Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: Fawcett Publications, golden age, Wow Comics

Gotham's Hero and the Power of Radiation in Wow Comics #1, at Auction

Early Wow Comics from Fawcett Publications featured a caped crusader in Gotham City, and a power-ring wielding boy of the atom.

Published Sat, 26 Mar 2022 10:32:09 -0500

by Mark Seifert

Last updated Tue, 30 Jul 2024 05:40:16 -0500

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Article Summary

Explore the early features of Fawcett's Wow Comics, including Mister Scarlet and Atom Blake, the Boy Wizard.
Mister Scarlet, created by Jack Kirby and Ed Herron, is a Gotham-based vigilante with Batman-like traits.
Atom Blake seems partly inspired by Green Lantern, gaining powers from radiation and a special inscribed ring.
The debut issue cover by C.C. Beck, marks the start of this underappreciated, fascinating series.

Fawcett Publications' Wow Comics series is best known for its regular feature Mary Marvel beginning in Wow Comics #9, but the first eight issues of the series are historically fascinating as well. The cover star of many of these issues is Mister Scarlett, a fairly typical caped crusader based in Gotham City in these early issues who was created by the legendary Jack Kirby and writer Ed Herron. But another regular character in the series, Atom Blake, the Boy Wizard is perhaps even more interesting. The debut of an important and overlooked series, there's a CGC Apparent GD/VG 3.0 Moderate (A) copy of Wow Comics #1 (Fawcett Publications, 1940) up for auction in the 2024 August 1 – 2 Rarities of the Golden Age Comics Showcase Auction #40259 at Heritage Auctions.

Wow Comics #1 (Fawcett Publications, 1940).

Mister Scarlet is described as "an underworld legend, a myth who strikes with merciless reality and brings justice to those who escape the law through its legal loopholes" and has some obvious inspirations among previous urban vigilantes from pulps and comics, including Batman. Writer Ed Herron and artist Jack Kirby created the character.

Atom Blake appears to draw some inspiration from another DC Comics character — the Green Lantern. Atom gets his Dr. Manhattan-like array of god-like powers from his father's experiments, which expose him to radiation in order to make him super-human. The story presents a fairly deep dive into the notion of atomic energy for a comic book of this era, and he may be the first character of this type. But that's only half of the story. Only by wielding a special metal formed into a ring can Atom Blake fully unlock his powers. An inscription on the ring reads, "If the man in need or by evil oppressed can this message read, I will grant his request."

The cover of this debut issue was created by Captain Marvel legend C.C. Beck. Wow Comics is an underappreciated series full of fascinating characters. The debut of an important Fawcett series, there's a CGC Apparent GD/VG 3.0 Moderate (A) copy of Wow Comics #1 (Fawcett Publications, 1940) up for auction in the 2024 August 1 – 2 Rarities of the Golden Age Comics Showcase Auction #40259 at Heritage Auctions.