Old is gold
We go back in time to 1940, the year the Golden age Of comics truly blossomed.
IT doesn’t matter how long you have been a fan of comics – chances are you would have heard of the Golden Age Of Comics. It is a period starting from the late 1930s to the early 1950s when superhero characters proliferated on the comics scene.
If today’s constant restructuring of comic universes by the Big Two (Marvel and DC) is becoming a pain to keep up with, then the Golden Age is the perfect time period for you, as this was as pure and original as heroes ever got!
Prior to the Golden Age, detectives, cowboys, and beings that went bump in the night where comic-book mainstays. Then in 1938, a certain Kryptonian decided to make Earth his home.
During that period in history, the real world was fraught with major developments – Winston Churchill became Britain’s Prime Minister, Hitler marched on Europe, and, er, the first ever McDonald’s stand opened in California.
With war and junk food dominating the headlines, the world of comics offered a new dimension of escapism for its readers, with superheroes becoming the flavour of that era.
Mention the year 1938 to a die-hard comic fan and their first thought would be “the birth of Superman”. Follow that with “1939”, and Batman would come to mind, followed by Namor, the Human Torch and Sandman (the Wesley Dodds version) – all characters that kick-started the Golden Age back then.
But it’s 1940 that interests us the most today, since that was the year the Golden Age truly blossomed!
That year, DC introduced Catwoman, Robin, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman and the Justice Society of America, characters who, like Superman and Batman, are household names even until today.
In tribute to this “Class of 1940”, let’s revisit their origins and catch up on their status quo.
The Flash (Jason “Jay” Peter Garrick) First appearance: Flash Comics #1
Created by Gardner Fox and Harry Lampert, Jay became the Flash by accidentally inhaling hard water vapours (!) – which still beats being struck by lightning and doused with chemicals.
On the surface, Jay’s Flash looks a lot like a fireman, but there’s actually more depth to this “Village People” image –the winged metal helmet belonged to Jay’s dad (Joseph) who wore it during WWI, and the costume was a tribute to his college football stint, as well as the Roman god Mercury.
Looks aside, Jay’s crime-fighting career dominated much of the Golden Age, making a name for himself fighting villains like the, er, “Three Dimwits” – Winky, Blinky, and Noddy (a pale, pale counterpart of the Rogues).
Post-Golden Age, the introduction of a new Flash, Barry Allen, in 1956 totally eclipsed Jay’s speedster career, and his existence to that point was consigned to a mere mention where Barry’s first appearance shows him reading a copy of Flash Comics and lamenting that Jay was “just a character some writer dreamed up”. Eventually, the duo did meet in the classic Flash of Two Worlds story ( The Flash #123), which also opened up the concept of parallel universes within DC.
To be honest, the Golden Age Jay probably wouldn’t have succeded today, and this is acknowledged by Jay’s recent New 52 makeover, which remodels him into a fresh young superhero with a “Flash-ier” costume who gets his powers from the god Mercury. Well, at least they did away with that “hard water vapours” angle.
Green Lantern (Alan Scott) First Appearance: All American Comics #16
Unlike Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner or
Stormbringer: John Stewart – all of whom had the luxury of a gift from Oa – Alan Scott, the first Green Lantern (created by Mart Dellon a.k.a. Martin Nodell), began his heroic journey via a railway crash, during which he came into possession of a ... talking magic lantern.
To harness the lantern’s powers, Alan crafted a ring and found that its powers were only limited by his imagination – and by wooden objects (still, better than the colour yellow).
Throughout his Golden Age stint, this Green Lantern’s potential was as limited as his utilisation of the ring’s powers (Alan preferred using his fists more). Post-Golden Age, he became a regular in team books ( Justice Society Of America, Checkmate, etc), while the New 52-revamp put him in a younger form with a cooler costume.
Justice Society Of America First appearance: All Star Comics #3
The honour of being the first ever superhero team goes to the JSA, co-created by Gardner Fox and Sheldon Mayer. The core roster comprised (then) established characters the Flash, Green Lantern and Hawkman; the trio was accompanied by Doctor Fate, Hour-Man, the Spectre, Sandman and the Atom.
Unlike the integrated level of teamwork displayed in today’s super-team books, the Golden Age JSA title functioned more as a meeting ground for individual heroes. While the team’s first female member (Wonder Woman) joined five issues later ( JSA #8), her role was (sadly) limited to a secretarial function.
Anyway, despite being first in its class doesn’t guarantee instant or eternal success, as the JSA has perennially played second fiddle to the more illustrious Justice League of America (which gave Wonder Woman a whole lot more to do) and other teams such as the Teen Titans, Legion of Super Heroes, and so on.
Catwoman (Selina Kyle) First appearance: Batman #1
Bob Kane and Bill Finger introduced Catwoman, an anti-heroine for the ages, in Batman #1 to attract a female audience and inject some “sex appeal” into Batman’s escapades. femme more Batman
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