How Weird was Weird Comics? Part 3

For twenty issues, between April 1940 and January 1942, Fox Publications released an anthology series titled Weird Comics. The stories inside those pages were light on internal continuity, represented a wide variety of genres — including westerns, sci-fi and jungle action — and were produced almost exclusively under pen names (although creators Don Rico, Louis Cazeneuve and Joe Simon, to name a few, have their fingerprints over broad swaths of the titles).

There were seventeen features across the lifespan of Weird, some better than the others — but the real question is “How weird were they?” If Weird Comics is going to promise weird comics, then they better deliver!

In this conclusion, it’s the dashing Dart, the energetic Dynamo, the soaring Eagle, the savage Marga The Panther Woman, and the supernatural Voodoo Man …

THE DART by Jerry Arbus
Issues 5-20

Sounds good, be back by lunch.

Terror of the Ancient Roman rackets (which sounds like a tennis club), the invincible Caius Martius battles evil in the age of Caesar with the power of his strong sword-arm and his uncanny ability to dart through the air!

“Darting” was “flight” in everything except name, albeit used sparingly and in short bursts. But publisher Vincent Fox had already lost a copyright case from Superman’s publisher, National, and was probably shy about inviting any more comparisons between the Man of Steel to his stable of characters.

In any case -- Such a menace was Caius Martius to the criminal underworld of antiquity that they conspired to lay him low with a sinister plot. Dissolved by sorcerous means and imprisoned in rock, Caius emerges unharmed 2200 years later, atop his stone prison in a modern-day museum. As is typical for a time-tossed character in the world of comics, he wanders outside and promptly gets into it with a couple of automobiles.

Egads!

Caius also witnesses an orphan happen right before his eyes as a vicious drive-by shooting robs young Ace Barlow of his parents. 

Somehow adopting Ace, regardless of having just arrived from 250 BC, Caius trains the boy in Roman Wrestling and in darting through the air 101. Having therefore taken care of all of a young orphan’s needs, the duo run into adventure as the masked vigilante The Dart and his bat-swinging kid sidekick, Ace the Amazing Boy!

This happens over the course of two pages in the same story. There’s no way that this kid can remember so much as a single state capitol.

The Dart, of course, continues to wield his Roman sword -- and boy does he wield it! 

Crooks have never been quite so seriously stabbed in such high numbers as they are on the point of The Dart’s blade, including through the chest, the neck and right through the head. Of course, he also uses his weapon to disarm crooks, cut guns and even cars in half, and threaten baddies, when he’s not simply slapping them in the face with the flat of the blade.

Ace, armed with his wooden bat, both gives and receives some serious beatings over the course of his career, particularly in the head and face. In one story, Ace must stay home from school because his face is so badly bruised, which is a matter for Child Protective Services.

The duo also acquire a Dartmobile, which is handy because the use of “darting” as a superpower comes and goes over the length of the feature. The Dart also eventually sheathes his sword, although Ace never lets go of that bat.

They’re clearly getting off on this dynamic.

Caius Martius, in his very clever secret identity of Caius Martius Wheeler, takes a job as a mild-mannered history teacher. A fellow teacher, Miss Tilbury, adores The Dart in his superheroic identity and loathes him as a civilian. 

While the romantic triangle may seem common and maybe even tedious, it cannot be overstated how much Miss Tilbury loathes Caius Wheeler. Practically every installment ends with one or two panels of Miss Tilbury venomously upbraiding Caius Wheeler for lacking courage, wits and even manhood. She accuses him of causing the suicide of a fellow teacher and turns him in to the police on suspicion of murder. But man, she loves The Dart. 

How weird was The Dart? One episode addresses the horrors of reefer madness, in which a promising student takes to the devil’s weed and ends up attacking his classroom with an axe. His strength is also magnified by the terrible drug. You have to wonder if this is stuff Miss Tillbury takes.

DYNAMO by Harry Weber

Issues: 8-19

If there’s anything you can say for Fox Comic’s lightning-charged Dynamo, it’s that he’s certainly one of the few superheroes in comics to strap himself into an electric chair before every adventure.

He even takes it on vacation.

That’s because electrical engineer Jim Andrews has “become dynamic through an electric shock” and wields the power of Dynamo! 

Immensely powerful beginning in his debut in Weird’s sister publication, Science Comics, Jim must rely on constantly recharging his amazing powers from electrical sources. Sometimes that means picking up a charge from a hanging powerline, or from the ambient static electricity generated by mechanical death-traps, or sometimes just sticking his finger in an outlet and drinking up electricity like an episode of Mork and Mindy. 

When none of those options are available, however, Jim keeps a fully-functional electric chair — as well as other powerful electric devices — handy in his home lab, which must cause absolute misery for his neighbors. “Electricity’s going out again, must be Jim ritually electrocuting himself.”

“Raths-sberries!”

Absorbing vast amounts of electricity grants Jim an amazing array of powers, including (but not limited to): Shoot lightning, be strong, intercept radio signals, melt asphalt, melt bombs, all sorts of general melting, freeze molten steel (?), repulse water, repulse boats, fix boats, read minds electrically, do ventriloquism, blow up planes, blow up boats, just generally blow things up and flight. As the feature continues, Jim’s powers mellow out a bit. In his last few adventures, for the most part, he’s reduced to shooting the occasional lightning bolt.

Despite this atlas of superhuman abilities, Jim frequently runs out of power and must rely on his wits. 

In one episode, he leaves his cape behind in the hopes that a pursuing crook will pause to put it on and then be shot by his fellow crooks, which is exactly what happens. Very clever, this Dynamo.

Jim, in his civilian identity as an electrical engineer, often finds himself in the field when trouble occurs. With the defense industry heavily relying on engineers, Jim has a selection of saboteurs and spies to keep himself occupied in his colorful alternate identity.

"Oopsy-doodle!"

How Weird Was Dynamo? In his first appearance in Science Comics No.1, the hero was called Electro. The name already having been claimed by another comic book character, Electro was rechristened Dynamo in his next appearance. Fox’s famously hasty schedules, however, were probably responsible for Dynamo sporting the letter “E” on his costume for two more issues.

Right in the hearts!

THE EAGLE By Lester Raye

Issues: 8-20

Independently wealthy scientist Bill Powers invents a special antigravity serum which - when spritzed liberally on a special uniform - grants him a raptor-like faculty for flight. 

Seeing the crimefighting potential for his potent potion, he adopts the identity of the high-flying Eagle, leaping into battle against racketeers and other creeps.

The Eagle’s foes often use trap-doors on the hero, forgetting that he can float.

The Eagle seems to have a whole walk-in closet full of special uniforms. In his inaugural run in Science Comics, it’s a fanfare of feathered finery in a catalog of colors – green, red, brown and gold – that make him look more like The Woodpecker, or a Grackle. 

By the time he moves to Weird Comics, he’s adopted a sleek blue union suit and flowing red cape, which he continues to wear (sometimes shirtless) for a dozen more issues. Finally, he decks himself out in patriotic plumage for the end of his existence, slapping a striped red-and-white cloak onto the back of his blue togs.

Whatever his wardrobe, the method of applying the anti-gravity serum remained fairly consistent. When he wasn’t merely pouring cupfuls of the liquid on his clothing, Bill would apply it using one of those old-time metal pesticide sprayers, like a Bugs Bunny cartoon.

spritz spritz

Not only wealthy in workwear, anti-gravity serum, and money, The Eagle was also abounding with supporting characters. 

His butler Jason, unaware that his master maintained a dual identity, would thrill at the newspaper reports of The Eagle’s derring-do. Bill’s subsequent stint in the Army leaves Jason behind, but replaces him with the plucky and daring Sally, and the hapless farmboy cadet Lem.

Lem is a serious danger to himself and others. His capacity for self-harm is phenomenal. He groggily attempts to fight the Eagle in one story, getting his face pushed in for his trouble. In another, Lem manages to step into the same fox-trap twice – the first time, with his face. Lem surely must have died between issues.

Besides these others, Bill’s pre-eminent partner is Buddy, The Daredevil Boy! 

Leaping out of nowhere to aid the Eagle during a deadly struggle, the otherwise anonymous young boy signs on as the hero’s sidekick despite having no powers or special abilities – and the Eagle offers him none! 

Assisting the hero only in gym shorts and a string tee, Buddy only gets a costume of his own near the end of the run – but still no powers. Dressed in a junior-sized version of the Eagle’s blue tunic and striped cape, Buddy must fly through the air by riding on the Eagle’s back with his arms clutched around the hero’s neck. How Buddy gets around when the Eagle doesn’t carry him is anyone’s guess.

Buddy takes an Uber.

Unusually for a Fox feature at the time, The Eagle also boasted recurring villains. 

The Gimp was a disfigured criminal who sported a wooden leg with a knife in it, while The Beast sported a spade-like claw in place of his right arm. The two criminals didn’t get along, and were often facing off against one another when the Eagle and Buddy get involved. 

Strangely, considering his brutal reputation, The Beast seemed uneager to use his sharpened appendage against his nemesis, knocking the Eagle unconscious with a blow from the blunt side of his claw on three different occasions (Buddy gets the same treatment five times).

Bonk!

Getting knocked unconscious is not unusual for The Eagle. Not counting the nasty knocks provided by The Beast, Bill is otherwise knocked out on another five occasions over twelve appearances. Any further inconsistencies in the strip could be attributed to how often The Eagle takes a wooden chair to the noggin.

The Eagle goes on to helm his own comic for four issues in 1941. Avid fans could sign up to The Eagle’s fan club, The American Eagle Defenders, which included a membership badge, card and secret code.

“Be sure to drink your Ovaltine”

How Weird Was The Eagle? It’s hard to estimate how expensive the anti-gravity formula was, especially when dispensed by the gallon, but eventually The Eagle gives up soaring, floating and flying. In his last few Weird appearances, he and Buddy have to rely on planes to fly and parachutes to keep from splattering against the ground.

I learned the word “fastness” from this introduction.

MARGA THE PANTHER WOMAN by James J.Royal

Issues: 8-20

In his hidden jungle laboratory, the mad physio-biologist Dr.Von Dorf abducts a blonde American nurse and transforms her into a savage brunette by the secret process of injecting panther blood into a living human body. 

Understandably distressed by the sudden dye-job, the feral female attacks the doctor, leaving him for dead, and flees into the forest. With what little life remains in him, Von Dorf clumsily blows up his own laboratory, dying in the explosion and taking with him the secret of pouring a bunch of panther blood into a person. Well, that’s Dorf for ya!

Marga proves capable of bursting into flame. She only does this once but, to be fair, most people who burst into flame only do it once.

In the jungle, Marga discovers that she now possesses powerful new animal senses – and urges! After killing a deer and smacking a lion around a little, the savage Marga finds a soothing influence in a new human friend, the blandly handsome aviator Ted Grant. 

By the time of her second appearance, Marga’s origin is simplified to her having been raised by a pack of panthers and then, later, being “a white girl inoculated with the traits of a black panther.” Somehow, they both seem less absurd than having been pumped up with cat juice, so let’s take it.

Marga possesses the heightened senses of the jungle predator, as well as agility, speed and strength. Of particular power is her teeth. Like the big cat from which she draws her name/blood, Marga can kill by ripping out her opponents’ throats – she dispenses a gorilla, a lion and a panther in this fashion. Must be hell on necking.

“Madame, please — I’m married!”

Wise to the ways of the jungle, Marga spends many of her adventures undoing the schemes of would-be tribal tyrants and protecting valuable gems and minerals from unsavory hands. She also briefly takes on an espionage job. 

Unlike most other Jungle Girl-type characters, she does very little in the way of putting a halt to poachers. This is probably because she’s too busy ripping the throats out of the local wildlife herself.

Besides Ted, Marga counts among her allies “Chimp,” a tiny monkey who conveniently brings her messages and alarms when needed. 

Unlike many other jungle heroes, none of the larger animals of the wild come to Marga’s aid, probably because she’s ended so many of their lives. Over the course of the strip, she chucks at least six jungle cats and one rhinoceros into deadly pits, and rips half a trunk from a rampaging elephant, which is the last thing you’d do to an elephant if you were trying to calm it down.

Also one time she and a costumed Ted Grant beat up pygmies using other pygmies as weapons, which you have to admit is hella weird.

How weird is Marga The Panther Woman? Like fellow Weird Comics features The Eagle, The Dart and Dynamo, Marga initially appeared as an ongoing adventure in several issues of Science Comics. In that book, she spends the back half of her first appearance stealing a spaceship. That’s right, this strip originally took place in the future! By the time she arrives in Weird, Marga’s milieu is the modern-day setting of the then-popular Jungle Girl genre, which is a shame. Outer space probably has jungles too!

VOODOO MAN by Allan Spectre

Issues: 1-7

”…Zombies are way out of your league.”

Voodooman isn’t the only feature in Weird Comics to be named for its recurring villain, or to change creative teams between practically every installment. But none of the other alumni played quite as fast and loose with its own continuity as this one did!

The titular Voodoo Man is “Boanga,” an evil and powerful houngan of colonial Haiti whose pursuit of mastery over life and death puts him in frequent conflict with the white settlers of the region — particularly the heroic Dr.Bob Warren. Those are the basics. After that, pretty much everything else is up in the air.

Because Voodoo Man was a feature that simply couldn’t stop rebooting itself!

For instance, Bob is frequently assisted by “Pedro,” sometimes referred to as “Petro,” a sidekick who is sometimes a brooding white-haired gentleman in jodhpurs, sometimes a young local, and sometimes an older local. 

There is also almost always a young white woman to fall prey to Voodoo Man’s spooky machinations, but never the same one twice. Bob is sometimes a local doctor, sometimes an operative of the government, and – halfway through the strip’s run, when he’d already starred in a half-dozen adventures — a newcomer to the storyline.

That’ll show him.

Voodoo Man himself has a habit of dying at the end of each chapter and reappearing without explanation in the next (although, as with many things, surely the explanation is voodoo!). 

Boanga doesn’t even appear at all in one adventure, being replaced by a character in Mayan dress who is referred to as The Grand Zombie. Lucifer himself makes a singular appearance as Boanga’s boss, decked out in Mephistophelean costume as he’s driven from the body of a hypnotized victim.

Tell that to Frank Oz!

Boanga’s powers are vast. Besides creating common-or-garden zombies, he can also transform people into animals, command the panthers of the deep jungle, and summon Lucifer’s Goat-Men – satyr-like creatures who “deal with fire,” which makes them sound like insurance adjusters. His most enchanting performance involved hypnotizing his victim with ventriloquism and a large frog.

Bob and his allies occasionally employ magic to battle back against Voodoo Man. 

A sympathetic houngan provides Pedro with the head of a golden bird, the power of which was called forward with the magic words “Swambi no gara” (That phrase is either absolute nonsense or means “I’m giving you the bird”). Crucifixes were occasionally wielded to ward off evil spirits, and the white settlers weren’t above terrifying their foes with burning crosses. But then, they’re like that sometimes.

How weird was Voodoo Man? In the pages of Weird Comics, Voodoo Man was a clearly demonstrable villain, frequently setting his sights on murder, mayhem, and forced zombification. However, readers who came over from the character’s sole appearance in Samson Comics #3 might have had a different perspective – in that story, Voodoo Man is called upon to avenge the cruel beatings and deaths of black slaves at the hands of a local plantation owner. “He deserved to die from what I know of him” says one of Bob’s friends as they survey the corpse, “But we can’t have white men murdered.” Sure you can! All you need is a little voodoo.