Project Superpowers

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Reading The Twelve, Band of Heroes and The Marvel Project (not to mention the series in the "Miscellaneous New Universes" thread) recently really put me in the mood to read Project Superpowers. Unfortunately, I had no idea where I had filed it. Rather than look for it, I simply waited to discover it naturally, while looking for something else, which I did yesterday. Project Superpowers is Alex Ross and Jim Krueger's examination of Golden Age superheroes in the public domain. (New adventures of some of them can be found at other publishers as well.) It was initially presented in two "chapters," the first being eight issues (#0-7) and the second being 13 (#0-12). I read the first couple of issues of "Chapter One" and planned to read it in a single sitting at a later date, but when #7 shipped and I realized I had missed #6, I dropped it. I'm in the mood now, though, and have acquired a copy of #6. Here's a look at what's ahead.

• Airman
• Amazing Man
• American Crusader
• American Eagle
• The Arrow
• Atoman
• Big Blue [the Blue Beetle] (& Sparky)
• The Black Owl
• The Black Terror (& Tim)
• Black Venus
• Blue Bolt
• The Boy King (& his Giant)
• Captain Battle (& Captain Battle Jr.)
• Captain Courageous
• Captain Future
• The Cat[man] (& Kitten)
• The Crusaders
• Cyclone
• The Dart & Ace
• The Death-Defying [Dare]Devil
• Doc [Strange]
• Dynamic Man (& the Dynamic Family)
• The Fighting Yank
• The Flag
• The Flame (& Flame Girl)
• Golden Lad
• The Green Giant
• The Green Lama
• The Green Mask  (& Domino)
• The Grim Reaper
• The Hood
• The Holy Terror
• Hydro
• Jack
• Lash Lightning (& Lightning Girl)
• The  Liberator
• Man Of War
• Man O'Metal
• Masquerade
• Major Victory
• Marvelo
• Mr. Face
• Mr. Raven
• The Owl
• Phantasmo
• Pyroman
• Radior
• Rainbow Boy
• Rocketman (& Rocketgirl)
• The Mighty Samson (& David)
• Silver Streak
• Skyman
• Sparkman
• Strongman
• Sub-Zero Man
• Super-American
• The Sword
• The Target (& the Targeteers)
• The Unknown Soldier
• U.S. Jones
• V-Man (& the V-Boys)
• Vulcan
• The Woman in Red
• Yank & Doodle

[Jeff of Earth-J]

ISSUE #2 - Captain Future 

 

Last issue it was said that the Superpowers kidnapped the President, but they weren't shown leaving with him, so I didn't mention it. In this issue it's made clear that they have seized cobtrol of the Pentagon and are holding him there. (No one is listed as editor of this series, and it shows; there are many scenes in this series which would benefit from some editorial clarity.) 24 hours have passed. Green Lama is meditating inside a giant pod. The Superpowers get word that Futureman is fighting Truth and Dare in the Caribbean. They split their forces, some remaining behind while Black Terror leads a team against Captain Future, who mortally wounds Samson (which shouldn't be possible because Samson can only be harmed by the Hand of God). Captain Future escapes. Green Lama arrives. Truth & Dare introduce themselves. 

 

At the Pentagaon, protestors and supporters gather outside. In the Middle East, the Inheritors contact Burning Eagle and bring him back to Swisslakia. Somewhere in the States, Mr. Face meets the other two of "The Big Shots" (Skyman and Marvello; see below) in a bar. "The Claw" (terrorist organization) strikes at Philidelphia. Green Lama uses his power to revive Samson. The Supremacy (Dynamic Man and Mrs. Octopus, specifically), interrogate a captured hero, a girl wearing a tellow leotard with a red mask and cape, but I'm not sure who it is. [EDIT: I think it's the Flame's sidekick, Flame Girl.] (Here is another example where some editorial oversight would have been useful.) Mrs. Octopus accuses her of killing her husband. Captain Future is also present.

 

CAPTAIN FUTURE: As I mentioned before, Captain Future appeared in Startlng Comics. (I wonder if Marvel borrowed Doc Samson's look from Captain Future.)

 

 

Scientist Andrew Bryant exposed himself to gamma and infrared rays, giving him superpowers. In 2003, he appeared in AC Comics' Sentinels of America #1 (2003), along with Black Terror, Miss Masque, Fighting Yank and the Scarab.

 

 

Hmm... Maybe [a version of] the Scarab Inaddition to the one Cap mentioned on une 17) did predate Project Superpowers after all; the Golden Age Scarab appears in Super Weird Heroes (v2). If I didn't mention it before, Samson appeared not only in Startling Comics,  but his own eponymous title as well. 

 

 

"THE BIG SHOTS": Skyman, Marvello and The Face appeared together in Big Shot Comics. 

 

All three can be found in SUPERMEN! - The First Wave of comic Book Heroes, plus The Face can also be found in The League of Regrettable Heroes.

[Philip Portelli]

Roy Thomas said that Doc Samson's look was based on CAPTAIN TOOTSIE, a spokesman for Tootsie Rolls, the source of his strength. Not only drawn in ads by Captain Marvel creator C.C. Beck but he even had a short run comic!

He's also in public domain and could have appeared in Project Superpowers! He did appear in Savage Dragon!

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Oh, yeah. That does sound familiar, now that you mention it.

ROY THOMAS: "I showed Herb [Trimpe] an old comic book that contained a Captain Tootsie ad. What kind of a name, you may well ask, is Captain Tootsie? Well, in the 1940s, the Tootsie Roll candy people had run full-page ads in comics featuring a muscular blond hero with that appellation who chomped Tootsie Rolls for fast energy while battling spies of an evil scientist called Dr. Marsty. The ad strips were originally drawn by C.C. Beck, the co-creator and original artist of Fawcett's ultra-popular Captain Marvel, and scripted by Rod Reed, a Fawcett writer and editor. In 1948, there'd even been two issues of a Captain Toosie comic book! I'd always kind of dug CT's costume, so I asked Herb to adapt it, replacing his big yellow "T" chest symbol with a non-Shazamic lightning bolt. Doc's boots, too, resembled C. Marvel's more than C. Tootsie's -- but otherwise our Doc Samson owed no debt to the 'ad-hoc' hero. We gave him green hair, to underscore his connection (via his origin) with the Hulk."

Doc Samson's name, of course, is taken from Doc Savage (as was Nedor's Doc Strange and MLJ's Doc Strong, for that matter).

He's also in public domain and could have appeared in Project Superpowers!

But surely "Captain Tootsie" is covered under trademark law...?

[Philip Portelli]

There was the "Tootsie" movie and later stage musical so who knows if "Tootsie" can be trademarked?

They might be able to use the Captain without mentioning the candy.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

I meant "Captain Tootsie," the (former) Tootsie Roll mascot.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

ISSUE #3 - Truth & Dare

 

 

 

Some see the Superpowers as heroes, some see them as terroritsts. Green Lama and Black Terror have philosophical disagreement over how to approach the situation, which turns violent. Green Lama seems out of control, almost posessed. A character I don't know (who carryies a boomerang) stands in the crowd outside the Pentagon. "My prey is no longer here," he says. "The pretender has moved on." 

 

Tim and Kitten appear to be attracted to one another. They share a kiss, which, due to either jealousy or protectiveness, drives Man-Cat wild. He attacks, Tim, but the Boy King orders his stone giant to intercede. This causes "skin" to be ripped from "Tim's" face. Readers learn (but the Inheritors do not) that Dynamic Boy murderded the real Tim and took his place. 

 

Future Man assaults Flame Girl for killing the Octopus. The Police Corps (I think it is) tries to re-take the Pentagon. A contingent of Superpowers battle the "Claw" organization in New Jersey. Justine (I think it is) drives a knife into Truth's back. 

 

TRUTH: Just as I suspect Mrs. Octopus to be derived from an actual Golden Age character, so too do I wonder if Truth is (loosely) based on Captain Truth of Gold Medal Comics (see The League of Regrettable Heroes).

 

[Jeff of Earth-J]

ISSUE #4 - The Scarlet Sisters (or "Sisters Scarlet") 

 

As Samson recuperates, he has trouble coming to terms with how, exactly, Captain Future was able to defeat him. Only GOd shold be able to do that. Black Terror approaches Green Lama with his plan to pursue and kill all of the Dynamic Forces' Crusaders (cloned from his friend the  American Crusader) expecting him to object, but Green Lama gives him his blessing. In Swisslakia, the boy King reveals aspects of his origin. On the Jersey Shore, Dare feels that Truth is dead although she did not see it happen. The Ghost (see below) flies the team to Europe where The Claw organization is to strike next. Back at the Pentagon, Masquerade, Lady Satan and the Woman in Red sit around the breakroom table in a scene that delineates their differences. Dynamic Man learns of Scarab's betrayal.

 

Captain Future attack the Pentagon looking for the Flame. First he encounters and defeats Pyroman, then he blows a hole through Samson's chest. Masque briefly posesses him. The Flame steps up, but Green Lama transports him away. Captain Future departs, demanding that the Superpowers bring him "the other half of Prometheus' power." When Masque recovers, she reveals that Captain Future is actually Zeus.

 

THE GHOST: At first I thought the Ghost was the character who firrt appeared in Thrilling Comics #3 (variously known as the Ghost, the Ghost Detective and the Green Ghost, later revived by  Alan Moore for America's Best Comics), but upon delving deeper it's clear he's the character who first appeared in Daredevil Comics #5. 

 

THE SCARLET SISTERS: As I mentioned in an earlier post, Masquerade (as Miss Masque) originally appeared in Exciting Comics, Lady Satan in Dynamic Comics, and the Woman in Red in America's Best Comics.

 

 

[Jeff of Earth-J]

ISSUE #5 - 'Devil & Black Terror

Green Lama reflects on recent events; Black Terror's team fight the Crusaders over the Atlantic off the coast of Boston; in addition to Samson, Captain Future/Zeus also killed the Target, separating him from his sidekicks; the Scarlet Sisters (Masquerade, Lady Satan, The Woman in Red) conspire to use Captain Future/Zeus's well-know weakness for mortal women against him; after failing to capture the Flame, Captain Future/Zeus torments Flame Girl some more; the "Big Shots" (Skyman, Mr. Face, Marvello) are being visited by strange dreams; the Black Owl is still partially trapped in the urn; the Inheritors try to free him; Man-Cat has a moment of lucidity; in Switzerland, the Supremacy assignes Dynamic man to lead "The Super-Mysterymen" (Captain Corageous, Vulcan, The Sword, Soldier Unknown, Mr. Raven, Magno, Lash Lighting & Lightning Girl).

I'll deal with these last eight if/when they become more prominently featured (individually, I hope).

[Jeff of Earth-J]

ISSUE #6 - Team Superpowers vs. the Super-Mysterymen

 

 

The Superpowers are divided into three teams: the one led by Black Terror tracking the "Claw" organization; the Scarlet Sisters who hope to rescue Flame Girl from Captain Future/Zeus; and the contingent left behind at the Pentagon. Dynamic Man has manipulated the "Super-Mysterymen" to attack the Superpowers at the Pentagon, and the "Terror Kid" has done likewise for the Inheritors. They manage to free President West, and both groups end up joining forces with The Supremacy. In New York  City, Black Terror's group finds Truth has been killed; at the Pentagon, Samson and the Target come back to life; in Greece, the team led by the Scarlet Sisters meets up with the "Big Shots." Marvello reads the Flames mind and believes he has discoverd the way to defeat Captain Future/Zeus.

 

I'll deal with these last eight if/when they become more prominently featured (individually, I hope).

 

No such luck. Hang on, we;ve got a lot to cover.

 

THE SUPER-MYSTERYMEN: The "Super-Mysterymen" were all published by Ace.

 

CAPTAIN CORAGEOUS: A supernatural entity personifying courage, called upon by humanity in times when brave men and women need inspiration to persevere. (See Super Patriotic Heroes.) 

 

 

LASH LIGHTNING: Robert Morgan, archeologist and explorer. AKA “Flash” Lightning, at first, and just Lightning in his last adventures.

 

 

MAGNO: No secret identity; Magno’s origin is never revealed.

 

 

THE SWORD:  Teenager Arthur Lake, a descendent of King Arthur, who, while on a business trip to England with his father, pulled Excalibur from its stone, which transformed him into an adult superhero wearing golden chainmail and granting him super-strength.

 

 

THE RAVEN (now "Mr. Raven"): Detective Sergeant Danny Dartin.

 

 

UNKNOWN SOLDIER (now "Soldier Unknown"): The living embodiment of all the young soldiers who died in the service of America; no human identity.

 

 

VULCAN: Vulcan the Volcanic Man is a direct descendant of the god of fire.

 

Most of these characters appeared together, at one time or another, in Four Favorites.

Fot more information on the Ace heroes, see Roy Thomas's Alter Ego #144. 

[Captain Comics]

You have definitely gone past where I stopped reading, and reminded me why I stopped.

There are too damn many of these characters. I couldn't keep track of them. Many were too similar. And I had questions about all of them.

Now, with the internet at my disposal, most of my questions are answered. Which does help me tell them apart, and keep track of them. Still, there are, what four different groups? And how many dozens of characters? This was a good concept on the outset, but Dynamite is making the same mistake many "new universes" make by expanding too quickly. They should have focused on the main conflict -- Dynamic Man and his forces vs. Green Lama and his forces -- and saved the many, many other characters for later storylines, after the main characters and coflicts have been well established. And introduced them one by one, so we'd get to know them, and get invested in them.

They have done the reverse of that, drowning us in new characters issue by issue. Even just reading your summaries, Jeff, it just seems like a sprawling mess, where most of the characters are cyphers I don't care about.