Tag Archives: Quality Comics

July 4, 2026 · 12:00 am

THE SUPERHERO UNCLE SAM: FIRST TWENTY STORIES

Happy Fourth of July! I’ll have my FULL Independence Day blog post later, but we’ll start the day with this look at the earliest stories of the Quality Comics superhero Uncle Sam in the 1940s. For over 20 more Quality Comics heroes click HERE.

uncle samUNCLE SAM

Secret Identity: Ezra Smith (assumed name)

First Appearance: National Comics #1 (July 1940) His final Golden Age appearance came in 1944.

Origin: During the Revolutionary War, a dying American soldier named Sam (last name unknown) felt such a fervent desire to continue fighting for the new country that he assumed supernatural status. Over the decades he incarnated as Uncle Sam whenever the United States needed him.

In 1940 he appeared to young Buddy Smith, whose father Ezra was just killed for opposing a Fascist organization called the Purple Shirts. Uncle Sam defeated that group and became Buddy’s substitute father, pretending to be his late father Ezra to legal authorities.

uncle sam againPowers: This hero had Superman-level strength and invulnerability. He could fly in a sense by making enormous Hulk-sized leaps. He had a mystic ability to know where he would be needed. Due to his supernatural nature, Uncle Sam could not be photographed or filmed.

Comment: When he was no longer needed in a given time period, this hero faded away, to once again incarnate during the next period of crisis for the country.

national comics 1NATIONAL COMICS #1 (July 1940)

Title: The Coming of Uncle Sam

Villains: The Purple Shirts

Synopsis: The origin of Uncle Sam, including his “adoption” of Buddy Smith, the scrappy kid in short pants depicted on the cover. Uncle Sam wages war on the Purple Shirts army, which is being financed by an unnamed – but obvious – foreign power.

Our hero invades the Purple Shirts’ secret stronghold at Box Valley in the southern Rocky Mountains. Uncle Sam clobbers the villains and rescues the U.S. President, whom they kidnapped earlier in a commando raid. Continue reading →

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April 5, 2025 · 12:01 am

THE CLOCK III: MAY 1940-SEP 1941

This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog is my 3rd look at the original run of the Clock, who debuted in 1936 – BEFORE Superman (1938) and Batman (1939). PART ONE: 1936-1939. PART TWO: 1939-1940.

CRACK COMICS #1 (May 1940)

Title: The Story of Pug Brady

Villain: The Big Shot

Synopsis: Brian O’Brien, the wealthy playboy who is really the superhero called the Clock, acquires his very first sidekick. Pat “Pug” Brady, a former boxer becomes O’Brien’s chauffer in this issue.

Our hero takes Pug into his confidence and tells him he is really the Clock and the former prizefighter becomes his aide in crimefighting. This adventure finds the Clock bringing down a masked villain called the Big Shot who is trying to take over New York City via his gang of criminals and corrupt police officers.

The Clock exposes the Big Shot as Mayor Kozer and shuts down his entire operation. Continue reading →

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February 15, 2025 · 12:03 am

GHOST OF FLANDERS: FORGOTTEN SUPERHERO

How ya diddly-doin’? Okay, not THAT Flanders, but Flanders as in a World War One reference. This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at a forgotten character from Quality Comics.

GHOST OF FLANDERS

Secret Identity: Rip Graves

First Appearance: Hit Comics #18 (December 1941)

Origin: I doubt that even the original writers could reconcile all the contradictory elements of this hero’s origin story while they were writing it! Okay, it’s nowhere near as ridiculous as Quality’s origin tale for Black Condor but nothing ever could be.

Here goes. Readers are told that Rip Graves was 15 years old in 1918 but lied about his age to enlist in the U.S. Army during World War One. He was mistakenly believed to be killed in the Second Battle of the Marne, which is roughly 200 miles away from Flanders in Belgium.

In reality the young man was in a Prisoner of War camp until being released after the war ended on November 11th, 1918. 

By the time that Graves – who has been doing God knows what for 14 years – shows up back in America in 1932, Arlington Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has been freshly dedicated. Continue reading →

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July 27, 2024 · 12:01 am

THE CLOCK: 1939 to 1940 STORIES

This weekend’s escapist and light-hearted superhero post here at Balladeer’s Blog presents my SECOND look at the adventures of the Clock. PART ONE examined his November 1936-January 1939 stories, so STILL before Batman debuted in May of 1939. 

Yes, before Batman, before Captain America and even before Superman himself, came the Clock, written and drawn by George E. Brenner. The Clock was the first masked crimefighter in comic books, debuting in 1936, while the much more popular Batman didn’t come along until 1939. I’m not pointing that out to diss Batman, but to point out what a shame it is that the Clock seems to have been forgotten by most of the world. The figure is pretty much the middle character between Pulp heroes like the Shadow and the Moon Man and comic book superheroes. The Clock’s influence on Will Eisner’s iconic character the Spirit is obvious.

feb 1939FEATURE FUNNIES Vol 1 #17 (February 1939)

Title: Murder of a Painter

Villains: Nick and Slug

Synopsis: Two thugs called Nick and Slug hold up a physician at gunpoint to steal his newly arrived shipment of radium for medical use. When John Post, a painter on a safety belt outside the window, witnesses the robbery our villains send him falling to his death.

The physician, Dr. T. Loden, is too scared of getting killed himself to cooperate with the cops. Millionaire Brian O’Brien becomes the Clock and prepares to “strike” once again with his gimmick-laden cane, gas-filled bowtie and armored vest.

He guilts Loden into giving him enough info for him to track down Nick and Slug and beat them unconscious. The Clock then calls Captain Kane (his pre-Commissioner Gordon version of Commissioner Gordon) to come pick up the thugs and the stolen radium.  Continue reading →

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July 2, 2021 · 6:51 pm

THE FIRST 20 UNCLE SAM SUPERHERO STORIES FROM THE 1940s

As the 4th of July approaches, Balladeer’s Blog presents one last red, white and blue-themed superhero – Uncle Sam, from Quality Comics. For over 20 more Quality Comics heroes click HERE.

uncle samUNCLE SAM

Secret Identity: Ezra Smith (assumed name)

First Appearance: National Comics #1 (July 1940) His final Golden Age appearance came in 1944.

Origin: During the Revolutionary War, a dying American soldier named Sam (last name unknown) felt such a fervent desire to continue fighting for the new country that he assumed supernatural status. Over the decades he incarnated as Uncle Sam whenever the United States needed him.

In 1940 he appeared to young Buddy Smith, whose father Ezra was just killed for opposing a Fascist organization called the Purple Shirts. Uncle Sam defeated that group and became Buddy’s substitute father, pretending to be his late father Ezra to legal authorities.

uncle sam againPowers: This hero had Superman-level strength and invulnerability. He could fly in a sense by making enormous Hulk-sized leaps. He had a mystic ability to know where he would be needed. Due to his supernatural nature, Uncle Sam could not be photographed or filmed.

Comment: When he was no longer needed in a given time period, this hero faded away, to once again incarnate during the next period of crisis for the country.

national comics 1NATIONAL COMICS #1 (July 1940)

Title: The Coming of Uncle Sam

Villains: The Purple Shirts

Synopsis: The origin of Uncle Sam, including his “adoption” of Buddy Smith, the scrappy kid in short pants depicted on the cover. Uncle Sam wages war on the Purple Shirts army, which is being financed by an unnamed – but obvious – foreign power.

Our hero invades the Purple Shirts’ secret stronghold at Box Valley in the southern Rocky Mountains. Uncle Sam clobbers the villains and rescues the U.S. President, whom they kidnapped earlier in a commando raid. Continue reading →

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May 29, 2021 · 4:08 am

FIRST TWENTY BLACK CONDOR STORIES

henry cavill should be black condor

Henry Cavill should be Black Condor.

Awhile back, Balladeer’s Blog examined a few dozen Golden Age superheroes from Quality Comics. Here’s a look at the first twenty stories of the number one entry on that list – the Black Condor.

black condor picBLACK CONDOR

Secret Identity: Senator Thomas Wright

First Appearance: Crack Comics #1 (May 1940)

Origin: Click HERE.

Powers: The Black Condor could fly at extraordinary speeds and was in peak physical condition. He was more agile than an acrobat and excelled at unarmed combat. In addition, he was a marksman with his handgun which fired powerful Black Energy rays.

black condor another picCRACK COMICS #1 (May 1940)

Title: The Man Who Can Fly Like A Bird

Villains: Gali Kan and his Mongolian bandits.

Synopsis: Using his power of flight to battle evildoers all over Asia, the Black Condor becomes world-famous, though some people doubt the veracity of the “sightings” of this flying man. At last, our hero gets the opportunity to avenge the death of his parents on Gali Kan and his men while simultaneously saving a city in India from their depradations. 

crack 2CRACK COMICS #2 (June 1940)

Title: The Man Who Can Fly

Villain: Rajah Ali Khan

Synopsis: The Black Condor saves Andrea Kent and her brother Denny from the evil plans of the Rajah Ali Khan, who seeks to seize their inheritance through a forced marriage to Andrea.

Our hero overcomes the Rajah and all his troops.

NOTE: In this story, which introduced the Black Energy ray-gun, the pistol’s rays simply paralyze large groups of the Rajah’s men and don’t destroy them. Continue reading →

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April 10, 2021 · 5:36 am

QUALITY COMICS SUPERHERO PANTHEON

mascot sword and gun pic

BALLADEER’S BLOG

Okay, regular readers definitely let me hear it over the way I skipped doing a light-hearted superhero post last weekend. I’m taking a look at the Quality Comics characters as they were in the Golden Age before they got absorbed by the black hole of DC Comics, into which the IPs of other publishers have been mangled to fit their latest “Crisis” nonsense. The days when they had the heroes of each newly acquired company set on an alternate Earth sound much more fun, but I’m not a comic book expert.

the rayTHE RAY

Secret Identity: Happy Terrill

First Appearance: Smash Comics #14 (September 1940) His final Golden Age appearance came in 1943.

Origin: While covering a scientist named Dr Styne as he tested his experimental lighter than air craft, New York Star reporter Happy Terrill rode along but got exposed to solar radiation and struck by lightning. (I hate when that happens!) This freak accident gave him superpowers with which he fought crime as the Ray.

Powers: The Ray could fly, shoot solar energy and electricity from his hands and turn his entire body into energy if needed. He drew power from light so extended periods shut off from all light sources would leave him powerless.

Comment: Like so many other Golden Age superheroes, the Ray was co-created by Will Eisner.   

lady luckLADY LUCK

Secret Identity: Brenda Banks

First Appearance: The Spirit Section (June 1940). Her final Golden Age appearance came in 1950.

Origin: Brenda Banks was the daughter of wealthy mine owner Bickford Banks. Growing bored with her luxurious life as a socialite, she secretly studied all manner of unarmed combat and donned a costume to fight the forces of evil as Lady Luck, in honor of her Irish heritage. Continue reading →

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May 31, 2015 · 3:28 pm

BLACK CONDOR CAPTIONING FUN RETURNS

The Black Condor was too late with his attempt to use an innocent bystander as a human shield but luckily the gunman's shot went wide.

The Black Condor was too late with his attempt to use an innocent bystander as a human shield but luckily the gunman’s shot went wide.

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April 5, 2013 · 10:35 pm

STILL MORE BLACK CONDOR CAPTIONING FUN

Awhile back I named the silly Golden Age superhero the Black Condor as the Official Superhero of Balladeer’s Blog because of his joyous weirdness. Here’s another cover from the Continue reading →

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