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. Continue reading
SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #176 (Jan 1978) 
Peter becomes Spider-Man and gets to the apartment that Harry shares with Flash Thompson. He finds Flash unconscious on the floor and the Green Goblin ransacking Harry’s bedroom. Spider-Man attacks the villain, assuming it’s Harry in the costume, but in a few issues it will turn out to be Dr. Hamilton himself, who manipulated his patient Harry Osborn to find his late father Norman Osborn’s Green Goblin costume and weaponry. 
ADVENTURE COMICS Vol 1 #48 (Mar 1940) 
NOTE: Over the years, changes would make it so that Miraclo granted Rex Tyler the strength of 50 men. Due to parental concerns about promoting drug use since Rex popped Miraclo pills, for a time it was changed to a Miraclo RAY that would increase Hourman’s strength. Other times it was retconned so that Hourman’s costume was enchanted and it was the source of his powers. 
SPIDER-WOMAN Vol 1 #17 (Aug 1979) 
Our heroine slips away from Eric to try getting back her costume without exposing her secret identity. At one point, the drunken woman dressed as Spider-Woman falls off the deck of the mountaintop disco. Jessica uses her powers to save the woman and recover her costume before the drunk knows what’s what. 
MARVEL TEAM-UP Vol 1 #53 (Jan) 
The genetically engineered human/ animal hybrid creature Woodgod (at right) – also immune to the nerve gas – is still being contained in the depopulated town by Major Del Tremens and his troops at Tranquility Base, who caused the nerve gas leak. 
CAPTAIN WIZARD 
DYNAMO 
BLACK LION 
MONSTER OF FRANKENSTEIN Vol 1 #1 (Jan 1973) 
That chunk is brought on board Walton’s vessel and stored in the hold. While the captain relates to a crew member the tale told to his ancestor about the monster’s creation and history, the rest of the crew plot a mutiny over being kept in the frozen north for so long just to recover a monstrous corpse.
GHOST RIDER – Daredevil biker Johnny Blaze makes a deal with the devil: Johnny’s soul in exchange for Satan curing the cancer in the body of Blaze’s mentor “Crash” Simpson. We all know how deals with the devil go, and not only does Crash die anyway, but Johnny Blaze is cursed to periodically transform into the flame-headed monster called Ghost Rider.
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