Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: archie, golden age, jackpot comics, MLJ

Archie and the Man of Steel in Jackpot Comics #6, Up for Auction

Archie was a rather startling contrast with the very serious MLJ superheroes also featured in Jackpot Comics.

Jackpot Comics was an early anthology comic book series published by MLJ Magazines during the Golden Age, which featured some of the publisher's most popular characters from other titles.  That group of characters originally included Steel Sterling, Black Hood, Sergeant Boyle, and Mr. Justice, by creators including Charles Biro, Irv Novick, Ed Camy, and Sam Cooper. But issue #4 would bring an essential addition to the series: Archie Andrews & company by Bob Montana.  Archie was a rather startling contrast with the often horror-tinged MLJ hero characters like Steel Sterling, who used the "Man of Steel" tagline before Superman became known for it. Cover-dated Summer 1942 and with a copyright date of July 3 of that year, Jackpot Comics #6 is a sought-after early Archie appearance, and there's a CGC VG+ 4.5 copy of Jackpot Comics #6 (MLJ, 1942) up for auction in the 2025 July 18 Golden Age Comics Century Showcase at Heritage Auctions.

Sterling first appeared in Zip Comics #1, published with a February 1940 cover date. Abner Sundell and Charles Biro created the character. Sterling's origin is somewhat similar to Batman's. After mobsters killed his father, young John Sterling swore vengeance, dedicating himself to fighting the underworld. Sterling devised a scientific process to give his body the strength of steel and other associated properties.  The Steel Sterling tale in Jackpot Comics #6 puts him up against a brutal Nazi supervillain named Baron Gestapo and also includes appearances by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Adolf Hitler.  The story opens in Washington, where the President thanks Sterling for his service, but things quick take a turn when Adolf Hitler himself calls to demand a prisoner exchange for Baron Gestapo.  The President refuses, but after the meeting, and angry Steel Sterling storms out of the Oval Office in full view of the press corps.  The President tells the press that Steel Sterling demanded an ambassadorship as payment for his service to the country.  It subsequently appears that he has turned traitor, but we eventually learn that this was all a plan orchestrated by Steel and the President.

The Black Hood vs Son of the Skull story in this issue is another dark superhero tale that serves as a reminder of MLJ's pulp roots.  The Mr. Justice story is arguably even darker, as the spirits of numerous leaders from world history threaten Mr. Justice for not preserving order in the then-currently war-torn world.  This story also features an appearance by Hitler, with an incredibly bizarre scene that has him meeting with the undead form of Napoleon after consulting with the "chief Nazi astrologer" to confirm the visitor is real, and then losing his mind when Napoleon suggests he give up his attack on Russia because he will fail. These stories are as serious as superhero comics get, and provide for a dramatic contrast with the Archie tale in this issue, which puts Archie and Jughead up against Reggie in a cross-country car race.

Jackpot Comics featured some of the publisher's most popular characters from that era, and by Summer 1942 that included Archie as well.  This one is important to both Archie collectors and Golden Age superhero collectors, and there's a CGC VG+ 4.5 copy of Jackpot Comics #6 (MLJ, 1942) up for auction in the 2025 July 18 Golden Age Comics Century Showcase at Heritage Auctions.

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