too short, especially when talking about Spy Smasher’s only real enemy for about a year and a half. In the spirit of correcting that, here are some of the more interesting moments from the Mask’s 1940 appearances.

    To start, I had completely forgotten or perhaps never realized that the Mask was set up to possibly be Alan Armstrong, who is of course in actuality Spy Smasher. The only real swing at establishing the ambiguity of Armstrong’s secret identity comes in their collective first appearance in Whiz Comics 002, when they are both established as operating out of estates in Virginia. After that it’s just the Mask’s hairline and the fact that neither of their identities have been revealed that are left to do all of the heavy lifting. 

    In Whiz Comics 003b, the Mask establishes a secret artillery base in the Rockies in order to shoot down US planes on behalf of the Rooskans.

    Whiz 005 features him stealing a pretty nifty heat ray tank. 

    in Whiz Comics 006, the Mask attempts to destroy a new US battleship (and incidentally kill Eve and Admiral Corby) with a cheeky little exploding champagne bottle.

    Whiz 008 features one of my very favourite types of henchmen: the former professional who has turned their skills to crime, in this case a former baseball pitcher-turned assassin named Bean Ball who kills via baseball to the head. The Mask’s forces this issue also include a (tragically unseen) criminal scientist named Doc Greazbl.

    Finally, Whiz Comics 011 features the Mask’s second eccentric artillery emplacement of the year, in a penthouse apartment overlooking New York Harbor. Fun! 

    (this is also the issue in which the Mask is established to be very racist… less fun)

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 044 UPDATE: THE MASK (REVISITED)

    (Whiz Comics 002-011, 1940) 

    I first wrote about the Mask back in the early days when I was trying to keep things short – a laudible goal and one I have not always stuck to, but there’s such a thing as too short, especially when talking about Spy Smasher’s only real enemy for about a year and a half. In the spirit of correcting that, here are some of the more interesting moments from the Mask’s 1940 appearances.

    To start, I had completely forgotten or perhaps never realized that the Mask was set up to possibly be Alan Armstrong, who is of course in actuality Spy Smasher. The only real swing at establishing the ambiguity of Armstrong’s secret identity comes in their collective first appearance in Whiz Comics 002, when they are both established as operating out of estates in Virginia. After that it’s just the Mask’s hairline and the fact that neither of their identities have been revealed that are left to do all of the heavy lifting. 

    In Whiz Comics 003b, the Mask establishes a secret artillery base in the Rockies in order to shoot down US planes on behalf of the Rooskans.

    Whiz 005 features him stealing a pretty nifty heat ray tank. 

    in Whiz Comics 006, the Mask attempts to destroy a new US battleship (and incidentally kill Eve and Admiral Corby) with a cheeky little exploding champagne bottle.

    Whiz 008 features one of my very favourite types of henchmen: the former professional who has turned their skills to crime, in this case a former baseball pitcher-turned assassin named Bean Ball who kills via baseball to the head. The Mask’s forces this issue also include a (tragically unseen) criminal scientist named Doc Greazbl.

    Finally, Whiz Comics 011 features the Mask’s second eccentric artillery emplacement of the year, in a penthouse apartment overlooking New York Harbor. Fun! 

    (this is also the issue in which the Mask is established to be very racist… less fun)

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 819: THE MASK

    (Thrilling Comics 002, 1940)

    He may just be the leader of a gang of kidnappers, but the moment this fellow put on his nice blue mask and got all confident, he became special to me. This particular Mask (our ninth!) is brought in without too much fuss by short-lived Nedor Comics group the Three Comrades.

  • SUPERCUT: IT’S NOT THE SIGN OF THE BLUE BEETLE!

    I assume that this one will get at least a little bigger over time.

    It’s the Sign of the…

    Black Spider:

     

    Daredevil:

    the Laughing Mask:

    the Mask:

    Sub-Zero:

     

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 718: MASK

    (Samson 001, 1940)

    Mask here has a fairly ordinary set of plans and goals, for Masked Criminal levels of ordinary. His associate Dr Dag has developed a super-germ and his other associate Ko has control of a death cult, and he is going to use the latter to deliver the former to a number of nearby cities as revenge for tossing him out on his ear. Plus he’s going to loot once the cities are cleared out by disease, but that’s just good business. Like I said, regular stuff.

    The really interesting things about Mask are… etymological? in nature. Firstly, as you might have noticed he has no “the” on his name. He’s just Mask, and considering the fact that we have already encountered seven separate fellows called the Mask (and four more the [Adjective] Masks), it’s a surprisingly simple way to stand out among the maskèd crowd!

    The other thing is in regards to Mask’s ally Ko, high priest of Lalore – Lalore is as far as I can tell a made-up god, in keeping with the vaguely pan-Asian setting of the story. However, Lalore’s cult fanatics are called Thugs, which is a new one on me. Thuggees/ Thugs are a real historical group (albeit one of which basically every aspect is seemingly the subject of hot scholarly debate) and a fairly popular bunch to dust off as stock villains, but a real key part of their charter is that they worship the goddess Kali. This is the first time that I can recall seeing Thug used as a kind of generic term for a cult murderer.

    Too bad for Mask (and Dr Dag and Ko and all the nameless cultists) Samson and David just happen to be travelling through the same vaguely Subcontinental area that they are plotting and scheming in and they live in a temple city so there are a lot of pillars around. Sure enough, Samson does the thing that he’s best known for doing and kills basically everyone. Tough luck, Mask.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 588: THE MASK

    (Exciting Comics 004, 1940) 

    Famed Broadway star Sandra Cummings is dead, either by her own hand or anothers’, and she has for some never explained reason left behind a note detailing the extent of political corruption in NYC and more importantly naming the names of those involved. This note is immediately stolen and soon afterward someone pretending to be the Mask starts extorting and murdering those named in the note.

    I’ve said it before: impersonating a super-hero is completely understandable move. It’s easy to disguise yourself as someone in a mask and your average comic book cop is so dumb and gullible that they would arrest the Pope if they found a dead body with a note reading  “I did it – the Pope” next to a red shoe. You get to trade on your target’s reputation and maybe have them arrested or killed – win/win!

    Of course, there are many downsides to this plan, and the Mask impostor fails to think of all of them. For a start, any masked vigilante worth their salt will never be caught by the cops. As has been established, they are very dumb! Also – and I cannot stress this enough – if you are going to frame and ultimately attempt to kill a super-hero it is a very good idea not to choose one who kills people. Because they will probably kill you.

    The fake Mask turns out to be Dr Lawrence Reid, a guy who just kind of shows up an makes a lot of noise about things. If he has any deeper motivations (other than to get real paid) he does not bother to reveal them before the real Mask guns him down like a trademark infringing dog.

  • MINOR SUPER-HERO ROUND-UP 023

    The most minor bunch so far!

    Don Rance and the Mysticape: 

    Don Rance saves an old man from a tiger in the Indian jungle and is given a mystic cape as a reward. In his single documented adventure he runs into spy trouble while ferrying some papers from the American embassy in London to Washington DC and must use the cape’s powers (generic physical enhancement and slow falling or some other way to jump from a plane and land safely on the ground. Also possibly teleportation? The art was unclear) to complete his mission safely.

    So: an utterly generic character who barely qualifies as a super-hero, but I just can’t help but be tickled that he calls his mystic cape the Mysticape and dream of a world in which Don Rance was such a popular character that he continued appearing for long enough that some bored writer had him battle the Mystic Ape. (Detective Eye 002, 1940)

    Ken Traymore and the Invisobox:

    Really really enjoy these guys. Properly this strip should be called Ken Traymore and His Dad and Their Invisoboxes because that’s what it is: a guy and his dad and their invisibility girdles palling around and investigating mysteries. It’s very wholesome! Particularly as your standard Golden Age comic would have featured the murder of Traymore Sr on page 1 as a bit of motivation for Ken in his neverending quest for justice.

    Aside from the delightful father/son dynamics, the best part of the Traymores’ single adventure is the fact that they spend the entire time investigating three suspects in the murder of their friend and do not catch the killer. Rather, he accidentally sees one of them turn invisible and freaks out because he thinks that he’s being haunted by his victim’s ghost. They don’t even know who he is – it’s great! 10/10 no notes, BRING BACK the Traymores and their Invisoboxes immediately. (Detective Eye 002, 1940)

    the Mask:

    The Mask is an adaptation of pulp character the Black Bat, but without the bat part due to some sort of gentleman’s agreement with DC after a squabble over who ripped who off, bat-wise. What he does share with his predecessor is an origin: District Attorney Tom Colby is blinded when gangsters working for crimelord Olly Snate splash acid on some key evidence during Snate’s trial. When Colby’s sight is restored via an experimental operation he decides to continue working as a supposedly-blind DA while also punching crooks as the Mask.

    (Also like the Black Bat he has enhanced night vision as a result of the operation but it never really comes up)

    Colby also inherits the Black Bat’s stable of assistants: Silk Davis (crook turned butler), Carol Smith (the one who lined up the eye operation for him) and Butch O’Leary (former boxer). As with all heroic associates they spend about half the time helping out and half the time captured by crooks, with the added twist that since there are three of them they often end up rescuing each other or getting serially captured while trying to rescue one another.

    The Mask was also quite clearly going to be the Owl in his first couple of appearances – presumably someone at Exciting Comics noticed that 1940 was a big year for owl-themed comic book characters and decided to skip the potential drama. By Exciting issue 3 he had traded in his owl-cowl for a beakless version and replaced his owl calling cards with a frankly hilarious version featuring a picture of his own face, clearly labelled. 

    One thing that always springs to mind when reading comics from the Nedor (etcetera – these people could not settle on a name for their publishing company) stable: did Alan Moore include them in Terra Incognito? The answer is of course no – the Mask is utterly middle-of-the-road and would have added nothing to the proceedings. (Exciting Comics 001, 1940)

    Major Mars:

    Major Mars, hero of 3964 AC, is another retooled version of an older pulp character, in this case the still-occasionally-name-checked-to-this-day Captain Future. Some basic research into the character indicates that the broad details are the same: brought up on the Moon (i.e., he should be called Major Moon), Major Mars battles injustice across the Solar System with the help of his robot pal Grag and love interest Joan. My major (ha) beef with this is that they left out Captain Future’s other two associates, a sassy shapechanging android and a brain in a jar! 

    Why Captain Future became Major Mars and why all of the best companions were left out of this adaptation are a question for the ages. (Exciting Comics 001, 1940)

  • MINOR SUPER-HERO ROUND-UP 017

    Another fresh hot basket of also-rans, just for you.

    the Mask:

    Scoop Cody, society reporter, is secretly vigilante crimefighter the Mask. He’s not terrific at concealing this fact – both love interest Elaine and villain Carlos figure it out during the course of the one extant Mask story – but he gets the job done. Of mild interest is that Scoop Cody is also the name of the Marvel’s reporter pal. (Star Comics v1 013, 1938*)

    the Phantom Rider: 

    The Phantom Rider is your standard masked cowboy, identity unknown. Given their similar names and that they are both Centaur Comics characters it is equally likely that he is a renamed Phantom o’ the Hills as it is that he is a separate creation. His horse is named Thunder. (Star Comics 016, 1938*)

    Air Man:

    Air Man is Drake Stevens, an ornithologist who embarks on a vigilante career after his father is murdered in an insurance scam on the high seas. He only makes a handful of appearances before Centaur folds, and here are the salient things about him:

    -Air Man is a “realistic” version of Hawkman, i.e., not realistic but in a slightly more plausible way than an antigravity belt. His wings are filled with helium and he has a little jet engine for propulsion (at least, as of his second appearance. Maybe he’s just very slowly gliding around in his first). He also has egg-shaped bombs, which isn’t relevant to the flying but is fun.

    -Air Man is not a generic bird-themed hero but in fact an albatross-themed protector of the seas, which is a niche that I have not encountered before and the closest that I can think of is the Marvel hero Stingray, and that’s just because they both fly and are ocean-based.

     -Air Man believes in protecting the high seas so much that he breaks up with his fiance rather than just… living in a lighthouse with her or whatever. Super-heroes love breaking up with people and then feeling noble about it. (Keen Detective Funnies 023, 1940)

    TNT Todd:

    TNT Todd had been a regular FBI agent having FBI agent adventures in Keen Detective Funnies for about a year when he became if not the earliest then certainly our first example of a non-super character getting a super-heroic makeover to fit comic trends (I tell a lie Tex Thomson/ Mr America has come up before but he made the switch in 1941). While overshadowed by fellow explosion-based hero the Human Bomb a year or so later I must admit to enjoying TNT Todd more on a conceptual level. Just a guy careening through a city via a series of explosions, theoretically helping people. (Keen Detective Funnies 021, 1940)

    *there are several issues of Star Comics from this time that are not readily available, including issues 012, 014 and 015. This means that both the Mask and the Phantom Rider could have earlier first appearances.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 554: THE MASK

    (Wonder Comics 001, 1939)

    A gun runner doing business with rebel forces in the probably-South American country of Mauchako, the Mask doesn’t bring a lot to the table beyond a fairly snazzy take on the low-effort costume. He’s also the first foe faced by super-spy K-51 (is his original callsign of K-5, as you may have noticed). He’s also a US Senator, which is a heckuva job to split your attention from – also, weirdly he’s not our first one. He ends up employing K-51’s childhood pal and then murdering said pal so it’s not too surprising that he himself does not survive the adventure.

    In conclusion, the Mask isn’t terribly exciting. He does have a good look, so that’s something.