Ah, the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. Those days of soda and pretzels and beer . . . and my annual Silver-Age trivia challenge!
Even when my contributions to my Deck Log were restricted by work, I still managed to produce a trivia quiz every summer. But I have to wonder how long I can keep it going. The internet is slowly, but inexorably ruining some of my best questions---by making even the most obscure information available on line, and thus, to locating with a search engine. Case in point: one question I’d been saving for almost ten years---“What is the first name of the wife of Smallville chief of police Douglas Parker?”---I’d planned for this year’s outing. But wouldn’t you know? The right answer popped up on the first hit when I ran it through Google. So, I had to jettison it. I’m not going to make it that easy for you.
It took me about half a day to gin up a replacement query that got through the search-engine test. Yet, the fact remains: the internet is closing in on me. I have to wonder how long I can keep ahead of it. I’m good for at least one more year, though. I’ve already prepared my challenge for 2026.
As always, for the benefit of those who may be tackling my quiz for the first time, there’s some terms and conditions to get out of the way.
■ All of the questions and answers are drawn from Silver-Age material. In the case of this quiz, that means anything produced by DC Comics from July, 1956 (the month Showcase # 4 hit the stands) until the end of 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 was the first name of Professor Erdel, who brought J’onn J’onzz to Earth?”, and you answered with “Saul”, you would be wrong. In that first Silver-Age story, the professor’s first name was “Mark”. “Saul” was a post-Crisis revision.
Fair warning: forgetting the Silver-Age limitation has been the biggest reason that folks have gotten a question wrong.
■ I’m definitely not infallible, also something to which the veteran players here will attest. I easily might have missed something, somewhere, in those 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’ll gladly award you credit for a correct response. “But I always thought . . .” explanations won’t cut it, though.
■ I’ve got no problem with anybody using a search engine to look for answers. That’s why I try to make my questions as Google-proof as possible. The right answers to my quiz-questions are difficult to find with a search engine, though I cannot say impossible. At least once, I tripped myself up when an article that I had written for another site contained the answer to a question from that year’s challenge, and one of the players found it.
■ Lastly, there are no prizes, not even a No-Prize. You’re playing for bragging rights.
All right, fingers on the home keys . . . As always, I’ll start off with a lob.
1. Outside of J’onn J’onzz himself, who was the only other regularly appearing DC hero to make an appearance in the “Manhunter from Mars” series? (And no, Zook doesn’t count.)
2. What was the title of the last film in which Rita Farr, of My Greatest Adventure/The Doom Patrol, starred?
3. Name the explorer who came into possession of a magic belt which gave him the super-power of Legionnaire Duo Damsel.
4. Who was the only member of the Justice League whose civilian identity was known to Batgirl?
5. Speaking of the Justice League, what villain tackled the JLA in no less than four different identities?
6. Six years ago, in a Marvel-related Silver-Age challenge, I asked you how far Mister Fantastic could stretch. In this year's DC quiz, I'm asking for the Elongated Man’s elastic limit.
7. Simon Stagg was never able to do it, but what regularly appearing DC scientist actually succeeded in returning Metamorpho, the Element Man, to his normal form of Rex Mason?
8. Speaking of Simon Stagg, who was, briefly, his first son-in-law?
9. What was Wonder Woman’s favourite television show?
10. What was the vital component of Multi-Man’s liquid light formula?
There you have them, ladies and gents. Good luck!
Replies
1) Batman (I think) when J'onn battled Prof. Hugo Arnold!
7) Doctor Will Magnus Brave and the Bold #66 (Jl'66).
2) "The Diminishing Lady" My Greatest Adventure #85
4) The Atom, Justice League of America #60, though she saw him as Ray Palmer, she didn't know his name.
5) Professor Amos Fortune JLA #6 also appeared as Mister Memory #14, the Ace of Clubs #43 and Serpent-Man #54
8) Guther Balkan in Metamorpho #2 (O'65). The son of crime boss Nicholas Balkan who owned his own island married his son to an unwilling Sapphire Stagg. The marriage could not be even remotely considered legal but everyone acted like it was, including Metamorpho!
The story ends without mentioning it so I'm sure Stagg had his lawyers annul it if it even had to be!
Guther Balkan in Metamorpho #2 (O'65)
I don't usually step in while answers are being actively posted, but your response here, Philip, creates a bit of a quandry for me. The marriage which gave Simon Stagg his first son-in-law (the one of whom I had in mind) was legal and Sapphire was a willing bride.
However, I was too unspecified with my question; thus your answer fits. I based the question on a Meramorpho detail long standing in my memory. I should've gone through the run of the series to detect such events as you mentioned, and then worded my question accordingly to exclude them..
But I didn't, so you get credit for your answer, Philip. Just bear in mind---it's not the one which I was seeking.
9) Apparently "The Adventures of Superman" or some version of it as seen in Wonder Woman #94 (N'57) as the real version was still on the air!
I shall mourn the loss of this quiz Commander... it's always such fun! But the intrusiveness of Google searches are likely to spoil it. I am filled with sorrow. (For what it's worth, I'd be glad to help you again... just ask!)
Now, some answers
1) Superman
2)
3) The Duplicate Man (and NOT the Comoosite Suoperman.)
4) Wonder Woman
5) Amow Fortune
6) 1000 feet
7) Doc Will Magnus
8) Java
9) Our American Heroes
10) Luminex.
Man, did I get a lot of those wrong! Great quiz this year Commander - a fun time as always! Thanks for the fun!
Sincerely,
The Silver Age Fogey
Ah, friend Eric, it's always a pleasure to see you chime in. Without comment on the accuracy of your answers, let me iterate (unless I haven't told you already), I'll be glad to use any questions/answers you may suggest. Just send them to me in a PM, and if I can use them, I'll gladly credit you for them.
6) "About 100 yards" a helpful footnote said in Detective Comics #340 (Ju'65). I don't know if it was stated earlier or how to measure him, if they count his neck or not!
8) One more try: Wally Bannister, "the World's Richest Playboy" (Sorry, Bruce!) from Metamorpho #16 who marries Sapphire after Rex Mason won't. He doesn't last long as he's killed off by #17, the last issue and the Element Man was framed for it!
Actually, it looked like they were writing Sapphire out in favor of Urania, the Element Girl!