As we were talking before about what exactly was the first Superman/Batman team-up, I got me thinking about guest shots and cameos so---
- Everyone knows about Superman #76 but what was the first time Superman appeared in a Bat-title (not counting their World's Finest gig)?
- What was Spider-Man's first guest shot?
- Who was the first non-Weisinger super-hero to guest in his books?
- Did Captain America ever meet the Human Torch or Sub-Mariner during WWII in the Golden Age?
- Did a humor character ever guest star in a "serious" book?
- Did DC or Marvel's Western heroes encounter each other?
- Who was the first non-counterpart DC Golden Age hero to appear solo outside Justice League of America?
- In the Silver Age, who was DC's first "guest-starring" villain?
- Who was the Marvel hero with the greatest number of solo guest appearances in the Silver Age? And the least?
Thanks in advance!
Y'all come back now, hear?
Replies
Who was the first non-counterpart DC Golden Age hero to appear solo outside Justice League of America?
Without doing any research, I think the answer is The Spectre.
I can tackle the first several of these . . . .
Everyone knows about Superman #76 but what was the first time Superman appeared in a Bat-title (not counting their World's Finest gig)?
It depends on how precise you want to define "Superman". The first time the "strange visitor from another planet" appeared in a bat-title, it was as Clark Kent. That took place in "The Great Bat-Cape Hunt", from Batman # 101 (Aug., 1956).
The first time Superman appeared in one of the Batman's titles as Superman occurred in "The Second Life of Batman", from Batman # 127 (Oct., 1959). However, most of this tale was a simulation created by an invention of Professor Nichols and the Man of Steel's appearance occurred within the simulation. He did not appear in the real events of the story.
And that brings us to the first time Superman appeared as Superman "for real" in a Bat-title: "The Charmed Life of Batman", from Batman # 140 (Jun., 1961).
What was Spider-Man's first guest shot?
"The Dazzling Human Torch, On the Trail of the Amazing Spider-Man", from Strange Tales Annual # 2 (Jul., 1963).
Who was the first non-Weisinger super-hero to guest in his books?
Here, again, it depends on how tightly you want to parse your words. When Mort Weisinger took over as editor of the Superman titles, Action Comics and Adventure Comics was jam-packed full of costumed heroes---Congorilla, Tommy Tomorrow, Aquaman, the Green Arrow---as back-up series. For the sake of this discussion, I'm going to presume you mean "Who was the first non-Weisinger super-hero to guest in a Superman-related story (i.e., Superman, Supergirl, Superboy, the Legion of Super-Heroes)?
And that's easy. It was the Batman, who appeared in "The Super-Key to Fort Superman", from Action Comics # 241 (Jun., 1958).
Did Captain America ever meet the Human Torch or Sub-Mariner during WWII in the Golden Age?
I was unable to find any Golden-Age occasion when Captain America met the Sub-Mariner, That doesn't mean it didn't happen; I just couldn't find such an event. It might have escaped me.
However, Cap most definitely did meet the Human Torch back in the Golden Age. On more than one occasion. The first one of these depends on the meaning of your terms---again. When you say "during World War II", did you mean "at any time after 01 September 1939 (which is considered the date of the first outright military aggression---Germany's invasion of Poland---of the war)"? Or did you mean "at any time after the United States' entry into WWII, on 08 December 1941"?
If you meant the former, then Captain America and the original Human Torch met for the first time and teamed up in the final chapter of the book-length tale in Young Allies # 1 (Summer, 1941). However, if you meant the latter, then, though Cap and the Torch had met earlier, the first time they met after America entered the fray took place in Young Allies # 4 (Summer, 1942).
Did a humor character ever guest star in a "serious" book?
In a casual check, the only thing I can find along those lines---and it's really not what I think you're driving at when you state "guest-star in a serious book"---is Bob Hope. It's not quite what I think you mean because all of the instances I found of Hope appearing in a "serious" book were cameos, in reference to his fame as a movie star and not to his status as the star of one of DC's humour titles.
Bob Hope appeared, in an unspeaking cameo, in "Evil Star Over Hollywood", from All-Star Comics # 44 (Dec., 1948-Jan., 1949). But I'm guessing the implicit condition of your question specifies humour characters' appearances in serious titles after they became humour characters for DC.
The Adventures of Bob Hope # 1 had a cover-date of February-March, 1950. He made a few cameo appearances in serious DC titles after that. The first one just sneaked in after Bob's first DC issue---Wonder Woman # 40 (Mar.-Apr., 1950), in which Bob had a brief walk-on in the tale "Hollywood Goes to Paradise Island".
Hope then had a cameo, without dialogue, in "Jimmy Olsen, Hollywood Star", from Jimmy Olsen # 64 (Oct., 1962). And the last occasion when he got some "face time" in a serious title was seen in "The Girl with the Golden Arm", from Lois Lane # 45 (Nov., 1963).
Hope this helps.
Ma Hunkle, the original Red Tornado, made an appearance in All-Star #3, the first Justice Society story.
Not sure that qualifies.
To me, it does. Yes, she was a super-hero, but in the stories I've read, there was very little real sense of adventure or tension--everything was played for laughs.
And if she doesn't count, then Johnny Thunder absolutely does.
Luis Olavo de Moura Dantas said:
It's shocking that Cap and the Torch would work together as early as 1940 but not try to form a team until 1946, especially considering all the team ups on the covers Timely was putting out during the War, and the fact their sidekicks had a team before Pearl Harbor. Were Simon and Kirby planning to start such a team when they left, and Stan or Martin Goodman decided to throw their unused ideas out when they went to DC?
Following the Commander's star turn is humbling, but I'll take a stab at some of them:
Marvel's Western characters met each other a lot. I'm no expert, but I have Giant-Size Kid Colt #1-3, where Kid Colt teamed with Rawhide Kid in the first issue and Ghost Rider in the third. Rawhide Kid and Kid Colt also met in Kid Colt #215, and Rawhide teamed with Dakota Kid in Western Team-Up #1 (and only). This all happened in the '70s. Later, most of the Western characters showed up in the miniseries Blaze of Glory and Apache Skies.
That's all I know, but there are probably more. As for DC, some of them met in Crisis on Infinite Earths, and the New 52 Cinammon and Nighthawk have been shown to be partners. (which may actually be a holdover from the Old 52's revamping of Hawkman). Scalphunter showed up in the Old 52 Jonah Hex. As for the rest -- Johnny Thunder, Trigger Twins, etc. -- I'm not very familiar with them, so I can't say.
I'm guessing by that you mean a character unique to Earth-2 who starred solo? Yeah, II'd agree with Richard that it would probably be The Spectre, whose headlined Showcase #60, 61 and 64 around 1966, then 10 issues of his own book. But I have to point out that Hourman & Dr. Fate headlined Showcase #55-56 -- they weren't solo, of course, but there were no Earth-1 heroes to be seen. Ditto Starman & Black Canary (and Wildcat) in Brave and Bold #61-62.
I'm not sure what you mean. Like a hero fighting some other hero's villain? If so, then Aquaman and Green Arrow traded villains in Adventure #267 (The Shark and The Wizard, respectively). Professor Arnold Hugo first fought Batman, but later became a Martian Manhunter foe, all in the '50s. In Detective Comics #353 (1966), they actually depicted on the cover the Weather Wizard stepping out of Flash comics and stepping into Detective Comics to fight Batman and Robin. Do any of those count?
Most? Without doing any research I'd have to say Spider-Man, with Hulk second and either Human Torch or Sub-Mariner third. Least? Well, there are a few who had zero solo guest appearances, like Marvel Girl, Cyclops and The Beast!
The closest then would be Angel in Tales of Suspense, although the rest of the team got bit parts. Unless you count Iceman in Amazing, and he missed the Silver Age by a few months. That and the Dazzler three parter suggests they were thinking of making Angel the team's breakout star. Then the Beast stopped shaving and stole his solo series.
It's interesting that Cyclops, the leader of the group, seems to have been the one least considered for his own comic.
It partly depends on what you mean (do guest star characters who didn't have their own series count?) Here are the most notable points I can think of relating to humorous characters and superheroes.
(1) The Red Tornado appeared in an early JSA story, and Johnny Thunder was a regular in JSA tales.
(2) In the Golden Age a number of features had regular humorous supporting characters: Stretch in "Wildcat", Etta Candy in "Wonder Woman", Fatman in "Mr America", Alfred in "Batman", Chop-Chop in "Blackhawk", Winky, Blinky and Noddy in All-Flash, Ebony in "The Spirit" etc. In later instalments of the Spectre's feature the Spectre invisibly assisted a humorous character called Percival Popp.
Alfred and Chop-Chop also appeared in humorous solo stories (the Chop-Chop ones are racist), and Winky, Blinky and Noddy appeared in stories of their own in All-American Comics. But they appeared as supporting characters first.
(3) Some humorous characters appeared a few times as special guest stars. Examples are Hocus and Pocus from "Superman" and Ally Babble from "Batman".
(4) In the 70s and 80s humorous characters from defunct series sometimes made appearances in superhero stories. Sugar and Spike had a cameo appearance in Showcase #100. Angel from "Angel and the Ape" was a key character in the same story. Hoppy the Marvel Bunny (and his girlfriend Millie), appeared in DC Comics Presents #34. Patsy Walker was brought into the Marvel Universe as a supporting character in the Beast's series and later became Hellcat.
(5) Ambush Bug started as a villain, evolved into a recurring humorous troublemaker character, and then appeared in his own stories. Likewise, Howard the Duck started as a supporting character in "Man-Thing". In the 70s the Impossible Man was for a time a humorous supporting character in Fantastic Four. He was later used as a humorous guest star.
(6) One or two Silver Age Marvel superhero comics name-checked Millie the Model, including Fantastic Four Annual #4.
(7) In the Silver Age Batman (see here) and Superman (see here) appeared in Swing with Scooter. The Flash, Batman and Robin, and Wonder Woman appeared in different issues of Adventures of Jerry Lewis. At another stage Superman appeared in one of DC's funny animal stories, but I can't remember where.
(8) I don't have time right now to go through the issues of the team-up titles for issues with humorous guest-stars. Spider-Man met the cast of Saturday Night Live in Marvel Team-Up #34.
(9) Robby Reed transformed into Plastic Man in House of Mystery #160, a few months before DC started a humorous Plastic Man title. While the series was running he appeared in The Brave and the Bold #76. After its cancellation he appeared in a dour story in #95, and he appeared again in #123 just ahead of the launch of his 70s title.
(10) Metamorpho was arguably a humorous character. While his original series was running he appeared in Justice League of America #42 (which ignored his humorous elements), and briefly in #44. He also appeared in The Brave and the Bold #66 (with Batman and the Metal Men) and #68.
(11) Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman and the Flash appeared in Metal Men #21. While their original series was running the Metal Men appeared in The Brave and the Bold #66 (as mentioned) and #74.
(12) Plastic Man appeared in the superheroes vs supervillains baseball story in DC Super Stars #10 while his 70s series was running. He also appeared in Super Friends #36 while his series was running in Adventure Comics.
(13) Superman guested in the debut Captain Carrot story.
Corrections welcome. Sources include DC Indexes and the GCD.
I wrote about some Marvel western hero team-ups here. I think there were several Silver Age ones but I don't have time to put together a list right now. At DC Jonah Hex, Bat Lash, Scalphunter and Cinnamon met in Justice League of America #198-#199. I can't remember if any of the characters were represented as having met previously.
Captain Comics said:
Who was the first non-counterpart DC Golden Age hero to appear solo outside Justice League of America?
I'm guessing by that you mean a character unique to Earth-2 who starred solo? Yeah, II'd agree with Richard that it would probably be The Spectre, whose headlined Showcase #60, 61 and 64 around 1966, then 10 issues of his own book. But I have to point out that Hourman & Dr. Fate headlined Showcase #55-56 -- they weren't solo, of course, but there were no Earth-1 heroes to be seen. Ditto Starman & Black Canary (and Wildcat) in Brave and Bold #61-62.
Yeah, I would have said Hourman/Dr Fate or Starman/Black Canary (whichever was first) except that the question specified "solo."
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