#25 September 2002

---

Cover

---

Contents

---

Captain Marvel Jr.

---

The Flame

---

Miss Masque

---

Black Condor

---

Black Terror

---

Mr. Mystic

---

Amazing-Man

---

Firehair

---

Nyoka

---

Letters/Cover Gallery

---

Back Cover

---

Click here to go back to the Library

   -All scans by me.

   - Flame, Miss Masque, Black Condor, Black Terror, Mr. Mystic, and Firehair from the collection of Scott Nichols.
 

---

Welcome to All-Amazing's BIG 25th issue celebration full of some of the brightest, and most requested stars of the Golden Age! And what better star could start out such a book as Captain Marvel Jr.? Not only is he my favorite Golden Age hero, but this story is a particularly rare gem, an original Canadian story that, as far as I know anyway, never appeared in the US! (And that's why I'm able to reprint it too!)

After that is a double whammy! Not only is it the second appearance of the Flame, but it's done by two of comics' greatest talents, Will Eisner and Lou Fine!!! Then we've got the first appearance of Miss Masque, MORE Lou Fine on Black Condor, a Robinson/Meskin Black Terror, Mr. Mystic by Bob Powell (a last minute substitution for the Red Bee who I sadly discovered was missing a page), Amazing-Man in a text story, and two top notch back-ups, Firehair and Nyoka!!! But enough of my prattling, take a look for yourself!

Captain Marvel Jr.     -Story taken from Grand Slam Comics #15  Anglo-American Publishing Company Ltd. February 1943      -Writer- Unknown      -Penciler- Unknown      -Inker- Unknown     -A.K.A.- Freddy Freeman     -Known Powers- Wisdom, strength, stamina, flight, invulnerability, courage, and speed.     -Other information- The old wizard, Shazam, gave Freddy Freeman the power to shout the name of his hero, Captain Marvel, and turn into the famed Captain Marvel Jr.!     -Known American Appearances- All-Hero Comics 1; America's Greatest Comics 8; Captain Marvel Adventures 18; Captain Marvel Jr. 1-119 (no #34); Captain Marvel Jr. Mighty Midget; The Marvel Family 1-89; Master Comics 22-133; Whiz Comics 22

The Flame     -Story taken from Wonderworld Comics #4 Bruns Publications Inc. August 1939      -Writer- Will Eisner      -Penciler- Lou Fine      -Inker- Lou Fine     -A.K.A.- Gary Preston     -Known Powers- Control over flame, is invulnerable, and can transport himself via flames.     -Other information- The infant son of an American missionary in China, Gary is washed away in a basket to Tibet, and is found and raised by Lamas. Under them he obtains the highest of physical and mental abilities including magic. He returns to the US, and decides to fight crime as the costumed mystery-man, The Flame!     -Known Appearances- Big-3 Comics 1-7; The Flame 1-8; Wonderworld Comics 3-33

Miss Masque     -Story taken from Exciting Comics #51 Better Publications Inc. September 1946      -Writer- Unknown      -Penciler- Lin Streeter      -Inker- Lin Streeter     -A.K.A.- Diana Adams     -Known Powers- None     -Known Appearances- America's Best Comics 23-31; Black Terror 21;  Exciting Comics 51-54; Fighting Yank 22, 24

Black Condor     -Story taken from Crack Comics #22 Comic Magazines Inc. March 1942      -Writer- Unknown      -Penciler- Lou Fine      -Inker- Lou Fine     -A.K.A.- Richard Grey Jr./Thomas Wright     -Known Powers- Flight     -Other information- Grey was the son of an archeologist who was murdered by Mongolian warriors. He was raised my giant black condors (no, I'm not making this up), and taught how to fly. later he met a traveling monk to encouraged him to use his powers for good. Grey then goes to America, and takes the place of Senator Thomas Wright, his visual double, who was recently murdered.     -Known Appearances- Crack Comics 1-31

Black Terror and Tim     -Story taken from Black Terror #25 Better Publications of Canada Ltd. December 1948      -Writer- Unknown      -Artists- Jerry Robinson and Mort Meskin     -A.K.A.- Bob Benton and Tim Roland     -Known Powers- Black Terror: Strength, invulnerability Tim: None     -Other information- An accident during an experiment with formic ether vapors gave pharmacist, Bob Benton, superhuman strength and invulnerability which he used to fight crime and espionage as the Black Terror! Not much about Bob's personal life was ever given but it was generally known that he, in some way, knew the Black Terror. His degree of strength varied but for some reason he could always be knocked out by a blow to the head.      Tim Roland was a delivery boy for Bob Benton who somehow discovered Bob's other life and became the Kid Terror (as far as I know though that name was only used in Exciting Comics #69). Tim had no powers of his own, thus slightly easier to beat than Black Terror. Though he played second fiddle to Black Terror for most of his career, Tim got to take center stage in Exciting #69 (reprinted in Pure Excitement Comics 24).      -Known Appearances- America's Best Comics 1-31; Black Terror 1-27; Exciting Comics 9-69

Mr. Mystic     -Story taken from The Spirit Section #56 Everett M. Arnold. June 21, 1941      -Writer- Bob Powell      -Penciler- Bob Powell      -Inker- Bob Powell     -A.K.A.- Ken (no last name given)     -Known Powers- Various magical abilities.     -Other information- Given powers by the Seven Lamas of Tibet.     -Known Appearances- Spirit Section 1-207 (6/2/40-5/14/44)

Amazing-Man (Text Story)     -Story taken from Amazing-Man Comics #15 Centaur Publications Inc. August 1940      -Writer- Duke Carey      -Penciler- Unknown (Signed "G")      -Inker- Unknown     -A.K.A.- John Aman     -Known Powers- Strength, invulnerability, disappear in a cloud of green vapor.     -Other information- Orphan John Aman was chosen by the Tibetan Council of Seven (those guys were sure busy weren't they?) during WW I to be trained to the peak of physical and mental perfection. At 25, he returned to America to fight crime with his young partner, Tommy, the Amazing Kid and Zona Handerson, ace girl crime investigator.     -Known Appearances- Amazing-Man Comics 5-26; Stars and Stripes Comics 2-6

Firehair     -Story taken from Rangers Comics #39 Flying Stories Inc. February 1948      -Writer- Unknown      -Penciler- Bob Lubbers      -Inker- Bob Lubbers     -Known Appearances- Firehair 1-11; Pioneer West Romances 3-7; Rangers Comics 21-65

Nyoka, the Jungle Girl     -Story taken from Master Comics #91 Anglo-American Publishing Company Ltd./Fawcett Publications Inc. May 1948      -Writer- Unknown      -Penciler- Unknown      -Inker- Unknown     -Known Appearances- Danger and Adventure (Charlton) vol.3. no. 22-23; Jungle Girl 1; Master Comics 51-132; Nyoka, The Jungle Girl 2-77, vol.2 no.14-22 (Charlton series)