Showing posts with label superhero. Show all posts
Showing posts with label superhero. Show all posts

Monday, February 2, 2026

Nazi-Punchers STORMY FOSTER: THE GREAT DEFENDER "Castle of Kinga Korman"

Though He Primarily-Fought Japanese Spies and Saboteurs...

...West Coast-based "superhero on a budget" The Great Defender took on anyone who tried to interfere with America's homefront wartime efforts!

Shy timid drug store clerk Stormy Foster would don an outfit of t-shirt, gym shorts, track shoes and cape made out of a tablecloth, replace his glasses with a fake mustache, take a super-vitamin pill that gave him super-strength, speed, and limited invulnerability and jump into battle, as you'll now see...







You'll note that drug store delivery boy Ah Choo doesn't recognize co-worker Stormy as The Great Defender.
Either the "replace glasses with mustache" disguise is better than I thought or the writers of this never-reprinted story illustrated by Max Elkan from Quality's Hit Comics #21 (1942) just didn't care.
Stormy's strip ran in Hit Comics from 18 to 34 (1944).
He fought Nazis several more times before the series ended.
He's never been reprinted or revived in new material since!

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Monday, March 31, 2025

Nazi-Punchers / Twice-Told Tale FIREBIRD / BLACKOUT "Secret of the Valkyrie!"

He's a Colorful Nazi-Puncher...

...facing a Nazi woman warrior in a story that's both his first..and final...but not only...story!
Confused?
Keep reading!
"In all his checkered career..."
What "checkered career"?
This tale from Spotlight's Tailspin Comics #1 (1944) was FireBird's only appearance!
But it wasn't this story's first publication!
It's a "twice-told tale", which originally was the final appearance of an ongoing strip about a hero named BlackOut! in Holyoke's Cat-Man Comics #24 (1942).
Berlin-based American newspaper reporter Jack Wayne was arrested on Dec. 9, 1941, when the US declared war against Germany.
Tortured and blinded by the Gestapo, Jack was rescued by the German Resistance and brought to a doctor secretly aiding freedom-fighters, who provided him with a pair of experimental glasses which enabled him to see!
Though not an aviator, the multi-talented ex-reporter operated throughout Germany in Cat-Man Comics #10 through #24, proving equal to any challenge presented!
You'll note the last page of FireBird dropped the original final caption about the character's next appearance.
(Ironic since there weren't any BlackOut tales after this one!)
Plus, the story's splash page was considerably-modified to reflect the character's new phoenix-like name and motif by Spotlight Publications' art director LB Cole, who was noted for his use of color against solid black backgrounds!
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Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Holiday Heroes MARVEL TEAM-UP "Spider-Man and The Watcher in 'Small Miracles' " Conclusion


...attending Aunt May's Christmas party, Peter Parker discovers one of her friends, Arthur Chekov, in despair because his granddaughter, Bette didn't show up, and he's worried about her since he's her only surviving relative.

Peter attempts to console him when the webslinger's Spider-Sense goes off!
Excusing himself from the party, Peter goes to the darkened backyard to find...The Watcher...who says nothing, but hands him a glowing gem showing an image...of Chekov's grandaughter, Bette!
Taking this as a portent, Peter, now in costume, attempts to track down Bette, but can't!
Ol' Web-Head doen;t know how to proceed, when none other than the Star-Spangled Avenger himself, returing home via the rooftoops, finds him and offers to help...
Written by JM DeMatteis, penciled by Kerry Gamill, and inked by Mike Esposito, this never-reprinted Yuletide tale from Marvel Team-Up #127 (1983) offers a bit of insight into why the enigmatic Watcher doesn't just observe, but violates his race's version of the non-interference Prime Directive time and again, sometimes during Earth-shaking events, sometimes in matters affecting those who others might consider "unimportant".

Monday, December 16, 2024

Holiday Heroes MARVEL TEAM-UP "Spider-Man and The Watcher in 'Small Miracles' " Part 1

It's Christmas Eve in the MCU...
and a never-reprinted Yuletide tale from four decades ago is about to unfold!
Pay attention, True Believer...
Will Spider-Man rescue Bette in time?
Will the Star-Spangled Avenger pop up again?
Will The Watcher just stand around and watch?
The answers to these and other annoying questions will be found
TOMORROW!
(Because unless you read this story when it came out, or picked it up as a back issue, you don't know what happens!)

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

Thanksgiving Turkey SKATE MAN Conclusion

"Criminals are a superstious, cowardly lot...
....so my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts!"
Well, that didn't quite work out...
To avenge the death of his girlfriend by a biker gang, VietNam vet Billy Moon becomes a roller-skating vigilante...
And that's how the story ends, not even a epilogue setting up future issues!
We hope you enjoyed our Thanksgiving Turkey!