Secret Origins #1

([Summer] 1961)

Table of Contents (Table of Contents: 1)

table of contents / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Letters

typeset

Indexer Notes

Inside front cover.

The Origin of the Superman-Batman Team (Table of Contents: 2)

Superman and Batman and Robin / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script

Edmond Hamilton

Pencils

Dick Sprang

Inks

Stan Kaye

Colors

?

Letters

Pat Gordon

Editing

Jack Schiff (original editor)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The mightiest team in the world--

Genre

superhero

Characters

Batman [Bruce Wayne] (also as Superman); Lex Luthor; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Superman [Clark Kent]; Powerman (a robot, introduction)

Synopsis

When Luthor develops a liquid kryptonite gun, Superman replaces Batman with a new partner, Powerman. The Caped Crusader, hurt by the change, believes that Powerman has some sort hold over the Man of Steel, not realizing Superman has a motive in mind for his own protection from the criminal genius, Lex Luthor!

Reprints

• from World's Finest Comics (DC, 1941 series) #94 (May-June 1958)

Keywords

Bat-Cave; Bat-Signal; Batmobile; Batplane; Gotham City; Gotham Daily News; kryptonite; Metropolis; Wayne Mansion

Indexer Notes

Silver-Age origin of the Superman-Batman team.

Secret of the Eternal City! (Table of Contents: 3)

Adam Strange / comic story / 14.34 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox; Edmond Hamilton (co-plot)

Pencils

Mike Sekowsky

Inks

Frank Giacoia; Joe Giella

Colors

?

Letters

Gaspar Saladino

Editing

Julius Schwartz (original editor)

Genre

adventure; science fiction

Characters

Alanna (introduction); Sardath; Adam Strange; inhabitants of Samakand; The Eternals (villains, introduction for all)

Synopsis

An Earth archaeologist is caught by a "zeta-beam" and teleported to Rann near Alpha Centauri where he meets Alanna and Sardath. Alien invaders, called The Eternals, attack the planet while Adam and Alanna journey to the Brigadoon-like city of Samakand to locate a life-metal called "vitatron". Adam tricks the aliens so they're stuck in Samakand, but then he fades away, returning to Earth, awaiting the next zeta-beam.

Reprints

• from Showcase (DC, 1956 series) #17 (November-December 1958)

Keywords

Planet Rann; Zeta Beam

Indexer Notes

Origin and 1st appearance Adam Strange. Though most sources have credited Sachs with the inks to this story, Gene Reed notes that Giacoia and Giella often co-inked stories and this is their work, not Sachs'. Bob Hughes also mentions that the first Adam Strange and Space Rangers stories were worked out in conference, so Ed Hamilton should be given co-plotting credit here. (Thanks to Victor Lim for bringing up this issue on the GCD Error Tracker.)

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

Challengers of the Unknown; Superman / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Curt Swan (Superman cover reproduction); Bob Brown (Challengers cover reproduction)

Inks

Stan Kaye (Superman cover reproduction); Bob Brown (Challengers cover reproduction)

Colors

?

Letters

Ira Schnapp

First Line of Dialogue or Text

For the very best ...and still 10¢

Genre

adventure; superhero

Characters

The Challengers of the Unknown: Rocky Davis; Prof Haley; Ace Morgan; Red Ryan
Legion of Super-Villains: Cosmic King; Lightning Lord; Saturn Queen
Superman [Clark Kent]

Indexer Notes

At the bottom of page 22. Promo ad for Superman (DC, 1939 series) #147, August 1961 and Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 1958 series) #21, August-September 1961.

Adam Strange (Table of Contents: 5)

Adam Strange / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Carmine Infantino (cover reproduction); ? (background illustration)

Inks

Murphy Anderson (cover reproduction); ? (background illustration)

Colors

?

Letters

Ira Schnapp

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Roam the black gulfs of interplanetary space...

Genre

adventure; science fiction

Characters

Adam Strange; the Kirri (first appearance; villains)

Indexer Notes

At the bottom of page 29. Promo ad for Mystery in Space (DC, 1951 series) #69, August 1961.

The Planet of Doomed Men (Table of Contents: 6)

Green Lantern / comic story / 15 pages (report information)

Script

John Broome

Pencils

Gil Kane

Inks

Murphy Anderson

Colors

?

Letters

Gaspar Saladino

Editing

Julius Schwartz (original editor)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

An incredible mental force from this huge creature...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Green Lantern [Hal Jordan] (origin); Abin Sur (flashback); 7 unnamed members of the council of the Guardians of the Universe [of Planet Oa] (p. 1960) (introduction for all); Calorians; The Dryg (villain)

Synopsis

Hal Jordan's energy-duplicate is summoned by the Guardians for the first time. After he is returned to Earth, the Guardians send him to Calor, a nearby planet, to save the Calorians from the ape-monster Dryg.

Reprints

• from Green Lantern (DC, 1960 series) #1 (July-August 1960)

Keywords

Battery of Power; Calor (a planet); power ring

Indexer Notes

First appearance of the Guardians.

The Secrets of the Sorcerer's Box! (Table of Contents: 7)

Challengers of the Unknown / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Jack Kirby ?; Joe Simon ? (plot, script); Dave Wood ? (script)

Pencils

Jack Kirby

Inks

Jack Kirby ?; Rosalind Kirby (blacks); Marvin Stein ?

Colors

?

Letters

Ben Oda

Editing

Jack Schiff (original editor)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

What's out there? -- Places we cannot see!

Genre

adventure

Characters

The Challengers of the Unknown: Rocky Davis; Prof Haley; Ace Morgan; Red Ryan
unnamed radio show host; 4 unnamed radio show women; Mr. Morelian (villain, introduction, death)

Synopsis

Four heroes are being flown to appear on the radio show "Heroes" when their jet crashes in a storm. Miraculously, all four survive unharmed, even down to a working watch. Since they are "living on borrowed time", they vow to make the best use of it, taking risks to benefit others, challenging the unknown. In their first official case, they are summoned by Morelian, a descendant of Merlin, to open four chambers of a dangerous alchemist's box and "witness things not seen on this Earth since the dawn of Man!"

Reprints

• from Showcase (DC, 1956 series) #6 (January-February 1957)

Indexer Notes

This reprints only Chapter 1 of the story from Showcase (DC, 1956 series) #6, January-February 1957.

First appearance of the Challengers of the Unknown. According to Joe Simon and Jack Kirby historians, Jack Kirby brought the proposal for the Challengers to DC. DC bought the concept and folded it into Showcase.

Possible Stein inks per Mark Evanier and Nick Caputo. Although Stein had conversations with Greg Theakston denying he inked any Challengers stories it's possible Stein forgot he worked on them. This story also looks like Kirby may have inked a few pages on his own.

An epilogue occurs in Secret Origins #12 (1987), when the Challengers are reunited with the box to solve its final mystery.

Letterer credit from Rodrigo Baeza via the editor e-mail list.

Origin of Green Arrow and Speedy (Table of Contents: 8)

Green Arrow / text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Jack Schiff

Pencils

Lee Elias (illustration)

Inks

Lee Elias (illustration)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

One night, as a cruise ship plowed through the South Seas...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Green Arrow [Oliver Queen]; Speedy [Roy Harper]

Synopsis

Thrown off a cruise ship, Oliver Queen lands on a deserted Shore. Looking to survive, he fashions a crude bow and arrow to hunt food. Seeing an anchored freighter, he swims out only to find a mutiny in progress. Using trick arrows he subdues the mutiny. The captain asks who he is, he declares himself as Green Arrow and dedicates himself as a crime-fighter.

Roy Harper, a young orphan, already an expert bowman, wants to become Green Arrow's junior partner. Green Arrow is reluctant at first, however when Roy helps him capture a gang fleeing robbers, G.A. realizes his value as a partner.

Reprints

• in Secret Origins Replica Edition (DC, 1998 series) #1 ([February] 1998)
• in DC Universe Secret Origins (DC, 2012 series) ([April] 2012)
• in DC Universe: Secret Origins (DC, 2013 series) (2012 [June 2013])

Indexer Notes

Text story with two small illustrations of Green Arrow and Speedy.

Secret Origin of Wonder Woman (Table of Contents: 9)

Wonder Woman / comic story / 12.34 pages (report information)

Script

Robert Kanigher (under house name Charles Moulton)

Pencils

Ross Andru

Inks

Mike Esposito

Colors

?

Letters

Gaspar Saladino

Editing

Robert Kanigher (original editor)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Who is Wonder Woman? Where did she come from?

Genre

superhero

Characters

Aphrodite; Athena; Hercules; Queen Hippolyta; Princess Diana; Young Wonder Woman

Synopsis

Diana is born "centuries ago" and is bequeathed powers by Aphrodite, Athena, Mercury, and Hercules. When Diana is a teenager, her father and all the men are killed in "the wars". Young Diana helps her mother bring the Amazons to their new home on Paradise Island.

Reprints

• from Wonder Woman (DC, 1942 series) #105 (April 1959)

Keywords

Paradise Island

Indexer Notes

A Wonder Girl Story. Wonder Girl does not appear in costume.

Silver age origin of Wonder Woman.

The Steve Trevor part of the origin appears in Wonder Woman #98, and the Diana Prince part of the origin appears in Wonder Woman #99.

Penciler credit from Julius Schwartz's editorial records, provided to the GCD by DC Comics.

The Impossible Day (Table of Contents: 10)

Wonder Woman / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Ross Andru (cover reproduction)

Inks

Mike Esposito (cover reproduction)

Colors

?

Letters

Ira Schnapp

First Line of Dialogue or Text

We admit it! It's impossible for the entire Wonder Woman Family to...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Hippolyta; Wonder Girl; Wonder Tot; Wonder Woman [Princess Diana]

Indexer Notes

At the bottom of page 59. Promo ad for Wonder Woman (DC, 1942 series) #124, August 1961. Cover art shown here is slightly different than the actual printed cover.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 11)

The Flash; Green Lantern / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Carmine Infantino (Flash cover reproduction); Gil Kane (Green Lantern cover reproduction)

Inks

Murphy Anderson (Flash cover reproduction); Joe Giella (Green Lantern cover reproduction)

Colors

?

Letters

Ira Schnapp

First Line of Dialogue or Text

For the very best ...and still 10¢

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Flash [Barry Allen]; Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]

Indexer Notes

At the bottom of page 64. Promo ad for Green Lantern (DC, 1960 series) #7, August 1961 and The Flash (DC, 1959 series) #122, August 1961.

The Strange Experiment of Dr. Erdel (Table of Contents: 12)

John Jones Manhunter from Mars / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Joe Samachson ?; Jack Miller ?

Pencils

Joe Certa

Inks

Joe Certa

Colors

?

Letters

Pat Gordon

Editing

Jack Schiff (original editor)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

You've seen all sorts of detectives in action--

Genre

superhero

Characters

Martian Manhunter [J'Onn J'Onzz] (origin) (aka John Jones, introduction); Dr. Mark Erdel (introduction, death); Lt. Saunders

Synopsis

A scientist builds a robot brain which teleports a Martian to Earth. After the scientist dies the Martian is trapped here, so he decides to become a police detective.

Reprints

• from Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series) #225 (November 1955)

Indexer Notes

Script (only) attributed to Jack Miller by Rich Morrissey, but disputed by Bob Hughes. Samachson is current DC credit, as seen in Showcase Presents: Martian Manhunter (DC, 2007 series) #1.

Plot is similar to "The Galaxy Being", first episode of the original "The Outer Limits" television show. The show first aired on 16 September 1963. In it, Allan Maxwell, an engineer for a small radio station, somehow makes contact with a peaceful alien creature, who gets transported to Earth by accident.

Mystery of the Human Thunderbolt! (Table of Contents: 13)

The Flash / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script

Robert Kanigher

Pencils

Carmine Infantino

Inks

Joe Kubert

Colors

?

Letters

Gaspar Saladino

Editing

Julius Schwartz (original editor)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

This is the startling tale of The Flash--

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Flash [Barry Allen] (origin) (introduction); The Flash [Jay Garrick] (image only); The Turtle (villain) (introduction); Iris West (introduction)

Synopsis

By a freak accident involving lab chemicals and lightning, Barry Allen becomes the fastest man alive and originates a costume based on the comic adventures of the Flash from the 1940's. And it's a good thing too: for he must now face the Turtle Man, termed "The Slowest Man Alive".

Reprints

• from Showcase (DC, 1956 series) #4 (September-October 1956)

Indexer Notes

In the story, Barry Allen is shown reading a copy of Flash Comics January (1941) #13. However there is no resemblance to #13's actual Hawkman cover.

Just Imagine! (Table of Contents: 14)

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

Script

?

Pencils

Mike Sekowsky (cover reproduction)

Inks

Murphy Anderson (cover reproduction)

Letters

Ira Schnapp

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The mightiest heroes of our time...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Justice League of America: Aquaman [Arthur Curry]; Green Arrow [Oliver Queen]; Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]; Martian Manhunter [J'Onn J'Onzz]; Wonder Woman [Princess Diana]
The Flash [Barry Allen]; Amos Fortune

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover promo ad for Justice League of America (DC, 1960 series) #6, August-September 1961.

See the Many Fantastic Faces of Superman (Table of Contents: 15)

Superman / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Curt Swan (cover reproduction)

Inks

Stan Kaye (cover reproduction)

Colors

?

Letters

Ira Schnapp

First Line of Dialogue or Text

In this sensational album of his greatest adventures!

Genre

superhero

Characters

Superman [Clark Kent]

Indexer Notes

Back cover promo ad for Superman Annual (DC, 1960 series) #3, Summer 1961. On sale everywhere June 22, 1961.

The Inside Stories of Batman and Robin's Top Secrets (Table of Contents: 16)

Batman / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Curt Swan (cover reproduction); Sheldon Moldoff (cover reproduction); Dick Sprang (cover reproduction)

Inks

Charles Paris (cover reproduction)

Colors

?

Letters

Ira Schnapp

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Behind the scenes with the world's most famous...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]

Indexer Notes

Back cover promo ad for Batman Annual (DC, 1961 series) #1, [Summer] 1961. On sale everywhere June 29, 1961.