Number 1995: The improbable, impossible Electro Man

Like many other super heroes with impossible origins (Steel Sterling falling into a vat of molten steel, Eel O’Brian falling into a vat of chemicals and coming out Plastic Man, et al.), Red Roberts got his super powers by being electrocuted in the electric chair. (Kids! Do not try this at home!) Red Roberts was a comic book character, an innocent man sent to his doom by being framed. Good thing they didn’t use hanging as a method of execution in whatever state poor Red got sent to prison.

Red, or Electro Man if you prefer, only made three appearances, in the three issues of Rocket Comics, a very early publication of Hillman Publishing. Hillman later found success with Airboy and a small group of titles. This origin story is from Rocket Comics #1 (1940). The writer and artist are unknown. It means they got away with the crime of producing yet another improbable and impossible origin story for a comic book character, and have safely avoided the execution of public opinion (or at least those of us who read old comic books), by remaining anonymous.