How Many Golden Age DC Costumed Heroes...

[Reptisaurus!]

Never appeared in All Star Squadron. If any.

I don't remember seeing Black Canary, ever, but I'm missing seven or eight issues.

[Cei-U!]

Unless the Canary time-traveled from the future, she couldn't be a Squadron member. Her career didn't start until 1947. As for those heroes who were active before Pearl Harbor, I don't remember seeing The Gay/Grim Ghost, The Ghost Patrol, The King or Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys in the book but I can't *swear* they didn't show up.

Cei-U!
Needs to finish his run, dagnabbit!

[gentlesatirist]

The Whip? The King? Sargon?

And was Congo Bill cosidered a true Golden Ager, at least in terms of "continuity"?

What about Mr. America? He was featured in the Golden Age miniseries, but was he ever a Squadron member?

And Lord knows Roy Thomas deserves a boatload of credit for making that series so enjoyable and doing so much research to make it so, but I don't know why he didn't utilize Quality Comics strongman Stormy Foster, if only for the name and costume value (a swell patriotic affair).

Maybe with Robotman and Steel he had the whole strongman angle covered...


- FE

[Reptisaurus!]

Unless the Canary time-traveled from the future, she couldn't be a Squadron member. Her career didn't start until 1947.


Huh. I didn't know that mattered. Interesting. (I thought Green Arrow debuted pretty late, too, and he and spedy made the cut.)

As for those heroes who were active before Pearl Harbor, I don't remember seeing The Gay/Grim Ghost, The Ghost Patrol, The King or Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys in the book but I can't *swear* they didn't show up.

Cei-U!
Needs to finish his run, dagnabbit!


Oh yeah. Little Boy Blue an' the Blue Boys were on my list. (I don't know the others.) Also I don't remember Ma Hunkel or her nephews showing up. Maybe they're just too dang silly?


The Whip?


Showed up, briefly. I was a big fan of the Whip as a kid, based on his, like, three panels in ASS. (Hee.)


The King?


I dunno who this is.

Sargon?


Wasn't he a Fawcett character? Did *any* of the Fawcett characters 'cept the Marvel Family show up? Bring on Ibis!

*snip*
What about Mr. America? He was featured in the Golden Age miniseries, but was he ever a Squadron member?


Huh. I kind of thought he was a retroactive Golden Ager, ala the 3-D man. But I could be wrong.

Did the Terrific Whatzit show up?

[T GUy]

Sargon the Sorcerer was DC. Here's a relevent extract from Don Markstein's Toonopedia entry (in full on the wibbly-wobbly web here (http://www.toonopedia.com/sargon.htm)):
This all happened in All-American Comics #26 (May, 1941), published by All-American Publications (which was affiliated with, and later a part of, DC Comics)...

Sargon remained in All-American for a couple of years, but was never one of the featured players. He lasted only until #50 (June, 1943... He also had a few stories in Comic Cavalcade, the anthology comic that featured the brightest of the publisher's stars... He next turned up in a crowd scene with Wildcat, Bulldog Drumhead, Hop Harrigan and many other All-American Publications characters on the cover of The Big All-American Comic Book, a 128-page oneshot that came out in 1944. Tho it was Sargon's only cover appearance, inside the comic he was nowhere to be found. Later that year, he transferred to the back pages of Sensation Comics, where he remained a few years, but he was gone by 1949.

...He did have an adventure or two with The All-Star Squadron, but then, practically every hero DC owned that was set in the '40s did that.

[Cei-U!]

Some random notes:

I don't remember if the Red Tornado appeared in the Sqadron series or not but I'm positive the Cyclone Kids (who were Ma's daughter Sisty and Scribbly's brother Dinky, not her nephews) didn't.

The Gay Ghost (later renamed the Grim Ghost for exactly the reason you think) debuted in Sensation Comics #1 and appeared through #38. He was the ghost of a 17th Century Scottish nobleman who used his supernatural powers to foil the Nazis.

The Ghost Patrol were three Allied aviators killed early in the war who remained on the mortal plane to avenge their deaths. The strip ran in Flash Comics and was played mostly for laughs.

The King was a master of disguise whose series ran in early issues of Flash Comics, beginning with #3.

Mr. America was indeed a genuine Golden Ager, debuting way back in Action Comics #1. Adventurer Tex Thompson adopted his costumed identity in #33 and changed his fighting name to the Americommando in #52. His last appearance was in #74.

Green Arrow and Speedy debuted in More Fun Comics #73, cover dated November '41 (which means it hit the stands in late August or early September) so, yes, they pre-date Pearl Harbor. It should be noted, however, that both Liberty Belle and Robotman originally premiered a few months after Pearl. Roy Thomas rearranged their timelines to include them in All-Star Squadron so the confusion over the Canary is understandable.

Finally, another heroine of the late '40s, Merry the Gimmick Girl, also did not appear in the Squadron title.

Cei-U!
I summon the deep breath!

[Sean Dulaney]

Sargon and (IIRC) Mr. America both showed up at the meeting that led into how the Quality heroes (that Thomas had been using on Earth-2) jumped over to Earth-X where they'd be found by the JLA and JSA in the 70's. The Whip also made the meeting I think.

Another "IIRC" would be Ma Hunkle's cameo as a war-time factory worker during the storyline that introduced Infinity Inc.

(Keeping fingers crossed that the JSA Classified book means we'll get to see the Fawcett characters as All Stars. I think Ordway had a few of them mention working with the group.)

[bones]

wasn't the gaurdian from metropolis considered a GA hero?

[Cei-U!]

wasn't the gaurdian from metropolis considered a GA hero?

Yup. He was the star of Simon and Kirby's long-running "Newsboy Legion" series that headlined Star Spangled Comics from #7 through #64 but it was the Earth-1 Guardian whose clone appeared in Kirby's Jimmy Olsen run. (And yes, there was a version on both Earths. Jim Harper, the Earth-1 Guardian, was the uncle of Roy Harper, the Earth-1 Speedy.)

He was, incidentally, the first comic character ever referred to as a "super-hero."

Cei-U!
I summon the pioneer!

[bones]

he was never part of ASS.

[Reptisaurus!]

Finally, another heroine of the late '40s, Merry the Gimmick Girl, also did not appear in the Squadron title.


Was this 'cause she didn't appear till after Pearl Harbor? Or did Roy (The man who reintroduced Hoppy the Marvel Bunny to the world, mind) feel she was too silly?

he was never part of ASS.

Yeah he was. (But not for very long.) It might have just been one panel, but there's TWO back-to-back double page spreads in one of the issues where every member shows up for Role-Call, and the Guardian is there. I think I counted 61 (!) costumed Adventurers in that one issue.

Sadly, I don't think the Newsboy Legion ever made it. Sidekicks in general seeemed to have trouble gettin' in. I don't remember ever seeing Rex the Wonder Dog or Woozy Winks, neither.

And, speaking of... Was Midnight an original Golden-Ager? Or was he just Roy's way of sneakin' the Spirit in.

[Cei-U!]

The Guardian was prominently featured in All-Star Squadron Annual #1 (see attachment) and in the Ultra-Humanite/Infinity Inc story arc. Yes, the Newsboys also appeared in thise issues.

Maybe this list will help clear up some of the confusion around who were or weren't true Golden Age characters:

Golden Age super-heroes originally published by DC/All-American comics

There is no point at which Aquaman, Batman and Robin, Green Arrow and Speedy, Superman, The Vigilante and Wonder Woman clearly segue from their Golden Age personae to the Silver Age versions. The cutoff points indicated are an approximation.

Air Wave
First Appearance: Detective Comics #60 (February 1942)
Solo Appearances: Detective Comics #60-137

Aquaman
First Appearance: More Fun Comics #73 (November 1941)
Solo Appearances: Adventure Comics #103-214; More Fun Comics #73-107; World’s Finest Comics #6

The Atom
First Appearance: All-American Comics #19 (October 1940)
JSA Appearances: All-Star Comics #3-26, 28-35, 37-57
Solo Appearances: All-American Comics #19-46, 48-61, 70-72; The Big All-American Comic Book #1; Comic Cavalcade #22-23, 28; Flash Comics #80, 82-83, 87, 88-95, 97-100, 102-104; Sensation Comics #86

Batman
First Appearance: Detective Comics #27 (May 1939)
JSA Appearances: All-Star Comics #7-8, 36
Solo Appearances: Batman #1-91; Detective Comics #27-219; New York World's Fair – 1940; Star-Spangled Comics #88-95, 112; World's Best Comics #1; World's Finest Comics #2-70

Black Canary
First Appearance: Flash Comics #86 (August 1947)
JSA Appearances: All-Star Comics #42-57
Solo Appearances: All-Star Comics #38-41; Comic Cavalcade #25; Flash Comics #86-88, 90-104

The Crimson Avenger
First Appearance: Detective Comics #20 (October 1938)
Seven Soldiers Appearances: Leading Comics #1-14
Solo Appearances: Detective Comics #20-89; World’s Best Comics #1; World’s Finest Comics #2-5

Doctor Fate
First Appearance: More Fun Comics #56 (June 1940)
JSA Appearances: All-Star Comics #3-13, 15-21
Solo Appearances: More Fun Comics #56-98

Doctor Mid-Nite
First Appearance: All-American Comics #22 (April 1941)
JSA Appearances: All-Star Comics #8-57
Solo Appearances: All-American Comics #22-99; All-Star Comics #6

Doctor Occult
First Appearance: New Fun Comics #6 (October 1935)
Solo Appearances: More Fun Comics #8-32; New Fun Comics #6-7

The Flash
First Appearance: Flash Comics #1 (January 1940)
JSA Appearances: All-Star Comics #3-7, 10, 24-57
Solo Appearances: All-American Comics #74; All-Flash Comics #1-32; All-Star Comics #1-2; The Big All-American Comic Book; Comic Cavalcade #1-29; Flash Comics #1-104; Flash Comics Wheaties Giveaway

The Gay/Grim Ghost
First Appearance: Sensation Comics #1 (January 1942)
Solo Appearances: Sensation Comics #1-38

The Ghost Patrol
First Appearance: Flash Comics #29 (May 1942)
Team Appearances: The Big All-American Comic Book; Flash Comics #29-104

The Gimmick Girl
First Appearance: Star Spangled Comics #81
Solo Appearances: Star Spangled Comics #81-86

Green Arrow and Speedy
First Appearance: More Fun Comics #73 (November 1941)
Seven Soldiers Appearances: Leading Comics #1-14
Solo Appearances: Adventure Comics #103-166; More Fun Comics #73-107; World’s Finest Comics #7-52

Green Lantern
First Appearance: All-American Comics #16 (July 1940)
JSA Appearances: All-Star Comics #3-7, 10, 24-57
Solo Appearances: All-American Comics #16-99; All-Flash #14; All-Star Comics #2; The Big All-American Comic Book; Comic Cavalcade #1-29; Green Lantern Comics #1-38

The Guardian and the Newsboy Legion
First Appearance: Star Spangled Comics #7 (April 1942)
Solo Appearances: Boy Commandos #1; Star Spangled Comics #7-64

Hawkgirl
First Appearance: (as Shiera Sanders) Flash Comics #1 (January 1940); (as Hawkwoman) All-Star Comics #5; (as Hawkgirl) Flash Comics #24 (December 1941)
Solo Appearances (in costume only): All-Star Comics #5, 8; The Big All-American Comic Book; Flash Comics #1-104; Flash Comics Wheaties Giveaway (all with Hawkman)

Hawkman
First Appearance: Flash Comics #1 (January 1940)
JSA Appearances: All-Star Comics #3-57
Solo Appearances: All-Star Comics #1-2; The Big All-American Comic Book; Flash Comics #1-104; Flash Comics Wheaties Giveaway

Hourman
First Appearance: Adventure Comics #48 (March 1940)
JSA Appearances: All-Star Comics #3-7
Solo Appearances: Adventure Comics #48-83; All-Star Comics #1-2; New York World's Fair - 1940

Johnny Quick
First Appearance: More Fun Comics #71 (September 1941)
Solo Appearances: Adventure Comics #103-207; More Fun Comics #71-107

Johnny Thunder
First Appearance: Flash Comics #1 (January 1940)
JSA Appearances: All-Star Comics #6-35, 37-39
Solo Appearances: All-Star Comics #2-5; The Big All-American Comic Book; Flash Comics #1-91; Flash Comics Wheaties Giveaway; World's Best Comics #1; World's Finest Comics #2-3

Justice Society of America
First Appearance: All-Star Comics #3 (Winter 1940-41)
Team Appearances: All-Star Comics #3-57

The King
First Appearance: Flash Comics #3 (March 1940)
Solo Appearances: Flash Comics #3-41

Liberty Belle
First Appearance: Boy Commandos #1 (Winter 1942-43)
Solo Appearances: Boy Commandos #1; Star Spangled Comics #20-68

Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys
First Appearance: Sensations Comics #1 (January 1942)
Team Appearances: The Big All-American Comic Book; Sensation Comics #1-92

Manhunter
First Appearance: Adventure Comics #73 (May 1942)
Solo Appearances: Adventure Comics #73-92

Mister America, aka the Americommando
First Appearance: (as Tex Thompson) Action Comics #1 (June 1938); (as Mr. America), Action Comics #33 (February 1941); (as Americommando), Action Comics #52 (September 1942)
Solo Appearances: (as Tex Thomson) Action Comics #1-32; (as Mr. America) Action Comics #33-51; (as Americommando) Action Comics #52-74

Mister Terrific
First Appearance: Sensation Comics #1 (January 1942)
JSA Appearances: All-Star Comics #24
Solo Appearances: The Big All-American Comic Book, Sensation Comics #1-63

The Red Tornado
First Appearance: (as Ma Hunkel) All-American Comics #1 (April 1939); (as the Tornado) All-American Comics #20 (November 1940)
Solo Appearances (in costume only): All-American Comics #20-59; All-Star Comics #3; Comic Cavalcade #3, 7

Robin the Boy Wonder
First Appearance: Detective Comics #38 (April 1940)
Solo Appearances: Star-Spangled Comics #65-87, 96-111, 113-130

Robotman
First Appearance: Star Spangled Comics #7 (April 1942)
Solo Appearances: Detective Comics #138-202; Star Spangled Comics #7-82

The Sandman
First Appearance: New York World's Fair – 1939
JSA Appearances: All-Star Comics #3-21
Solo Appearances: Adventure Comics #40-102; All-Star Comics #1-2; Boy Commandos #1; Detective Comics #76; New York World's Fair – 1939, 1940; World's Finest Comics #3-7

Sandy the Golden Boy
First Appearance: Adventure Comics #69
Solo Appearances: Adventure Comics #69-102; All-Star Comics #?; Boy Commandos #1; Detective Comics #76; World's Finest Comics #3-7

Sargon the Sorceror
First Appearance: All-American Comics #26 (May 1941)
Solo Appearances: All-American Comics #26-50, 70; Comic Cavalcade #3-6, 14; Green Lantern #37; Sensation Comics #34-36, 52-83

The Seven Soldiers of Victory
First Appearance: Leading Comics #1 (Winter 1941-42)
Team Appearances: Leading Comics #1-14

The Shining Knight
First Appearance: Adventure Comics #66 (September 1941)
Seven Soldiers Appearances: Leading Comics #1-14
Solo Appearances: Adventure Comics #66-166

The Spectre
First Appearance: More Fun Comics #52 (February 1940)
JSA Appearances: All-Star Comics #3-23
Solo Appearances: All-Star Comics #1-2; More Fun Comics #52-101

Starman
First Appearance: Adventure Comics #61 (April 1941)
JSA Appearances: All-Star Comics #8-23
Solo Appearances: Adventure Comics #61-102

The Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy
First Appearance: Action Comics #40 (September 1941)
Seven Soldiers Appearances: Leading Comics #1-14
Solo Appearances: Action Comics #40; Star-Spangled Comics #1-86 (#83-86 without Stripesy); World’s Finest Comics #6-18

Superman
First Appearance: Action Comics #1 (June 1938)
JSA Appearances: All-Star Comics #7-8, 36
Solo Appearances: Action Comics #1-139; New York World's Fair - 1939, 1940; Superman #1-61; Superman's Christmas Adventure 1; World's Best Comics #1; World's Finest Comics #2-43

To be continued...

[Cei-U!]

Tarantula
First Appearance: Star Spangled Comics #1 (October 1941)
Solo Appearances: Star Spangled Comics #1-19

TNT and Dan the Dyna-Mite
First Appearance: World’s Finest Comics #5 (Spring 1942)
Solo Appearances: Star Spangled Comics #7-23; World’s Finest Comics #5

The Vigilante
First Appearance: Action Comics #42 (November 1941)
Seven Soldiers appearances: Leading Comics #1-14
Solo Appearances: Action Comics #42-157; Detective Comics #140; Western Comics #1-4

The Whip
First Appearance: Flash Comics #1 (January 1940)
Solo Appearances: The Big All-American Comic Book; Flash Comics #1-55; Sensation Comics #43

Wildcat
First Appearance: Sensation Comics #1 (January 1942)
JSA Appearances: All-Star Comics #24, 27
Solo Appearances: The Big All-American Comic Book; Comic Cavalcade #1-2; Sensation Comics #1-90

Wonder Woman
First Appearance: All-Star Comics #8 (December 1941)
JSA Appearances: All-Star Comics #12-22, 24-57
Solo Appearances: All-Star Comics #8, 11; The Big All-American Comic Book; Comic Cavalcade #1-29; Sensation Comics #1-101; Wonder Woman #1-46

Zatara the Magician
First Appearance: Action Comics #1 (June 1938)
Solo Appearances: Action Comics #1-141; New York World’s Fair – 1939; World’s Best Comics #1; World’s Finest Comics #2-5, 7, 10, 12, 15-16, 19, 23-27, 29-31, 33, 37

Golden Age super-heroes originally published by Quality Comics
Only those characters appearing in All-Star Squadron story are listed.

The Black Condor
First Appearance: Crack Comics #1 (May 1940)
Solo Appearances: Crack Comics #1-31; Uncle Sam Quarterly #2

The Blackhawks
First Appearance: Military Comics #1 (August 1941)
Team Appearances: Blackhawk #9-107; Military Comics #1-43; Modern Comics #44-102

Captain Triumph
First Appearance: Crack Comics #27 (January 1943)
Solo Appearances: Crack Comics #27-62

Doll Man
First Appearance: Feature Comics #27 (December 1939)
Solo Appearances: Doll Man #1-47; Feature Comics #27-139

Firebrand
First Appearance: Police Comics #1 (August 1941)
Solo Appearances: Police Comics #1-13

The Human Bomb
First Appearance: Police Comics #1 (August 1941)
Solo Appearances: Police Comics #1-58

The Invisible Hood, aka Invisible Justice
First Appearance: Smash Comics #1 (August 1939)
Solo Appearances: Smash Comics #1-32

The Jester
First Appearance: Smash Comics #22 (May 1941)
Solo Appearances: Smash Comics #22-85

Magno
First Appearance: Smash Comics #13 (August 1940)
Solo Appearances: Smash Comics #13-21

Manhunter
First Appearance: Police Comics #8 (March 1942)
Solo Appearances: Police Comics #8-101

Midnight
First Appearance: Smash Comics #18 (January 1941)
Solo Appearances: Smash Comics #18-85

Miss America
First Appearance: Military Comics #1 (August 1941)
Solo Appearances: Military Comics #1-7

Neon the Unknown
First Appearance: Hit Comics #1
Solo Appearances: Hit Comics #1-17; Uncle Sam Quarterly #2

Phantom Lady
First Appearance: Police Comics #1 (August 1941)
Solo Appearances: Feature Comics #69-71; Police Comics #1-23

Plastic Man
First Appearance: Police Comics #1 (August 1941)
Solo Appearances: Hit Comics #32; Plastic Man #1-52; Police Comics #1-102

Quicksilver
First Appearance: National Comics #5 (November 1940)
Solo Appearances: National Comics #5-73; Uncle Sam Quarterly #2

The Ray
First Appearance: Smash Comics #14 (September 1940)
Solo Appearances: Smash Comics #14-40; Uncle Sam Quarterly #2

The Red Bee
First Appearance: Hit Comics #1 (July 1940)
Solo Appearances: Hit Comics #1-24; Uncle Sam Quarterly #2

The Red Torpedo
First Appearance: Crack Comics #1 (May 1940)
Solo Appearances: Crack Comics #1-20

The Spider
First Appearance: Crack Comics #1 (May 1940)
Solo Appearances: Crack Comics #1-30

Uncle Sam
First Appearance: National Comics #1 (July 1940)
Solo Appearances: National Comics #1-45; Uncle Sam Quarterly #1-8

Cei-U!
I summon the rest of the story!

[T GUy]

There is no point at which Aquaman, Batman and Robin, Green Arrow and Speedy, Superman, The Vigilante and Wonder Woman clearly segue from their Golden Age personae to the Silver Age versions. Hey, K-Bolt, call me picky, but I'd say that ending in Action 157 in June, 1951 means you're a Golden Age version and there is no segue into a Silver Age version of The Vigilante. The next version, I'd say, is the Bronze Age version in Adventure Comics - or maybe the Bronze Age version in World's Finest Comics.

[InfoBroker]

<* showing my DC continuity is nowheres near as complete as my Marvel Silver Age continuity*>

Why? What happens in Action 157?

-jb the "appreciative of Kurt's lists" ib :cool:

[T GUy]

What happens in Action 157?Last Vigilante strip in Action, as listed by Kurt the K-Bolt upthread.

Luckilly, I've just gone and checked this on the GCD. I'm wrong: the Vigilante continues in Action beyond 157: Kurt merely meant that 157 was the last EarthII/Golden Age Vig story.

That'll teach me to jump to conclusions.

[zilch]

Captain Triumph never appeared in the series proper, but Roy was set to include him when it got around to him, chronologically speaking.

Good work on the listing Kurt, but...

Right off the bat, i noticed that Grim Ghost missed a couple of issues in his Sensation Comics run towards the end, and i think he appeared in Comic Cavalcade (#3 i think) and maybe Big All-American or was he gone by then??

Always thought the Grim Ghost could make a comeback, hopefully involved in a case clearing Capt. Triumph of the murder charge in Titans???

[gentlesatirist]

...appeared as one of the photos on the cover of ASSquadron #1. There's a big conversation in a recent issue of Alter Ego between Roy Thomas and Rich Buckler, discussing how Starman was left off in favor of the good Captain.

I can still recall buying that issue back in 1980 (or '81?) thinking "Who's Captain Triumph?" I thought my 9-year-old brain already had absorbed all possible knowledge of the Golden Age of Comics.


- FE
Wickliffe OH

[Cei-U!]

Good work on the listing Kurt, but...

Right off the bat, i noticed that Grim Ghost missed a couple of issues in his Sensation Comics run towards the end, and i think he appeared in Comic Cavalcade (#3 i think) and maybe Big All-American or was he gone by then??


Since the Gay Ghost doesn't appear in the Earth-2 canon, my notes on his (and a few others') GA appearances aren't as thorough as those for, say, the JSA. Thanks for the heads up.

And, no, he's not in TBAACB but neither is Doctor Mid-Nite and his strip was still running. Also Sargon, Johnny Thunder's Thunderbolt and Red, White and Blue appear on the cover but not in the interior pages.

Cei-U!
I summon the MIA lightning!