GENERIC COSTUMED VILLAIN ROUND-UP 015

GENERIC COSTUMED VILLAIN ROUND-UP 015

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It’s time for another round with the guys in the masks. A radio announcer who tries to poison all of Inland City with chlorine gas for unclear reasons. Ends up blowing himself up while tangling with heroic pilot Captain Steve Ransom. (Keen Detective Funnies v2 006, 1939) This unnamed fellow takes the cake for audaciousness: his racket is drug smuggling and though traditionally one wants to keep a low profile while attempting to move controlled substances from place to place…

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MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 654: THE BRAIN

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 654: THE BRAIN

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(Green Mask v1 003, 1940) Despite the fact that when he shows up the Green Mask shouts his name in shocked surprise like they’re old enemies, the Brain is not in fact the main antagonist of the story he appears in, which is concerned with a fellow named Dudley Carstairs who has made some bad business decisions and has decided that his best option going forward is to kill his niece and steal her large diamond. During the course of…

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MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 653: RADION

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 653: RADION

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(Green Mask v1 003, 1940) Radion first comes to the attention of the Green Mask and Domino the Miracle Boy when he makes an attempt on the life of their beloved laundry delivery boy, Jerry. After much running around after the hooded mastermind and his gang and multiple concussions for both of our heroes, Radion is eventually unmasked as… Jerry’s boss, Mr Pelson. There are two things to take away from this: 1) The increased chance of being a super-villain…

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MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 652: THE GRIM CIRCLE

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 652: THE GRIM CIRCLE

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(Green Mask v1 001, 1940) The Grim Circle! A mysterious hooded group responsible not only for killing the Green Mask’s father but also for causing the injury that leads to the creation of the Green Mask himself! And the creation of Domino the Miracle Boy a bit later in the issue! Truly they are the engines of their own destruction. SIDE NOTE: Criminals targeting politicians for introducing tough-on-crime legislation is a trope in various media to this very day. I…

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MINOR SUPER-HERO ROUND-UP 027

MINOR SUPER-HERO ROUND-UP 027

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Guess what? More minor super-heroes, that’s what. the Black Arrow: Black Arrow, aka Rex Norton, is a detective/pilot, ho-hum. As per standard he has a great codename. (Green Giant Comics 001, 1940) the Researcher: A dapper super-scientist armed with x-ray flashlights, paralysis-inducing walking sticks and mind-reading rays. Perhaps the most charming thing about him is that everyone from his enemies to his friends to his lab assistant/love interest refer to him solely as “the Researcher.” (Green Giant Comics 001, 1940)…

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MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 651: THE RAIDERS

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 651: THE RAIDERS

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(Green Giant Comics 001, 1940) The Raiders are a piratical group with a two-pronged approach to acquiring gold on the briny deep:  1. learn of  gold shipments via a spy network operated by a member known only as “the Spy Chief” 2. employ the super-scientific creations of submarine captain Dirck to wreak havoc on gold bearing ships and then escape. The whole thing is going swimmingly and even Rex Norton, the Black Arrow, is making very little headway against them…

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MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 650: RANGO OF SLAVONIA/ MINOR SUPER-HERO: THE MASTER MYSTIC

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 650: RANGO OF SLAVONIA/ MINOR SUPER-HERO: THE MASTER MYSTIC

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(Green Giant Comics 001, 1940) We join Rango, a science villain of some description, after he has failed to conquer Europe. His next move: total destruction. After absolutely devastating a city in what is probably Slavonia, Rango heads for the United States by the simple expedient of swimming across the Atlantic. And now we encounter the main attraction, Master Mystic! What a character! Master Mystic is very much ahead of his time, both in his art style and degree of…

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MINOR SUPER-HERO ROUND-UP 026

MINOR SUPER-HERO ROUND-UP 026

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Just look at all these guys. Power-Man: Power-Man, aka Rip Regan, private detective or possibly just nosy guy, gets his powers in one of the classic ways: his friend Dr Austin gives him a special suit. It’s the simplest of origins and also one that puts a lot of weight on Austin’s assessment of Regan’s character. The Power-Man suit is one of the more hand-wavy bits of comic book super-science I have encountered, when you get down to it. Billed…

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MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 649: THE MONSTER

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 649: THE MONSTER

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(Funny Pages v4 008, 1940) Betty Thomas is the recipient of the sort of inheritance that seems to be aimed at causing trouble: her uncle Henry has left her a fortune, provided that she is of sound mind thirty days after the will reading. If she isn’t, the money goes to a secondary inheritor. This is of course the cue for someone to employ a huge hook-handed goon and start a nightly campaign of terror designed to drive her out…

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PROBLEMATIC ROUND-UP 002

PROBLEMATIC ROUND-UP 002

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Once again I present the worst that comics has to offer. The Great Green Turtle: The Great Green Turtle is just your standard Yellow Peril Chinatown ganglord, albeit one with a fantastic name. He does try to throw Sub-Zero, a man with ice powers, into a shark tank so we can safely say that he is not a villain with fantastic intelligence. His gem-smuggling ring gets thoroughly kiboshed. (Blue Bolt v1 004, 1940) The Lama: The Lama is a bandit…

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