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Monday, November 26, 2012

Number 1270: The Captain America copycat

This is day two of our theme week: early costumed heroes of the comic books. We're wrapping up November with some real vintage stuff.

Compared to yesterday's posting with its elegant and excellent Joe Doolin art, we have today a tale told with artwork that is mostly amateurish. The Grand Comics Database doesn't know who did the artwork, nor do I. The character is another in a whole platoon of red, white and blue patriotic costumed heroes. He's also close to one of the most famous patriotic heroes of all, as the index at the GCD notes:
“There are noticable themes here - the patriotism, the Army private who is secretly a superhero, the kid sidekick, the chemistry-related origin, the murder attempts on Army generals — that parallel Captain America.”
Not only did Lone Warrior have a kid sidekick like Captain America's Bucky, the kid's name is Dicky. As I've mentioned before, originality was not a big priority in comic books. An editor or publisher of Banner Comics probably hollered out, “Give me someone exactly like Captain America — only different!” No publisher could have failed to notice the sales figures for that character. Unlike Captain America, though, who is still kicking ass after 71 years, Lone Warrior lasted a scant four issues. Perhaps Martin Goodman, who published Captain America Comics, noticed Lone Warrior, which is why Lone Warrior had such a short career.

From Banner Comics #3, 1941:

















4 comments:

Brian Barnes said...

You want to really help with the war effort? Let them examine that amazing car/tank/plane!

Cap always had a -- sometimes far fetched -- but plausible explanation as to why he or his shield was one of a kind. The car/tank/plane exists and can be mass produced. The war would be over in half a year with a fleet of those!

cash_gorman said...

One of a kind super-vehicles was a fairly common trope back in the day though: the Blue Tracer, Spy-Smasher's Gyro-sub, Airboy's plane, even Bozo the robot.

I always found the most interesting thing about this strip was using the Shadow as a Nazi villain!

Odyzeus! said...

Exactly how does a fella with a sidekick qualify as "Lone" Warrior?

Pappy said...

Odyzeus! Probably the same way Lone Ranger w/Tonto qualifies as "lone."

It could have been "The Lone and One Half Warrior," (as in "Two and a Half Men").