This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog will look at Australia’s very different version of a superhero called the Shadow.
THE SHADOW
Secret Identity: Jimmy Gray
Debut Year: 1950
Origin: When Jimmy Gray inherited the family fortune, he used the money to train himself physically and mentally to fight crime and wrongdoing around the world. He would often rob the criminals and give the proceeds to charity.
Powers: The Shadow was in peak physical condition, was more agile than an acrobat and was a master of unarmed combat.
He wore a tight purple custom mask to conceal his face and tight rubberoid gloves to conceal his fingerprints.
Comment: Many of this hero’s villains were femmes fatale along the line of the Spirit’s foes. For the Shadow, that included Fifi Daniels, commander of an all-female crew of pirates in a submarine, Mira, an Arabian belly dancer, Senora Montez, a former Nazi spy turned Communist spy, and Lol Soho, international smuggler and jewel thief.
Despite his 1950 series being canceled in March 1952 after 23 issues, a new Shadow series was launched later in 1952. That second series ran until 1966, making it the 2nd longest running comic book series in Australian history.
THE SHADOW: 1950-1952 SERIES Continue reading
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