Fantastic Comics #3

(February 1940)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 1)

Samson / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Script

Will Eisner ?

Pencils

Alex Blum

Inks

Alex Blum

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

A super-magnetic plane that is capable of lifting huge ocean liners threatens the safety of the seas...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Samson; J. B. Reegan (villain, introduction); Jean Dorne; Mr. Jackson

Synopsis

Jean Dorne is secretary for J.B. Reegan, owner of Black Star Line shipping. Jean goes to the police when she has overheard that Reegan is employing underworld figure Mr. Jackson to pirate his own ships for the insurance money. The police pay Jean no heed, and when she is captured, it is Samson who must rescue her and bring the villains to justice.

Reprints

• in Samson (Fox, 1940 series) #1 (Fall 1940)

The Power of the Slave-Giant's Goddess (Table of Contents: 2)

Flip Falcon / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Claire S. Moe

Pencils

Don Rico

Inks

Don Rico

Colors

?

Letters

?

Feature Logo

Flick Falcon

Genre

science fiction; adventure

Characters

Flick Falcon; Adele; Dwarf-Men of Mars; The slave-giants (villains, introduction); the Three-Armed Ones (villains)

Synopsis

The Three-armed tyrants keep the Dwarf-Men of Mars under their power with the aid of their minions, the Slave-Giants. Flick and Adele have promised to help them become free, and the Dwarf-Men hatch a plan whereby Adele will impersonate the idol of the Slave-Giants, and break them free from the Three-armed invaders.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 3)

Golden Knight / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Grieg Chapian

Inks

Grieg Chapian

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

After all his companions were killed in a terrible battle with the seracens, Sir Richard was taken captive by Saladin.

Genre

fantasy-supernatural; sword and sorcery; adventure; historical

Characters

The Golden Knight [Sir Richard of Warwick]; Kara (introduction, a wizard); Gotha (villain, introduction)

Synopsis

Sir Richard sets off once again for the Holy Land with a new company of crusaders. He meets the wizard Kara on the way, who enlists him on a mission to recover the Golden Chalice. He arms Richard with a magic ring, and sets him on his way. Richard must overcome many magic beasts on the way to his ultimate battle with the giant guardian of the chalice, Gotha. He brings Kara the chalice, and is rewarded for his work with a cloak of invulnerability.

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

Yank Wilson / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Jack Farr

Pencils

Jack Farr

Inks

Jack Farr

Colors

?

Letters

Jack Farr

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Bulletin No. 1: New York City obliterated in one hour by unknown foes.

Genre

spy; war; adventure

Characters

Yank Wilson; X-16; Count Jorgka (villain, introduction)

Synopsis

The US Government is aware that information on their defenses has been smuggled out of the country into the hands of our enemies, but cannot find how. Yank Wilson, Agent Q-4, enlists the aid of fellow agent X-16. They troll for clues, and find themselves on the trail of a foreign artist, Count Jorgka, who paints landscapes in America, and sells them abroad. Yank has a hunch, but will they stop the Count before he wiggles out of their grasp?

Indexer Notes

Splash panel alleges New York City is destroyed... but no evidence of this in the story. Letterer credit added by Craig Delich 2010-3-13.

Presto Lane of the Planet Patrol (Table of Contents: 5)

text story / 1.75 pages (report information)

Script

Waldo Harrison (signed)

Pencils

? (illustration)

Inks

? (illustration)

Letters

typeset

Genre

science fiction

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 6)

statement of ownership / 0.25 page (report information)

Script

Benjamin Lieppe (credited) (business manager)

Letters

typeset

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 7)

Space Smith / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Fletcher Hanks (under house name Hank Christy) (signed)

Pencils

Fletcher Hanks (under house name Hank Christy) (signed)

Inks

Fletcher Hanks (under house name Hank Christy) (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Fletcher Hanks

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Space and Dianna are on their way to Mars for the purpose of destroying the Great Martian Central Brain...

Genre

science fiction; adventure

Characters

Space Smith; Dianna; Leopard Women of Venus (villains, introduction); robot scientists of Venus (villains, introduction)

Synopsis

Diverted from their mission to Mars, Space Smith and Dianna are captured by the robot scientists of Venus who wish to turn Dianna into one of their Leopard Women by brain transplant.

Reprints

• in You Shall Die by Your Own Evil Creation! (Fantagraphics, 2009 series) (June 2009)
• in Fletcher Hanks : œuvres complètes (Actes Sud, 2018 series) (mai 2018)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 8)

Captain Kidd / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script

Toni Blum ?

Pencils

George Tuska

Inks

George Tuska

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Determined to find Arndt Barrows...

Genre

adventure; jungle

Characters

Captain Kidd; Negus (villain, introduction, death); Colonel Bennet

Synopsis

Captain Kidd seeks the lost explorer, Arndt Barrows and his company, who had fallen captive of the jungle magician, Negus. All of Barrows party are now dead, with the exception of Colonel Bennet, who is being tortured by Negus. Kidd's exploration party are magically killed from a distance, one by one, as Kidd closes in on Negus' lair, in the bowl of a great jungle tree.

Indexer Notes

This story was previously credited to Bill Bossert, however, the art is a clear break from the stories in Fantastic Comics 1 & 2, also credited to Bossert. The style is identical with George Tuska's work on a Kaanga story in Jungle Comics #5, inclusive of the physiques, the running stances, to the stylized impact of when someone is struck.

The Secrets of Magic (Table of Contents: 9)

comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

? [as Hokus Pokus]

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

Out to Lunch (Table of Contents: 10)

Professor Fiend / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

Fred Schwab

Pencils

Fred Schwab

Inks

Fred Schwab

Colors

?

Letters

Fred Schwab

Genre

humor

Characters

Professor Fiend

Synopsis

The neighborhood brat plays with the Professor's inventions, uninvited, and, in the process of shooing him away, the Professor unwittingly causes an accident which propels him to the wrong side of a mirror. The brat tries to help him break free, but when these efforts fail, the brat gloats over the Professor's misfortune. The Professor gets his revenge.

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich 2010-3-13.

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

Stardust / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Fletcher Hanks

Pencils

Fletcher Hanks

Inks

Fletcher Hanks

Colors

Mike Okamoto ?

Letters

Fletcher Hanks

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Stardust, the interplanetary marvel, whose phenomenal knowledge and abilities have made him the most superior man that ever lived...

Genre

fantasy-supernatural; science fiction; superhero

Characters

Stardust; The Demon (villain, introduction, death)

Synopsis

A criminal scientist, dubbed the "Demon", creates a device which can destroy a coastal city with a tidal wave. He tests in on a cruise ship, killing 2,000 innocents, before training it on New York City. Stardust arrives, and makes the "Demon" a victim of his own device before stopping the wave and saving the City.

Reprints

• in I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets! (Fantagraphics, 2007 series) (June 2007)
• in Fletcher Hanks : œuvres complètes (Actes Sud, 2018 series) (mai 2018)

The Treasure of Coralla (Table of Contents: 12)

Sub Saunders / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Henry Kiefer (signed)

Inks

Henry Kiefer (signed as Kark Kief)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure

Characters

Sub Saunders; Peg (introduction; Sub's fiancee); Poseida (villain, introduction); Lantida

Synopsis

Sub goes on a mission to salvage treasure from shipwrecks near Atlantis, and Peg stows away to join him. Poseida, King of the mermen from nearby Coralla, has been busy gathering the treasure for himself, and captures Sub and Peg. Poseida offers Sub treasure to allow him to keep Peg as his queen. When Sub refuses, he must face a monstrous crab in a pit fight. Sub escapes and radios Lantida for help, and the Atlantean mermen come to Sub's aid.