The DUKE of DARKNESS vs Professor Evil!

The 13 Days of Halloween continues with a Spectre-like character: The Duke of Darkness.

Well, not really Spectre-like, other than they're both, y'know...dead -- and ghostly...

In this first (?*) appearance, we don't really get an origin, but we do witness the funeral of Paddy Sullivan, who becomes the Duke. We also see the funeral of Professor Live...who returns as Professor Evil, Master of Crime!! It's Supernatural Super Hero vs Supernatural Super Villain!!

from
K-O Komics #1 (October 1945)
story by ?; art by Sam Cooper

The Duke made only two other appearances; in TRIPLE THREAT COMICS #1 (Winter 1945) and TOP SPOT COMICS #1 (1945).

* The Grand Comic Book Database lists both K-O COMICS and TRIPLE THREAT as The Duke of Darkness' first appearances.

BLUE BEETLE and the Mummy Who Never Died!

We're going to start off the 13 Days of Halloween: Super Heroes vs the Supernatural theme with a Golden-Age Blue Beetle thriller!!

Well, I guess it's not really a "thriller" by today's standards...but I'm sure the kiddies back in the day were on the edge of their seats to see how ol' Dan Garrett was going to get out of this one!!

Or maybe not. But it's still got a mummy in it, and mummies are cool on Halloween!!!

from
PHANTOM LADY #13 (August 1947)
story and/or art by ? (as Otis)

Dash Dartwell -- The HUMAN METEOR!

Dash Dartwell is the Human Meteor? I thought Duke O'Dowd was the Human Meteor. I guess they shared...
But whereas Duke got his powers from his Wonder Belt, Dash received his from Metabo-tablets. He was a sports figure and he used the Metabo-tablets to set world records. Yes, folks, Duke was an early adopter of using performance-enhancing drugs for sports!!

After Dr. Moss perfects his Metabo-catalyst, he proclaims: "As yet, I don't know what it will do. It might give extraordinary speed-strength-anything! I must make human tests!"
The brilliant Dash says: "How about making them on me?"
I'm thinging: "WTF? He just said he didn't know what the Metabo-catalyst would do. It might do 'anything.' Like maybe kill you -- but go for it!!"

Near as I can tell, Dash only made 4 appearances: AMAZING MAN COMICS #21-22 (March/May 1941), STARS AND STRIPES COMICS #2 (May 1941) and THE ARROW #3, which may be a reprint, since it looks like a first story, but came out about 7 months after his first appearance. I don't know.

from
THE ARROW #3 (October 1941)
story by ?; art by Harry Campbell (as Harrison Camp)



PARTING SHOT:


He's a mighty, mighty good man!

Duke O'Dowd -- The HUMAN METEOR!

Duke O'Dowd debuted in CHAMPION COMICS #6 (April 1940) as a taxi driver. In issue #8 (June 1940), he gained possession of an ancient Wonder Belt, formerly owned by a Tibetan prince, which granted him superhuman powers. And in CHAMPION COMICS #9 (July 1940), he began his run as "...crime's dreaded challenger, the Human Meteor!" With issue #11 (October 1940), the book's title was shortened to CHAMP COMICS. Duke's career ended in the final issue, CHAMP COMICS #25 (April 1943).

from
CHAMP COMICS #13 (May 1941)
story by Robert Turner; art by Art Peddy; cover by George Mandel

FEARLESS FLINT: The Famous Flint Man!

Wow. There's really not much information on Fearless Flint on the internet. So I don't know much about him. He first appeared in FAMOUS FUNNIES #89 (December 1942). And he was drawn by Wonder Woman artist Harry G. Peter.

International Hero adds: While helping excavate a mountainside near Mount Rushmore, construction worker Jack Bradley was caught in an explosion and resultant avalanche, and covered in a mysterious dust. Afterwards he discovered he could turn into flint whenever he became angered.

Although here it seems he's also "powered up" by touching metal...

That's about it!!
Here's a story:

from
FAMOUS FUNNIES #107 (June 1943)
story by ?; art by H.G. Peter