The Prize superheroes of the Golden Age made their first appearances in Prize Comics 1, issued in March 1940. Prize Comics was published by Teddy Epstein and Mike Bleier and was one of the smaller comic book operations of the 1940s. Prize Comics continued to be home to the major figures of this realm: the Black Owl, Yank and Doodle and Frankenstein. In 1943, Headline Comics was added and two years after that, Treasure Comics. Even given this slight line-up, some memorable heroes and battles were detailed by Prize artists and writers.

There was a greater sense of history, of a passing of the torch in this universe, compared to others. The Black Owl was originally Doug Danville, an athletic millionaire who once fought alongside the adolescent Yank and Doodle. But when Danville enrolled in the army, he gave his Black Owl costume and identity to Walt Walters, who coincidentally is Yank and Doodle’s father. The three heroes became the first costumed, crime-fighting family in comic books. Later, when the elder Walters breaks his leg, he encourages his sons to continue the tradition on their own.

Similarly, the struggle against the Frankenstein monster had a sense of evolution. First, a heroic Dr. Frankenstein tried to stop his monstrous creation. When he realized he was not up to the task, he helped to create a hero with superior strength: the Bulldog. Bulldog, in turn, ended up enlisting a team of heroes to finally defeat Frankenstein: uniting himself, Black Owl, Dr. Frost and the Green Lama into one fighting force. Frankenstein was domesticated for a time, but ultimately reverted to his evil ways.

This was a universe dominated by adult men. There were no major costumed heroines in the Black Owl universe. Only the titles published by Ken Crossen featured heroic women and, even in that progressive climate, they were always secondary to a male hero. Golden Girl was a female version of Golden Lad, while Magga was simply a woman who uttered the Green Lama’s magic words and was similarly transformed. Flame was the female sidekick of Shaman. Nor were they many costumed adolescents. Yank and Doodle were the exception, otherwise there was only the Junior Rangers, Buck Saunders’ pals and Airmale’s sidekick, Stampy.

It should come as no surprise, then, that diversity was in similarly short supply. Green Lama’s assistant was a Tibetan man named Tashi Shog and a Chinese boy named Chin was a member of the Junior Rangers. Prince Ra was likely Egyptian, though further information is needed to confirm this. The Arabian Knight was a Muslim hero from medieval times. That’s it. Green Lama, the most idealistic of the Prize mystery men, left his Prize comrades for the company of the more egalitarian Spark heroes. Perhaps he sought a better world of more equal opportunity. Or hoped to co-create it.

Eccentric villains were common here, rising up to challenge the conventional goodness of these stalwart heroes. The Black Owl faced the Laughing Head and the Terrible Midge (a midget not a woman!) three times each. Yank and Doodle’s squared off against the Limping Man four times. Only the jovially calculating Funnibone dared to switch foes, first taking on the Owl before focusing on the annoying costumed twins. Dr. Frost’s arch foe was the fiery Vulcan, while Green Lama squared off against the lovely Baroness von Elsa. Perhaps she sensed the mystic’s willingness to take her seriously. But the most impressive villain of all was the monster Frankenstein. No one succeeded in stopping him permanently.

The various heroes of the Black Owl Universe disappeared, most with the transition of Prize Comics into Prize Western in 1948. Frankenstein, alone, endured in stories published in his own comic book. His efforts largely undisputed, he wreaked havoc until 1954.  Teddy Epstein and Mike Bleier continued publishing comic books until the early sixties. However, by this time, his prime focus was on telling tales of struggling relationships in Young Love and Young Romance. Both titles became part of the DC Universe in 1963.

Prize Superheroes Profiles

BLACK OWL

Secret Identity: Doug Danville, “society glamour boy” who began his crime-busting career as “K the Unknown,” before changing his name to Black Owl in his second adventure.

Origin: “Doug Danville, bored with being a playboy, is secretly K—the Unknown! A mystery man ‘wanted’ by both police and underworld.” After just one adventure, he adopts a new guise, that of the Black Owl.

Abilities: No extraordinary powers. An excellent fighter.
Appearance: Originally the costumed vigilante K the Unknown, Danville adopted a “masked mystery man in a business suit” persona, the Black Owl. With Prize Comics 7, the Black Owl took to wearing his more enduring costume of blue tights and cowl and red boots, gloves and cape. What made him a “black” owl ceased to be so clear.

Modus Operandi: With issue 34 (9/43), Danville is drafted into the army and goes to his old college pa, Walt Walters. Noting Walters was a good athlete in school and still “trim,” he encourages Walters to adopt his costumed identity. Walters, who just figured out his twin sons are Yank and Doodle takes up the challenge. Danville helps Walters transform an aerocar he’s just invented into an owl-like vehicle. Thereafter, the Black Owl and Yank and Doodle become a team. It is many issues later that his boys realize who their masked partner really is. Still later, Walters temporarily retires after a breaking his leg, but returns to action with his sons in Prize 67.

Friends and Allies:

Terry Dane (or Dale). Female detective and friend to both Doug Danville and the Black Owl. Terry was initially motivated to bring in Danville’s other persona, K the Unknown.

Notable Adversaries:

Chief Skullface. An apparent Indian villain who terrorizes a Western community with his green skull mask and red and green feathered headdress. He is assisted by a gang of traditionally dressed Indian braves who don’t realize he is actually a white man named Jonathan Kane, only interested in gaining title to a lost gold mine. Prize 21 (1942).

Funnibone. Mock comic villain who does battle with the Black Owl once before settling in as more regular foe of Yank and Doodle.Prize 24 (1942).

Doctor Devil. Is he simply a saboteur in a macabre red devil suit or is he an actual demon? He does battle with the Black Owl twice. It is only when he magically summons Frankenstein to his side to commit a new act of sabotage that his demonic heritage seems confirmed. Prize 14, 15, 22 (1941-42).

The Laughing Head. This comical appearing villain sports a mustache and is mirthful during the commission of his crimes.Prize 26-28 (1942).

Madame Mystery. “The world’s most dangerous woman” and leader of a gang of thieves that steals precious gems from New York City to Hong Kong. When one fellow calls her a “beautiful, egotistical, murderous little jewel thief,” she replies, “You flatter me.” Raven-haired and deadly, Madame Mystery carries a gun and is willing to use it. Prize 9 (1941). 

The Reaper. Maniacal killer for hire, the deranged head of Murder Incorporated. The Reaper seeks revenge on the Black Owl for his initial defeat by killing dozens of people in public while wearing the Owl’s distinctive costume. He is athletically built and might appear handsome were it not for the look of insanity in his expression. Prize 12, 13 (1941).

The Terrible Midge. “Sly, cunning, and with a hatred for bigger men, the Terrible Midge sets his superhuman muscles and brain against bigness—against big men and against the bigness that is society itself.” The Midge has been a carnival sideshow attraction, tired of “having those stupid fools gape at me.” He is handsome and dark-haired, a muscular, well-proportioned midget who wears a leopard skin tunic with a single shoulder strap. A murderous, aspiring gang leader, the Terrible Midge can pretend to be a mere boy or, with leg extensions, a normal sized man. Prize 30-32(1943).

The Tiger Lady. Gun moll of the infamous gangster Machine Gun Keller, the Tiger Lady goes while Keller is executed. Seeking vengeance against those who saw her lover electrocuted, the Tiger Lady seeks vengeance in her form-fitting tiger skin and headdress. Secretly Madame Feline, a circus performer, the villainess is assisted by her two trained tiger and the carnival strong man. Prize 18 (1942).

The Whistler.  Hooded, scarred villain whose eerie whistling marks his entrance. Involved in a quest for the magical sword Excalibur. Dies at the end of his second battle with the Black Owl. Prize 7, 8 (1940-41).

Sightings: Prize Comics 1-53, 55-64, 66-67

Original Chronicler: Robert Turner (Human Meteor, Johnny Fox)

Other Notable Contributors: Jack Kirby (Captain America): Prize Comics 7-9

Active: (as Doug Danville) 1940-43, (as Walt Walters) 1943-48

DOCTOR FROST

Original Identity: Never revealed

Origin: Never revealed.

Abilities: Dr. Frost is able to project concentrated cold in the form of blasts of ice.
Appearance: The hero wears a costume of pale blue trunks and form-fitting shirt with white trim.

Modus Operandi: Dr. Frost fights a mix of domestic criminals and fantastic figures, such his arch enemy, Vulcan.

Friends and Allies:

The Bulldog, the Black Owl and the Green Lama. The three heroes he teams with to battle the formidable monster, Frankenstein. Prize 24 (1942).

Notable Adversaries:

Scarponi. Gangster who attempts to take over state government by backing a corrupt Lt. Governor. He pretends to be dead after a car crash leaves his partner in crime genuinely deceased, all the better to destroy Dr. Frost. His two henchmen are nicknamed Dagger and Monk. Prize 16-17 (1941).

Vulcan. Leader of a fiery underground city, Vulcan’s mastery over flame proves a potent counterpoint to the power of Frost. Prize 7-9 (1940-41).

Sightings: Prize Comics 7-34

Original Chroniclers: Richard Steele and Ben Thompson (Ka-Zar)

Active: 1940-43

GREEN LAMA

Secret Identity: Jethro Dumont, adventurer. Known to his Tibetan friends and teachers as O Tulku.

Origin: As a student, Dumont travels to Tibet to study the mystical arts. While there he is granted the power of…

Abilities: Dumont only needs to say the mystical words “Om ma-ni pad-me hum!” (“Hail the jewel in the lotus flower”) and he is transformed into the emerald clad, hooded Green Lama. As the Lama, the transformed hero has superior strength and magical powers, such as teleportation and the ability to freeze men in their tracks. After doing the latter to a pair of German soldiers, he quipped: “You two make quite good statues. Perhaps Adolf will place you in parks.”
Appearance: Initially this virile hero is garbed in a traditional monk’s green hooded robe. Later, he loses the robe for a more form-fitting green costume that still retains a hood.

Modus Operandi: Dumont operates out of his Greenwich Village apartment. As the Green Lama, he is prone to saying things like “No power on earth can triumph against righteousness” or “He who deals death must be prepared to welcome it,” as he strangles a murderous villain.

Friends and Allies:

Jean Parker. Female friend of Dumont.

Tashi Shog. Tibetan monk from the monastery where the Green Lama obtained his powers. Prize 29, others? (1943).

Tsarong. Dumont’s Tibetan servant, a young man who wears a red turban.

Notable Adversaries:

Baroness Von Elsa. Lovely Nazi spy and seductress, the Baroness is assisted by her allies, a huge brute named Hugo and a hunchbacked dwarf called Imp, collectively known as the “Trio of Terror.” All three apparently die in their second encounter with Green Lama. Prize 13, 14 (1941).

Falstaff. Aka the Toymaster, a jolly fellow dressed in green renaissance garb and ruffles who only steals toys and uses toys to thwart Green Lama. Falstaff turns out to be a criminally inclined toy store owner named  Mr. Jerome. Green Lama 3, 8 (1945-46).

The Harlequin. “Sly and malicious agent of Lucifer, from the roaring underworld… called to this world by Adolf Shickll Gruber, the advance agent of death.” The Harlequin possesses a pointed nose, fangs, tail and horns, but has pink rather than red flesh. Somewhat incongruously, he also sports a jester-like frill around his neck, his only article of clothing other than a pair of trunks and an odd metallic skull cap. Despite his odd appearance, his primary ability appears to be as an evil mastermind and schemer. The Lama throws him back in hell where he belongs. Prize 29 (1943).
Professor Voodoo. “Two-legged beast of prey to surpass in cunning and cruelty all the forces of evil.” Helmut Voodoo is bald with glasses and wears a tan robe with a swastika insignia on its chest. He shapes his dolls out a special clay. Prize 30 (1943).

Stopwach. Master of a potent hypnotic power taught to him by the same Tibetans who taught the Green Lama. Wears sun glasses to block the impact of the Lama’s mental powers. Prize 34 (1943).

Sightings: Prize Comics 7-34, Green Lama 1-8 (published by Spark) 

Original Chroniclers:Ken Crossen and Mac Raboy

Active: 1940-46  

JUNIOR RANGERS

Membership: Roger Ranger, Jr., the farm boy leader; Smokey O’Toole, the city tough, and Jerry Simms, son of an Army colonel, are the original Rangers. Shortly thereafter, in Prize 2, a Chinese youth named Chin Lee, who often refers to himself as “this humble one,” joins the team.

Origin: After Roger’s parents are killed by Baron Blackheart, an injured German paratrooper who commandeers their farmhouse, Roger seeks to join the military, but is turned down because he’s under age. He meets Smokey who has similarly been turned down. Undeterred, Roger and Smokey stow away on a ship bound for Europe in order to join the action anyway. They’re discovered by Jerry, a cabin boy whose father just happens to be an army officer. Impressed by their determination, Colonel Simms enlists them into an American Ranger school.

Abilities: Given their Ranger training, the boys are all good fighters. Chin Lee, given his Chinese background, is more familiar with the Asian theatre and provides invaluable assistance, despite Smokey’s initial racist suspicions regarding him.

Appearance: Roger wears overalls and a farmer’s hat. Smokey dresses a red and white striped pullover and Jerry dresses in conventional city garb. Chin wears a traditional long, Chinese tunic, portrayed variously as green or white in color.

Modus Operandi: Despite being underage, the Junior Rangers come to operate with the full knowledge and cooperation of military authorities. The Rangers are so well regarded that an Army commander actually brings them in to train a batch of new adult recruits! Most of their adventures take place overseas. Chin initially speaks with poor grammar, but fairly quickly masters English.

Friends and Allies:

Colonel Simms. Jerry’s father and sometime commander of their missions.

Yank and Doodle. Assist the Junior Rangers in their first mission. Headline 1 (1943).

Brownley Baxter. Number one movie star who is drafted into the Army. Much to everyone’s surprise, he turns out to be as courageous and resourceful as the roles he plays. Headline 8 (1944).

Alail. Scientist-leader of a race of seven-foot tall penguins that lives in Antarctica. When Roger correctly deduces that the penguins use cosmic rays to increase their size and intellingence, Alail exclaims, “Your powers of reasoning are as good as a penguin’s! I am pleased!” Alail assists the Rangers in defeating a group of Japanese soldiers that have used penguin technology to increase their own size. Headline 14 (1945).

Notable Adversaries:

Baron Blackheart. Nazi agent heading German plan to invade America. The bald Nazi kills Roger’s parents, thus motivating the creation of the Junior Rangers. Headline 1 (1943).

Dr. Emit. Master criminal whose schemes revolve around time. Emit (time spelled backwards) teams up with a phony Attila the Hun. Headline 15 (194x).

The Monk. AKA the Monstrous Monk, an elegant dressing Japanese man enlisted into the military to head up a military mission. He is duped by Chin Lee. Headline 2 (1943).

Sightings: Headline Comics 1-22; Treasure Comics 10, 12

Active: 1943-47

POWER NELSON, Futureman

Secret Identity: His given name of 1982 is Power Nelson. The hero adopts the identity of Gene West, “erstwhile radio commentator,” after traveling back to 1940 after several adventures in our future. When posing as West, Nelson wears an eye patch.

Origin: “It is the year 1982, and civilization, exhausted by the second and third world wars, has been conquered by a Mongol horde! The ruler of the world is Emperor Seng I. From his palace in New-New York, he governs with despotic might all civilized people, who groan under his oppression! His soldiers and spies are everywhere, and all hope of liberty seems gone, forever!!” In this dire situation, scientists operating in a secret underground laboratory discover a way to “endow one man, and one man only, with tremendous power! A youth named Power Nelson is chosen…” and the experiment is a great success.

Abilities: As the scientist from 1982 explains, “You have the strength of a steam engine and the hardness of tempered steel!
Appearance: Power wears red tights covered by a yellow armored tunic with a yellow belt and gloves. He is blond-haired and doesn’t wear a mask.

Modus Operandi: In the year 1982, Power Nelson is granted his powers to battle the dictator of the world, Emperor Seng the First. With Prize 8, he travels back in time to 1940, where he battles evildoers of that period.

Friends and Allies:

Notable Adversaries:

Dr. Mesmeric. Possessor of a machine that hypnotically bends the will of others. Mesmeric is also in disguise, wearing glasses and a beard to disguise his conventionally handsome appearance. Prize 19 (1942).

Emperor Seng the First. Mongol emperor who rules the world in the year 1982. Seng is a tall, slender man with a slender mustache. He wears a pretentious, orange military uniform with multiple medals, topped by a fez-like cap with a large, protruding green mane that flutters in the wind. Seng has atomic bombers at his disposal, not to mention his Mongol “hoardes” that obey him out of fear. Seng’s son, Prince Ugi, is inept, spoiled and ungrateful, often rescued by Nelson for strategic advantage. Prize 1-6 (1940).

Gorgon. Giant, rampaging Nazi brute with an ape-like bearded face. A swastika is emblazoned on his loose-fitting green costume. Gorgon gains his monstrous strength from chemical injections provided by a man hidden in shadows. One of Gorgon’s acts of sabotage kills 1500 people! Prize 17 (1941).

Green Saber. Nazi villain who wields a green saber and green skull mask with a swastika on its forehead. Multiple Nazi sympathizers wear the garb to aid the Hitler look alike. His eerie skull mask is undermined by his bright yellow cape and gloves and formfitting pink tights. Prize 16 (1941).

Sightings: Prize Comics 1-23

Original Chronicler: Paul Norris (Aquaman, Yank and Doodle)

Active: 1940-42

YANK and DOODLE

Secret Identity: Rick and Dick Walters, teen-aged twins

Origin: “Rick and Dick, too young for military or naval service, crusade against all un-American activities as Yank and Doodle.”

Abilities: In their earlier adventures, Yank and Doodle display superior strength and agility when they are in the company of the other. In their later adventures, they display no extraordinary abilities, but remain excellent fighters.
Appearance: The twins wear matching red, white and blue uniforms with red kerchiefs, black eyemasks and white star insignias with the red letter Y or D in their center.

Modus Operandi: Known as “America’s fighting twins,” Yank and Doodle initially devote themselves to foiling domestic threats to our national security. With Prize 34, Yank and Doodle’s father joins them as the new Black Owl, but the twins are unaware who he is. Later, in Prize 45, all is revealed and father and sons fight crime as a family from then on.

Friends and Allies:

Walt Walters. Rick and Dick’s father. Walters is initially unaware of his children’s activities. However, in Prize Comics 34, he becomes the second man to wear the costume of the Black Owl (see above) and joins them in their crime-fighting efforts.

Notable Adversaries:

Funnibone. AKA “the devil’s disciple,” Funnibone initially fights the Black Owl. A murderous funnyman with a sickening grin, Funnibone dresses in a dark green suit and wears an oversized, broad-rimmed hat. He sports a pencil-thin mustache and is missing several teeth. In vaudeville fashion, Funnibone twirls a cane which doubles as a rifle. Prize (24), 26, 27, 29 (1942-43).

The Limping Man. “A master of disguise, he cannot be recognized except his limp!” The Limping Man is also called “the king of escape artists.” Is he actually the wheelchair bound Dr. Riddel, “lame, retired neurologist”? Prize 30-33 (1943).

Ringmaster. First foe to face Yank and Doodle and the new Black Owl, their father, as a team. The villain is a former circus ringmaster turned to crime. In his second appearance, he gathers a gang comprised entirely of circus strongmen. The Ringmaster sports a black walrus mustache and wears a black top hat, blue bowtie and plaid orange jacket. He also wields a bullwhip to dangerous effect. Prize 34, 36 (194  ).

The Vaguero. Mexican villain who wears a colorful yellow kerchief and sombrero with red stitching. After his first defeat, he “cordially invites” various gang leaders with a neatly engraved card, noting that “ways and means will be discussed to rid the underworld of Yank and Doodle and the Black Owl.” At the meeting he sells war bonds to raise a million dollars in bounty for the three heroes. The Vaguero speaks with a heavy Spanish accent, exclaiming phrases such as “Que Diablo?”Prize 42, 43 (1944).

Sightings: Prize Comics 13-68

Original Chronicler: Paul Norris (Aquaman, Power Nelson)

Active: 1941-48

Prize Comics Independent Villains

FRANKEN-STEIN

Alternate Identities: Frankenstein’s monster. As the narrative of one adventure explains, “Although Frankenstein is the name of the creator of his beast, the name has universally come to mean the monster itself.”

Origin: The creation of Dr. Frankenstein who sought to create life itself from a collection of sewn together body parts from corpses.

Abilities: Exceptional strength, resilience and durability.

Appearance: Classic appearance with pale skin, misshapen facial features and plenty of stiches where his various body parts were sewn together.

Modus Operandi: Frankenstein first rages against his creator and later his creator’s chosen agent, Bulldog Denny. He finally appears defeated when Denny engineers his fall into a vat of molten metal. But Frankenstein manages to escape this fate. With Prize 33, a doctor named Carrol is able to hypnotize the monster and redeem his character. His treatments work for a time, though Frankenstein is briefly snapped out of his fragile goodness and becomes a Nazi for a few issues, ending with Prize 40. After his good nature is redeemed, Frankenstein slips into a period of largely comical adventures. His evil nature is only resurrected when he begins appearing in his own comic book, with Frankenstein 1, in 1945.

Friends and Allies:

Dr. Carrol.

Monsters Three. An alliance between a female vampire known as the Witch, a male mummy known as Bones and the monster. While most of Bones’ body is covered in white wrappings, his cadaverous face and hands are exposed. The mummy possesses a gun that shoot out a disintegrating fluid, a central reason for the monster taking allies. Joan Knight (see below) manages to kill the Witch all by herself, but it takes the monster turning on his supposed ally to destroy Bones. Prize 16-17 (1941).

Notable Adversaries:

Dr. Victor Frankenstein. The monster’s creator who attempts to stop him but isn’t up to the job. However, the good doctor is key in mentoring a true threat to his creation, Bulldog Denny. Prize 7-9, 11 (1940-41).

Bulldog Denny. AKA Denny Dunson. Dunson is orphaned as a boy when his parents are killed by the Frankenstein monster. Dr. Victor Frankenstein, feeling responsible, takes the boy under his wings and trains him to fight against the monster. Denny is agile and possesses more than normal human strength. As the narrative explains, when leaping into action, “Denny assumes the tenacity and ferocity of ten such bulldogs.” Denny doesn’t wear a mask to hide his identity. He dresses in black jodhpur trousers and a form-fitting black shirt with a bulldog insignia on it. He also a bulldog tattoo on his chest. Bulldog Denny’s entire life is devoted to bringing down the monster. He recognizes that the Frankenstein monster is more powerful than he is and thus isn’t above strategic retreats to live and fight another day. Bulldog Denny believes he has finally defeated the villain by knocking him off a girder into a cauldron of molten metal in Prize Comics 28 and, as a result, walks away the following issue believing his mission is finished. Prize 11-24, 27-29 (1941-43).

Joan Knight. Attractive blonde-haired romantic interest of Bulldog Denny and quite a fierce fighter in her own right. In her first encounter with the monster, it is Denny that has to drag her off from the battle! “That was somewhat terrific,” he grudgingly admits at one point in the struggle. “Y’now, we’d make a swell, mob-busting team!” And so they are. Joan is originally a scenic designer for Astro Movie Studios. She first appears in Prize Comics 13 and most thereafter (1941-43).

Black Owl, Yank and Doodle, Dr. Frost and the Green Lama. These heroes are gathered by Bulldog Denny to bring down Frankenstein, when Denny is called away to Washington on another mission. The collection of heroes, along with the more comic figures of the General and                   , succeed where others have failed and are able capture the monster. Prize 24 (1942).

Sightings: Prize Comics 7-9, 11-54, 56-68; Frankenstein 1-33

Original Chronicler: Dick Briefer (Bronze Terror)

Active: 1940-54

Other Independent Villains

Dr. Dekkar, Master of Monsters

This demented scientist has discovered a way to “activate the glands so that one may grow to amazing size.” He turned his previous lab assistant into a monstrous giant and intends to do the same to his new one, Diane Clark. Luckily, her fiancé Bob Trent steps in and stops him. Dekkar next discovers a way to create animal-human hybrids, but getting the necessary brain cells requires killing the human donor. A resulting hybrid tiger-woman falls for Trent. Dekkar has receding dark hair and a goatee. Prize Comics 5-6 (active 1940).

Other PRIZE Heroes and Villains

Airmale and Stampy

Professor Ken Stevens invents a “flight fluid” that allows him to become lighter than air and fly. He subsequently invents a gravity belt to control the effect. Airmale’s nephew, Bobby Stevens, joins the good fight by exposing himself to the same fluid. He first appears as Stampy in Prize 37. The duo give up crimefighting when Ken receives his draft notice, taking comfort in the fact that the Black Owl and Yank and Doodle remain to fight crime. The heroes later appear in the Green Turtle Universe. Prize Comics 34-43 (active 1943-44).

Atomic Man

Scientist Adam Mann is experimenting with uranium (U-235) and ends up inadvertently drinking from a glass into which radioactive particles have fallen. When Mann subsequently stumbles into a high voltage machine, his right hand is infused with atomic power. Donning a red cape and legionnaire’s helmet, the irradiated scientist becomes Atomic Man. When not wearing a protective lead glove, Atomic Man can project gamma ray bolts from his fingertips, which can propel into flight or disintegrate objects. He also has atomic-powered strength. Capable of merciless combat, he once informed criminals about to attack him: “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Atomic Man! I’m going to vaporize you unless you surrender!” And when they fail to comply, he does just that. Headline Comics 16-21 (active 1945-46)

Blue Streak

“Blue Streak is in reality Jim Dare, one of the famous Flying Dares, top circus aerialists!” When Jim witnesses the murder of his brother, he decides to use his acrobatic abilities to fight crime. His sister Kitty never realizes her brother is the Blue Streak, even though he doesn’t wear a mask and uses his aerialist outfit as his costume! “There’s something funny going on,” she declares at the end of one adventure, “and I intend to find out what it is!” Headline Comics 13-15 (active 1945)

Boom Boom Brannigan

Brannigan is a champion caliber boxer who fights crimes in between (and sometimes during) his boxing matches. Prize Comics 44-66 (active 1944-47).

Buck Brady of the F.B.I.

Buck is a stalwart, athletic government agent not unlike many others, except for the fact that he has an identical twin in organized crime. Explains Buck, “I’ll never rest until till I’ve tracked down my evil twin brother, Carter Brady.” Yet he is never shown seeking him out thereafter. Prize Comics 1-6 (active 1940).

Buck Saunders and his Pals

A group of boys who pursue their adventures in seemingly quiet small town of Olinville. The group is led by Buck and includes the bespectacled Percy, the jive-talking Don and Fatty, who is somewhat, but not grossly overweight. Despite their small town status, they still manage to snag their share of saboteurs. Buck’s last name was spelled Sanders in his first dozen plus adventures. Prize Comics 24-37; Headline Comics 1, 6-22 (active 1942-46).

Carter Brady. Carter is first discovered by his brother disguised as an old woman. Carter apparently ran away from home years ago and turned to a life of crime. Now head of his own upscale gang, Carter is willing to leave his own brother in death traps. “It hurts to do this, my goodie-goodie brother,” remarks the evil twin when leaving him tied up in a house he’s just set on fire, which may explain why Carter never just shoots and kills Buck. Prize Comics 1 (1940).

Cliff Gordon, the Wonder Boy. Exceptional student athlete. Headline Comics 1-12 (1943-45);

Don Coyote. Axis agent assisted by his Mexican colleagues, Pancho and Sancho. Prize 30 (1943).

Dr. McCabre. This physician appears to be youthful and handsome but actually has to kill a man once a year to harvest his pituitary gland to maintain that youth. His elderly servant Meadows is actually a brilliant surgeon who performs the necessary surgeries. A hundred years old, Dr. McCabre ages and appears to fall to his death before the horrified boys. Headline 14 (1945).

Dr. Styx

Crusader against occult evil, Dr. Styx no longer possesses the physical warmth of humanity, but remains deeply concerned regarding its fate. He uses his vast knowledge of mystical books and other arcane objects to aid him in his efforts. Dr. Styx wears a brown suit and hat and a muted orange cape. Treasure Comics 2-5 (active 1945-46).

Flying Fist and Bingo

Vaudeville performers who double as costumed heroes. Their matching yellow, red and blue costumes (Bingo is the junior member of the pair) evoke the look of circus aerialists.  Prize Comics 35-43, 45-47 (active 1943-44).

Great Voodini

A magician, Voodini conjures his powers by speaking his magical commands backwards, a decidedly common occult method in the realm of super powered magicians in various universes. Prize Comics 7-12 (active 1940-41).

Jupiter, Master Magician

“Jupiter is sent from his planet to the earth to clean up the evil corruption. He lands somewhere in upper New York State.” By speaking magic words, Jupiter can move objects or tear apart buildings by magical force. He also can become invisible and immaterial. Jupiter explains that he can do “seemingly impossible things” because
”everyone on my planet can do (magic). Magic is common practice there.” Jupiter wears blue trunks and short-sleeved shirt and red gloves, boots and cape. His is blond haired and wears no mask. Prize Comics 1-6 (active 1940).

Racko (Jupiter’s “arch enemy”). Racko is a “madman and a scientist.” His various schemes have included creating monsters in a secret city, draining New York City’s reservoirs, and conquering the world from his base of operations on the South Pole. Racko has a crazed appearance,  with missing teeth, unruly white hair and goatee. Prize 2-4 (1940). Murdo. Racko’s brother, “the more dangerous of the two,” Murdo seeks to avenge his sibling’s death. Murdo’s lab is hidden beneath a lake in India. He is younger than Racko, with dark hair and beard. Prize 5-6 (1940).

Mr. Bottle

Mr. Bottle is an Irish leprechaun trapped inside a bottle. His spirit was born when six men are left to die on an island after attempting to oust an Irish crime boss out of their village. Certain they will die, the six men write a curse with their own blood on a piece of cloth which they stuff into a fancy green bottle they find on the beach. When the bottle ultimately finds its way to New York City, it is opened and Mr. Bottle emerges. After dispensing justice to Irish criminal (now living in America), Mr. Bottle dedicates himself to helping “the downtrodden people—all over the world!” Bottle can shrink others in size, enlarge his bottle and ride it on the water, levitate through the air and commit other acts of magic. Treasure Comics 11 (active 1947).

Paul Bunyan

The Paul Bunyan of legend stands over twenty feet tall has superior strength to match his size. Stories feature Bunyan battling criminals in contemporary times as well as earlier tales when a more youthful Bunyan with brown hair was barely eight feet. Bunyan is a white mustached giant who dresses in traditional lumberjack garb, with a red and white checkerboard shirt. He’s accompanied by Babe, a giant, pale blue ox. Treasure Comics 1-9 (active1945-46).

Perry Allen. Boy traveler who participates in “Pan-American adventures” with his pay, Don Powers. Headline Comics 1-9 (1943-44).

Prince Ra

“The eternal wanderer from ancient Egypt,” Prince Ra is immortal and has magical powers. He also pilots a a solar-powered, bird-like plane that possesses a potent sun ray gun. Prince Ra wears blue jodhpurs, an open-necked white shirt and red belt and headband and sports a mustache and pointed goatee. He is assisted by a black-skinned man named Hykos, “his Nubian aide.” Hykos is also immortal, noting on one occasion when the two are about to be tortured, “Experimenting on us may not be pleasant, since we can’t be killed.” The two men angered Ra, the sun god, thirty centuries ago, who cursed the Egyptian prince to only be able to work magic that assists others. Hykos, for his part, wears blue trousers, a white belt and short red boots. He leaves his muscular torso bare, the better to reflect his extraordinary strength. Prize Comics 48-51 (active 1944-45).

“Red-Hot” Blaze. Blaze is a “special investigator” for Headline Comics, narrating stories of crime he’s uncovered, but taking little action himself. Headline Comics 23-25, Prize 63, Frankenstein 7; Treasure 10 (1947- ).

Ted O’Neil

Initially, “Ted O’Neil, flying soldier of fortune, crashed his only plane, is looking for a job. He sight Martin’s Air Circus in a field near a small Southern town” and applies. He’s hired by its lovely owner, Midge Martin. Not long after, however, the handsome O’Neil flies to England to join the Royal Air Force. There, O’Neil’s companion in adventure is a Cockney pal named Hinky. By 1943, O’Neil and Hinky are still together, but they have joined a British land force called the Commandos. Prize Comics 15-42, 44 (active 1941-44).

“Twist” Turner

Turner, “the world’s greatest acrobat,” seeks to become a member of the 99, a club comprised of champions of every field of sport and adventure. Turner must solve 99 challenges involving crimes in order to become a member. Prize Comics 7-15 (active 1940-41).

ALSO: Captain Gallant, Prize 7-9 (1940-41); The Invisible Boy, Headline 3-4, 6 (1943); Jaxon of the Jungle, first name, Mike, a youthful “adventurer and expert jungle guide” operating out of the Congo, Prize 1-6 (1940); Kinker Kincaid. Headline 7, 9-12 (1944-45); Lief Larson of the Khyber Kingdom, Prize 10 (1941); Little Johnny Doolittle, intellectual young boy who has adventures, Prize 1-?; Secret Agent M-11, Prize 1-4 (1940); Spike Mason of the U.S. Naval Intelligence, Prize 16-23 (1941-42); Storm Curtis of the U.S. Coast Guard, military hero fond of making model ships and busting Axis plots, Prize 1-6 (1940); Tom Morgan, Headline 2-8, 10-12 (1943-45); Zar, King of Beasts, Prize 53-55, 57 (1945-46).

Prize Heroes of the Past

The Arabian Knight

Set in the magical time of Prince Haroun al Raschid of ancient Baghdad, Hasan is a brave knight accompanied by his boy squire, Gazzar. They encounter many of the supernatural creatures described in the Arabian Nights tales and act heroically in confronting them. Treasure Comics 2-9 (retold 1945-46).

The Black Bull

The Black Bull wears entirely blue-black cowboy attire, topped bya horned cowl. He is secretly Dale Darcy, the seemingly effete son of wealthy rancher, Cornelius Darcy. Dale is assisted in his efforts by the family butler, Egbert. Cornelius frequently expresses the wish that he could have a son like the Black Bull. The Bull has no special abilities other than being an excellent shot and a good fighter.Prize Comics Western 71-85 or 86 (retold 1948-50).

The Blue Phantom. The Phantom is a highwayman who wears a loose blue cloth over is his face to disguise his identity. He also wears a ligher blue cloak that is cinched at the waist by his gunbelt and hangs to his knees. The Blue Phantom is secretly Alf Burnet, a fellow fond of gambling. Prize Comics Western 76 (retold 1949).

Dusty Ballew

AKA “the Galloping Ghost of the Range,” for reasons not altogether clear. As the narrative suggests, Ballew is a more light-hearted hero: “Meet Dusty Ballew, hard-fisted, straight-shooting rover of the range, and his sidekick Gumption Jones. When these two mavericks start riding, the fur starts flying, not tomention lead and fists…” Prize Comics Western 69-  (retold 1948-  ).

The Lazo Kid

“From the Grand Canyon to the Mexican border spreads the fame of that singing, guitar playing Mexican cowboy, the Lazo Kid. While the mal hombres dodge this laughing daredevil, good folks feel secure for they know that the Kid, his flashing six-gun and cunning rawhide lazo (lasso) are always on their side.” In his first recorded adventure, the handsome, mustachioed Kid rescues a family of Mexican sheepherders from volent cattlemen. At the end, the lovely Marita Martinez is eternally grateful and her brother Pedro joins the Lazo Kid as a partner in all of his subsequent adventures.The Kid is a dapper dresser, wearing a red jacket with blue lapels with matching blue trousers and hat. Prize Comics Western 69-  (retold 1948- ).

Marco Polo

Medieval adventurer who leaves his home city of Venice to explore the world, encountering many menaces along the way. The most notable is probably the fire-breathing Hippogriff he encounters in a land much like Egypt. By Treasure Comics 9, he is back in Venice and vows to travel no more. Treasure Comics 1-9 (retold 1945-46).

ALSO: The Boy Pirate, Prize Comics 67 (retold 1948); Gadge Anderson, Prize Comics Western 70 (1948); Rocky Dawn and Windy Smith, Prize Comics Western 70 (1948); Rod Roper, roving cowboy accompanied by bewhiskered pal, Hominey, Prize Comics Western 69 (1948).

Images courtesy of the Digital Comic Museum of which I am proud supporter. Click on the above link and scroll down the page where complete digital copies of most of the comic books listed here are available for viewing for free. Do consider giving them a donation however to keep their wonderful operation afloat.

Mark Carlson-Ghost