This is an oddball tale from the first issue of Hillman’s
Crime Detective (1948). Along with more traditional crime stories about crooks who end up in the electric chair, we have this silly science fiction story. I assume it was an inventory tale, and in spite of the plot about a robber gang it doesn’t fit the rest of the comic at all.
The gaudily-dressed, hooded men use a concoction of “infra-red liquid” to render themselves invisible. I wonder if I could find a bucket of that on Amazon.com? I have a Christmas gift certificate I want to spend.
P.S. Make sure to look for the injury-to-the-eye panel
The underlying idea here was perhaps first used in fiction by Ambrose Bierce, for his story, “The Damned Thing”. Later, the Blue Beetle used the idea, at least on radio. (I'm not sure whether it were ever used in the comic books.)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the thought was that if something were a color that were imperceptible to the eye, that something would be visually undetectable.
Of course, that's not how it works. When no visible light is radiated or reflected from an area, that area appears black to us.
Oooh, hot poker to the eye! That one's going to Doc Wertham's new blog!
ReplyDeleteComics are of course pure fantasy, but back in the Golden Age they REALLY didn't have to make sense AT ALL, did they?! These hoodlums (number 1 anyway) could have just made a TON o' money selling their goofy invisibility stuff to the "Gummint" (Ol' Unc Sam), but then they wouldn't have gotten to parade around in their "odd attire"...had to do crunches for two weeks to fit into mine...circus peanut and yoohoo diet...
Anyway, Pappy, I made a comment on your last post that seemed to disappear into the void...hope this one gets through. Keep postin' on the "Best Comic Blog Ever!"
Daniel, "The Damned Thing was such a color!" Good ol' Ambrose...I've read this story several times in 50 years.
ReplyDeleteI find pseudo-scientific explanations in science fiction or horror entertaining, even if totally impossible.
Apocolyte, be patient with me. Sometimes comments pile up while I am off doing other things. Your comment is posted now, and thank you.
ReplyDelete