Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: golden age, Hangman, MLJ, Pep Comics

The Hangman's Haunting Debut and Origin in Pep Comics #17, at Auction

Vowing to take revenge for the murder of his brother The Comet, The Hangman's chilling debut is chronicled in Pep Comics #17.

Debuting in Pep Comics #17, The Hangman's story begins with a tragedy that fuels his mission for vengeance. Robert Dickering, the brother of John Dickering — a superhero known as The Comet — witnesses his sibling's death and pledges to avenge the loss. In doing so, he adopts his eerie moniker and spectral garb, adopting a more tenacious and unyielding dedication to justice than most other characters of the time. This issue is the first appearance of The Hangman, as well as chronicling the demise of The Comet, making it a significant piece of Golden Age history and one of the best origin stories of that era. A stand-out cover by Irv Novick completes the picture of this noteworthy Golden Age MLJ key, and there's a CGC Apparent FN+ 6.5 copy of Pep Comics #17 (MLJ, 1941) up for auction in the 2025 July 18 Golden Age Comics Century Showcase at Heritage Auctions.

The roots of The Hangman trace back to the saga of The Comet, a character introduced in Pep Comics #1. The Comet's distinctive visor, designed to control his disintegrating eye beams, served as a what would seem to be an obvious inspiration for the X-Men's Cyclops. The Comet's fateful end in Pep Comics #17 leads to the subsequent birth of The Hangman, showcasing the transformative origin moment of Bob Dickering.  The Comet (John Dickering), is gunned down by mobsters while saving his brother, Bob Dickering, from a kidnapping.  As The Comet lies dying, he urges Bob and his girlfriend Thelma to stay together as a "memorial to me". Bob immediately vows, "I'll carry on for him, Thel! I'll bring his murderers to The Hangman! I'll be their Hangman!"

Bob then uses his late brother's laboratory to create a new identity. He designs a costume to exploit the cowardice of criminals. When the gangster Chugger is acquitted of a crime because The Comet is no longer alive to testify, the Hangman ambushes him in the courthouse, taking him away to a remote mountain hideout, and subjects him to psychological torture. He leaves Chugger in total darkness for hours before projecting the shadow of a gallows on the wall, then telling him to, "Tell all, murderer! Tell all, or meet your Hangman!". The terrified Chugger breaks down and confesses everything, leading to the downfall of the crime boss Big Boy Malone. The story ends with Malone's execution and the Hangman's chilling promise: "The Comet has died, but his spirit lives on… in The Hangman! Beware, criminals, you cannot outrun your own conscience… nor escape the gallows!"

The creative force behind this origin moment is credited to Cliff Campbell and artist George Storm. Campbell was a house pseudonym for a number of MLJ writers in both their pulp and comic book lines. It appears to have been used most often by Abner Sundell during this period, who was also the editor of this issue, though it's possible this story was written by Harry Shorten as well. Meanwhile, George Storm was also the creator of the Bobby Thatcher newspaper strip which ran 1927-1937 from McClure Syndicate, and the character The Whip which appeared in DC Comics' Flash Comics #1-4.

Pep Comics #17 offers a valuable glimpse into the origins of one of MLJ's most enigmatic characters, as well as a look at a comic book publisher on the cusp of undergoing a major transition.  There's a CGC Apparent FN+ 6.5 copy of Pep Comics #17 (MLJ, 1941) up for auction in the 2025 July 18 Golden Age Comics Century Showcase at Heritage Auctions.

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