Daring Mystery Comics #6

(September 1940)

Red Raven Comics #1 (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Introducing Marvel Boy (Table of Contents: 2)

Marvel Boy / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script:

Joe Simon

Pencils:

Jack Kirby (pages 1-3); Joe Simon (pages 4-10)

Inks:

Joe Simon

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Marvel Boy [Martin Burns] (introduction, origin); Andrew Burns (Martin's father, introduction); Mrs. Burns (introduction); Zeus; Hercules; Mars (villain); Bruen (villain, introduction); Schulz (villain, introduction); Stohl (villain, introduction); Richter (villain, introduction); Adolf Hitler (villain); Nazis (villains)

Synopsis:

The soul of Hercules is reincarnated as Martin Burns, who displays unusual strength from infancy but hides his abilities from his peers. On his fourteenth birthday, Zeus tells Martin the source of his powers, names him the Marvel Boy, gives him his costume and sends him out against fifth columnists.

Reprints:

• in The Complete Jack Kirby (Pure Imagination, 1997 series) #[2] - 1940-1941 (1997)
• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 ([February] 2010)

Indexer Notes

Next appearance in USA Comics (Marvel, 1941 series) #7, although Young Avenger in USA Comics #1 is arguably a reworked version of this character as Will Murray notes in the Daring Mystery Masterworks introduction.

Pencils identified by Greg Theakston as Simon and Kirby on "alternating pages". Specific page identifications by Harry Mendryk at http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/simonandkirby/archives/category/periods/tim...

Craig Delich confirms Simon as sole writer and inker from information given to Jerry Bails, although Mendryk believes the inker is different for each artist, possibly with several inkers.

The Legion of the Doomed (Table of Contents: 3)

The Fiery Mask / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script:

Joe Simon

Pencils:

Jack Kirby (pages 1-4); Joe Simon (pages 5-10)

Inks:

Joe Simon

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

The Fiery Mask [Jack Castle]; Ab Waltin (introduction, death); Ella Waltin (introduction); The Legion of the Doomed [Legion of the Damned] (villains, name not consistent throughout story)

Synopsis:

When the demonic Legion of the Doomed force a rural couple to claim a sinister child as their own, the Fiery Mask must solve the crimes it commits in a chase that will lead him into Hell!

Reprints:

• in The Complete Jack Kirby (Pure Imagination, 1997 series) #[2] - 1940-1941 (1997)
• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 ([February] 2010)

Indexer Notes

Next appearance in Human Torch (Marvel, 1940 series) #2.

Pencils identified by Greg Theakston as Simon and Kirby on "alternating pages". Specific page identifications by Harry Mendryk at http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/simonandkirby/archives/category/periods/tim...

Craig Delich confirms Simon as sole writer and inker from information given to Jerry Bails, although Mendryk believes the inker is different for each artist, possibly with several inkers.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 4)

Stuporman / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script:

Harry Douglas [as Harry / Douglas] (signed)

Pencils:

Harry Douglas [as Harry / Douglas] (signed)

Inks:

Harry Douglas [as Harry / Douglas] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text:

"The Man of the Day After To-morrow"

Genre:

humor; satire-parody; superhero

Characters:

Stuporman [Marmaduke Snood, Jr.] (introduction); Mike Muskrat (villain, introduction); Professor Plotz

Synopsis:

Stuporman is woken up from his nap to fight a criminal who has brainwashed a genial college professor into creating diabolical inventions to support his crimes.

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 ([February] 2010)

Indexer Notes

Next appearance in Joker Comics (Marvel, 1942 series) #1, also later in Comedy Comics (Marvel, 1942 series) #11.

A black and white Stuporman story, built mostly out of panels from this story (rearranged, with some new panels added), appears in the October 1940 issue of Snap, one of Martin Goodman's pulp magazines. Thanks to Frank Motler for this information.

Contrary to various other published theories including Who's Who and the Masterworks, "Harry / Douglas" was an editor/artist named Harry Douglas, as confirmed by Michael J. Vassallo upon interviewing Harry Douglas, Jr. after the younger Douglas contacted the author of this blog post: http://monomythic.wordpress.com/2009/08/17/marvel-mystery-monday-stuporm...

[The Black Ace] (Table of Contents: 5)

The Flying Flame / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script:

Bill O'Connor [as Okie] (signed)

Pencils:

Ben Flinton [as Ben] (signed)

Inks:

Ben Flinton [as Ben] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Captain Red Ruff (introduction); The Black Ace (villain, introduction, death); Nazis (villains)

Synopsis:

Captain Red Ruff flies his plane, the Flying Flame, on a mission against the Black Ace who is defending a Nazi castle where all attacking planes mysterious explode upon approach.

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 ([February] 2010)

Indexer Notes

Next appearance in Tough Kid Squad (Marvel, 1942 series) #1.

The article on Leonard Sansone indicates that Sansone did inks or some of them on this story (Alter Ego #121, November 2013).

Scales of Justice (Table of Contents: 6)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script:

John H. Compton (signed)

Pencils:

Harry Ramsey [as H.R.] (signed)

Inks:

Harry Ramsey [as H.R.] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

Genre:

crime

Characters:

Sheriff Sam Reynolds; Texas Pete (death); Baldy; Dan Hobart; Giles Norton (villain)

Synopsis:

Texas Pete has been found murdered and the claim map he carried is missing.

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 ([February] 2010)

Indexer Notes

The winners from the Daring Comics Contest on the inside front cover of issue #2 are announced in a box at the bottom of the 2nd page. However, no indication of which characters they picked is given. Murray Forman won the 1st Prize of $5, Jackie Gorman won 2nd Prize of $2, and there were 18 other winners of $1 each.

[The Schustak Case] (Table of Contents: 7)

The Falcon / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script:

?

Pencils:

L. Bing (see notes)

Inks:

L. Bing

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

The Falcon [Carl Burgess]; Tony Wells; James Buttersworth (villain, introduction); Bo Schustak (villain, introduction)

Synopsis:

Carl Burgess interrupts the getaway from a bank robbery, and as the Falcon goes after the gang that committed the crime.

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 ([February] 2010)

Indexer Notes

next appearance in Human Torch (Marvel, 1940 series) #2

There is some confusion as to whether this story was drawn by L. Bing or Munson Paddock, as they had similar styles. Who's Who first recorded Bing, then revised to Paddock. Hames Ware and Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr., while compiling the Masterworks credits with Dr. Michael J. Vassallo, discussed the possibilities and decided that the artist was indeed L. Bing as was originally thought.

[The Kidnappers and the Magician] (Table of Contents: 8)

Monako, Prince of Magic / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script:

?

Pencils:

Larry Antonette (signed)

Inks:

Larry Antonette ? [as Larry Antonette] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

adventure

Characters:

Monako; Pere (introduction); an old Hag (villain, introduction)

Synopsis:

Monako spots a drugged man being held by thugs at one of his shows. Monako and his friend Pere must rescue the man's sister from a mysterious old hag.

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 ([February] 2010)

Indexer Notes

Last golden age appearance. There is a teaser for a Monako story in the next issue, but it never appeared. However, a "Mantor the Magician" story appeared in Human Torch (Marvel, 1940 series) #2 alongside other Daring Mystery orphans, which looks suspiciously like a reworked Monako, although by Al Gabriele instead of regular Monako artist Larry Antonette. Next appearance in The Marvels Project (Marvel, 2009 series) #2.

Notes from Dr. Michael J. Vassallo, Hames Ware and Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. on the Timely-Atlas list indicate that an inker other than Antonette may have worked on this story.

[The Origin of Dynaman] (Table of Contents: 9)

Dynaman / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script:

Steve Dahlman ?

Pencils:

Steve Dahlman

Inks:

Steve Dahlman

Colors:

?

Letters:

Steve Dahlman ?

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Dynaman [Lagaro] (introduction, origin); Korugians (introduction, death); Pharoah Khufor; Chief Ribur [Tibur] (introduction, villain, death, name not consistent through story); Gurbans (villains)

Synopsis:

Larago, whose name means "Dynaman", grows up in the ancient advanced land of Korug displaying amazing strength of body and mind. When Korug abruptly sinks beneath the waves, only the flying Dynaman escapes. Finding the civilization of Egypt, helps the Pharaoh Khufor defend it against the barbarian Gurbans.

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 ([February] 2010)

[The Coming of Tigerman] (Table of Contents: 10)

Tigerman / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script:

?

Pencils:

Mike Roy [as Roy] (signed)

Inks:

Mike Roy [as Roy] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

jungle; superhero

Characters:

Tigerman (introduction); Professor Carson (introduction, death); Louise Carson (introduction); Rangoo (introduction, an ape, Tigerman's friend); King Kuu (villain, introduction); Monolink Men (villains, introduction)

Synopsis:

Tigerman tries to rescue Professor Carson and his daughter Louise from an attack by the Monolink men, but all three are overwhelmed and taken to the underground kingdom of the Monolinks. After one failed attempt, Tigerman and the Carsons must brave an underground river to escape.

Reprints:

• in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery (Marvel, 2008 series) #2 ([February] 2010)

Indexer Notes

The introductory blurb talks about Tigerman's "tamed Bengal tiger, Balu", further indicating a connection to the Trojak, the Tiger-Man feature that appeared in issues #2-5. However, Balu does not actually appear in the story, and the supporting cast and plot are different than the continuing story and cast of Trojak.

Mystic Comics #4 (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 12) (Expand) /

Johnson Smith & Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)