Characters That First Appeared in Surprising Places

[The Cheat]

Maybe this isn't a good example, as it wouldn't be in the least surprising to anyone here, but I wonder if there are younger readers who are surprised when they find that the Kingpin was once pretty much exclusively a Spider-Man villain and first appeared in that series?

It surprises me that people think of him as anything but. I assume you mean Daredevil? Thinking about it, I can see why some people would think that, but it'd never occurred to me before.

[Paradox]

Romero gets me picking on phrasing:

Deadpool in "New Mutants" of all places. The book was pretty well done by then, but still.

While I understand what you mean, I'm still compelled by snark to say that era was anything but "well done".

[Mormel]

<snip>

Mystique first appearing in an issue of Ms. Marvel...

<snip>

And on a similar note, Deathbird, who would grow into a major X-Men villain over the course of the 1980s and 1990s, made her debut in the pages of Ms. Marvel as well! While it is Mystique who was most commonly linked to Carol Danvers in '80s X-Men issues because of an old hatred she harboured toward Carol, I liked Deathbird's warrior-like rivalry with Carol most in that first solo title.

It surprises me that people think of him as anything but. I assume you mean Daredevil? Thinking about it, I can see why some people would think that, but it'd never occurred to me before.

While I don't read Daredevil, I was under the impression that the Kingpin had consistently been a Daredevil villain in the past couple of decades. It was mainly the Spider-Man animated series from the 90s that re-established the Kingpin as a major antagonist for Spidey. Both the times that Daredevil has appeared in film (the Affleck film and the Incredible Hulk TV Series special), he is pitted against the Kingpin as the main villain.

[The Cheat]

the Spider-Man animated series from the 90s

Well, along with the X-Men cartoon, this was my entryway into comics, so I think you've hit the nail on the head there. Guess I'm the one in the minority thinking he's a Spidey villain

[Phil Maurice]

The Crypt-Keeper: Crime Patrol
The Vault-Keeper: War Against Crime
Archie Andrews first appeared in PEP Comics, which seems natural now, but at the time PEP was primarily a super-hero book. Its covers routinely showcased bondage, torture, blood-drainage, Nazis, and more swastikas than the chest of an Aryan Brotherhood member!

[MRP]

Archie Andrews first appeared in PEP Comics, which seems natural now, but at the time PEP was primarily a super-hero book. Its covers routinely showcased bondage, torture, blood-drainage, Nazis, and more swastikas than the chest of an Aryan Brotherhood member!

You mean to say that's not typical for an issue of Archie? Well then why read it?

Actually I never knew that about PEP, I always assumed that since Archie debuted there it was similar in style and tone to the Archie comics I experienced as a kid.
-M

[Richard Bishop]

The New Warriors first appeared in Thor #411, which is sort of an odd place for a street-level team to be showing up.

[Reptisaurus!]

Deadpool in "New Mutants" of all places. The book was pretty well done by then, but still.

It's worth pointing out that this actually took place during Leifeld's tenure on the book - So "pretty well done" is a view that might not be commonly held among the greater fan community.

I haven't read any New Mutants after Bill S. left, so I can't judge. But there's a REASON I haven't read any New Mutants after Bill S. left.

[Gothos]

Although there are certain characters who first appeared exactly where I would have expected them to, when can be an entirely different matter. Deadshot debuted in 1951 - 25 years prior to his Englehart/Rogers appearances; Firefly is a Batman villain I associate with the 1980s/90s - what was he doing in an issue of Detective Comics from 1952? Harvey Bullock was used once in 1974 and given a second shot ten years later under the guidance of Doug Moench.

There are also classic characters who debuted simultaneously - Action Comics 252 is of course, the first appearance of Supergirl, but after a moment, you might recall the fact that this issue also features the first appearance of Metallo. Batman 49 presented Vicki Vale to the public in the same story in which the Mad Hatter made his debut.

On the subject of much delayed revivals, you have the largely expected revivals of all the wonky 1960s villains from Batman's "Silver Age" in the B&B cartoon "Legend of the Dark Mite." I'm going along as I watch, seeing all the usual suspect: Kite-Man, Polka Dot Man, Tiger Shark...

Tiger Shark? Who the bleep was Tiger Shark? I had to consult the Batman Encyclopedia to find out that this one-shot wonder had showed up in 1949. I don't even think his one Golden Age story has been reprinted, unless in one of the Archives I don't have yet.

No doubt the cartoon-writers did it just to one-up us hardcore fans...

[Aaron King]

It's worth pointing out that this actually took place during Leifeld's tenure on the book - So "pretty well done" is a view that might not be commonly held among the greater fan community.

I had assumed the original poster meant "well done" as "overcooked."

Like, "Shouldn't we take that steak off the grill and toss it? It's--it's pretty well done."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I got this new 'X-Force' sauce that'll make it taste good as new."

[Parch]

Surprising how frequently this has occurred. There were so many characters who were created just as a temp, especially villains, and then when it comes to creating a new regular writers would look back into history and think "hey, this guy was pretty cool" and a new star is born. Or rather reborn.

[stelok]

Spider-Man: Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962) was the last issue of the book.

Captain America: Captain America Comics #1 (March 1941). It was surprising that he debuted in his own eponymous book. Most Golden Age superheroes didn't debut in their own eponymous titles. Superrman debuted in Action Comics. Batman debuted in Detective Comics. Wonder Woman debuted in Sensation Comics. Captain Marvel debuted in Whiz Comics. Plastic Man debuted in Police Comics. Blackhawks debuted in Military Comics. Archie Andrews & Shield debuted in Pep Comics.

[Phil Maurice]

Captain America: Captain America Comics #1 (March 1941). It was surprising that he debuted in his own eponymous book. Most Golden Age superheroes didn't debut in their own eponymous titles. Superrman debuted in Action Comics. Batman debuted in Detective Comics. Wonder Woman debuted in Sensation Comics. Captain Marvel debuted in Whiz Comics. Plastic Man debuted in Police Comics. Blackhawks debuted in Military Comics. Archie Andrews & Shield debuted in Pep Comics.

Slight nit-pick: Wonder Woman actually makes her first appearance in All-Star Comics #8, but yeah, the anthology did seem to be the default (though there must have been other exceptions). I suppose the thinking was that if we throw enough heroes at the wall, one of them is bound to stick. I like to think of the anthology books as a sort of Ed Sullivan Show, a proving ground for new talent.

[Reptisaurus!]

Archie Andrews first appeared in PEP Comics, which seems natural now, but at the time PEP was primarily a super-hero book. Its covers routinely showcased bondage, torture, blood-drainage, Nazis, and more swastikas than the chest of an Aryan Brotherhood member!

This reminds me of another one - Richie Rich first appeared in Little Dot # 1.

[Phil Maurice]

. . .the anthology did seem to be the default (though there must have been other exceptions).

Bad form to reply to my own reply, I know. Nevertheless,

Looking through Mike Benton's Superhero Comics of the Golden Age, it appears that Amazing Man was the first hero to debut in a title named specifically for him: Amazing Man Comics #5.

#5? Yeah, near as I can tell the concensus seems to be that the title was a continuation from Motion Picture Funnies Weekly, but who knows (Kurt?)?

Some other heroes that debuted in their own mags include (in no particular order):

The Flash, National (1940)
Golden Lad, Spark/Fact & Fiction Publications (1945)
Blue Bolt, Novelty (1940)
Stuntman, Harvey (1946)
Yellowjacket, Charlton (1944)
Atoman, Spark Publications (1946)
U.S. Jones, Fox (1941)
The Bouncer, Fox (1944)*

Note that most of these books were anthologies, but named for the lead feature, unlike Captain America Comics. YMMV as to whether they count for the purposes of this discussion.

*Totally NOT what it sounds like. Has to be seen to be believed.