Russkie Smashers HUMAN TORCH COMICS "Rekindling the Flame of Confidence!"

Besides Catching (and Sometimes French-Frying) Russkie Spies...

...the Human Torch and his teen partner Toro occasionally have to render aid to the American military in other. somewhat more unique, ways!

The Human Torch displays a power/ability in this story by writer Hank Chapman, penciler Dick Ayers, and inker Ernie Bache that he never used before...the ability to move at super-speed, thus appearing invisible to the naked eye!
Maybe because this tale from Atlas' Human Torch #38 (1954) was the final appearance of the character in the 1950s, editor Stan Lee let the introduction of a totally-new ability go without trying to keep the character within established continuity!

Support Hero Histories!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Marvel MasterWorks

Atlas-Era Heroes

Volume 2

(which features this tale)
Paid Link

Nazi-Punchers SPACE WESTERN COMICS "Spurs Jackson and His Space Vigilantes in 'Tomorrow the Universe' "

We Have Already Seen...

Note: Curiously, there's no mention of the Martians, including their (of course) beautiful princess, Spurs and the Space Vigilantes had already encountered in previous stories!

Yeah, it's just business as usual for Spurs and his crew!

Written by Walter (The Shadow) Gibson and illustrated by Stan Campbell, this never-reprinted, beyond bonkers, tale from Charlton's Space Western Comics #45 (1953) was part of a pop culture trend in sci-fi fantasy that included movies like They Saved Hitler's Brain, and even a Twilight Zone episode, "He Lives!"

Nazi-Punchers SPACE WESTERN COMICS "Spurs Jackson and His Space Vigilantes in 'Madman of Mars' "

You've seen Cowboys and Indians, Even Cowboys and Aliens...

...but cowboys and Nazis...in outer space???

To Be Concluded, Appropriately, Tomorrow!

Written by Walter (The Shadow) Gibson and illustrated by Stan Campbell, this never-reprinted, beyond bonkers, tale from Charlton's Space Western Comics #44 (1953) was part of a pop culture trend about Adolf Hitler surviving to the (then) present in sci-fi fantasy that included movies like They Saved Hitler's Brain, and even a Twilight Zone episode, "He Lives!"
The comic itself, a mashup of Western cliches and the flying saucer fad of the 1950s set in the then-present, ran only six wacky issues before reverting to its' original title, Cowboy Western Comics!
As for how cowboy rancher (and US government vendor) Spurs Jackson ended up in outer space, well, you can read the beginning of his stellar saga HERE!

(You know you want to!)

Nazi-Punchers CAPTAIN SCIENCE "Traitors to the Earth!"

It was only his second story, and already Captain Science had his hands full...

...any way you look at it, it's a helluva way to begin your career!

Cap destroyed a threat by other humans (including Adolf Hitler) using alien tech and picked up a hot babe in the process!

Not bad for the second gig in his career!
Note, though it's only mentioned in a caption, it takes Gordon Dane months to prepare for his new career (though it's never explained how a guy on a teacher's salary can afford to cobble together the equipment he needs)...

The art on this never-reprinted story from Youthful's Captain Science #1 (1950)  is by Gustav Schrotter.
The writer is unknown.

Support Hero Histories

Visit Amazon and Buy...

Science Fiction Comics

Taylor History of Comics

Vol 3
Paid Link

Russkie Smashers BOBBY BENSON'S B-BAR-B RIDERS "Lemonade Kid in 'Invisible Death!' "

Spurs Jackson wasn't the only present-day cowboy to fight Russkies...

...or Russkies in fake flying saucers!

Tex Mason and Harka were supporting characters in the Mutual Network's Bobby Benson's B-Bar-B Riders radio show, which this comic series was based on!
Mason was the B-Bar-B Ranch foreman and Harka was one of the ranch hands.
However, the comic expanded the characters' roles making them undercover FBI special agents, which their employer, Bobby Benson, was unaware of!
Note: As you might expect, Bobby didn't recognize The Lemonade Kid as Tex when he ran into him whenever he was in costume!
This particular story from Magazine Enterprises' Bobby Benson's B-Bar-B Riders #3 (1950) was illustrated by Bob Powell and likely written by Gardner Fox.
Powell had quite a bit of experience with flying saucers in 1950, illustrating them in a one-shot comic about a hotshot test pilot finding an alien ship in Vic Torry and His Flying Saucer, as well as a story featuring the pulp/radio character The Shadow encountering REAL aliens in flying saucers!

Russkie Smashers SUB-MARINER "Unseen Scourge of the Sea"

Artist Bob Powell Illustrated Two Prince Namor Stories...

...during the 1950s revival of the Timely's Top Trio (Captain America, The Human Torch, and the Sub-Mariner)!

However, despite having done several Subby stories during the Golden Age, Powell's renderings here lack something...

Figure out what's wrong with Bob Powell's version of Namor from Atlas' Mens' Adventures #27 (1954)?

He's totally-missing his ankle wings!

And his ears appear to have been "bobbed" from their usual elfen points!

Why?

I'm not sure.

There are rumors from the period of a potential live-action TV series, and doing both the ankle wings and the ears on a weekly basis (especially with a character who spends a lot of time in the water) was problematic considering the limited makeup SFX available at the time.

At any rate, only Powell's two stories from the period have this quirky "look"!

Russkie-Smashers CAPTAIN AMERICA "Captain America Strikes!"

 Wherever the Red Menace Threatens America...

...(even overseas) there will be be a Captain America and Bucky to combat them!

Written by Don Rico (who was also quite an illustrator himself) and illustrated by hot up-and-comer John Romita Jr (whatever became of him?) this tale from the first issue of Cap's revived comic (#76 in 1954) has him back in the military, though he was already shown to be an honorably-discharged civilian in his 1950s return to comics post-World War II in Atlas' Young Men #24 (1953)...which was also written by this story's scripter, Don Rico!

Whether it was editorial sloppiness in dropping a line about an "honor guard of retired heroic soldiers" or that the story was set post-WWII, but before Steve Rogers was discharged, we'll never know!

New WWII flashback stories about Cap & Bucky were a major part of their Silver Age run in Tales of Suspense, giving context to present-day tales that often were direct sequels!

And there were no Silver-Age references (or reprints) of the 1950s CA&B since, according to editor Stan Lee...they never happened in official Marvel continuity!

But that began to change in 1968, when elements of the 1950s stories began to creep into Silver Age stories as shown HERE!

Support Hero Histories

Visit Amazon and Buy...

Decades

Marvel in the '50s

Captain America Strikes!

(Which reprints this story)

Paid Link