I am disappointed! This episode of The Masked Marvel, from Detective Eye #1 (1940), is missing those three assistants, and some of the other tools of his trade. But it sure appears he must have some form of mind power to fly his plane without controls, because all he has is a stick between his legs that he manipulates with his palm. (Uhhhh, that sounds funny.) What I should say is a word of advice to artists: If asked to draw an airplane’s cockpit, look at a photo of a cockpit. Don’t try to fake it.
Credit for the non-reference-using art is given by Grand Comics Database to Robin King.
For more Masked Marvel and more of what history there is on the character, just click the thumbnail:
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In 1940, gold was valued at $35 per troy ounce; so $5 billion would amount to 4,898 tons avoirdupois. The logistics are, unsurprisingly, absurd.
(But the amount of gold presently reported to be in Fort Knox is 5,051 tons.)
We've discussed various sorts of fantasies to which superhero stories catered. It seems that, in this case, the fantasy was largely that of inspiring awe and respect. The Masked Marvel is granted not only unquestioned admittance to a military facility, but is saluted. Men take notice of him. He's permitted to conduct an independent investigation, and regards it as unnecessary to share his conclusions.
Given that the perpetrators were not identified (even as the Aggressor Nation), the matter of identifying the origin of the gas seems rather superfluous. In 1940, almost any party would have liked the use of $5 billion, albeit that there were not 50 billion comic books in the world to buy.
Another one with no suspense -- he's never in any danger. Even the one time -- being shot at -- he brushes off!
There's definitely some fun gadgets here if you are reading this as a kid. And I like that they actually ended with our heroes drawing (when did he do that?) of the mole machine. That said, a ship where you can turn the guns towards the bridge? Now there's a bad design decision!
Also: Sure, he didn't know how to draw a cockpit, but he also didn't know how to draw a plane that could possibly have a stand-up lab in it!
The pages have a nice abstract quality with the simple bold shapes and coloring.
Daniel, I am sure that no one else I know can recite the tonnage of gold in Ft Knox.
So maybe you can answer a question I have: how much gold, at its current value, would a president of the United States have to take out of the vault in order to pay for, oh, say, a big military parade in his honor, knowing that at least as current calculations go, the parade would cost $92 million?
Uncle Ernie, I like that you found something about the story you like! In looking at it again I notice the colorist used a lot of red, and perhaps in conjunction with the artist, made the pages balance with placement of red.
Brian, har! Good eye! Putting guns on a battleship that can be turned around would be as counterintuitive as owning a shotgun where someone could switch the barrel around to shoot the trigger man. (Besides being impossible, that is.)
It would take about 77,600 troy ounces — more than a quarter of a ton — to cover the cost of that parade — assuming that the price did not change meaningfully in response to the sale itself (which sale might trigger expectations that there would be further such liquidations).
The President might imagine making Mexico pay for the parade, but only about 4,000 troy ounces of the Mexican state gold reserves are located within the territory of the United States. (Nearly 95% of the reserves of the Mexican state are in the UK.)
In any event, I'd say that the pecuniary cost of the parade would be exceeded by its non-pecuniary costs. We surely don't need that ████.
Daniel, I had faith that if anyone could answer my question it would be you. Thank you.
I hope the talk of a parade has passed. Things move quickly in our White House, and they can make the head spin trying to keep up.
I visualized the type of parade that was requested and it reminded me of old newsreels and television news film of Politburo members standing on a platform in Red Square with marching troops, tanks and ballistic missiles on trailers passing in review. I have no problem with Veterans Day parades or observances of those who have fought the battles. But I draw the line at what I see as dick-measuring, if you'll excuse the expression.
I fear any notion of national purpose, but I especially fear to see a larger share of our nation imagine military power itself to be a part of that purpose.
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