Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: kid eternity, otto binder, quality comics, Sheldon Moldoff

The Debut of Kid Eternity in Hit Comics #25, Up for Auction

In a Hit Comics #25 story by Otto Binder and Sheldon Moldoff, Kid Eternity was killed before his time and given incredible power to make up for it.

Quality Comics series Hit Comics is primarily remembered for a number of fantastic covers by the legendary Lou Fine, such as the iconic Hit Comics #5 cover, plus others from the likes of Reed Crandall and Gill Fox.  With such a shock and awe beginning to this Golden Age series, collectors sometimes overlook the 1942 debut of Kid Eternity, a character that has stood the test of time in that series and beyond.  There's a copy of his debut in Hit Comics #25 (Quality, 1942) CGC GD/VG 3.0 Off-white pages up for auction in the 2024 May 30 Adventures in the Golden Age Comics Showcase Auction #40261 at Heritage Auctions.

The creation of Otto Binder and Sheldon Moldoff, Kid Eternity is one of the most unusual characters of the Golden Age, and his debut in Hit Comics #25 is a surprisingly moving tale of sacrifice and redemption. A young boy is killed when a German U-boat sinks their fishing boat during World War II, but it turns out that Kid was meant to die 75 years later. To right this cosmic wrong, he is brought back to sort-of life with the power to summon  historical figures by uttering the word "Eternity."

Assisted by Mr. Keeper, a celestial clerk who made the mistake in the first place, the Kid begins a new life dedicated to upholding good.  As Mr. Keeper notes, "We owe you a debt, and by blazes, we're going to pay up. We're going to honor you with all this because you are neither dead nor alive.  That is, you have a chance of doing anything you wish to. And what's more, I know exactly what you're wishing. You want to be a combination of all the great deeds and great men of the past, don't you?"

And indeed, he did.  This origin story has echoes of the 1941 film Here Comes Mr. Jordan, which also features a character who is killed before his time and then brought back to life for a second chance on Earth. Hit Comics #25 is a historically important and often overlooked Golden Age key, and Kid Eternity is a character who is deserving of more attention.

Hit Comics #25 (Quality, 1942) CGC GD/VG 3.0 Off-white pages. Origin and first appearance of Kid Eternity. First appearance of the Keeper. Klaus Nordling, Al Bryant, Mac Raboy, Sheldon Moldoff, and Rudy Palais art. Overstreet 2023 GD 2.0 value = $265; VG 4.0 value = $530. CGC census 5/24: 1 in 3.0, 11 higher.

CGC Grader Notes:
heavy wear all corners
large crease full left of back cover
large crease right bottom of front cover
large, multiple tear center of spine
staple detached bottom of front cover

View the certification for CGC Certification ID 2038729009, including grader's notes if available and a link to the latest full census report for the issue.

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