Last time out we dissed on the unlikely Golden Age hero The Bouncer, who was really two heroes, a foppish artist and a male statue (wearing a dress) that came to life...whatever, it didn't get the pass from our judges.
But I've got a better feeling about this next guy...
Doc Strange.
No, not Doctor Strange...DOC STRANGE.
A creation of Richard Hughes and Alexander Kostur in Thrilling Comics #1 (1940), Doc Strange was, well, pretty much as much of a Superman ripoff as everybody else was at the time. Super strength, invulnerability, flight, super speed. It's a wonder DC never sued these guys.
Ah, but how did he get his powers?
As much as I love Silver Age DC Science, I am in awe of Golden Age "science"--writers could takes any set of words, string 'em together randomly, and voila: superpowers!! I mean, "Alosun?" "A mighty distillate of liquid sun atoms?" Roll on, Golden Age.
Let's evaluate some of Doc Strange's obvious pros and cons, if we're to consider advancing him in Golden Age Idol.
Con: Trademark troubles. Not only is his name way too close to a certain Sorcerer Supreme...but his full name is Doctor Thomas Hugo Strange. Hugo Strange? Oy, we're going to get sued by both companies...
Pro:
Jodhpurs. You have to love a hero in Jodhpurs. Although I have to admit, I have no idea what the hell "riding high, wide, and handsome" means. Makes for a great catch phrase, though.
Con: He's already been revived, in Alan Moore's Tom Strong and Terra Obscura. Given that he's very clearly one of the models upon which Moore based Tom Strong, it's no surprise Moore went on to make Doc Strange a "parallel world version" of Tom Strong (and also called him "Tom Strange" throughout...)
Pro: His villains talk good smack:
That's The Emperor, a die-a-lot-and-come-back-a-lot type of guy. Gotta appreciate the "sucker."
Pro: His girlfriend is much more proactive than your average Golden Age femme:
Virginia knows how to lay down the law!!
But the biggest pro of all is...well, let's set it up...
And the punchline is:
FIRE-APES!!!!!!!!!!!
Good Lord, I just wet myself. And I thought the gombezi were bad-ass.
Wait, gimme that caption again!!
Oh, man...
Dear evil scientists (& M. Night Shyamalan)...please don't make your creations vulnerable to water, because that's just stupid.
So, there we have it...and what do the judges say?
Oh, Paula likes you, Doc Strange...you're moving on!!
The cover shown is from Thrilling Comics #54 (1946). All of the panels are from #25 (1942).
But I've got a better feeling about this next guy...
Doc Strange.
No, not Doctor Strange...DOC STRANGE.
A creation of Richard Hughes and Alexander Kostur in Thrilling Comics #1 (1940), Doc Strange was, well, pretty much as much of a Superman ripoff as everybody else was at the time. Super strength, invulnerability, flight, super speed. It's a wonder DC never sued these guys.Ah, but how did he get his powers?
As much as I love Silver Age DC Science, I am in awe of Golden Age "science"--writers could takes any set of words, string 'em together randomly, and voila: superpowers!! I mean, "Alosun?" "A mighty distillate of liquid sun atoms?" Roll on, Golden Age.Let's evaluate some of Doc Strange's obvious pros and cons, if we're to consider advancing him in Golden Age Idol.
Con: Trademark troubles. Not only is his name way too close to a certain Sorcerer Supreme...but his full name is Doctor Thomas Hugo Strange. Hugo Strange? Oy, we're going to get sued by both companies...
Pro:
Jodhpurs. You have to love a hero in Jodhpurs. Although I have to admit, I have no idea what the hell "riding high, wide, and handsome" means. Makes for a great catch phrase, though.Con: He's already been revived, in Alan Moore's Tom Strong and Terra Obscura. Given that he's very clearly one of the models upon which Moore based Tom Strong, it's no surprise Moore went on to make Doc Strange a "parallel world version" of Tom Strong (and also called him "Tom Strange" throughout...)
Pro: His villains talk good smack:
That's The Emperor, a die-a-lot-and-come-back-a-lot type of guy. Gotta appreciate the "sucker."Pro: His girlfriend is much more proactive than your average Golden Age femme:
Virginia knows how to lay down the law!!But the biggest pro of all is...well, let's set it up...
And the punchline is:
FIRE-APES!!!!!!!!!!!Good Lord, I just wet myself. And I thought the gombezi were bad-ass.
Wait, gimme that caption again!!
Oh, man...
Dear evil scientists (& M. Night Shyamalan)...please don't make your creations vulnerable to water, because that's just stupid.So, there we have it...and what do the judges say?
Oh, Paula likes you, Doc Strange...you're moving on!!The cover shown is from Thrilling Comics #54 (1946). All of the panels are from #25 (1942).
Man. Setting apes on fire! What is it about apes and superhero comics!? Somebody needs to do a thesis on this.
ReplyDeleteI'm also surprised to see the old "enemy is just a hologram" trick way back in 1940! And pretty much exactly the way it would be done later (i.e., he's a light-projection of some sort.)
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