DC’s current Plastic Man wouldn’t have missed the woman changing in there.
Police Comics #6
Comic Magazines, Inc (January, 1942)
I don’t have to tell you what became of Plastic Man. In recent years he’s become one of their bigger characters, but that was a long time coming. His first post-comics appearance I’m aware of is a cameo in the first season of Superfriends, getting a mouse out of a computer. Like fellow cameo Green Arrow (from a later episode), he didn’t get to join the full team, but he did get his own cartoon as an agency superhero working with a woman named Penny, who was really into him, and Hula-Hula, a Hawaiian with bad luck who also happened to have informants all over the world. This was never explained.
In the next season Penny somehow won over Plastic Man, who in the first season was into his Chief (though she seemed to hate his stretchy guts). They married and had a son, Baby Plas. We’re not up far enough in the comics to know if Plas had a child in the comics, but I like to think this is the same son from the alternate universe “Injustice” stories, in which Plastic Man has really shined besides appearances in Batman: The Brave & The Bold and Justice League Action. The others that DC have picked up from the future Quality Comics haven’t fared as well, but we’ll touch on them in later comics.
The Firebrand by Reed Crandall
Joan has a last name! It’s Rogers. She’s volunteering at a blood bank when she learns some of the supply, including ones going to a military base, has been contaminated. There’s a whole conspiracy involved, but we lack is motivation. Okay, his goons at the hospital and the one at the base were getting paid but what was the doctor’s end goal? It’s the only miss in a darn good adventure.
#711 by George E. Brenner
Big Boy is a short man who wants the guy who can testify against him dead. That’s difficult when he’s in prison, but since there’s at least one guard here taking every bribe handed to him, that would be sorted…except it’s also the prison #711 is staying at. We get some proof that using his prison number as his costumed hero identity is a potential problem, though nothing comes of it. Meanwhile it’s a good story. Hope this is the trend.
Eagle Evans by Clark Williams
Eagle, Snap, and a guy either named Andrews or Andy Andrews bring a new American bomber to their British allies, but a spy in their ranks causes trouble for our heroes when one of the British pilots they take down wants revenge. Looks like it is the trend. The good story thing, not the spies. Although come to think of it, that is a trend in this comic thus far.
Chic Carter by Vernon Henkel
A man returns from India with a wife, a dancer with a snake motif. Then she starts killing off the family, but it looks bad for Chic because there’s no trace of the poison. Then he uncovers how she did it, and she kills herself. So is Chic going to be cleared or was that his last evidence? I’m not sure if this counts to the “spy” thing. Fun fact from commenter Kingcat at Comic Book Plus: “The Chic Carter story ‘Veda the Cobra Woman’ is lifted from Cornell Woolrich’s ‘Kiss of the Cobra’ (first published Dime Detective May 1st 1935.) Veda is the name of the snake-lady in that tale too, and the whole of the last page – the bit about the camphor ice and mucilage, and the line “You have killed a god!” are all word-for-word Woolrich. Still, they do say, if you’re going to steal, steal from the best!” The line comes from when Chic kills a snake. No Sword this story but still a good story outside of Chic’s future.
Plastic Man
In between begging the readers to send requests to up the comic’s page count to nine instead of six (meaning more pages to the comic or somebody’s going to suffer…my vote’s for the “comedy” strips I’m not reading anyway), Plastic Man deals with a criminal taking advantage of a man with cursed hands. The hands can’t stop stealing, so the owner cut them off. Except they still steal, but the mobster swipes the loot. An odd story, but a fun one anyway. I definitely can’t stretch (no pun intended) “spy” out of this one, but the opening panel suggests a man who stretches his face going up against Plastic Man, but he’s nowhere in here. Did someone change their mind and not fix the panel?
Steele Kerrigan by Al Bryant
Steele goes to his parole board meeting but Anne sees someone stealing the commissioner’s car. It turns out to only be a bunch of regular car thieves as part of a stolen car ring, but Steele gets a full pardon for helping take the organization down. And Anne wanted him out of the private investigator racket? It’s not like his life is any safer. Short but good.
The Mouthpiece by Fred Guardineer
Fifth columnists try to sabotage a boat and kill a cop trying to stop them. The Mouthpiece is nearby and after a short adventure manages to avenge him. Another story that makes good use of the short panel space. So were they all fighting for that extra page and Jack Cole just decided to get the readers on his side?
Phantom Lady by Arthur Peddy
First Firebrand’s fiance, now Phantom Lady’s. Don’s last name is Borden. I have to wonder why so many of these heroes are keeping their fiances in the dark? Dollman has no trouble letting his in on his superhero life. Sandra and her dad go to help Don crack a foreign agent’s code only to be attacked by more agents. Phantom Lady sorts it all out, but apparently even her closest family can’t tell its her. Don at least has seen her face in both identities and she doesn’t disguise her appearance, just changes outfits. The good story trend continues, and I guess that’s what matters.
The Human Bomb by Paul Carrol
I guess everybody’s getting a last name this issue. Jean’s is Adams, and she gets in the way when the Human Bomb prepare to fight a group of Nazis who want to invade Roy Lincoln’s lab. Not sure why she tries to use the superhero to make Roy jealous, but we don’t really know why she’s there. Just a bunch of fighting bad guys but still enjoyable.
overall
A full Golden Age comic with only minor complaints and good stories all around. Now that’s what I like to read.
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