Tag Archives: superheroes

DC SUPERHEROES OF THE SIXTIES TO EIGHTIES

This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog picks up from last weekend’s look at DC’s 30s-50s characters by examining some of their 60s-80s heroes. 

FLASH VS HIS ROGUES GALLERY – I looked at the 1960s to 1980s stories in which Flash did battle with many of his foes assembled during their Semi-Annual Convention of Flash Villains and its related mayhem.

Readers got some landmark tales as the Scarlet Speedster took on his recurring foes like Mirror Master, the Trickster, Captain Cold, Pied Piper, Captain Boomerang, the Golden Glider and others. Click HERE.

BLACK LIGHTNING – Beginning in the 1970s, High School teacher Jefferson Pierce became the costumed superhero called Black Lightning. He used his new powers to fight crime and other dark forces in Metropolis’ Suicide Slums.

Black Lightning faced a variety of villains, like the Whale, Syonide, Cyclotronic Man, Steel Fist, the Annihilist and the criminal organization called the 100. Click HERE. Continue reading

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DC SUPERHEROES: THIRTIES TO SIXTIES

This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog will look at assorted DC characters from the 1930s to 1960s. DC fans have mentioned how Marvel-heavy my posts can be, but I also cover DC and independents.

BATMAN: THE REAL YEAR ONE

As fans know, this figure debuted in the May 1939 issue of Detective Comics and over the next 12 months he earned an eponymous second series.

The first appearances of the Joker, Catwoman, Hugo Strange and others were featured. Continue reading

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SHORTEST-LIVED SUPERHEROES FOR THE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR

To mark the shortest day of the year, Balladeer’s Blog’s escapist weekend superhero post will look at even more Marvel Comics (back then called Timely Comics) 1940s heroes who made only ONE appearance. 

merzah the mysticMERZAH THE MYSTIC

Real Name: Merzah

Appeared In: Mystic Comics #4 (August 1940)

Origin: Merzah was a mutant born with his powers.

Powers: This hero could read minds, communicate telepathically and perceive people’s emotions. His psychic senses alerted him to impending dangers. In addition, Merzah could see into the future as well as the past. 

Comment: Merzah’s sidekicks were his romantic partner Diana Lanford and his chauffer Jose Abejaron. In his sole adventure Merzah the Mystic defeated a Japanese spy named Satokata Matsu. Though America had not entered World War Two yet, Matsu was sabotaging U.S. infrastructure and stealing defense secrets. Merzah stopped the villain from derailing a loaded train.  Continue reading

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GARDIEN DE LA REPUBLIQUE: FRENCH SUPERHERO

This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post here at Balladeer’s Blog will look at a French-created figure.

gardien modern dayGARDIEN DE LA REPUBLIQUE (Guardian of the Republic)

Origin: This costumed hero works in a semi-official capacity to safeguard the people and government of France against external and internal enemies plus menaces created by super-science or the supernatural.

Various figures have been trusted with the Gardien mantle ever since the 1780s and in my opinion this fictional character has the most detailed chronology of any multi-generational line of costumed heroes outside the Phantom.

gardien 1In a nice touch the Marquis de Lafayette was secretly the very first Gardien de la Republique (seen in costume at right) when he returned to France after America’s Revolutionary War. Since then, as mentioned above, the title and costumed identity have been passed down to other figures for nearly 250 years.

Beginning in World War Two, several Gardiens have had costumed female sidekicks who all used the nom de guerre “Marianne.” Continue reading

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THE CHAMPIONS: MARVEL’S EXTRA 1970s TEAM

This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog will look at Marvel’s short-lived 1970s team the Champions.

cham 1CHAMPIONS Vol 1 #1 (October 1975)

Title: The World Still Needs … Champions

Villains: Pluto, Hipollyta and Ares

Synopsis: With so many superheroes in its universe compared to 1961, Marvel Comics debuted this new group. The members:

a) HERCULES, the actual figure from Greco-Roman mythology. Formerly a member of the Avengers.

b) GHOST RIDER, Marvel’s horror figure. The only Champion who had not belonged to a previous team. Also, the only team member with his own solo series at the time. Continue reading

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THE ORIGINAL MS. MARVEL: HER 1970s STORIES

This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at the earliest adventures of the original Ms. Marvel – Carol Danvers.

mm 1MS. MARVEL Vol 1 #1 (January 1977)

Title: This Woman, This Warrior

Villain: The Scorpion

NOTE: Ms. Marvel’s secret identity was Carol Danvers, a character that Marvel first introduced in the supporting cast of their original male Captain Marvel series in 1967. Carol was introduced as the head of security at Cape Canaveral, so even before becoming a superheroine she had a very solid role.

Carol made regular appearances alongside Captain Marvel (Kree Captain Mar-Vell) through the cancellation of his first solo series in August 1970. She made a few guest appearances in the pages of The Avengers during the original Kree-Skrull War (1970-1971) and was even impersonated by the Super-Skrull.

Synopsis: Readers are caught up with Carol Danvers’ life via flashbacks. During one of Captain Marvel’s battles with Yon-Rogg she was exposed to Kree technology which accidentally endowed her with super-strength plus the power of flight and a large degree of invulnerability. Continue reading

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PHILIPPINE SUPERHEROES: SANDUGUAN

This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog will look at a superteam from the Philippines – Sanduguan (Blood Oath), created by Gener Pedriña.

sanduguan

Before I examine the individual members of this team, here are some quick facts:

sanduguan againThe team name Sanduguan dates to the era of Filipino resistance to the Spanish colonial forces. Rebels would take an oath of blood to the cause. Sanduguan, the term for the oath ritual, has also been translated as One Blood and Blood Pact.

Sanduguan first appeared in February of 1999. The emergency which caused the gathering of individual superheroes who would found the team was the freeing of Siginarugan – a vile entity from Philippine mythology. The heroes defeated the menace and formed their team. 

sandataSANDATA (Weapon)

Secret Identity: Jae Ener Pedriña

Debut Year: 1999

Origin: From a very young age, Jae’s grandfather educated him in Arnis, the Filipino martial arts discipline. As an adult he was declared so proficient that his grandfather gave him a pair of mystic bastons used in Arnis. After thwarting a robbery with the bastons Jae adopted the costumed identity of Sandata to fight crime.   

Powers: This hero is the foremost master of Arnis techniques of fighting. His mystic bastons are virtually indestructible and occasionally manifest other aspects as needed.  Sandata is the leader of Sanduguan. Continue reading

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AUSTRALIA’S HERO THE SHADOW (1950-1966)

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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LONER (1988-1991) – ENGLAND’S ANSWER TO SABRE

This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog will look at the British character Loner.

lonerLONER – In 1988 the U.K. comic book Wildcat introduced a sci-fi character called Loner. This figure was, shall we say, reminiscent of America’s post-apocalypse rebel Sabre (lower right), who debuted in 1978 and made his last appearance in 1985. I’m not accusing anybody of anything. We all know that comic books recycle and borrow ideas all the time. And at least they didn’t spell it “Lonre.”

While Sabre’s adventures were about a heroic rebel fighting the dictatorship that had arisen in the wake of a global epidemic, famine and nuclear disasters, Loner’s adventures were set far away from the planet Earth. 

sabre coverIn the year 2492 a huge spaceship called Wildcat searches the universe for a planet fit for the human race to settle on as Earth faces destruction from a meteor storm. Loner was the world’s highest-paid mercenary warrior and bought his way onto the Wildcat by chipping in twenty million in financing.

Armed with his custom-made, multi-projectile firearm “Babe,” Loner goes forth to explore potential new worlds for the human race to colonize. Naturally, he faces a variety of science fiction menaces while carrying out that mission of exploration.

NOTE: Like Sabre’s “flintlock” laser pistol, Loner’s gun may look like an antique pistol but is really a high-tech weapon in a deceptive vintage casing. Continue reading

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RED CROSS: HIS WORLD WAR TWO ERA STORIES

For this weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post here at Balladeer’s Blog let’s go Old School and look at the 1940s character Red Cross.

THE RED CROSS 

Secret Identity: Peter Hall, MD

First Appearance: Captain Aero Comics # 8 (September 1942).

Origin: Doctor Peter Hall, a captain, was a physician serving in the field with America’s armed forces in World War 2. Outraged at Axis atrocities in the Philippines he vowed to take action but, constrained by his Hippocratic Oath he employed the VERY intellectually dishonest strategy of adopting a second, costumed identity.

Calling himself the Red Cross he took to battling both the Japanese and the Germans – with his physical abilities and with guns. (I’m guessing his motto was “First I’ll INFLICT their wounds, then I’ll HEAL their wounds!”). Not even his aide – Nurse Lucy Feller – suspected that the dedicated field surgeon Dr. Hall was also the homicidally violent Red Cross. You’d think the big Rx prescription logo on the superhero’s chest might have given her a clue.   Continue reading

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