Mystery Men & Women:

The D's

  D-13: 1939, Mystery Man Comics #1 (Fox). Richard Anthony is D-13, a secret agent who travels the world solving problems with his partner Robert Simms.
  Dagar: 1947, All-Great Comics #13 (Fox). Dagar, the Desert Hawk and his lady Ayesha fight injustice in the desert. Dagar dressed in typical Bedouin robes, and operated as sort of a white sheik. Strangely, Dagar immediately graduated to his own title where the numbering started with #14, but there is also an All-Great Comics #14 where Dagar doesn't feature. The covers often featured beautiful good-girl art by Jack Kaman.
  Captain Dale of the RCMP: 1939, Amazing Mystery Funnies v2n3 (Centaur). In his one appearance Dale tracks a trapper who is poisoning animals. He is helped by native tracker Charlie Bigmoose.
  Jack Dale: 1941, Air Fighters Comics #1 (Hillman). Dale is a cadet at the Army Air Force Academy who encounters Germans while on a training run. Only appearance.
  Johnny Dale: 1948, Exciting Comics #62 (Standard). Johnny is an undercover agent for the FBI, reporting directly to Hoover. He does his job out of love for his country and not expectation of glory or fame.
  Lucky Dale: 1947, The Saint #1 (Avon). Lucky is a pretty blonde female policewoman and a capable detective and quick-thinking heroine.
  G-Man Dalton: 1940, Startling Comics #1 (Better). Dalton is an agent of the US Government and reports to Mr. Kane. 
  Scott Dalton: 1945, Witty Comics #1 (Irwin H. Rubin). Professor Gaylord has in his possession a tiny machine that is the key to the door of the future. Scott Dalton's job is to protect it. They find that an evil genius named Rogro has stolen the plans and travelled to the year 4000 and the planet Mercury. The Professor, his daughter Jane and Scott pursue him.
  Dudley Dance: 1940, Keen Detective Funnies #18 (Centaur). Dance is referred to as "the greatest crime chaser of all time" and seems to be some sort of consulting detective. He's vacationing in the same vicinity as an exclusive resort in the mountains on Lake Laureen. When a bizarre attack and murder occurs and the members call the police, it attracts his attention as well and he agrees to help the police. Accompanying him is his Watson by the name of Brooks. Brooks' English is a little rough hewn and he calls Dance "Sergeant". Whether this is an official police title or as in the case of some pulp characters, a title he earned in military service and Brooks served under him is not made clear. They are vacationing after the events of an unpublished adventure with the "Grotto Gang". Dance carries a service automatic. Dance is shown not being a know-it-all, but one who does in depth research of subjects related to active cases. Interestingly, when he's attacked,  the skin of his cheek is described as having "leather hardness" which resists certain mauling if not death by his fanged and clawed foe. Dance is also conversant in sign language.
  Johnny Danger: 1946, Movie Comics #1 (Fiction). Johnny is a detective of Superba Studios' Private Police. He's a bit hard-boiled and not fazed by the glamour of the Hollywood life.
  Danjoe: 1945, Lucky “7” Comics #1 (Howard Publications). “Danjoe” is an underhanded fighter but rated a champion and fighting against the “Masked Ace”. What people don't realize is that “Danjoe” is really his cousin who looked enough like him that he bumped him off and took his place. And, what that guy doesn't know is that the Masked Ace is the real Danjoe! He defeats him and gets engaged to his Midville school sweet heart Jen Gale.
Shane Dare: 1940, Fantoman #3 (Centaur). Shane is a traveler and soldier of forture. At his cottage by the sea, he saves Doris, a woman who had been thrown in to drown by the "Golden Gang", as they are after her father's invention, a ray gun that fires destroying rays. Shane is a crack shot, able to quickly aim, shoot and knock a gun out of a guy's hands just as his finger tightens on the trigger. He is strong and able to easily fight a gang of men.

Daredevil: 1940, Silver Streak #6 (Lev Gleason). Daredevil is a hard character to pin down, due to various reasons. Chief among them, to do the character justice, you have to not start with his first appearance (which we'll later show to be incongruous to the character he's remembered being) but several issues earlier and a different strip.

It was in the first issue of SILVER STREAK that readers met not Daredevil nor even the hero Silver Streak but the villain the Claw. The Claw started off mundane enough, a despotic ruler with a piracy ring. Visually he was obviously the product of the genius of Jack Cole, absurd to the point of parody, huge with fangs and claws, the epitome of the racist tones of the yellow peril menace. As this isn't about the Claw, we won't go too much into him except for the one flaw in the character was he didn't have a hero to oppose him.

The Jack Binder studio contributed to issue 6 a story about a hero named Daredevil in a bi-lateral costume consisting of the colors blue and yellow!! Daredevil started off as Bart Hill who was orphaned when crooks killed his father and then they tortured him, leaving him with a boomerang scar on his chest. The trauma also renders Bart mute but he silently vows that he will avenge them. He trains himself in top shape and masters the boomerang. While he doesn't speak, we do get to see his thoughts.

In the following issue, Daredevil's costume was the familiar blue & red and the addition of the spiked belt and Jack Cole regaled us with the adventure that pitted Daredevil against the Claw and they clashed over the course of 5 issues. And it apparently cured him of his muteness. When the Claw teamed up with Hitler, Daredevil and the heroes Silver Streak, Dickie Dean, Cloud Curtis, Lance Hale, and the Pirate Prince stood against them, mostly individually teaming up with Daredevil. While this wouldn't be the end of either villain, Daredevil moved on to other adversaries leaving them to be opposed by other heroes.

While early in his career, he was associated with Tonia Saunders, in issue #13, 1942, he would meet The Little Wise Guys. Two adventures later, one of them, Meatball, would be killed and you'd think that would be a good indicator of the wisdom of kids teaming up with mystery men. But, the gang consisting of Pee Wee, Jock, Scarecrow and Curly would hang out with him for years.

In 1943, we'd also find out a new origin behind Daredevil, finding out his skills and costume came from being raised by Australian Aborigines!

In another story in 1942, Bart Hill relates to a gang of kids and a bully a story that has its beginnings when Bart was a junior in High School! Don't know how much of that story is true and compatible with his later origin (as he wasn't mute and fairly well adjusted, it is clearly not compatible with his first origin). However, this story relates how Daredevil met Tonia Saunders. Several years later after he had become Daredevil, a crook knocks her out and kidnaps her to use as a hostage while he effects his escape along train tracks. The crook gets his foot caught in the tracks and Daredevil only has time to rescue one of them before an oncoming train runs them down. Upon rescuing her, he is smitten by her beauty.

Eventually, Daredevil took a backseat to the kids, sometimes hardly appearing in costume. Later, he'd just introduce their stories and then faded from the scene completely. Maybe, he finally decided to settle down and marry Tonia. By the time the comic bearing his name ended in 1956, he'd not been spotted since a couple of times in 1951. NOTE: Daredevil was a memorable character though, partly through the work of Jack Cole and others in his battles with the Claw, as well as the solid writing and sometimes art by Charles Biro during the Little Wise Guys years. And then there was his costume. He was never long forgotten. The design of his costume would be adapted by Peter Morisi for Peter Canon: Thunderbolt at Charlton (while borrowing the origin of Amazing Man). Variations of him would appear under other names, Double Dare in Roy Thomas' Alter Ego, and when Fem Force needed help against the Black Shroud, he'd show up as Red Devil and more recently as Death Defyin' Devil for Dynamite and under his own name as a guest-star in Erik Larsen's Savage Dragon.. His record clashes with the Claw would be reprinted several times.

  Lance Darrow: 1937, Funny Picture Stories #7? (Comics Magazine Company/Centaur). Darrow is Foreign Agent #1, chief of US agents in the Spanish War stationed in Madrid.
  Dart: 1940, Weird Comics #5 (Fox Features). 2200 years ago Caius Martius was a superhero in Ancient Rome with the ability to "dart" through the air, ie flying taking on ancient equivalents of racketeers. Unfortunately, one day he took on the sorceror Marius and is dissolved into a block of stone where he sleeps the centuries away. When he emerges he finds crime is rampant in modern day as in ancient Rome, witnessing the deaths of the parents of young Ace Barlow. He adopts the young boy and trains him how to fight as they did in ancient times as well as the secrets to "darting".
Dash Dartwell: 1941, Amazing Man #21 (Centaur).There are two slightly different versions of his origin story. In Amazing Man #21 (March 21), he's part of the second string of the track team, but has an interest in bio-chemistry, the works of Dr. Drew who is dean of bio-chemistry and Drew's daughter Lois. Drew has developed a pill called Metabo Accelerator. In Arrow #3 (October, 1941), he's a scrub, the daughter is now Bettie and the pill is called a Metabo Catalyst and it's here where Dash is given his first initial and middle name. Otherwise, he's D. Ashford "Dash Dartwell" is an athlete (a member of the "scrub" track team) and senior at Dravarh University (read Harvard, their main competition is Elay aka Yale). Dr. Moss, develops Metabo pills, a formula that "speeds up all the life's processes" ie makes him faster, speeds up his senses and reflexes, and healing. Eventually, he also begins to use his speed to bring criminals to justice. The speed powers don't seem to last very long so he's dependent upon the pills for when he wants to use his powers and has to be careful as to when the powers run out. Also called the Human Meteor.
  Dash Darwin: 1944/45?, Lucky 7 Comics #1 (Howard). One of many typical space heroes. He sports a pencil thin mustache and has girlfriend Letty. A little unique, he is willing to consult an ancient sage known as Wizo when stumped on a case.
  Danny Dash: 1940, War Comics #1 (Dell).  “Handsome American globe trotting newspaper correspondent.” He's on his way to London with pal cameraman Shamrock “Mac” McGlynn when it is bombed and their car is wrecked in the countryside. Taking refuge in a deserted castle, they come across an advance subterranean race, “the gray hordes from the center of the earth.” Mac is wounded by them. In the second issue, Danny makes a big deal of a photo taken of the Gray Hordes but when developed, it's one Mac took in Paris of a man and woman in an embrace which makes Danny a laughing stock and gets him fired. While he ruminates on that mystery, a French aviator friend Georges Barnett tells him of his fiance's brother who has been missing several days which may or may not be the son of Monsieur Boumier whose son is also missing and involved is a handsome young madman, escapee of the Chateau D'Paris who has violent spells believing himself to be Charon, the ferryman of the dead and the river Seine being the river Styx. Sadly, this is where it ends, with all these mysterious loose ends and Dash planning on leaving with Barnett for Paris once Mac is ok.
  Dick Dash: 1944, Key Comics #1 (Consolidated). An American boy studying in France, he is stranded when the Nazis invade. He spends two issues trying to meet up with his parents and from there goes to a private boarding school where he confronts local toughs and then to the Orient where his parents disappeared..
  Don Davis: 1940, Startling Comics #2 (Better). Lt. Don Davis is with Military Intelligence.
  Crash Davis: 1941, Air Fighters Comics #1 (Hillman). Davis is an ace pilot for the Navy. This is his only appearance.
Deep Sea Dawson: 1944, Captain Flight Comics #5 (Four Star Publications). Deep Sea Dawson fights under-sea menaces. In later issues, he wears a more traditional though still advanced diving suit and pals with his very intelligent pet seal Battler. Note: Ole Deep Sea is a re-editing of Fiction House's Kinks Mason in Fight Comics.
  Tim Dawson: 1944, Wonder Comics #1 (Better). Tim Dawson operates in the Indies as a soldier of fortune. His adventures were printed out of order. The first part of his adventure is in the second issue while the second part is in the first! Girlfriend is Gladys Sheldon.
  Smash Dawson: 1940, Whirlwind Comics #1 (Nita). One of those two-fisted foreign correspondents. He is frequently opposing a Chinese by the name of Lee Ching aka the Magic Mandarin. His friend is New York Policeman Sgt. O'Flaherty and his girl is Susan Prescott.
Stoney Dawson
Stoney Dawson: 1939, Keen Detective Funnies v2 #2 (Centaur). This detective opposed the Master and his Hooded Cult in his one outing that I can find. What division of Law Enforcement he's with is unclear though he is recognized by local authorities. One of his pals is the gung-ho Red who is also a pilot and likewise has ambiguous connections to the Law. Red is more capable than most side-kicks as he rescues Stoney from the Master's clutches.
  Tex Dawson: see "Tex Maxon".
  Inspector Dayton: 1938, Jumbo Comics #1 (Fiction House). Dayton is a detective for the police. In later years, he has a slightly humorous assistant in a criminologist known as the Creep. The Creep is slight, short, mild mannered, and talked in an educated, stilted manner. While it's unknown how he got the name, the Creep is an all-around nice guy and genuinely helps Inspector Dayton in his investigations.
Deacon: 1941, Catman Comics #1 (Holyoke). The Deacon is a reformed crook and wears a deacon's uniform and headquarters in the abandoned Marshland Church outside of Midland City (later Central City, possibly the two were close together) in his war on crime. Putting his old life behind him as a safe-cracker (where his nickname was the Deacon), he is recognized by all as the Deacon and no mention of another identity or his real name. Although, there is one case where some of his former partners in crime do track him down and try to force him back into his old life. His sidekick is Mickey, a youth whose life he saves. Mickey is notable in that he teamed up with Kitten and some other youths to become the Little Leaders, a force for good.
  Dave Dean: 1937. Funny Pages v2#1/12 (Comics Magazine Co/Centaur/Chesler). Dave Dean is a sailor, deep sea diver and adventurer, captaining the schooner Happy Go Lucky and having adventures and meeting beautiful women from the South Seas to the waters off Alaska. His right-hand man is the big burly man called "Shorty". Note: He appeared in several issues, both as a strip and in text stories. The by-line on them is by notable pulp author Norman Daniels and features early artwork by Fred Guardineer. The “Devil of the Deep” story is tweaked and appears in Timely's Mystic Comics #1.
  Dickie Dean: 1940, Silver Streak Comics #3 (Lev Gleason). Dickie is a boy inventor and adventure
  Terry Dean 1937, The Comics #4 (Dell). Terry Dean is known as the Shooting Sheriff.  However, he decides to quit and hang up his guns as there wasn't enough trouble and then promptly trouble finds him, with people thinking he's turned outlaw. He is helped by horse wrangler Tommy Cole.
  Diana Deane:1940, Funny Pages #34/v4 #1 (Centaur). Hollywood Actress. An odd strip as it's really a meta-fictional strip within a strip. The conceit is that the story in each issue is an adaptation of one or part of one of Diana's movies. However, there's no reference to Diana as a person outside of the movie adaptation other than the title of the strip and the opening credit panel listing the title of the movie as well as fictitious director and producer. A bit ahead of its time in concept. The strip is notable for also being produced by Tarpe Mills, one of the first major female comic creators. Diana Deane's movies include "White Goddess", directed by Lee Barton and produced by Allan Dorne.
  Dan Dearborn: 1940, Silver Streak Comics #8 (Lev Gleason). A captain in the Revolutionary Army.
  The Defender: 1940, Rocket Comics #2 (Hillman). While a child, Robert Larson's face is horribly disfigured when criminals bomb a grocery. He grows up, vowing to war on crime. He disguises his disfigurement with a special plastic mask that he easily mold the features making him a man of a thousand faces. He's a master scientist, detective and talented hypnotist. He's helped by Lucky, a strong 6-footer, and J. Samuel Drew, his right-hand man and noted scientist. If he reminds you at all of the pulps' Avenger, it's no coincidence. His first appearance and story is a retelling of the Avenger adventure "The Sky Walker". Done by Jack Cole.
  The Defenders: ~1941, The Eagle (Fox). Their full name is The American Eagle Defenders, and are a group of young boys, sometimes dressed in "Scout" uniforms similar to Buddy's. They help out the Eagle and Buddy/Young Eagle on occasion.  Ostensibly, this is the club that readers can join in the pages of the magazine, so the members in the comic are not really delineated or set apart to any great detail.
  The Defense Patrol/Defense Kids: 1941, Rangers of Freedom #1(Fiction). The Defense Patrol is a kid gang that apparently does intelligence work, reporting to Captain Thomason. The gang is rather large, made up of Pedro, Tony, Socker, Nick; Spike, Tom, Fatso, Izzy. Socker is the African American kid of the group though not as notoriously racist as other similar characters.
  Detective John Degen: 1940, Amazing Mystery Funnies #18 (Centaur). This was a New York police detective in the 1940's. He was brought in to investigate and capture the Doctor Killer.
  Dirk Delancey: 1941, Samson Comics #6 (Fox). Dirk is convicted for killing Buck Zee, would be rival for the affections of Dirk's fiance Honey Drexel. The reality is that Buck was so drunk that when Dirk took his cane after being threatened with it, he fell back and hit his head on the stairs and died. Dirk escapes from prison but sacrifices his chance for freedom in order to defeat some Nazis. For his sacrifice, FDR gives him a full pardon. Dirk continues as an agent for the government helped by Honey Drexel and friend Gigget.
  Delecta: 1946, Don Fortune Magazine #1 (Don Fortune). Queen Delecta of the planet Kala fights evil on her planet along with an Earthman adventurer.
  Inspector Dan Dennis: 1939, Keen Detective Funnies v2#6? (Centaur). Dan Dennis and partner Inspector Joe Tickner are FBI agents. In addition to being a good detective, he has also mastered the talent of ventriloquism. He had a notable foe in the Fiend. Described as "tall, muscular, and athletic" (1940, Keen Detective Funnies #18)
Dean Denton: 1939, Keen Detective Funnies #6 (Centaur). America and radio's best known ventriloquist has given up his career to devote his brilliant deductive mind and scientific talents to criminology. His mos frequent enemy is the ancient and insane Conqueror. He's aided by his valet African American stereotype Absalom and his pretty assistant Carol Kane. Absalom knows some parlor tricks, and uses this to confront the Conqueror at one point, to prove to natives that his magic is stronger than the villain's. He's made Chief of the natives after the ousting of the Conqueror but forsakes his throne to continue adventuring with Dean and Carol.
 

Detecto: 1940, Wham Comics #1 (Centaur). From the comic: "To describe 'Detecto' the Wonder Beam would be impossible beyond the fact that it consists of four unlimited powers. 1. it can receive and send short wave radio calls. 2. It can stop any motor. 3. It can set up a resistance beam through which bullets cannot penetrate. 4. It paralyzes all living things it touches. The discoverer of this marvelous beam is Jack Strand, young scientist who specializes in radio." There was also a Jack Strand that had a magic gem and opposed Psyk in Amazing Mystery Funnies but the characters otherwise don't really appear to be the same, just the company/creator re-using the name.

  Dick Devens: 1944, Mystery Comics #1 (Better). Dick Devens is an American flying ace, but he finds himself transported to the world of the 30th Century! With the aid of Earth girl Mira, he becomes a hero of the city of Futuria in opposing renegade Earthling Karlak who has thrown in with tentacled Venusians.
  Devil Dogs: See "Commandos of the Devil dogs".
  Devil Dogs Three: 1941, Great Comics #1 (Great Comics Publications/Dell). This special 3 man airborne crew of the Marines are the leader Tex Burton, mustached Windy Wyeth, and Pete Perkins. The three report to Col. Harris for their special missions. They fly a special dual prop bomber called the "sky rocket fighter".
  Hooks Devlin: ~1941, Fight Comics #20 (Fiction House). Armitage X Devlin is a two-fisted p.i. with a knack for trouble and disguises. Leastways until he joins the Navy. Or is it the Marines? In one strip it says both! Also bills him as a "special agent". Either way, he's a good man to have in a fight.
  Rex Dexter: 1939, Mystery Men #1 (Fox Features). In 1939 at the World's Fair, a rocketship is sent to Mars manned by Montague Dexter and his wife. Shortly later all contact with them is lost. Rex is the first human to be born on Mars, possessing the ability to live on both planets and in the year 2000 he fights evil on whatever planet it comes from. Other issues say he's the grandson of the couple from 1939. He has all sorts of sci-fi adventures along with his girlfriend Cynde (Cindy). Strip created by Dick "Frankenstein" Briefer.
  Diamond Dick: 1896-1911, Diamond Dick, Jr/1940, Shadow Comics #1 (Street & Smith). At the turn of the Century, Street & Smith put out a "modern" western hero, Diamond Dick, Jr, in his own dime novel. Go forward almost a half a century, he pops up again their comic book line, presumably the same character. Whether it's still a modern Western or in his original time period, I don't know.
  Diamond Jim: 1941, Captain Fearless #1 (Holyoke). Diamond Jim is an adventurer that for years has found excitement in the Kimberly diamond region of South Africa. He undertakes tough jobs for the various diamond companies.
Diana the Huntress: 1944, Yellowjacket Comics #1 (Frank Communale). Zeus sends the goddess Diana to Greece to aide the land fight off the Nazis.
  Dinky Dibbs: 1945, Red Circle Comics #1 (Enwil/Rural). Dibbs is a boy detective who solves crimes along with his pet parrot Crackers.
  Dash Dillon: 1941, Daredevil Comics #2 (Lev Gleason). Dash is student at Hale University and all-around star athlete. The series ends with him joining the Army Air Corps.
  Yank Dillon: 1942, War Stories #6 (Dell). John Dillon is the son of a New England farmer and when the War breaks out, he enlists and is sent to boot camp in the Deep South where he picks up the nick name “Yankee”. After training he's assigned to the American Expeditionary Force in Australia. His best friend is a young Tennesee mountaineer Andy Dixon whom Yankee calls Rebel. While in Australia, Yank manages to earn the friendship and loyalty of an intelligent adult kangaroo he calls Hoppy whom he rescued from its abusive owner.
  Dirk the Demon: 1938, Amazing Mystery Funnies #1 (Centaur). "Dirk the Demon, 24th century Archaeologist," is the son of Baron Cay and lives in the Baron's castle. Dirk is also a promising young archaeologist and loves going out on digs against his father's wishes. Dirk has no superpowers but is a good archeaologist. NOTE: Another source says his first issue was 1940, Amazing Adventure Funnies.
  Disco, the boy detective: 1940, Hyper Mystery Comics #1 (Hyper Publications). Disco is the son of Dr. Berne, a talented chemist working on a formula for the government. Disco, with the aid of his white dog Nick (short for Nicodemus) helps protect the formula and solves murders.
  Dan Dix: 1939, Keen Detective Funnies v2#6? (Centaur). Dan is a ship detective.
  Dash Dixon, Man of Might: 1940, Miracle Comics #1 (Hillman). Dash Dixon is a former star college athlete and is with the police force when he is "fired" in order to undertake a dangerous job protecting the inventor who had been receiving death threats. When a knifeman shows up to carry out the threat, Dixon kills him. Impressed with his intelligence and bravery, Doctor Lorenz reveals that he's discovered the secret to perpetual life that has worked on animals and needs a human test subject. Dash volunteers and almost perishes during the treatment. Once treated to keep the "perpetual life rays" in his body, he must wear a special uniform of pliable metal (basically a green military styled suit with yellow pockets, collar, belt, and capulets and a black metal skull-cap). Dixon returns to the police commissioner a superman, ie super-strength, able to do great leaps ala Superman and is bulletproof (not sure whether that's a side-effect of the perpetual life treatment or from the metal suit).
  Don Dixon: 1935. Don and Wanda find a hidden empire and help them against their enemies. Don Dixon and the Hidden Empire was a comic strip by Carl Pfeufer and Bob Moore in the mold of Flash Gordon, with lavish illustration. It was reprinted by several different publishers such as Dell and Centaur.
  Tracy Dixon: 1940, Sky Blazers #2 (Hawley). Tracy is another freelance heroic pilot. He's hired to explore the possibilities of a safer route over South American jungles which only gets him involved in troubles there
dr. darkness
Dr. Darkness: 1940, Keen Detective Funnies #24 (Centaur). Dr. Nathan Cambridge is physician by day and moonlights as a crimefighter at night. He uses his brilliant detective mind combined with his medical knowledge to solve crimes. The text story I read claims that Dr. Cambridge is also an alias.
Dr. Diamond: 1941, Catman Comics #1 (Holyoke). Thousands of years ago a black diamond is discovered in Egypt that grants the owner vast power and the Egyptian uses it for good until it is stolen from him and was used for evil purposes until it disappeared. It's found by a Tibetan monk who retreats to a mountain top on a remote island until he found someone that would wield it for good once more. Enter Dr. Drake Gorden, swept overboard a passing ship during a storm and marooned on the island. The diamond gives him the "strength of fifty men" and presumably some invulnerability but not much else.
  Dr. Doom: 1937, The Comics (Dell). Dr. Doom is head of an espionage group. He has a vandyke beard and a son who is kidnapped by the villainous Falcon. He has at least two agents, Igor and Mark Cameron.
  Doctor Doom (III): 1945, Young King Cole #2 (Novelty). Doctor Doom is the head of the “Crime Detection School of City University”, teaching and applying knowledge and methods of catching the most diabolical criminals and killers. Jerry and Buzz are two of his students. NOTE: See the Villains for Doctor Doom #2 and the Echo under the Heroes pages for another heroic albeit supporting character named Dr. Doom.
  Dr. Drew: 1949, Ranger Comics #47 (Fiction). A supernatural detective, though he looks a bit like Sherlock Holmes complete with a pipe (but a cape instead of inverness coat). While he has knowledge of supernatural lore, he's not supernatural in the way Dr. Fate is nor has a ghost destroyer like Fero.
  Dr. Whisper Drew the Zoo Man: 1946, Young King Cole v2n3 (Novelty). Dr. Drew is a veterinarian at a zoo and has the ability to speak to animals in their own languages, which comes in handy as he often finds himself in the middle of danger as he helps Detective Snoupe solve mysteries. How he came about this skill is unrevealed. He's aided by Zan a wild boy who was raised by a pack of wild dogs in Africa, the large dog Gray, and intelligent monkey Mikko.  He and Zan are made honorary members of the police department. Snoupes shows himself capable of quick thinking and good shooting.
Dr. Frost: 1940, Prize Comics #7 (Prize). Dr. Frost, longing for the arctic regions of his youth, has the power of projecting cold and forming ice and such out of the moisture in the air. He was part of a group of heroes that came together to put a stop to the Frankenstein Monster..
  Dr. Fung: 1939, Wonder Comics #1 (Fox Features). Dr. Fung is an old Chinese man solves fantastic crimes and fights evil in all its forms with his assistant Dan.
  Doctor Hormone: Popular Comics (Dell). A brilliant bio-chemist, Hormone is over 80 years old but through his science has the body of a much younger man, looking like "an older brother" to his plucky grand-daughter Jane. With his science he's able merge men with body parts of animals, make the young grow old, the old grow young, etc. He fights dictators, "Naziian" invaders, and even the Klan.
  Dr. Hypno: 1940, Amazing-Man Comics #14 (Centaur). Dr. Hypno is a Brain Specialist, Psychologist and a formal Federal Investigator. Through his experiments with animals and hypnotism, he is able to temporarily mentally transfer his mind into those of animals. The catch is that it leaves his body mindless and defenseless and if the animal should die while his mind occupies it, it would mean death for his body as well. He uses his new skills and the respect his name brings to track down criminals. He's helped out by his Chinese assistant, Wun who watches over his body when his mind is in an animal. One of his most persistant enemies was the mystery villain known as Kursk. Through hypnotism, he also showed the talent to mentally make weaker minds confess their crimes.
Dr. Justice: 1945, Red Seal Comics #19 (Dynamic Publications/Chesler). The good doctor apparently made only this one house call.
Dr. Mercy: 1944, Red Band Comics #3 (Enwil); 1945, Zoom Comics #1 (Carlton Publishing Corp). Another heroic doctor. Dr. Mercy and quippy ambulance driver Stompy Lion not only try to help the suffering, they also have a tendancy to get into adventures. NOTE: The bio comes from the story in Red Band Comics. The story in Zoom (the publisher's name is not a typo, on my part at least) could be a reprint, a new story or a completely different hero.
dr. miracle
Doctor Miracle: 1940, Champion Comics #9. (Harvey). Dr. Miracle is another of the magician type heroes. He wears a suit but no top hat, turban or fez. His unique accessory is a monocle and his strong and faithful servant is named Akim. He has various magical spells at his disposal. It is revealed at least in issue #25 that his powers come from a locket that he keeps and without it, he's powerless, though still willing to roll up his sleeves and use his fists if necessary.
Doctor Mystic: 1936, The Comics Magazine #1 (Centaur). Dr. Mystic is an occult detective with some connection to "the Nine". With the assistance of his friend and sorcerer Zator he takes on mystical threats, most notably the villainous sorcerer Koth. He's a two fisted type of mystic detective but knows some spells such as being able to grow to giant size and travelling through a limbo. NOTE: Siegel and Shuster re-packaged their Dr. Occult for another publisher and 2 pages of an ongoing serial is all that appeared of this version of the character.
Doctor Nemesis: 1942, Lightning Comics #6 (Ace). Interne Jim Bradley perfects a truth serum that sends a person into a temporary coma and the subconscious mind forces him to tell the truth to any question. Keeping his discovery a secret, Dr. Bradly uses it to solve mysteries and fight crime as the masked Doctor Nemesis.
Doc Strange: 1940, Thrilling Comics #1 (Better Publications). Scientific adventurer Dr. Hugo Strange uses a formula he developed called Alosun which he makes by distilling the atoms of the sun to give himself the generic superpowers: vast strength, limited invulnerability and eventually flight (originally just able to perform incredilbe leaps). He is assisted by the youth Mike who has no powers.
  Dr. Styx: 1945, Treasure Comics #2 (Prize). Dr. Styx is an occult detective with real magical powers. He can turn his body into wisps of smoke or mist to spy and get in unobserved and work magic as well as other ancient knowledge. In his first case, facing against spirits who steal the living's warmth, he and the spirits agree they can get no warmth from him, implying he's possibly a spirit too. However, he does things like a normal person read a newspaper and is a public enough figure to able to be contacted by those that desire him to investigate hauntings and such. He uses his abilities to fight various occult and Lovecraftian horrors such as those released by whoever would use the power of the Necronicon.
  Dr. Synthe: 1941, Stars And Stripes #3 (Centaur). Dr. Synthe is an alien form the planet Mo from a universe far from ours. He has the ability to create matter from protons and electrons. He takes human form and befriends Ray Rodgers and his fiance Bettie. He also operates as a superhero type, able to grow to fantastic sizes. A slightly humorous strip though drawn seriously.
  Doctor X: 1940, Startling Comics #1 (Better). Dr. X was a master of sciences, occult and otherwise. He conducted his experiments in his laboratory in the andes. He was assisted by his niece Cynthia, and her fiance Bob Stone.  Dr. X was the go to man for Washington when confronted by mysterious cases. He created a ray that could transport Bob and Cynthia to areas of troubles even if on other worlds.
Dash Dolan: Champ Comics (Harvey). Soldier of fortune Dash Dolan, and American girl Nalya Randolph are aiding Doctor Ying in his fight to free a province of China from Sheng Fang, the puppet of an invading Warlord. To this end, they are trying to retrieve twelve lost jewels known as the Dragon's Teeth which can be used to raise funds.
  Red Dolan: 1937, Detective Picture Stories #5 (Centaur). One of those adventurous newspaper reporters that likes to play detective. Although, in his first story, it's Detective Reilly that actually solves the crime.
  Don Diablo: 1946, Fight Comics #45 (Fiction). Senor Cortez does the Zorro bit to rid his homeland in South America of Fascists under the leadership of Von Halar by leading a group of outlaw gauchos. Meanwhile Senorita Rio is undercover trying to also lend a hand. He is also the legitimate President's nephew. As Don Diablo, he's good at horsemanship and the use of a bolo. The cover features him in a horned devil mask but on the inside it's a standard eye mask.
  Hammer Donovan: 1936, Detective Picture Stories #4 (Comics Magazine Co.). Hamer is a police detective who was suspended from the force due to his hard-boiled ways. When a gang of killers is bumping off cops, he's called back, given no interference and told to "muss 'em up". He has a house-boy named Fen Shoo. Early hard-boiled story by Will Eisner.
  Jay Douglas: 1939, Amazing Man Comics #7 (Centaur). Paleontologists Jay Douglas and Ronald Wells discover dinosaurs living on a remote island deep in the wilds of South America. Douglas is brave and a good swimmer and fighter, thinking nothing of pitting himself against an alligator armed only with a knife or distracting an allosaurus with nothing but rocks at his disposal.
  Hubert "Knuckle" Down: 1939, Amazing Mystery Funnies V2#9 (Centaur). This baseball-player solved several sports-related crimes while playing for the Blue Sox.
  Doc Doyle: 1940, Masked Marvel #1 (Centaur). Doyle and John Claney went to college together and studied medicine. However, John continued his studies to become a surgeon, while Doyle decided to become a police detective ala "the scientific detective". He's considered a good detective and that the life of a doctor would have bored him. He and Claney get involved in a case together when gangsters come to get Claney to operate on a wounded mate.
  Dusty Doyle: 1941, Miracle Comics #1 (Hillman). Dusty is a young man that wants to be a circus acrobat. However, when the previous one is killed, no one wants to be his partner. When he rescues Elaine, a young girl that was hungry and jobless and committing suicide, she agrees to join him in his act. Disaster almost strikes them, being blinded during their act and they capture the culprit, Carstairs, a rival circus owner who had used a mirror to sabotage the act.
  Jane Drake: 1940, Crash Comics #1 (Tem Publishing). Quoting the comic: "Sheldon Drake, prominent attorney, finds that his daughter, Jane, much to his discontent, gets herself involved in cases that come through his office. Jane's secret ambition is to be a woman detective. Her chief aid and best boy friend is Jerry King, who lives next door. He isn't much interested in Jane's plans to wipe out crime. However, despite his many protests he usually gets himself involved with Jane in her many close calls."
  Lt. Drake: 1939, Mystery Men #1 (Fox Features). Lieutenant Drake works for Naval Intelligence. He has blondish hair and pencil thin mustache.
  Sgt. Drake: 1940, Silver Streak Comics #3 (Lev Gleason). Drake is a soldier and "a famous two-fisted hero of many war exploits".
  Durrand Draw: 1943, Blue Beetle #27 (Holyoke). Pipe smoking tracer of missing persons, all around good private detective. Beth Barry is his secretary and the chunky Lothario Jiggers is his assistant.
  Driftwood Davey: 1944, Blue Circle Comics #1 (Rural Home Publishing). A easy going hobo. He enjoys the freedom of the open road, though he prefers to work for his food and board as opposed to charity. He also seems to find trouble and people to help out wherever he goes. He starts out not particularly good looking and slightly over-weight, but the road must agree with him, by issue 4, he's better looking and slimmed down and now hanging out with another fella by the name of Iron Head that looks seedier than he used to.
  Dan Duffy: 1940, Thrilling Comics #8 (Standard). Dan is a superb athlete at Carson University. In addition to winning ball games, he foils crimes and enemy plots with the aid of girlfriend Marcia Lee and bespectacled bookworm pal "Blink" Gordon.
  Corporal Rusty Dugan: 1941, Captain Fearless #1 (Holyoke). A heroic member of the French Foreign Legion
  The Duke: 1939, Silver Streak Comics #1 (Lev Gleason). Ace police inspector. By the second issue, he's called Duke Kelly.
Duke of Darkness
Duke of Darkness: 1945, Top Spot Comics/K O Comics (Gerona). The Duke is Paddy Sullivan, an earth bound ghost of a policeman with some Spectre-like powers. When he presents himself to the police to help them with a case, he's thrown into the jail as an annoying crook which is where decides to stay so he can keep abreast of evil-doings.
  Dan Dunn: 1933, Detective Dan: Secret Operative No. 48. (Humor Publishing Co.,). Dan works for law enforcement in some capacity but is hard to pin down exactly what agency. His comic appearance calls him a detective and his sidekick is Detective Irwin Higgs. His boss (and pretty much every boss and department head that is come across) is referred to as "the Chief" and for the most part, he would seem to be part of the police department. However, he is referred to as "operative" and "agent" which suggests he is part of a Federal agency. Likewise, other than Higgs, he references others that work under him and calls them "agents" as well. His cases run the gamut of what would be part of a police squad's concern as well as those of the FBI or Treasury Department. Dan also hung out with an orphan girl called Babs, a girlfriend named Kay who does some undercover work and had a dog called Wolf.  He went to Harper College of Springdale. Babs seems to live with Kay who she calls, "Aunty Kay", while at least in one strip, it seems that Dan and Irwin share an apartment. NOTE: Dan is credited as being the first original comic book character. Interestingly, the company called Humor Publishing put out three such comics, all featuring detectives. Dan bears more than a passing resemblance to Dick Tracy, whom he was obviously patterned after although the art didn't veer quite into the caricature style that Gould's did, nor were his villains and supporting cast quite as outre with on-the-nose names such as "Tess Trueheart". While his comic series didn't last, Dan had a moderately successful run as a comic strip (Dan Dunn Secret Operative 48) which was reprinted in the comics, had his own radio show, a short-lived pulp and some Big Little Books. At times, the Sunday strips focused on Higgs and were played up for laughs, with Higgs being a bit of a bumbler, alternating between being cowardly or overly confident and blustery, depending on whatever was funnier. What Dan couldn't survive was the departure of his creator. Other creators were brought in to finish out the contracts and he was then replaced by another detective Kerry Drake.
  "Dynamite" Dunn: 1928?, Joe Jinks strip (United Features). "Dynamite" Dunn is a good hearted boxer along the lines of Joe Palooka, only predating that good fellow. Joe Jinks is his manager. Note: Don Markeston's Toonopedia goes into some detail on the long and varied career of Joe Jinks. To sum it up, the strip was originally Joe's Car before changing to Joe Jinks. Around the time of the change, he gave up his interest in transportation fads and took up managing boxers, with Dynamite being the first. Dynamite would prove popular enough that the daily strip was marketed as Joe Jinks and "Dynamite" Dunn. In comic book reprints such as Jim Hardy, Dynamite Dunn got solo billing. Eventually, Dynamite was replaced by a red-headed boxer called Curly Kayoe and later Joe, who started it all, was replaced by a seaman called Davy Jones.
Joseph "Grizzly" Dunn: 1939, Amazing Mystery Funnies V2#7 (Centaur). Crusty Western gunfighter of the early 1900's. His age is a little hard to pin down as some pics, his beard is white and in others it's reddish-brown.
  Durango Kid: 1949, Durango Kid #1 (Magazine Enterprises). Steve Brand got his start fighting in the Union army, where his brother was murdered by a Confederate spy. After the war, Steve and his sidekick Muley Pike catch up with the killer in Durango, Colorado, where Steve wears a black outfit and a kerchief mask to "strike fear into the heart of his brother's murderer." Surviving a shootout with the dastard, Steve decides to keep up the masked retribution bit, and the rest is history. NOTE: This is the comic debut. The Durango Kid debuted as a B-Wester movie first in 1940 where the hero's alter ego is Bill Lowry. In 1945, a rather lengthy series of movies came out with the Durango Kid, but his alter ego's name kept changing though usually with the first name of "Steve". His sidekick in most of the films is the humorous plump Smiley Burnette (whose likeness is echoed in the comics' Muley Pike). The comics as done by Fred Guardineer are very slick looking.
Dynamic Boy: 1941, Dynamic Comics #2-3 (Harry "A" Chesler). "Endowed with the ability to overcome all physical obstacles, Kent Banning, the Dynamic Boy, pits his strength and cunning on the side of law and order to battle the forces of evil." Orphan Kent Banning is dying after risking his life to save the daughter of Dr. Brown. In effort to save his life, Brown realizes his own medical knowledge is useless, but he has a fluid given to him by a dying lama that might not only save the lad but also give him vast powers. He's got strength, speed and the power of flight. And a new family as Dr. Brown adopts him. NOTE: According to the GCD, there is yet another Dynamic Boy in issue #13 that's not this one nor Dynamic Man's kid brother.

Dynamic Man: 1941, Dynamic Comics 1-3, 8-24 (Harry "A" Chesler). Dynamic Man was one of several characters with an inconsistent history. He started off as an artificial man created by scientist Dr. Moore who was killed as Dynamic Man was reaching completion. This story is remarkably similar to Timely's Dynamic Man with a change to the name of Professor Goettler to Dr. Moore (and later, Doc Stahl). Of course a reason for that is the Timely Dynamic Man was created for Timely by the Chesler studio and then refurbished when he launched his own comic book line.

In issue 11, he's Bert McQuade, a high school basketball coach and has a brother in Ricky who has the same powers and helps out as Dynamic Boy. Their powers seem to be less than before and in issue 16, it is said that they got their powers through a series of complex electronic treatments by Old Doc Stahl, now deceased. The FBI know how to contact him, but not too surprising as they don't take pains to disguise their features.

NOTE: It is not difficult to reconcile the two versions of Dynamic Man, actually. For in the origin story, Dynamic Man is not directly referred to as an artificial man. While it is definitely implied, Moore referring to his "creation" and a "life-giving switch", it is possible that Dynamic Man was always Bert McQuade who hovered near death and Moore took the opportunity to give him fantastic powers while resuscitating him, the end result of a superman for justice being his creation. Indeed, when the villain the Yellow Spot sics his enslaved on the hero, he tells them to "drain his blood."

Dynamite Thor: 1940 or 41. Weird Comics #6 (Fox). One of the more dubious characters of the golden age, Peter Thor is "Dynamite Thor," an adventurer who propels himself through the air thanks to a costume that protects him while blowing up dynamite beneath him. He wisely didn't have a kid partner that I know of.

Dynamo: 1940, Science Comics #1 (Fox). Electrician Jim Andrews is one of many heroes who discovers an invulnerability to electric charges and is able to gain temporary electrical powers by charging up. In his first adventure, he went by the name of Electro. He looked quite different and more dynamic drawn on the covers by Lou Fine. On the interior pages, his costume was often colored a bit differently from issue to issue. He could cast electrical bolts, put a magnetic field around himself and able to sense other electrical magnetic fields and possess great strength. A talented scientist, he invented a machine that could also allow him to pick up thoughts when directed towards individuals.
Dynamo Hill: 1941, Silver Streak Comics #7. Bart Hill was a timid man. So timid, he visits his best friend Dr. Frisby thinking that it might be some kind of physical condition. The doc tells him that he has only a day to live. Emboldened, he quits his crummy and questionable job., as well as stands up to Aubrey, the guy making time with Betty, the girl he loves. It turns out that the doc though had stretched the truth that he'd live only to sundown, he would live to see many. He decides to continue life with his newfound courage and sets out to investigate the questionable activities of his former employer and importer Mr. Crambell. Bart Hill and Mr. Crambell appeared in a story entitled "Dynamo Hill" in Silver Streak Comics #7 and slated to appear in the next issue, as the last frame suggests, but never did. Strangely enough, this is the same comic with the original Daredevil, whose real name is also Bart Hill