Shortly after the Jack Kamen era of Blue Beetle began in 1947, the title showed up on comic book ban lists in cities around the country.
Vintage Paper Archives
There's a long history of unpredictable events having major impacts on the comic industry. With the hurricane approaching and a massive Golden Age Comic auction starting, will it happen again?
After Victor Fox got into financial trouble, his printer Holyoke published the Blue Beetle #12-30, and those issues are a wild ride.
1940 was Blue Beetle's year, with the launch of his own series, a newspaper strip and a radio show which combined to create a new origin.
National Comics #5 features an expanded origin for the Quality Comics version of Uncle Sam, plus the debut of speedster Max Mercury.
In late 1939, it appeared that pulp hero the Black Bat would be heading to comic books, and there's a glimpse of that in Exciting Comics #1.
One of the earliest and most rare of all Standard/Better/Nedor comic books, Best Comics #4 featured the Adventures of the Red Mask.
Dive into the unusual circumstances behind Special Comics #1, the series launch of the Hangman, one of MLJ's best-remembered superheroes.
Vowing to take revenge for the murder of his brother The Comet, The Hangman's chilling debut is chronicled in Pep Comics #17.
MLJ's the Comet has one of the most interesting story arcs of the Golden Age, and he likely inspired one of the X-Men in the process.
Created by Richard E. Hughes and David Gabrielsen for 1941's Exciting Comics #9, the Black Terror became Ned Pines' most popular superhero.
Thor, God of Thunder from Fox Feature Syndicate's Weird Comics was one of the most interesting comic book takes on the character.
Chemist Shannon Kane aka the Spider Queen developed and used wrist-mounted web shooters to swing from buildings and entangle the bad guys.
Fox Feature's Samson was a superhero based on the biblical figure of the same name, and like his namesake, his hair was the key to his power.
The Green Mask who debuted in 1940s Green Mask #1 was a complete reboot of the character whose previous existance had been a mystery indeed.
A patriotic superhero with a weird helmet and an intelligent eagle sidekick, Captain Flag and Yank debuted in Blue Ribbon Comics #16.
Dick Briefer's Rex Dexter of Mars was meant to be a multi-media star, with aspirations for film, radio, merchandise, and syndicated strips.
Characters such as Dr. Doom, Electro, and Marga the Panther Woman made their debuts in Fox Feature's Science Comics #1.
The Golden Age's first Flame-based superhero, Fox Feature Syndicate's The Flame debuted in Wonderworld Comics #3.
The character Miss Masque took over Standard/Better/Nedor's Exciting Comics and America's Best Comics in the late Golden Age.
American icon Uncle Sam became a comic book superhero in Quality Comics title National Comics, adapted for this purpose by Will Eisner.
Fantastic Comics #3 might be Lou Fine's most famous cover art, but the story behind it happened in Fantastic Comics #4.
Discover Madam Satan's sinister beginnings in the elusive Pep Comics #16, a lurid gem from MLJ's Golden Age era.
Mystery Men Comics #3 is best known for its Lou Fine cover, but what does it have to do with William Peter Blatty of The Exorcist fame?
All True Romance #11 features some of Pete Morisi's best work for Comic Media, an unusual Don Heck story, and a mix of the romance and crime genres.
The character Fireball, who debuted in Pep Comics #12 cover-dated February 1941, was MLJ's answer to Marvel/Timely's Human Torch.
The Zip Comics #25 Steel Sterling story written by Robert Kanigher seems to have been inspired by the 1941 Yankees/Dodgers World Series.
In Prize Comics' future of 1982, Power Nelson fights for citizens facing food shortages, pandemics, and forced labor in a dictatorial regime.
The Black Owl went through two quick reboots in the early days of Prize Comics -- one from a character called K the Unknown.
The product of a "mad physio-biologist" and the creation of composer George Gershwin's cousin, Marga was at home in Weird Comics.