This weekend’s escapist and light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko’s iconic Mr. A, warts and all.
MR. A
Secret Identity: Rex Graine, reporter for the Daily Crusader newspaper.
First Appearance: Witzend #3 (1967)
Origin: Rex Graine wanted to fight crime without endangering his friends and loved ones. He assumed the white-costumed identity Mr. A and took on the forces of evil.
Powers: Mr. A was in peak human condition and excelled at unarmed combat. He wore a white metal facial mask/ helmet for protection and anonymity. He also wore metal gloves and boots to make his punches and kicks more potent. I assumed he wore articulated body armor on his torso too, for some protection against bullets.
This character was an expert investigator and used calling cards with no writing – just black on one half and white on the other to represent his black & white moral attitudes. I’d have had those calling cards be made of metal, too, with sharp edges so they could be thrown like Moon Knight’s crescent moon blades.
Comment: Mr. A was a more “pure” version of the Question, Steve Ditko’s similar character also created in 1967 when he worked for Charlton Comics. Ditko owned Mr. A, whose nom de guerre came from the Objectivist principle “A is A”. He was an uncompromising vigilante the like of which superhero comic books had rarely seen in 1967. In the decades to come such figures became very numerous in comics. Continue reading
UTOPIA or THE HISTORY OF AN EXTINCT PLANET, PSYCHOMETRICALLY OBTAINED (1884) – Written by Alfred Denton Cridge. An unnamed narrator comes across the remains of a meteor that entered Earth’s atmosphere. This narrator has the gift of psychometry (the author’s uncle was THE William Denton) and after he picks up the tangerine-sized chunk of black rock from another planet he begins getting impressions from it. 
The planet was just 2,500 miles across and was home to a race of roughly 5 1/2 feet tall humanoids, some with yellow skin, some with brown skin and others with gray skin. All the races had long, black hair. Utopia sported Earthlike plains, mountains, lakes and rivers with just one huge ocean. 
BEN VEREEN … COMIN’ AT YA (1975) – As famous and celebrated as the multitalented Ben Vereen is, he’s STILL underrated! At least here in 2026 he is, but in 1975 the stage and television performer was enchanting the U.S. like no other black performer since Sammy Davis Jr. 
Vereen hosted the program plus sang, danced and starred in comedy sketches with celebrity guest stars. One of the show’s regulars was the one and only Lola Falana, who always got a show-stopping introduction from Ben. (“Lola Fuh-LAW-Naaa, Lola Fuh-LAW-Naaa.”) 
HEART OF AMERICA ATHLETIC CONFERENCE – Only one Upset in the HAAC Tournament Opening Round. 
WAVELENGTH (1983) – This is an unjustly neglected science fiction film that stars Robert Carradine, Cherie Currie and Keenan Wynn in a very unconventional love triangle: both Carradine and Currie are fighting over Wynn. (I’m kidding!) 
ALADDIN AND THE WONDERFUL LAMP aka Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp (1917) – Remember how the 1976 movie Bugsy Malone presented a gangster tale with children in all the roles? And how Shirley Temple starred in an entire series of Baby Burlesque shorts with all-child casts in assorted genres? Well, this 80-minute silent film was earlier than all of them. 
DAIGORO VS GOLIATH (1972) – This neglected kaiju (giant monster) film from Japan is one of the most obscure of them all in America. That’s odd since the movie was a joint project between the creators of Godzilla AND the creators of Ultraman, two very popular characters here in the west.
NUMBER FOUR TAKES A FALL – On Senior Night for the SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY FIRE they welcomed the number 4 team in the nation – the AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY GYRENES. The Fire put AMU on Upset Alert by Halftime with their 39-29 lead, but the Gyrenes forced Overtime with a 71-71 tie. In the extra session Southeastern U. won 83-80. Anthony Kangah led the victors with 21 points while teammate Nathan Mikkelson got a Double Double of 19 points and 13 rebounds.
CENTURY CLUB – Teams scoring 100 or more points in Regulation: The ST. MARY-OF-THE-WOODS COLLEGE POMEROYS beat the visiting INDIANA UNIVERSITY AT COLUMBUS CRIMSON PRIDE 101-70 ### Meanwhile, the UNIVERSITY OF RIO GRANDE (OH) RED STORM downed the KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS 114-79 ### And the GOVERNORS STATE JAGUARS won 107-55 at the JUDSON UNIVERSITY EAGLES. 
MARVEL PREMIERE Vol 1 #31 (Aug 1976) 
Superstitious people in Liberty, NM get covert glimpses of the creature and decide to raid the Pace ranch to destroy Woodgod and any other such “monsters” being created there. David and Ellen are shot to death in the attack but our main character is super-strong and invulnerable, so he survives being shot multiple times.
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