Russkie-Smashers PLASTIC MAN "Dazzla, Daughter of Darkness!"

Behind this cover by penciler Charles Nicholas and inker Chuck Cuidera...

...lurks a pretty kool tale of Commie menace written and illustrated by Plaz's creator, Jack Cole!

This story appeared in Quality's Plastic Man #53 (1955).

But it's actually a reprint, since the tale first appeared in Quality's Plastic Man #30 (1951).

There's no re-working/re-editing required by the Comics Code as was done to some other Plaz tales such as the one shown HERE!

So why did we run the reprint?

Because the tale wasn't cover-featured during initial publication, but was the second time around!

There is method to our madness!

Support Hero Histories

Visit Amazon and Order...

Plastic Man 80-Page Giant

Featuring classic tales from each of his eras (Golden Age/Silver Age/Bronze Age)

Paid Link

NoKo Crushers COMBAT CASEY "Atomic Warfare"

Since it's Veteran's Day...

...let's look at how our comic book military viewed a possible atomic war in the 1950s against the Communist NoKos (aka North Koreans)!

WTF???

Admittedly, in 1954, when Combat Casey #19 was published by Atlas (later Marvel), scientific analysis of actual a-bomb explosions was limited, but I find it hard to believe that this was the cutting-edge of nuclear knowledge as presented in this never-reprinted story by artist Robert Q Sale and an unknown writer!

Then again...maybe it was, as detailed by this legendary character...

Russkie-Smashers CRUSADER FROM MARS "Death in the Soil"

Lars of Mars wasn't the only Jerry Siegel co-created character to battle Russkies!

..There was also this guy, who was the Red Planet's only felon in half a century!

Illustrated by Henry Sharp, and written by editor Jerry (Superman) Siegel, the second story from Ziff-Davis' Crusader from Mars #1 (1952) continues the theme that the major example of "Evil on Earth" Tarka and Zira must battle is Communism!

BTW, isn't it a shame there was never a Lars/Crusader crossover?

Support Hero Histories

Visit Amazon and Buy...

Pre-Code Classics

Lars of Mars / Crusader from Mars

Paid Link

Russkie-Smashers OPERATION: PERIL "Time Travelers in 'Nostradamus!' "

This Wild Series From the Cold War Era...

...which appeared in the AGC adventure anthology Operation: Peril combined Russkie spies, time travel...and the prophecies of Nostradamus!

Operation: Peril was a multi-genre anthology featuring on-going strips about time travel (as seen above), a hard-boiled private eye (Danny Danger), and high adventure in the Pacific (Typhoon Tyler), as well as a historical short story in each issue.

Though Time Travelers didn't appear on the first few covers, by issue #4, they took over the cover spot until their final appearance in #12, after which the book changed focus and became a war comic for the remainder of the run.
But the Russkie spy aspect in TT only lasted for a couple of issues!

This premiere tale from Operation: Peril #1 (1950) was written by Richard Hughes and illustrated by Ken Bald.

October Is Halloween Month Here at Hero Histories!

But That Doesn't Mean the Russkie-Smashing and ChiCom-Crushing is Stopping!

It Just Means We're Gonna Let Monsters Do It!

Be Here Next Monday as We Introduce

Commie-Crushing Kaiju!

Russkie-Smashers SUB-MARINER "and the Secret Tunnel!"

While Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner is easily one of the most powerful Timely/Atlas/Marvel heroes...

...he ain't one of the brightest...or is he???

Written and illustrated by Subby's creator, Bill Everett, this tale from Atlas' Sub-Mariner Comics #40 (1955) was a classic example of the tricksters themselves being tricked!

Support Hero Histories

Visit Amazon and Order

Atlas-Era Heroes Masterworks Volume 3
Sub-Mariner 
Paid Link

Russkie-Smashers CRUSADER FROM MARS "Mission Through Space"

Lars of Mars wasn't the only Jerry (Superman) Siegel co-created Martian to battle Russkies!

Art by Allen Anderson

This guy, along with a female "friend and companion" was sent to Earth to do similar work...but for a very different reason!

If I follow the "logic" of this concept correctly, the Martians send a proven murderer (along with someone who may be either an accessory to murder or an innocent who had nothing to do with the crime except having a murderer obsessed with her) to fight evil on Earth.
Send a convicted killer with emotional control issues (and advanced weaponry) to a primitive planet and tell him to clean it up?
And then, when he screws up. send a fleet of flying saucers in to straighten out the mess.
(Martians apparently don't have a non-interference Prime Directive.)
Also note that the American military seems to be made up of idiot bureaucrats!
The writer for this premiere tale from Crusader from Mars #1 (1952) is unknown, but probably is the book's editor, Jerry (Superman) Siegel, who co-created another short-lived Martian crime-fighter, Lars of Mars, the year before.

The artist is believed to be Marvin Stein, but the layouts have a strong Jack Kirby feel to them.
Considering Stein was doing a lot of work for the Simon/Kirby studio at the time, and Jack was reputed to be very generous in terms of helping his friends, it seems likely he provided roughs for Stein to render full pencils and inks over.
BTW, you may note that Tarka wears a very Superman-style costume in this tale, but on the cover, and in the next (and last) issue, the colors are reversed.

Support Hero Histories

Visit Amazon and Buy...

Pre-Code Classics

Lars of Mars / Crusader from Mars

Paid Link