Red Raven Comics #1

(August 1940)

Become a Stamp Collector (Table of Contents)

Frasek Company / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Letters:

typeset

Indexer Notes

Inside front cover.

[The Origin of the Red Raven] (Table of Contents)

Red Raven / comic story / 17 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Joe Simon

Pencils:

Louis Cazeneuve

Inks:

Louis Cazeneuve

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Red Raven (introduction, origin); Andreva (introduction); Zeelmo (villain, introduction, death); Ratoga (villain, introduction, death)

Synopsis:

A small child is the only survivor of a crash on the floating island of the Bird-Men. Their King raises him and sends him back into his world with a gift of artificial wings on his 20th birthday as the Red Raven. Once in the human world, he fights the demons Zeelmo and Ratoga who are draining the world of its gold.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Golden Age of Marvel (Marvel, 1997 series) #2 (1999)

Indexer Notes

The Red Raven next appears in a story in X-Men (1963 series) #44.

In the spot where the "next issue" blurb usually appears there is instead a blurb for the Human Torch vs Sub-Mariner battle in the upcoming Marvel Mystery Comics #9.

[The Origin of the Human Top] (Table of Contents)

Human Top / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Dick Briefer ? [as Dun Barr] (signed)

Pencils:

Dick Briefer [as RHB] (signed in the last panel)

Inks:

Dick Briefer [as RHB] (signed in the last panel)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

The Human Top [Bruce Bravelle] (introduction, origin); Martha Davis (introduction); Horace Vanderveer (villain, introduction)

Synopsis:

A scientist is experimenting on Bruce Bravelle with electricity when lightning strikes, giving Bruce the ability to become a Human Top. He dons a costume and thwarts a bank robbery, but is then accused of being a thief when the head of the bank fails to re-deposit the money that the Top returned to him.

Reprints:

• in The Complete Jack Kirby (Pure Imagination, 1997 series) #1940-1941 [2] (1997)
• in Complete Jack Kirby (Pure Imagination, 1997 series) #2 [splash page only]

Indexer Notes

next appearance in Tough Kid Squad (Marvel, 1942 series) #1
The "next issue" blurb instead tells the reader to follow their favorite characters every month in Marvel Comics.

Mercury In the 20th Century (Table of Contents)

Mercury / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Martin A. Burstein [as Martin A. Bursten] (signed)

Pencils:

Jack Kirby

Inks:

Jack Kirby

Colors:

?

Letters:

Jack Kirby

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Mercury (introduction, origin); Pluto (villain, introduction); Jupiter (introduction); Minerva (introduction); Vulcan (introduction); Aeolus (introduction); Diana (introduction); Apollo (introduction); Heinrich Goertz (villain, introduction); L-5 [Thea Shilhausen] (villain, introduction)

Synopsis:

Jupiter considers who he can send to save the world from Pluto's machinations, and settles on his son Mercury. After declaring his intentions to Pluto (who is masquerading as Rudolph Hendler, leader of Prussialand), Mercury blocks torpedos, intercepts marching orders and evades the traps of Hendler's lackeys as he brings the course of war to a halt.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Marvel Super-Heroes (Marvel, 1967 series) #14 (May 1968)
• in Marvel Visionaries: Jack Kirby (Marvel, 2004 series) #1 ([October] 2004)
• in Complete Jack Kirby (Pure Imagination, 1997 series) #1

Indexer Notes

Mercury possibly next appears as Hurricane in Captain America Comics (Marvel, 1941 series) #1.
Kirby letters ID by Greg Theakston.
A small "next issue" blurb promotes the Human Torch vs Sub-Mariner battle in Marvel Comics.

The Death Switch (Table of Contents)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Herbert J. Martin (signed)

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

[Race To Jupiter] (Table of Contents)

Comet Pierce / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Jack Kirby

Inks:

Jack Kirby

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

science fiction

Characters:

Comet Pierce (introduction); Avis Jort (villain, introduction); Queen Larania (introduction); Murfi (introduction)

Synopsis:

When Comet Pierce crash-lands on an asteroid during a race he is rescued by a mysterious woman who gifts him with a powerful new engine and declares her love. After winning the race, Comet sets out to search the solar system for his beautiful benefactor.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in The Complete Jack Kirby (Pure Imagination, 1997 series) #1 1917-1940 (1997)

Indexer Notes

The space for the "next issue" exhorts the reader to buy Mystic Comics #4 instead.

["Here that! Drive slowly around town."] (Table of Contents)

Officer O'Krime / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

humor

Characters:

Officer O'Krime (introduction); Officer Moiphy (introduction)

Synopsis:

Officer O'Krime is easily tricked into helping some thieves rob a bank and make their getaway.

Indexer Notes

next appears in Daring Mystery Comics (Marvel, 1940 series) #7

Re-Creator of Souls (Table of Contents)

Magar the Mystic / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

occult

Characters:

Magar (introduction, origin); Solomon (ghost); Mata Hari (ghost); Houdini (ghost, spelled Houdine); Napoleon (ghost); Wellington (ghost); Thomas Edison (ghost, spelled Edisan)

Synopsis:

Having gained the power to summon the ghosts of the dead to aid him, Magar sets out to end the wars he sees raging around him. Solomon advises him to aid the cause of Democracy, Mata Hari spies out the enemy plans, Houdine helps Magar escape, and Napolean, Wellington and Edisan help the Allies defeat their enemies.

Indexer Notes

A panel-sized "next issue" blurb instead advertises "The Battle of the Comic Century! FIRE vs WATER" in Marvel Comics, with head shots of the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner.

[Origin of the Eternal Brain] (Table of Contents)

Eternal Brain / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Robert Louis Golden

Inks:

Robert Louis Golden

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

science fiction

Characters:

The Eternal Brain [Professor Carmody] (introduction, origin); Mary Carmody (his daughter, introduction; Jim (his assistant, introduction); Peg-Leg Martin (villain, introduction, death), The Mongolian Emperor (villain, introduction, death)

Synopsis:

Professor Carmody is fatally wounded when Peg-Leg Martin's men abduct his daughter Mary to be a slave of the Emperor of Mongolia. He instructs a reluctant Jim to operate on him and becomes the Eternal Brain. Using his new abilities to see around the globe, the Brain locates Mary and sends Jim to rescue her, but Mary is furious with Jim for turning her father into the Eternal Brain.

Indexer Notes

Who's Who lists either Golden or Mike Roy as doing both pencils and inks for this feature. However, the art does not look at all like Mike Roy's Tigerman story in Daring Mystery #6 that appeared the following month. atlastales.com also credits Golden.

Make Your Own Records at Home (Table of Contents)

Home Recording Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Letters:

typeset

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover.

["Boys, if you act fast"] (Table of Contents)

Peck Brothers Indoor Archery Set / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Letters:

typeset

Indexer Notes

Back cover.