The Curse of Skeleton Munroe

Category: Cliff Cornwall

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 242: THE WHITE RENEGADE

    (Flash Comics v1 010, 1940)

    I’ve alluded now and then to the colonialist assumptions that comics worked off of and that seemingly were endemic to the mindset of the American people. The White Renegade offers an example of the two major prongs of these assumptions, which boil down to the idea that the world is divided into White People and Everyone Else, and that:

    1. All offenses committed by Everyone Else against White people shall be repaid with great vengeance. 

    2. The greatest crime that a White Person can commit is to side with Everyone Else against White People.

    I’m only about 1/10 qualified to talk about this stuff, but I am an English major, so I’m fully qualified to notice it. Someone could probably work up an okay thesis by analysing Golden Age (and all other) comics set in colonized areas.

    So: the White Renegade. He’s called that because he’s a white person siding with South Pacific natives against other white people. The natives would have been in for it regardless, but whenever someone pulls this kind of thing in a comic you know that he’s not long for the world. And indeed, Cliff Cornwall tracks him down and takes him out. There’s not much to him to talk about really – he looks like a palate-swapped version of the Shadow, which is fun.

    The White Renegade! Racism! Colonialism! A cool outfit!

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 239: DR BRINE

    (Flash Comics v1 008, 1940)

    Dr Brine should be in the soon-to-be-unveiled first roundup of minor mad and criminal scientists who don’t quite qualify as super-villains. He’s a guy in a purple pin-stripe suit who has a plan to steal a bunch of submarines and then profit from that somehow. There are two very important reasons for his inclusion here:

    1. He’s either a guy who named himself Dr Brine after getting into the submarine piracy game or (even better) he’s a guy who was named Jared Brine or similar and the souped up nominative determinism of the DCU steered him through grad school and right into a job hijacking submarines.

    2. His evil science specialty is that he figured outa way to make his henchmen semi-amphibious, and that the method in question, seen above, is that they must go raw vegan. 

    10/10 top-tier crime scientist, no notes. 

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 239: DR BRINE

    (Flash Comics v1 008, 1940)

    Dr Brine should be in the soon-to-be-unveiled first roundup of minor mad and criminal scientists who don’t quite qualify as super-villains. He’s a guy in a purple pin-stripe suit who has a plan to steal a bunch of submarines and then profit from that somehow. There are two very important reasons for his inclusion here:

    1. He’s either a guy who named himself Dr Brine after getting into the submarine piracy game or (even better) he’s a guy who was named Jared Brine or similar and the souped up nominative determinism of the DCU steered him through grad school and right into a job hijacking submarines.

    2. His evil science specialty is that he figured outa way to make his henchmen semi-amphibious, and that the method in question, seen above, is that they must go raw vegan. 

    10/10 top-tier crime scientist, no notes. 

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 238: THE CLUE CRIMINAL

    (Flash Comics v1 007, 1940)

     

    Long before guys like the Joker and the Riddler made leaving baroque clues to taunt the forces of Law ahead of your next crime a super-villain cliché, the Clue Criminal was out there getting things done, with a name that I must assume was used in a low-effort Batman pastiche some time in the late 60s.

    Speaking of names, the Clue Criminal steals actual real painting “the Blue Boy” and then goes on to do the same to “famed smiling picture” “Modern Louisa”. I guess the Mona Lisa wasn’t in Washington DC to be stolen at the time, but guess what, Gardner Fox, writer of Cliff Cornwall? I checked, and “the Blue Boy” was in California in 1940! Checkmate, me!

    Anyhow, the Clue Criminal perpetrates three art thefts before inexplicably pivoting to attempted zeppelin bombing – possibly the Clues were more important than the Crimes and it was easier to put one together for zeppelin sabotage than any of the theft-worthy art pieces in town. Whatever the reason, Cliff Cornwall proves as adequate at eleventh-hour riddle solving as Batman and/or Robin and the Clue Criminal is put away.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 238: THE CLUE CRIMINAL

    (Flash Comics v1 007, 1940)

     

    Long before guys like the Joker and the Riddler made leaving baroque clues to taunt the forces of Law ahead of your next crime a super-villain cliché, the Clue Criminal was out there getting things done, with a name that I must assume was used in a low-effort Batman pastiche some time in the late 60s.

    Speaking of names, the Clue Criminal steals actual real painting “the Blue Boy” and then goes on to do the same to “famed smiling picture” “Modern Louisa”. I guess the Mona Lisa wasn’t in Washington DC to be stolen at the time, but guess what, Gardner Fox, writer of Cliff Cornwall? I checked, and “the Blue Boy” was in California in 1940! Checkmate, me!

    Anyhow, the Clue Criminal perpetrates three art thefts before inexplicably pivoting to attempted zeppelin bombing – possibly the Clues were more important than the Crimes and it was easier to put one together for zeppelin sabotage than any of the theft-worthy art pieces in town. Whatever the reason, Cliff Cornwall proves as adequate at eleventh-hour riddle solving as Batman and/or Robin and the Clue Criminal is put away.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 236: THE SNOW-KING

    (Flash Comics v1 005, 1940)

    A simple concept, but an endearing one: the Snow-King is a famous spy who only works during the winter, hence the name. He’s possibly French (at least, he says “au revoir” a lot) and definitely cocky – he is so sure of success pulls the classic move of calling up the authorities to warn them of his next escapade.

    Eventually, crack government agent Cliff Cornwall is brought in on the case and works out just why the Snow-King is a cold-weather spy: he relies on the central heating units of the buildings he burgles to disperse sleeping gas throughout them. That solved, he is quickly caught.

    Love an arrogantly confident villain; love a suit accessorized with a cape; love the Snow-King. Should be BRUNG BACK as a legacy spy some day.