THE HUMAN FLY: HIS 1977-1979 SERIES

This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post here on Balladeer’s Blog looks at Marvel’s series The Human Fly. This figure encountered Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, Daredevil and others.

THE HUMAN FLY

Secret Identity: Rick Rojatt

First Appearance: Human Fly Vol 1 #1 (Sep 1977)

NOTE: The Human Fly was an embellished version of the real-life Rick Rojatt, a Canadian stuntman and daredevil in the mold of Evel Knievel. This comic book series presented Rojatt as his celebrity daredevil self the Human Fly. As in the fictional exploits of costumed Mexican wrestling heroes like El Santo, Blue Demon, Neutron and others, this costumed figure fought crime and other menaces in addition to performing in his capacity as a daredevil.

Origin: Rick Rojatt was given a fictional origin story for this Marvel Comics series. He was a young man who was severely injured in a car crash that killed his wife and children. After much reconstructive surgery, roughly 60% of Rojatt’s bone structure was replaced with lightweight steel.

That made Rick able to endure levels of punishment that would kill normal human beings. Though he was warned he might never walk again, Rojatt applied himself to the point where he not only walked but had greater agility and stamina than professional athletes. He donned a costume like Evel Knievel and became a celebrity stunt man and daredevil, thus making a fortune as well as engaging in heroics when needed. 

Powers: The Human Fly is in peak human condition. He is more agile than an acrobat and excels at unarmed combat. This hero’s many skills make him uniquely suited for spectacular stunts in movies and for daredevil escapades in real life.

In addition to his greater than human durability, Rick Rojatt uses equipment and gadgets that can help him carry out his stunts and combat the forces of evil. His Human Fly costume is not only fireproof but the gloves and boots contain magnetic devices that can let him cling to any metal structures or vehicles – even planes in flight.

This hero also carries a gun that shoots pitons like mountain climbers use. Those pitons are connected to cables that the Human Fly can then climb on or swing from once the pitons have penetrated a hard surface.

Rojatt’s baton/ staff includes various gadgets like a flame-thrower, fire extinguisher, knockout gas dispenser and flashlight. In addition it can become electrified at the touch of a button and be used as a blunt object or spear in battle.

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #1 (Sep 1977)

Title: Death-Walk

Villain: The Mercenary

Synopsis: While the Human Fly is in Houston for a spectacular stunt, a costumed villain called the Mercenary and his men hijack a press plane in the vicinity.

Our hero and two of his aides – female Blaze Kendall and male Ted Locke – take to the sky so that the Human Fly can board the hijacked jet in mid-air. Peter Parker is among the press passengers, so he becomes Spider-Man and both heroes defeat all of the villain’s thugs as well as the ray-gun wielding Mercenary himself.

Female reporter Harmony Whyte suspects the Human Fly staged the whole event and sets out to expose him.

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #2 (Oct 1977)

Title: Race to Destruction

Villain: Cyrus Barker

Synopsis: The “teaser” stunt at the beginning of this issue finds the Human Fly in Nevada doing a public dive into a large tank of burning oil and coming out alive. Blonde reporter Harmony Whyte continues digging into the Fly’s past.

The next day, our hero meets stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze aka Ghost Rider as the pair are among the participants in Cyrus Barker’s Doomsday Race. That race offers a $500,000 prize to the fastest racer to make it through miles of Barker’s high-tech deathtraps.   

In truth, Barker has no intention of awarding the money and works to kill off all the racers via his traps. The Human Fly and Ghost Rider work together to survive all of the death traps, save lives and corral the crooked Barker when he tries fleeing with the race proceeds.

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #3 (Nov 1977)

Title: Castle in the Clouds

Villain: Martinet

Synopsis: International arms magnate David Dreir hires the Human Fly to rescue his daughter Alexandra. She is being held in the Rocky Mountain fortress of Dreir’s business rival and fellow arms dealer Marion Martinet.

Our hero manages to penetrate the high-tech security of the costumed Martinet, including his mercenary army and large, flying robotic condors. When he comes face to face with Martinet, their confrontation is interrupted by Dreir jumping the gun and attacking the villain’s fortress with his own private army.

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #4 (Dec 1977)

Title: Rocky Mountain Nightmare

Villain: Martinet

Synopsis: The Human Fly and Alexandra are caught in the crossfire as David Dreir’s attacking troops fight it out with Martinet’s men and his advanced science. It turns out that the villain wants a forced marriage to Dreir’s daughter Alexandra.

Our hero struggles to keep himself and the young lady alive amid the battle. David’s men have a numerical advantage, but Martinet’s forces are fighting defensively and boast flying platforms in addition to their android condors and energy ray weapons.

Ultimately, the fighting puts Alexandra in mortal danger.

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #5 (Jan 1978)

Title: Towering Doom

Villain: Malik

Synopsis: The Human Fly and his staff are in Canada for his stunt of walking a tightrope between the two newest “tallest buildings in the world.”

His long-ago mentor Malik the Aerialist, jealous of the Fly’s fame, strikes in the middle of the tightrope walk. He hopes to kill Rick Rojatt and himself, plus cause the deaths of several handicapped children via a fire he has started in one of the skyscrapers.

NOTE: For my extended review of this issue click HERE.

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #6 (Feb 1978)

Title: Fear in Funland 

Villains: Slade Mallory and his gang

Synopsis: The Human Fly and his aides Blaze and Ted are treating the children of recently handicapped people to a day at Funland amusement park.

As the day rolls along, our hero winds up in running battles with gangster Slade Mallory and his thugs. It turns out that Funland has been taken over by Slade to covertly serve as a chop shop for the luxury vehicles his organization steals.

Rojatt emerges triumphant, of course. Meanwhile, Harmony Whyte tries to tell her editor that the Human Fly may be honest after all, but he insists she find some crime to nail him for.

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #7 (Mar 1978)

Title: Snow Blind

Villain: A grizzly bear

Synopsis: This time the Human Fly and his assistants are in Vermont, where he will be attempting a snowmobile jump over a deadly ravine in the Green Mountains. Harmony Whyte is there, and though she explains to our hero that she was wrong about him all this time, she can’t bring herself to mention that her editor demands a hit piece on him.

Rick’s snowmobile jump is successful and even sets a new record. Right afterward, the Human Fly must save a blind boy and his unconscious father from a grizzly bear attacking them after their vehicle crashed.

In the end the grizzly is driven off, and the boy & his father are saved. 

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #8 (Apr 1978)

Title: The Tiger and the Fly

Villain: Copperhead II

Synopsis: New York City’s Metropolitan Museum is hosting an Inner City festival, with teens and children from poverty-stricken neighborhoods attending free. The Human Fly is one of the attractions and he performs stunts while riding a special rocket-powered skateboard.

Among the spectators is Hector Ayala, who is secretly the martial arts superhero called the White Tiger. NOTE: He wears all three tiger amulets that used to be worn separately by Marvel’s kung fu heroes the Sons of the Tiger. All three at once give the White Tiger the strength of three men and superhuman martial arts skills.

A villain wearing the trenchcoat and body armor of Daredevil’s dead foe Copperhead strikes, but instead of killing criminals this Copperhead IS a criminal. He launches a plan to steal a priceless Greek urn from the museum. The Human Fly and White Tiger fight him but face a flood he has unleashed in an abandoned subway tunnel.

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #9 (May 1978)

Title: … And Daredevil Makes Three

Villains: Copperhead II and gangsters

Synopsis: While the Human Fly works to save the inner city kids from the flood, White Tiger continues fighting the new Copperhead and his darts dipped in snake venom. Elsewhere, Daredevil is trailing a bunch of gangsters who are gathering to help Copperhead transport the huge, heavy Greek urn from the museum.

The Fly eventually gets the kids to safety and resumes helping White Tiger fight Copperhead. This second Copperhead does a Villain Rant, explaining that the previous Copperhead, Lawrence Chesney, was a museum coworker of his in his secret identity. He found the villain’s spare armor and souped-up dart-guns in order to become a criminal.

Copperhead’s accomplices show up, but the Human Fly, White Tiger and Daredevil defeat them all.

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #10 (Jun 1978)

Title: Dark as a Dungeon Down in the Mine

Villains: Dukas and Maddox

Synopsis: In Harlan County, Kentucky, the Human Fly is performing assorted stunts for the United Mine Workers Fair.

This performance gets our hero and his assistants Blaze and Ted caught up in a conflict between mine workers and their corrupt mine owner Mr. Dukas (no first name given). Dukas, his main thug Maddox and that man’s fellow thugs are trying to cover up unsafe conditions in their mines.

Events snowball into the villains blowing a mine shaft when the Human Fly and some miners are clashing with Dukas and Maddox’s men. The Fly gets the miners out, even when the collapsed shaft is flooded.

All of the gunmen are defeated and Dukas is turned over to the authorities.

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #11 (Jul 1978)

Title: Silver Charity, Sudden Death

Villain: Candy Mike Flynn

NOTE: This issue starts out with a recap of the real-life accident that befell Rick Rojatt when he broke Evel Knievel’s record of 13 buses by trying to jump a rocket-boosted Harley Davidson over 27 buses. The stunt was attempted in conjunction with a Gloria Gaynor concert in Montreal. Rojatt beat the record but crashed the motorcycle. He survived his wounds but retired from his stunt and daredevil work. This comic book series continued, however. 

Synopsis: In Saint Louis, MO the Human Fly successfully rides a custom motorcycle up one side of the St. Louis Arch and down the other. He and Harmony Whyte then save the life of a rock singer being set up to die by his crooked manager Mike Flynn to collect insurance money.

The issue closed with the Human Fly singing for the injured musician and a claim that Rick Rojatt would soon become a recording star, but that never happened.

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #12 (Aug 1978)

Title: Arnie’s Story

Villain: None

Synopsis: After the Human Fly pulls off his latest stunt – being chained to a rocket chair and shot toward a stone barrier – Harmony Whyte informs our hero and his assistants that she quit her job rather than continue trying to do Fake News stories bashing the Fly.

Now welcomed to the group, Harmony dines with them and has Arnie Berman tell her the story about how he became the Human Fly’s agent.

Through a flashback we readers see the way Arnie jumped out of a plane to get an intact parachute to the costumed daredevil when his original chute strap tore as he jumped out of the plane.

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #13 (Sep 1978) 

Title: Chasm of Fear

Villain: Carl Braden

Synopsis: Harmony Whyte’s former boss at the network, Carl Braden, decides to try getting negative information on the Human Fly himself, even if he has to fake it. Our hero finds a bug that Braden planted in his van and chews him out about it before starting his latest stunt.

The Fly, Harmony, Blaze, Ted and Arnie climb California’s Mount Whitney so the costumed daredevil can pull off his stunt of skiing down the perilous mountain. Carl Braden uses a rocket-sleigh to follow our heroes up and down, hoping to get footage he wants – the Human Fly’s death.

Braden’s rocket-sleigh is hard to handle and he nearly gets himself and the Fly killed during the downward skiing portion of the stunt. Naturally, our hero manages to save himself and Braden. Now convinced of the Human Fly’s true nature, Braden apologizes and rehires Harmony.   

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #14 (Oct 1978)

Title: Fear Over Fifth Avenue

Villain: None

Synopsis: In New York City, several blimps from many nations begin a high-profile race from New York to Los Angeles. The Human Fly attempts a tightrope walk between his own brand’s blimp and a remote-controlled drone blimp high above Fifth Avenue.

Two mute children, Marissa and Paul, stowed away on the drone blimp, having fled their juvenile hall home and hoping to reach their aunt in California.

The stowaways’ radio interferes with Blaze’s remote control of the drone blimp, disrupting the Human Fly’s tightrope walk and nearly causing the drone blimp to collide with the Empire State Building. Our hero manages to board the blimp and take manual control. The kids are sent to their aunt.

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #15 (Nov 1978)

Title: War in the Washington Monument

Villains: Corrupt Veterans Administration bosses 

Synopsis: The Human Fly, Blaze, Ted and Arnie are in Washington D.C. to meet some of Ted’s fellow Vietnam War veterans at a V.A. hospital. They stumble onto a bunch of corrupt Carter Administration appointees who have been bilking money from the V.A.

They are armed and trying to destroy records that would prove their malfeasance. The Human Fly and company manage to take down the villains and leave them for the cops. The horrible conditions that the scam caused in V.A. hospitals around the country are exposed.

Next, the Fly goes to the Washington Monument, where two disgruntled vets are threatening to blow it up from the inside in order to draw attention to the Carter Administration’s corruption. The Human Fly goes up the elevator shaft to disarm the men and their explosives, thus saving the day.

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #16 (Dec 1978)

Title: Niagara Nightmare

Villains: Canadian Organized Crime 

Synopsis: The Human Fly and company are setting up for a combined seaplane and waterskiing stunt at Niagara’s Horseshoe Falls. The stunt is to raise money to save a fictional Canadian hospital.

Organized crime in Canada wants the hospital to default on its debts so they can take over, turn it into a resort and also use it as a smuggling hub into and out of the country.

They kidnap Blaze Kendall and threaten to kill her unless the Fly calls off his money-raising stunt. Instead, our hero carries out a daring raid on the gangsters’ mansion HQ, takes out all of them and saves Blaze’s life. He then successfully performs his stunt, saving the hospital.

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #17 (Jan 1979)

Title: Murder on the Midway

Villains: Armed robbers

Synopsis: The Human Fly’s latest stunt – involving a human cannonball bit plus a mobile net – is taking place at the county fair in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Our hero thwarts a theft by a pair of thugs.

That leads to him realizing that armed robbers are using the fair and the distraction of his stunt to rob the vault in the Elizabeth Bank.

The Fly and the cops shut the plan down and capture the thieves in the act. After that, the Human Fly successfully carries out his stunt.   

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #18 (Feb 1979)

Title: A Gathering of Vultures

Villains: Frank Sturgis and his racketeers

Synopsis: Harmony Whyte is back to cover the Human Fly’s latest stunt, scheduled to be performed in Las Cruces, NM.

As the Fly and company arrive in Las Cruces in their touring bus, they come across an old man who was just killed by a hit and run driver. It turns out that the dead man was a member of the Hopi Tribal Council.

Our hero investigates, uncovering circles within circles of local corruption headed up by racketeer Frank Sturgis and his network. Sturgis feels the Fly and his staff are learning too much, so for the cliffhanger ending his goons have surrounded our heroes in the night-darkened streets and are about to kill them.

THE HUMAN FLY Vol 1 #19 (Mar 1979)

Title: Highwire to Heaven

Villains: Frank Sturgis and his racketeers

Synopsis: The Human Fly manages to outfight all of Sturgis’ thugs to save himself and his friends.

The next day, leading up to the stunt, there are additional run-ins and confrontations between our good guys and the villains. At last comes the time for the Human Fly to perform.

For this stunt he drives a motorcycle along a tightrope high above a desert canyon. Sturgis and his men try to kill our hero but he survives and enough Hopi decide to testify against the gangster to end his influence.

*** And so ended Marvel’s 1970s Human Fly series due to low sales. I always mention that this hero’s tales had a kind of Extended Wold Newton feel to them.