Forms of Things Unknown

As the nights fall more rapidly and the fire festivals begin, Hallowe'en Heroes are belatedly represented here in this unholy Place with a miscellany from eight years ago.

Weird Secret Origins is a mock-up of a DC Giant, circa 1971. A cover by Jerry Ordway promises "Six Strange Stories". And here they are...

The Origin of Dr. Fate: a real oversight from 1940. Given that Fate was something of a fan-favourite since the JSA had returned in the Sixties, I'm surprised his origin hadn't been reprinted in the Super-Specs (Or had it?)
In four pages, young Kent Nelson is orphaned and tutored in the secrets of the Universe by Nabu, a giant from another planet. His pulp adventures continue as Fate and his elegant companion Inza meet an "ardent believer in reincarnation" and venture into the "charnel regions" ruled by Black Nergal. This is unadulterated Weird Tales and the primitive cartooning suggests prehistoric terrors.

The Enchantress of Terror Castle: there's a flavour of Wally Wood in Howard Purcell's tale of a costume party and a magical inheritance. Freelance artist June Moone is transformed, Shazam-style into mod witch, the Enchantress. I only know the "Switcheroo-Witcheroo"  from her appearance in the Legends miniseries but I like her campy 60s costume. 

Winslow Mortimer retells the origin of Mary Marv-er, June Moone

I was the Man with Animal Powers: an action-packed and airy alien invasion story by Carmine Infantino. It resembles one of those pre-FF monster tales like "I Ate NomNomNom, the Thing That Should Not Taste So Good". It introduces milksop Buddy Baker who will explore the boundaries of metatexuality as Animal Man. To be honest, Grant Morrison's work in tearing down the fourth wall is the most interesting thing about the otherwise dull A-Man.

The Tricks of Metamorpho's Trade: a two-page illustrated text feature on the powers and origin of Rex Mason, from a 100-page Super-Spec issue of World's Finest.
Of course, Haney's absurdist beatnik hero Element Man isn't a horror star by any stretch of the imagination. He's not even an out-and-out comedy character  in the vein of Plastic Man. A psychedelic parody of one of Marvel's tragic monsters, if anyone were suited to a Saturday morning cartoon, it's Rexy-Baby.

The Amazing Congorilla however is a B-movie monster: the ape with a man's intellect. Long-time safari strip hero and movie serial star Congo Bill transferred his mind into a golden gorilla via a magic ring. DC certainly loved those simians!
 James Robinson added Congorilla to the JLA in recent years. But I think Jeff Parker's use of the humorous Gorilla Man character at Marvel predates Robinson. 

Call him Satan, Call Him Saint: this is probably the highlight of the collection: a moody and atmospheric Gray Morrow tale of the Ghostly Gunslinger, El Diablo. I'm almost entirely unfamiliar with the majority of Western Heroes of DC and Marvel; it's probably the genre I've read least. There's a Lazarus Lane, by the way, opposite Elgin Cathedral, where the lepers presumably lived.

The Origin of the Bizarro World: a primer for the tiresome and unfunny imperfect Superman duplicate and his Bizarro-supporting cast.

The Spectre: the first appearance of DC's answer to the Ghost Rider. I already discussed this macabre Golden Age two-parter in my 'Optikon posts on the Seventies SO run. On some levels it's quite a sophisticated horror story: a murdered policeman returns to wage a supernatural war on crime but has to sever all ties with his mortal life. It's closer in spirit (ha!) to the infamous Aparo Spectre of the Bronze Age than the playful Lovecraftian hi-jinks of the Sixties. Look out for the bathroom sink antics of two police detectives sharing a room in a boarding house; Tuxedo Jim Corrigan's casual sexism; and the reference to dope. 

 
However, I would have preferred to see the first appearance of a spooky star from the Fifties, the Phantom Stranger.  The swingin' elegance of the Mage with the Medallion made him quite the most suave member of what's been dubbed the Trenchcoat Brigade. I think PS would have been an interesting alternative to the Discarnate Detective. Equally, the Irish hero Jack O'Lantern who starred in a handful of back-ups in Super Friends would have been welcome.

For me, DC's stable of supernatural characters never quite equals that of Marvel. Fate and Spec often look otherworldly and imposing but only Kirby's Demon really comes close to rivalling the likes of Dracula, Morbius or even the Devil's Daughter, Satana.

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