As we continue to scour the Golden Age for public domain heroes to revive, sometimes you stumble upon a no-brainer--a hero so cool and unique that you don't even have to go to the judges for a verdict, and just automatically advance 'em to the next round.
Let's bop back to 1941, when two friends are having a little crisis meeting:
Don't ask, Dan...please don't ask.
D'oh!!
Yes, and there's absolutely no way that plan could possibly go wrong, is there?
Two days later?!? Two days?? Man, justice was swift back then.
By the way, don't you think they'd at least check a guy's ID or something before they chuck him in the can for life?!? Fingerprints? Anything?!
Still, absolutely nothing could go wrong with this plan, could it?!?
D'OH!!!!!!!!!!!
So what's a wrongfully convicted (albeit due to his own idiocy) guy to do? That's right, tunnel!
But once stupid, always stupid, as...
So now what? Well, and this is admittedly really really cool, Dyce picks up on all the underworld scuttlebutt from within the prison, and then uses his tunnel to sneak out at night and thwart crime!!
And his nom de guerre? Why, his prisoner number, of course!!
Now admittedly, we do have pronunciation problems to deal with: do we call him "Seven hundred eleven?" Or "Seven Eleven?" Or "Seven One One?"
But man, what a cool concept. Prisoner by day, crime fighter by night...and with obvious commercial endorsement possibilities (just picture him drinking a Slurpee before kicking the crap out of some thug!!).
Yup, I declare that there's nothing that can keep 711 from being the next big thing!! We have our Golden Age Idol winner!!
Uhh....look, no problem. Like you're really going to believe some gangster when he declares that he's killed a mask? As if...
Uhhh....hmmmm...OK...look, that's just last-panel hyperbole, right? 711 will come roaring back to life next issue, right?
Oh, dear...anybody got a spare Black Lantern ring?
Sigh.
Panels from Police Comics #1 & 14-16 (1941-42). Yes, George Brenner did kill off his own creation in #15. Must have blown the kiddies' little minds back then, eh?
Let's bop back to 1941, when two friends are having a little crisis meeting:
Don't ask, Dan...please don't ask.
D'oh!!
Yes, and there's absolutely no way that plan could possibly go wrong, is there?
Two days later?!? Two days?? Man, justice was swift back then.By the way, don't you think they'd at least check a guy's ID or something before they chuck him in the can for life?!? Fingerprints? Anything?!
Still, absolutely nothing could go wrong with this plan, could it?!?
D'OH!!!!!!!!!!!
So what's a wrongfully convicted (albeit due to his own idiocy) guy to do? That's right, tunnel!
But once stupid, always stupid, as...
So now what? Well, and this is admittedly really really cool, Dyce picks up on all the underworld scuttlebutt from within the prison, and then uses his tunnel to sneak out at night and thwart crime!!
And his nom de guerre? Why, his prisoner number, of course!!
Now admittedly, we do have pronunciation problems to deal with: do we call him "Seven hundred eleven?" Or "Seven Eleven?" Or "Seven One One?"But man, what a cool concept. Prisoner by day, crime fighter by night...and with obvious commercial endorsement possibilities (just picture him drinking a Slurpee before kicking the crap out of some thug!!).
Yup, I declare that there's nothing that can keep 711 from being the next big thing!! We have our Golden Age Idol winner!!
Uhh....look, no problem. Like you're really going to believe some gangster when he declares that he's killed a mask? As if...
Uhhh....hmmmm...OK...look, that's just last-panel hyperbole, right? 711 will come roaring back to life next issue, right?
Oh, dear...anybody got a spare Black Lantern ring?Sigh.
Panels from Police Comics #1 & 14-16 (1941-42). Yes, George Brenner did kill off his own creation in #15. Must have blown the kiddies' little minds back then, eh?
You know, dying in his first adventure actually kind of makes him cooler. I mean any old masked avenger can survive innumerable non-lethal gunshot wounds and cracks to the head and any number of other injuries, but 711 actually dies in the process of righting wrongs.
ReplyDeleteIf you wanted to revive the character and keep him fresh, that's pretty easy. Every once in awhile a prisoner finds the escape tunnel and a copy of 711's costume (directed by Destiny perhaps) and does a stint as 711. Maybe they get revenge, maybe they die in the process, maybe they succeed and fix things. Each 711's story would eb different and that would keep the character interesting. There is always a real element of danger -- the hero might just die before he completes his mission. And unlike other super heroes, each of 711's deaths is permanant.
Sorry I wasn't clearer, Rottgutt--711 died in his 15th appearance, in Police Comics #15.
ReplyDeleteStill, Rotgut's concept could work out. So what happened with the guy who swore to bring 711's killer to justice?
ReplyDeleteAh, you mean Destiny...he was pretty much a dweeb, although he (eventually) did bring the killer to justice. And he did last (a tiny bit) longer than 711 as a feature...
ReplyDeleteAh, okay. Fifteen issues isn't a bad run, especially for the Golden Age where there were a number of characters who made one or two appearances and forever disappeared (blog appearances not withstanding).
ReplyDeleteIt is cool that they continued his story with Destiny too. We make a big deal about continuity now, but it seems some creators cared about it then as well.