A few weeks back Balladeer’s Blog took a look at over three dozen 1940s superheroes from Marvel Comics (called Timely Comics back then). This time around here’s a look at several of their one-appearance wonders from that same time period.
PHANTOM BULLET
Created By: Joe Simon
Secret Identity: Allan Lewis
Appeared In: Daring Mystery Comics #2 (February 1940)
Origin: Millionaire Allan Lewis often slummed as a reporter for The Bulletin when stories caught his eye. While investigating some unsolved murders committed by seven-fingered men he met a scientist who had developed a high-tech gun that he believed criminals wanted to steal from him. The scientist was killed but managed to pass along his invention to Allan Lewis, who donned a costume and took on villains as the Phantom Bullet.
Powers: The Phantom Bullet was in peak human condition and excelled at armed and unarmed combat. The experimental gun he wielded compressed moisture from the air into ice bullets which melted, evaporated and left no traces in the evildoers whom he shot to death. That was why the media dubbed him the Phantom Bullet.
Comment: The murders in the Phantom Bullet’s debut were masterminded by former explorer Alvarez Monez. As part of his extortion/ theft/ murder ring he commanded a Lost Race he had captured in Africa. That Lost Race had seven fingers and were part human, part ape, so naturally he called them … Bird-Men. (?)
Rather than wear a mask, this hero disguised his features with makeup when he went into action. That makeup included an exaggerated nose.
THE THIN MAN
Created By: Klaus Nordling
Secret Identity: Bruce Dickson
Appeared In: Mystic Comics #4 (August 1940)
Origin: Scientist Bruce Dickson was climbing Mount Kalpurthia in the Himalayas when he discovered a cave that led to the hidden, futuristic valley called Kalahia. Determining Dickson to be a noble and altruistic person, the valley’s Council of Elders instructed the man in their advanced science and taught him their mystic power of altering his physiology to make himself thinner and longer.
Bruce and a Kalahian woman named Olalla fell in love and convinced the Council to permit them to go to the outside world where Dickson could use his new powers against the forces of evil.
Powers: The Thin Man could make his body thin enough to slip under a door or between cracks in a fence while still packing the strength of a heavyweight boxer. He could also stretch and bend his body into different shapes. He piloted a futuristic StratoPlane, which the Council of Elders permitted him to build with Kalahian technology. Among other features that plane sported video screens for observing anywhere on Earth. Continue reading
WITH THE FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION IN SYRIA (1928) – Written by a British former member of the French Foreign Legion using the alias John Harvey. Previously, Balladeer’s Blog examined the excellent 1895 short story collection titled 
John Harvey’s With The French Foreign Legion In Syria instead wallows in the tawdry and brutal side of the Legion. Instead of James O’Neill’s poetic, astonishingly prescient tales, this volume presents an ugly and sensationalistic take on the FFL. It would have stood in stark contrast to stories romanticizing the Legion as written by P.C. Wren and others. No movies of the time would have touched these violent, vulgar Peckinpah-style antics. Get ready for a look at some Legionnaires who would make The Wild Bunch look genteel. 
QUITE A DIFFERENCE – Dedicated fans will remember that the games between the HUTCHINSON COLLEGE BLUE DRAGONS and the BUTLER (KS) GRIZZLIES were often played with the Jayhawk Conference title on the line. Instead of an Instant Classic, this time the Blue Dragons dominated their hosts, leading 28-3 by Halftime on their way to a 41-10 beatdown of the Grizzlies. 
SHUTOUTS – Two Shutouts with unusually low scores this time around: the ARKANSAS BAPTIST COLLEGE BUFFALOES defeated the visiting ELLSWORTH COLLEGE PANTHERS 6-0 with a 4th Quarter TD ### And the HOCKING COLLEGE HAWKS won a 10-0 affair at the SUSSEX COUNTY COLLEGE SKYLANDERS. This odd game, too, saw no scoring until the 4th Quarter. 
And yet ANOTHER anti-Trump lie is finally abandoned by the Democrats at the New York Times (links below). Here at Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog I can certainly understand hostile feelings toward given presidents. Regular readers know how much I despise George W Bush and Barack Obama, but I also pointed out when I thought negative stories about them were absurdly over the top. With de facto Third Party President Donald Trump it’s like the media did nothing BUT absurdly over the top stories about him that fell apart under the most casual scrutiny. 
I can’t help but doubt that the Times would have admitted to this if Donald Trump was still in the Oval Office, however. They’d probably STILL be sniveling about non-existent “Russian Collusion” (LMAO) and demanding further “investigations.” They’re only admitting it now because it’s safe to, like the Russian Bounties nonsense and so many other instances of Fake News. (There is no other term for it, no matter how much it rankles biased media fools.)
Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at several buried treasures which legends maintain may still be out there for the finding. 
Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog can’t help but notice that the corrupt and senile Joe Biden has been far worse than advertised. His all-out war on the working class and the poor has inflicted untold suffering around the nation. His hate-filled and racist travel ban against India is a disgrace. Biden has been the most hate-filled and divisive president imaginable as well as being one of the worst for the poor and needy. A disaster like Joe Biden and his ilk should never be wished upon any country. 
ONE-POINT WONDER – The closest game for this time around pitted the SNOW COLLEGE BADGERS against the home-standing IOWA WESTERN COLLEGE REIVERS. The Reivers led their opponents by a score of 7-0 in the 1st Quarter, 13-8 at Halftime and 27-18 to end the 3rd Quarter. In the 4th the Badgers came roaring from behind for a 31-30 victory. 
TEXAS TUSSLE – The NAVARRO COLLEGE BULLDOGS welcomed the TYLER COLLEGE APACHES. The opening Quarter ended with the Bulldogs on top 14-10, which became a 24-19 edge at the Half. In the 3rd Quarter Navarro College extended their lead to 38-29 before having to hold on against a furious Apaches rally in the 4th. The final count was Bulldogs 53 Tyler College 50. 
ALL WINNERS COMICS #1 (June 1941) 
BEYOND THE UNIVERSE (1981) – Well, Balladeer’s Blog has come to the last film in the Anne Spielberg, Robert Emenegger and Allan Sandler batch. If you’re new to the Spielneggerdler oeuvre, various combinations of the trio churned out no less than TEN low-budget, mostly awful sci-fi films in 1980 and 1981. Yes, you read that right. Ten movies in just two years, with results about what you’d expect from that “quantity not quality” approach. 
Overseas readers have been asking me about the Liz Cheney situation in Congress. Since Balladeer’s Blog is an Independent Voter site I’ve always made it clear I would be fine if both the Democrats and Republicans splintered into multiple smaller parties because neither one represents the needs of their constituents at this time. That’s why people know they will get a response from me that is NOT motivated by political party bias.
And remember, even if you hate Donald Trump, another reason the Cheney-Bush Warmongers opposed him is because HE KEPT THE U.S. OUT OF ANY NEW WARS. Even the most anti-Trump media outlets in the U.S. are often willing to concede that point. AND SINCE THE CHENEY-BUSH WING OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WANTS ALL-WAR, ALL THE TIME, WITH VAGUE OBJECTIVES THAT THEY CAN ALWAYS CLAIM HAVEN’T BEEN MET YET, THAT IS WHY LIZ CHENEY AND HER ILK BASH TRUMP. If you back her, you’re backing open-ended warfare, among other things. 
*** John McCain, the racist Republican warmonger who did more than anyone else to try to stop America from having its first African-American president, was, of course, LATER treated like a statesman by the Democrats’ media outlets because he feuded with Trump. Hell, if you have a short memory or were too young to have noticed it, John McCain was, once upon a time being likened to Hitler, etc. For just one small (and light-hearted) example, you can still see Family Guy reruns like the one depicting the time-traveling Stewie and Brian encountering Nazis in the World War Two era wearing John McCain buttons. (The cartoon dates from around when McCain and Sarah Palin were running for president and vice president in real life.) 
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