Real name: Unknown
First appearance: All-American Comics#28 (July 1941)
Abilities: Poisoner
Worst act: Murder
Created by: Bill Finger (script), Irwin Hasen (art)
Spider here is the leader of a murder ring, giving old rich men poison for various reasons. He's the real mastermind, despite Larry Brand (nephew of victim Cyrus) playing a prominent part in the story.
He does manage to elevate himself somewhat by kidnapping both Irene Miller and Green Lantern and forcing them to take poison. He still loses when GL fakes his death.
Friday, February 14, 2020
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Bring on the Bad Guys: Barton
Real name: Barton
First appearance: All-American Comics#27 (June 1941)
Abilities: Saboteur
Worst act: Attempted sabotage, kidnapping
Created by: Bill Finger (script), Sheldon Moldoff (pencils), and Irwin Hasen (inks)
The villain of this piece is pretty much secondary to the character introduced in this issue, namely Doiby Dickles. Doiby would become the Green Lantern's sidekick, which was odd as most sidekicks at the time tended to be youths. Doiby was a cranky old man with a wrench.
Barton, getting back to the theme, was a saboteur. Hearing that Irene Miller has a new type of radio, Barton sets it to mind to steal it. Doiby gets dragged into it when Irene takes his cab and Barton tries to take the cab.
Doiby even gets more screen time when GL gets knocked out, forcing the old fella to don his own version of the Green Lantern uniform. He doesn't use a magic ring. Nope, he beats the tar out of Barton's hoods with a wrench.
First appearance: All-American Comics#27 (June 1941)
Abilities: Saboteur
Worst act: Attempted sabotage, kidnapping
Created by: Bill Finger (script), Sheldon Moldoff (pencils), and Irwin Hasen (inks)
The villain of this piece is pretty much secondary to the character introduced in this issue, namely Doiby Dickles. Doiby would become the Green Lantern's sidekick, which was odd as most sidekicks at the time tended to be youths. Doiby was a cranky old man with a wrench.
Barton, getting back to the theme, was a saboteur. Hearing that Irene Miller has a new type of radio, Barton sets it to mind to steal it. Doiby gets dragged into it when Irene takes his cab and Barton tries to take the cab.
Doiby even gets more screen time when GL gets knocked out, forcing the old fella to don his own version of the Green Lantern uniform. He doesn't use a magic ring. Nope, he beats the tar out of Barton's hoods with a wrench.
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Bring on the Bad Guys: Richard Turpin
Real name: Richard Turpin
First appearance: All-American Comics#26 (May 1941)
Abilities: Loan sharking
Worst act: Fraud, assault
Created by: Bill Finger (script), Irwin Hasen (art)
Moving into the gritter world of loan sharking, this time we see the Green Lantern take on Richard Turpin (Do his friends call him 'Dick'? Little Highwayman joke).
Turpin seems to be a real piece of work; first he gives money to desperate people then he forges their names on the contract, trapping them in a never-ending spiral of debt.
Green Lantern tries a more subtle approach but still ends up smacking his thugs around and dragging them all to jail. Still topical, sadly.
First appearance: All-American Comics#26 (May 1941)
Abilities: Loan sharking
Worst act: Fraud, assault
Created by: Bill Finger (script), Irwin Hasen (art)
Moving into the gritter world of loan sharking, this time we see the Green Lantern take on Richard Turpin (Do his friends call him 'Dick'? Little Highwayman joke).
Turpin seems to be a real piece of work; first he gives money to desperate people then he forges their names on the contract, trapping them in a never-ending spiral of debt.
Green Lantern tries a more subtle approach but still ends up smacking his thugs around and dragging them all to jail. Still topical, sadly.
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Bring on the Bad Guys: Harkiss
Real name: Harkiss
First appearance: All-American Comics#25 (April 1941)
Abilities: Manipulating stocks
Worst act: Sabotage
Created by: Bill Finger (script), Mart Nodell (art)
Trouble arises at a steel mill. When Green Lantern decides to investigate, this freaks out the saboteur's boss, who has Irene Miller kidnapped. Because if the Green Lantern wasn't motivated before...
GL makes short of the thugs and was find out the sabotage was ordered by none other Mr. Harkiss, a stockholder! He might be have been ordered by a foreign power but the story's a bit vague.
First appearance: All-American Comics#25 (April 1941)
Abilities: Manipulating stocks
Worst act: Sabotage
Created by: Bill Finger (script), Mart Nodell (art)
Trouble arises at a steel mill. When Green Lantern decides to investigate, this freaks out the saboteur's boss, who has Irene Miller kidnapped. Because if the Green Lantern wasn't motivated before...
GL makes short of the thugs and was find out the sabotage was ordered by none other Mr. Harkiss, a stockholder! He might be have been ordered by a foreign power but the story's a bit vague.
Monday, February 10, 2020
Bring on the Bad Guys: RJ Karns
Real name: R.J. Karns
First appearance: All-American Comics#24 (March 1941)
Abilities: Can run a slavery ring and shipping company at the same time
Worst act: Slavery
Created by: Bill Finger (story), Mart Nodell (art)
Green Lantern is a bit a side player in this one. The main hero is Jim Cass, who goes to work on a tropical island. Turns out the residents there are more on the 'permanent and no pay' status. Cass escapes but no will believe him.
That is until the Green Lantern decides to investigate and links island boss Pancho Lupo with shipping magnate RJ Karns.
A serous problem, but Karns is again just another guy in a suit.
First appearance: All-American Comics#24 (March 1941)
Abilities: Can run a slavery ring and shipping company at the same time
Worst act: Slavery
Created by: Bill Finger (story), Mart Nodell (art)
Green Lantern is a bit a side player in this one. The main hero is Jim Cass, who goes to work on a tropical island. Turns out the residents there are more on the 'permanent and no pay' status. Cass escapes but no will believe him.
That is until the Green Lantern decides to investigate and links island boss Pancho Lupo with shipping magnate RJ Karns.
A serous problem, but Karns is again just another guy in a suit.
Sunday, February 9, 2020
Bring on the Bad Guys: Frankie Fowler
Real name: Frankie Fowler
First appearance: All-American Comics#23 (February 1941)
Abilities: Handy with genealogical records
Worst act: Blackmail
Created by: Bill Finger (script), Everett E. Hibbard (art)
Another blackmailer this time; Frankie finds out that actress Delia Day is set to marry the fabulously rich Harvey Drake the Third. A secret that Ms. Day didn't tell her hubby to be is that her father is the infamous gang lord Al Maloney. Frankie knows this, however, and for a small monthly fee he'll be happy to keep her secrets secret.
Fowler bites it when Maloney breaks out of jail and shoots him, dying in the process. Green Lantern gets a new power when he brainwashes Fowler's gang to forget Day's parentage.
A bit scummy but forgettable.
First appearance: All-American Comics#23 (February 1941)
Abilities: Handy with genealogical records
Worst act: Blackmail
Created by: Bill Finger (script), Everett E. Hibbard (art)
Another blackmailer this time; Frankie finds out that actress Delia Day is set to marry the fabulously rich Harvey Drake the Third. A secret that Ms. Day didn't tell her hubby to be is that her father is the infamous gang lord Al Maloney. Frankie knows this, however, and for a small monthly fee he'll be happy to keep her secrets secret.
Fowler bites it when Maloney breaks out of jail and shoots him, dying in the process. Green Lantern gets a new power when he brainwashes Fowler's gang to forget Day's parentage.
A bit scummy but forgettable.
Saturday, February 8, 2020
Bring on the Bad Guys: Mark Karaste
Real name: Mark Karaste
First appearance: All-American Comics#22 (January 1941)
Abilities: Racketeering
Worst act: Fight fixing, kidnapping, attempted murder
Created by: Bill Finger (script) Mart Nodell (art)
Karaste is introduced to us as the manager of Brute Nolan. Karaste tends to favor the 'anything goes' approach to winning, mostly by trying to have Nolan's opponents killed or failing that, have their spouses kidnapped.
Straight forward, although with the boxing theme it seemed better suited to Wildcat than Green Lantern.
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