This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at the 1950s characters of Marvel Comics – then known as Atlas Comics.
LEOPARD GIRL
Secret Identity: Gwen (no last name ever given)
First Appearance: Jungle Tales Vol 1 #1 (October 1954)
Origin: Gwen supernaturally bonded with a pack of jungle leopards as a little girl.
Powers: Leopard Girl employed her supernatural “cry of the leopards” to use a small army of leopards to help her fight the forces of evil in Africa. She could interact with the Dark Continent’s ghosts, who saw her as an ally.
This heroine also had greater than human strength, agility and speed. Her senses were heightened as were her healing abilities.
Comment: In her secret identity as “Gwen”, Leopard Girl worked with research scientist Dr. Hans Kreitzer. Her fellow assistant was named Peter, whom she once carried with one arm while swinging through the jungle.
In time, Gwen became a cook for Sandra Danning and her husband. Continue reading
JUNGLE JIM (1948) – Decades before Raiders of the Lost Ark, “Jungle Jim” Bradley, mercenary jungle guide and adventurer, was fighting Nazis, Communist Spies and other menaces while finding lost cities & ancient artifacts, all while romancing lovely ladies. Throw in the occasional dinosaur, giant spider or huge, man-eating eel and enjoy!
Jungle Jim, a former comic strip character, was featured in a 1937 serial, a series of movies in the 1940s and 1950s, plus a television series in that latter decade. Former Tarzan Johnny Weissmuller played Jungle Jim in everything but the 1937 serial. 
ROUND ONE: GAME ONE – The MAYVILLE STATE COMETS took the court against the VALLEY CITY STATE VIKINGS. By Halftime the Comets held a 39-32 advantage over their opponents. After the break, Mayville State got more and more separation from the Vikings for an 82-68 victory. Jamison Kramer led the Comets with 18 points while teammate Darren Jones logged a Double Double of 10 points and 13 rebounds. 
FURIOUS (1984) – It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a classically bad movie here at Balladeer’s Blog. To remedy that here’s a look at the wildly out there film Furious, one of the most joyously weird action/ fantasy movies ever made. It’s like the most incoherent dream that anyone ever described to you. 
GEORGE ADAMSKI (April 17th, 1891 – February 26th, 1965) occupied a special place in the history of cults. In 1936 he claimed to represent the Royal Order of Tibet and preached “its teachings” in California (where else). 
The readjustments started after George Adamski published Pioneers of Space in 1949, a general look at the infant Flying Saucer phenomenon, and in 1952 he claimed to be in telepathic contact with a being from Venus. Claims of additional contacts followed, including hieroglyphic writings from the Venusian.
Every Presidents Day, Democrat media outlets release their hilariously biased lists ranking the presidents – lists compiled by Democrats who call themselves “historians.” (LMAO) Remember, the past decades have seen Democrats drive most non-Democrats from the “educational” profession. 
I’m presenting my own ranking of the presidents in this blog post, but obviously people are free to disregard it as readily as they disregard all other such lists. These lists are fun conversationally, but none of them – including mine – have any relevance in the real world.
JOHN F KENNEDY 
USCAA OVER NCAA – The number 1 team in the USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association) – the NEWPORT NEWS APPRENTICE SCHOOL BUILDERS (shipbuilders) – traveled to take on NCAA Division Two’s CHEYNEY UNIVERSITY WOLVES. By Halftime the Builders were on top 39-28. After the break they floored it, trouncing the Wolves by a final score of 98-56. Adrion Wall’s 20 points led the Apprentice School. 
CENTURY CLUB – The STANTON UNIVERSITY FIGHTING ELKS topped fellow newbies the SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LEADERSHIP UNIVERSITY RHINOS by a count of 103-60 ### Meanwhile, the (4) BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE AT SYRACUSE BOBCATS triumphed 102-62 over the PAUL SMITH’S COLLEGE BOBCATS ### And the BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE AT ROCHESTER BOBCATS defeated the visiting MOHAWK VALLEY COLLEGE HAWKS 105-90. 
MARVEL PREMIERE Vol 1 15 (May 1974) 
NOTE: This K’un-Lun is not THE K’un-Lun from Chinese mythology but it uses the same name and many of the inhabitants go by names corresponding to Chinese gods. Yu-Ti is one of them, Lei Kung the Thunderer is another. This K’un-Lun is an enchanted city that appears on Earth only once every ten years before returning to its pocket dimension home for another ten.
TUILAKEMBA – This figure was the son of Tuilangi, the god who ruled over the Skyland, and a mortal woman. When Tuilakemba was a little boy he was often ridiculed by the other children for not having a father on hand like they did. One day the young demigod had had enough and threatened to kill his mother unless she told him who his father was. 
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