This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at several vintage characters from Italian creators.
MASKAR
Debuted: 1951
Secret Identity: Unknown
Origin: An ordinary man decided to use his criminology skills to fight crime without endangering his loved ones. He adopted the costumed identity Maskar and went into action.
Powers: Maskar was in peak physical condition, was as agile as an acrobat and was a master of unarmed combat. He was a first-class detective and an expert regarding the supernatural. This hero’s series ran until 1966.
BARBEL
Debuted:1965
Secret Identity: Barbara Bell
Origin: Fashion model Barbara Bell one day met the twin sister she never knew about. The twin was taken into outer space as an infant. She bestowed superpowers on Barbara so she could combat evil, then left Earth for good.
Powers: Barbel possessed greater than human strength, telepathy and telekinesis plus a degree of invulnerability. Her sidekick was her police detective boyfriend.
AMOK
Debuted: Autumn 1946
Secret Identity: Unknown
Origin: Amok was a large, well-muscled man who lived on the island of Java. One day his girlfriend Nikita (some sources say she was his wife) was abducted by criminals called the Scorpio Gang led by Mr. Kroll. Amok donned a costume and fought the gang then continued opposing the forces of evil.
Powers: This hero wore an armored costume, was stronger than normal men and wielded a pistol and an axe in battle. His leopard Kyo fought at his side.
NOTE: The Amok series ran until 1950, then was reprinted all over Europe. In Sweden it was retitled Kilroy, just like “Kilroy was here”.
XSTACY
Debuted: 1997
Secret Identity: Unknown
Origin: This superheroine gained powers from a peculiar ankh which she wears.
Powers: Xstacy can teleport over distances and between dimensions.
In addition, she can stretch or otherwise modify her own body, hair and costume plus any accessories that she wishes.
CAPITAN ITALIA
Debuted: 1994
Secret Identities: Caesar (no last name) and Walter Venturi
Origin: A villain named Androtti wanted a supersoldier created for his Japanese clients. His rebellious scientist used cybernetics, nanotechnology and advanced prosthetics to transform a man named Caesar into such a figure. A microchip let Caesar resist Androtti’s wishes to become a superhero who adopted the name Capitan Italia.
Powers: This hero possessed massive superstrength, invulnerability and could fly. Capitan Italia could also shoot energy blasts from his hands and wore a belt with assorted gadgets on it.
ASSO DI PICCHE (Ace of Spades)
Debuted: 1945
Secret Identity: Gary Peters
Origin: Reporter Gary Peters put on an air of ineptitude as a cover while he, Chinese scientist ally Prince Wang and his fiancee Deanna Farrel secretly worked together to fight crime. Gary donned a costume and called himself Asso di Picche. He was Italy’s first masked and costumed comic book hero.
Powers: Asso di Picche was in peak physical condition, exceled at unarmed combat and was incredibly accurate with the handgun he took into battle.
Prince Wang designed and drove their souped-up car and invented other gadgets for Asso as needed. At one point this hero took on a very Robin-like kid sidekick called Gimmy.
NOTE: Asso di Picche’s series ran from 1945 to 1949.
ATOMIK
Debuted: 1960
Secret Identity: Red Norton
Origin: Intelligence agent Red Norton encountered a scientist who had designed a super-scientific atomic combat suit to be used by Nazi war criminals in hiding. Red put on the suit himself and wiped out the Nazi organization, then continued fighting evil as Atomik.
Powers: Atomik’s outfit granted him super-strength, a degree of invulnerability and let him fire energy blasts from the gloves.
NOTE: Atomik’s archenemy was the Dominator, who had an HQ in the Himalayas where his scientist Professor Diabolicus designed weapons for his schemes to conquer the world. The series ran until 1963 with 38 issues.
ZAKIMORT
Debuted: 1965
Secret Identity: Phaedra Garland
Origin: Heiress Phaedra Garland was shocked to discover that her late father was really the crimelord called Zakimort. He was betrayed and killed by his own organization, so Phaedra donned a costume and battled her father’s gang and other criminal outfits as Zakimort.
Powers: This heroine was in peak physical condition, was an expert in karate and judo and wielded a dagger. She also possessed cat-burglar skills. Zakimort killed as aggressively as other costumed vigilantes. Her series ended in 1974.
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