Deck Log Entry # 233 The Silver-Age Challenge---DC Edition IIII

[Commander Benson]

"Life," said comic-strip writer Allen Saunders, "is what happens to us while we are making other plans."  (Yes, I know that line has been attributed to others, most often, John Lennon, but the January, 1957 issue of Reader's Digest credits it to Saunders.)  In my case, I had Deck Log entries planned for May and June, but life happened to me.  No, don't worry, folks, nothing ominous.  Just a couple of normal upheavals of daily existence that got tossed at me at the same time.  Things have pretty much settled out, now.  But, it's the summer, and that means it's time for my annual trivia challenge.  Fortunately, I already had the quiz put together several months ago, so that was one "other plan" that life didn't derail.

 

 

An apt sub-title for this year's quiz might be "Leftovers".  Most of the questions you'll see below are ones I've held back for various reasons---they needed further research, they didn't fit the quiz theme for that particular year, they were difficult to word properly, or sometimes, I just plain forgot about them.  That last reason is particularly nagging, because I know there are still a couple of good questions that I've forgotten about and can't recall where I put the piece of paper on which I wrote them.  No matter, they'll be grist for a future quiz---if I ever remember them.

 

As always, I expect this will be someone's first encounter with one of my Silver-Age challenges.  For example, if you've stumbled across this while searching for something else, feel free to try your hand.  Better yet, check out the main board, Captain Comics Presents the Comics Round Table.  Odds are that you'll find something that interests you, even if you're not a comics fan, and it's a swell group of posters.

 

So, for those folks, it's time to cut and paste the rules:

1.  All of the questions, and answers, are drawn from Silver-Age material.  That is, anything produced by DC from the publication of Showcase # 4 (Sep.-Oct., 1956) to December, 1968, which I demark as the end of the Silver Age.  If your answer comes from outside that period, then it is invalid.  For example, if I were to ask “What is the space sector patrolled by Tomar Re, the Green Lantern of Xudar?” and you answered “Space sector 2813,” you would be wrong.  During the Silver Age, Tomar Re’s space sector was “9”; “2813” was a Bronze Age revision.

                      

The Silver-Age limitation is a tricky thing to keep in mind.  Even the veteran quiz-takers here slip up sometimes.  (Remember the “Per the Legion Constitution, who is the only person that the Legion Leader is answerable to?” fiasco?)

2.  I’m definitely not infallible, also something to which the long-time players will attest. I might have missed something, somewhere, in twelve years of DC publication.  If you come up with an answer that meets the criteria of the question and can cite the Silver-Age reference, then I will gladly award you credit.  “But I always thought . . . “ explanations won’t cut it, though.

3.  I’ve got no problem with anybody using a search engine to look for answers. I try to make my questions as Google-proof as possible.  The right answers are difficult to find with a search engine, though I cannot say impossible.  At least once, I tripped myself up when an article I had written for another site contained the answer to a question from that year’s quiz, and one of the players found it.

4.  There are no prizes. You’re playing for bragging rights.

 

And, as usual, so everybody can feel good about getting at least one right, I start off with a lob.  This time it's . . .

 

 

1.  Name the alternate-universe world which has no indigenous super-heroes, and here, committing evil acts is appropriate societal behaviour.

 

2.  Who is the majority stockholder of the Daily Planet?

 

3.  In the thirtieth century, the Planetary Federation stores forbidden weapons at what location?

 

4.  What team operated, for a time, out of an underwater headquarters left to it by Scientist X?

5.  The creation of rutherfordium caused what Silver-Age villain to change his name when he returned post-Crisis?

 

6.  In the Golden Age, he was "the Batman".  That definite article, "the", gradually lapsed into disuse and the Masked Manhunter became plain, old "Batman".  However, contrary to popular belief, even in the Silver Age, there were times when he was still called the Batman.  I know of at least four Silver-Age stories in which a character referred to him as "the Batman".  I'll settle for you naming three of them.  (For clarity, I'm not talking about sobriquets like "the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh" or "the Batman of 2967", and they don't count.  I mean instances when someone referred to our Caped Crusader as "the Batman".)

 

7.  In one Gunner and Sarge story from Our Fighting Forces, the two Marines are joined by a new recruit named Billy.  Like many of DC's wartime supporting characters, Billy was given a nickname and went on to make regular appearances.  By what nickname was Billy better known to DC's World War II fans?

8.  Outside of, naturally, Detective John (the Martian Manhunter) Jones, who is the strongest officer on the Middletown Police Department?

 

9.  In military parlance, a "mustang" officer is one who enters the service as an enlisted man and later becomes a commissioned officer (as opposed to being directly commissioned into an armed force, as most officers are).  Name two of DC's war magazine headliners who were mustang officers.

 

10.  In the Silver Age, the Justice League of America responded to requests for help sent to them through the mail.  People who wanted to contact the JLA this way sent their letters to what location?

I’ll provide the answers next month.  In the meantime, I look forward to your answers and the commentary that always results from them.  I think, this time, especially in the case of question number six. 

 

Good luck, and more important, have fun!

[Fraser Sherman]

My first thought was the same as yours (one early story does mention a hidden weapons vault, but without a location) — I'm not sure what jumped my mental track.

Peter Wrexham said:

Fraser Sherman said:

On #3, I'm guessing "Planetary Federation" rather than United Planets is the key. From which I deduce (right or wrong) that it's the Superman of the 30th century setting rather than LSH; one synopsis for Action 338 indicates Muto raids a cache of superweapons on Weaponsworld so that's what I'm going with.

That's a very clever deduction, Fraser.  I assumed that "Planetary Federation" indicated an early Legion tale, from before their mythos had entirely settled down (in the same way that they sometimes interacted with the World-Wide Police rather than the Science Police).  However, a reference to a non-Legion future story would make a great deal of sense.

[Fraser Sherman]

B&B 52, JEB Stuart and Sgt. Rock make Lieutenant. Rock vows to get busted back to sergeant. So if temporary promotions count as mustangs, that answers the question.

[Commander Benson]

Fraser Sherman said:

Keep meaning to say (and now I have) that I'm glad whatever storms life tossed at you have passed, Commander.

Thank you for your good wishes, sir.  As I said, it was nothing dire; just the vicissitudes of life that happened to hit at once.

One of them, in fact, is a good thing.  Neither the Good Mrs. Benson, nor I, have to work, but a job offer came along and the money was too good to pass up.  (Our cruises don't pay for themselves---heh.)  Unfortunately, it involves working for the state, and the hoops one has to jump through is enough to make me tear my hair out.  At least once a week for the last six weeks, they've come back to me saying, "We need one more thing . . . "  

I thought I was done with it, though.  Until I got another call this past Monday. 

We'll see.

 

[David Warren]

You're going to work for Lt. Columbo?

Commander Benson said:

Fraser Sherman said:

Keep meaning to say (and now I have) that I'm glad whatever storms life tossed at you have passed, Commander.

Thank you for your good wishes, sir.  As I said, it was nothing dire; just the vicissitudes of life that happened to hit at once.

One of them, in fact, is a good thing.  Neither the Good Mrs. Benson, nor I, have to work, but a job offer came along and the money was too good to pass up.  (Our cruises don't pay for themselves---heh.)  Unfortunately, it involves working for the state, and the hoops one has to jump through is enough to make me tear my hair out.  At least once a week for the last six weeks, they've come back to me saying, "We need one more thing . . . "  

I thought I was done with it, though.  Until I got another call this past Monday. 

We'll see.

 

[Fraser Sherman]

My wife is a government contractor so I'm familiar with the hoops. You have my sympathy.

Commander Benson said:

Fraser Sherman said:

Keep meaning to say (and now I have) that I'm glad whatever storms life tossed at you have passed, Commander.

Thank you for your good wishes, sir.  As I said, it was nothing dire; just the vicissitudes of life that happened to hit at once.

One of them, in fact, is a good thing.  Neither the Good Mrs. Benson, nor I, have to work, but a job offer came along and the money was too good to pass up.  (Our cruises don't pay for themselves---heh.)  Unfortunately, it involves working for the state, and the hoops one has to jump through is enough to make me tear my hair out.  At least once a week for the last six weeks, they've come back to me saying, "We need one more thing . . . "  

I thought I was done with it, though.  Until I got another call this past Monday. 

We'll see.

 

[Fraser Sherman]

Long-shot on the Batman question but as Batman 200 inclued a retelling of his origin, I'm guessing that referred to him as "the Batman."

[Prince Hal]

A fun quiz, Commander, as usual. Thanks for taking the time to construct this. Until I don't see you posting the answers, I'm going to try to do more digging for those elusive two. (The Batman one is killing me, because I have the haziest memory of seeing "The Batman" used and noticing how refreshing it was to see. But my brain is so packed with detritus that even if that is not an invented recollection, it just won't surface.

1. Earth-Three, which I think may be wrong because it's so fershlugginer obvious. I was wondering if it might have been Qward, but could find nothing specific to verify that thought.

2. Spoiled rich kid Percy Bratten’s father. The kid first appeared post-Silver Age, I think, but I figured maybe the old man had popped up earlier.

3. Weapons World. (From the Superman 2965 timeline.)

4. The Challengers of the Unknown.

5. Mr. 103, who became Mr. 104 to continue fighting the Doom Patrol.

6. I got nuttin’. Too many issues to comb through. Maybe Batman 200 for one of them?

7. Pooch.

8. Patrolman Mike Hanson.

9. Lt. Jeb Stuart and Capt. Bill Storm.

10. I wish I could remember, and at this point, too many issues again to check. My first thought was a Happy Harbor PO box, but gain, that would be not only obvious, but a bit of a security risk., unless it was in Snapper's name, but even then, way too risky.

[Prince Hal]

Regarding Question 6...

How about Batman 109 and Detective 225, with the stories,"Follow the Batman" and "If I were the Batman."

Not sure if the dialogue referred to him as "The Batman," but the titles certainly do.

Thinking that maybe there's an odd JLA, WF, or B and B story that refers to him that way?

I may keep looking till the time runs out.

Thank you, Commander!

[Fraser Sherman]

Ingenious — I don't know if you're right, but it's better than I've done.

Prince Hal said:

Regarding Question 6...

How about Batman 109 and Detective 225, with the stories,"Follow the Batman" and "If I were the Batman."

Not sure if the dialogue referred to him as "The Batman," but the titles certainly do.

Thinking that maybe there's an odd JLA, WF, or B and B story that refers to him that way?

I may keep looking till the time runs out.

Thank you, Commander!

[Eric L. Sofer]

I MISSED IT! Oh no... well, I'll play anyhow, before reading the answers. Commander, I KNOW this is gonna be a good time!

1. Earth-3 (alternate - Qward? Nah. They were dedicated to evil, but it was never outright stated the way it was for Earth-3.)

2. Absolutely NO idea.

3. It's not the Legion Armory. Um, I'll guess Takron-Galtos.

4. I want to say the Sea Devils, but I'm going with the Challengers of the Unknown. That sounds a bit more like their kind of gig.

5. Mr. 103, the Doom Patrol opponent. At least, I THINK he started at 103... but you and I know who I mean.

6. Oh my goodness! THREE??? Time for a WAG! Um, let's see... maybe Adventure Comics # 341 - "Colossal Boy's One-Man War!", the second part of the Computo story when the Legion hides out in the Batcave. I'll try Justice League of America # 19, the Super Exiles of Earth - the "super" Batman, I think. And... I'm out. I'll probably get to kick myself, though...

7. Was that Pooch?

8. No clue.

9. Johnny Cloud and Captain Storm.

10. In JLA #6, "Wheel of Misfortune", Snapper Carr has retrieved the mail from the General Post Office. So I'll guess the GPO.

I'm sure I blew most of these, but the fun NEVER blows away! Thanks, Commander!

I remain,

  Sincerely,

Eric L. Sofer

The Silver Age Fogey

x<]:o){

[Commander Benson]

Eric L. Sofer said:

I MISSED IT! Oh no... well, I'll play anyhow, before reading the answers. Commander, I KNOW this is gonna be a good time!

Sorry to take so long to get back to you, old friend.  Real life has gotten real-er over the last six or seven weeks, and it's reduced my appearances here.  But I was very glad to see you chime in.  In fact, I had figured on it.  That's why I held off on posting the answers as long as I could; I was expecting you to show up.

Of course, it might've taken you longer than usual, you didn't disappoint.  If you went ahead and took a look at the answers after you posted here, you saw your usual level of accuracy might have dropped a little.  But I'd love to hear your commentary on the answers.  That's always the best part of your posts, anyway.

Best to you and yours, as always!

[Eric L. Sofer]

Will annotate! Check that thread for my responses.