The Curse of Skeleton Munroe

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  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 105: THE SKULL

    (More Fun Comics 056, 1940)

    It’s somewhat weird, but this is the second guy named the Skull to operate out of the Belgian Congo in 1940. I say somewhat because it’s one of a handful of places that name-checked in comics set in Africa at the time. Once you get past Belgian Congo, Egypt, Libya, Algeria or South Africa it’s pretty much Jungle or Desert as locations, and half of those countries made the list because there were a bunch of comics about the French Foreign Legion early on.

    Anyway, the Skull. He’s the first foe of Congo Bill and he wears a little skullcap-cum-helmet, which I like. I also like the weird yellow pee-stain they keep putting around his mouth. I don’t know why it’s there but it makes him very distinctive.

    SKULL SCORE: 2/5 The lipless mouth and barely-there nose evoke a skull, sure, but if I was in charge of giving him a nickname would I call him Skull? Or would it be Chompers?

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 104: THE WOLF MAN

    (More Fun Comics 055, 1940) 

    The Wolf Man:

    – has a bunch of trained wolves

    – wears a wolfskin outfit complete with wolf head cowl

    – constantly refers to himself as the Wolf Man

    – exclusively robs prospectors in the Canadian wilderness.

    The Wolf Man puts in too much effort, in other words.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 104: THE WOLF MAN

    (More Fun Comics 055, 1940) 

    The Wolf Man:

    – has a bunch of trained wolves

    – wears a wolfskin outfit complete with wolf head cowl

    – constantly refers to himself as the Wolf Man

    – exclusively robs prospectors in the Canadian wilderness.

    The Wolf Man puts in too much effort, in other words.

  • MINOR SUPER -VILLAIN 103: THE BAT

    (More Fun Comics 055, 1940)

    An economics professor who dresses in a bat-winged robe and injects college students with experimental “artificial blood” while they sleep, the Bat is probably more the story of a man’s mental breakdown than a super-villain.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 102: ZOR

    (More Fun Comics 055, 1940)

    Zor is from pretty early in the Spectre’s run, back when his concept was “resurrected dead guy” rather than “literal embodiment of the Wrath of God”. More specifically but also vaguely, he was an “earth-bound ghost” which was never really defined but was a pretty powerful thing to be.

    Zor was also an earth-bound ghost, only he was older and thus more powerful than the Spectre, and also evil:

    Zor makes a couple of Golden Age appearances to vex the Spectre before being set adrift in inter-cosmic space. Many years later, he was brought back in Seven Soldiers by Grant Morrison, now serving as an evil equivalent of Zatara (and given the first name Zachary) and foe to Zatanna. Given the cosmic nature of the story, this works for me: Zor is whatever he needs to be to oppose his foe of the moment. Honestly, I can think of no better person to bring back a character like Zor. Not many creators would read a story in which a villain shoots bullets out of his eyes:


    And make it canon:

    10/10, top marks. I know Zor is technically Solomon Grundy now but bring him back again anyway.


  • NOTES: AUGUST 2022

    Names: (Batman Comics 008, 1941) It was on brand for the Joker to use the aliases “A. Rekoj” and “I. Rekoj” in the last year but I am pretty upset that Batman just used “I. Namtab” and that the Joker fell for it.

    (Blue Beetle Comics 008, 1941) In the Dynamo story he goes up against a guy who calls himself the Crime Dealer, a good name for a bland guy.

    Riddles: (Batman Comics 007, 1941) “When is a Duke not a Duke?” Answer: the Joker is impersonating a Duke.

    One of the more brutal on-panel deaths I have seen:

    (Blue Beetle v1 006, 1941)

    Two gun-wielding boys I encountered in a short period of time:

    (Action Comics v1 033, 1941)

    (Bulletman 002, 1941)

  • NOTES: AUGUST 2022

    Names: (Batman Comics 008, 1941) It was on brand for the Joker to use the aliases “A. Rekoj” and “I. Rekoj” in the last year but I am pretty upset that Batman just used “I. Namtab” and that the Joker fell for it.

    (Blue Beetle Comics 008, 1941) In the Dynamo story he goes up against a guy who calls himself the Crime Dealer, a good name for a bland guy.

    Riddles: (Batman Comics 007, 1941) “When is a Duke not a Duke?” Answer: the Joker is impersonating a Duke.

    One of the more brutal on-panel deaths I have seen:

    (Blue Beetle v1 006, 1941)

    Two gun-wielding boys I encountered in a short period of time:

    (Action Comics v1 033, 1941)

    (Bulletman 002, 1941)

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 101: THE CLOAK

    (More Fun Comics 054, 1940)

    If a crooked importer named Crandall hatches a scheme to kill off his business rivals and then makes up a villain named the Cloak to blame the crimes on, is he in fact that villain? This correspondent says yes. 

  • MINOR SUPER-HERO 015: THE VOICE

    MINOR SUPER-HERO 015: THE VOICE

    (Feature Comics 032-037, 1940)

    Of the dozen or so heroes and villains named the Voice, this is the best of them all, hands down. Let’s review:

    -shipwrecked on an island in 1790, lives off of special herbs that extend the human lifespan and empower the body

    -finally picked up in 1940, moves to NYC at 150-something years old

    -successfully synthesizes the herb’s properties, ensuring that his life will continue indefinitely. Decides to fight crime

    -learns ventriloquism and close-up magic

    The last is my favourite part: he’s an old man who can pick up a car, for example, but most of his cases are solved with the application of a thrown voice or two. Plus that blonde guy in the second set of panels is his neighbour who just happens to be nearby when Mr Elixer – did I mention that his non-super-hero name is Mr Elixer? – decides to fight crime and is basically conscripted into being his butler.

    Really really good dumb fun comic stuff. BRING BACK the Voice!

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 100: THE BLACK MASK

    (Feature Comics 034, 1940)

    What is interesting about them? The Black Mask is about as basic as a mask-and-code-name guy can get, but he’s the only thing approaching a super-villain to fight the Voice, which gives me an excuse to talk about that very fun guy in the next entry.

    Also, 100 minor super-villains! Congratulations, Black Mask, it’s more honour than you deserve.