DC Villains

Highwayman: 1948, All-American Western #104 (All-American Publishing/DC). In the Old West, a mysterious costumed mask man is robbing stage coaches and payrolls. He even manages to outfight Lt. Dan Foley of the Fighting 5th who had been sent to investigate. Eventually Foley and his Indian guide and friend Wingfoot manage to capture the masked man and he stands revealed as transplanted Englishman and rancher Reginald Torbin who was emulating his ancestor Dick Torbin, the famous highwayman. His downfall was in part to carrying the emulation too far in wearing an identical costume as the one of Dick’s in a portrait hanging in his home that Foley had seen while meeting with the rancher.

Tigress: 1938, Action Comics #1 (DC). Sexy and dangerous master criminal and foe of the magician Zatara. Even in this adventure, they already had met at least once before. While she had a penchant for tight striped tops, she didn't wear a costume as such, a red headband, black & yellow top and blue skirt. She isn't above manhandling the hero, and is the leader of a gang of crooks. Fred Guardineer's bold line art helps to make her really stand out.

Timely Villains

Captain Suicide: 1945, All-Select Comics #6. Japanese commander, he broadcasts a threat to the Allies of defeat by invisible robot bombs. While he gives a good fight, he¹s ultimately defeated by the Destroyer. It¹s revealed there are no bombs but mines detonated by remote control from flying zeppelin. He's apparently killed when the air-ship goes down in flames.

Cat's Paw: 1939, Marvel Mystery Comics# 11. Darci points us to this villainess. She is a master villain and crime boss, wearing a black cat costume complete with tail, leaving only the lower half of her face visible. She also carries a whip, called the Cat's Paw. Over the course of 9 issues, she spars with the Angel, but saves his life earlier in the storyline. When he returns the favor in the final act, she agrees to surrender if he allows her to go in another room to change. He consents and when he hears a commotion and rushes into the room, all he finds is her burning costume and an open window to a five hundred foot drop into the swamps and quicksand (what kind of place was this anyways?). NOTE: Of interesting note, just today by having to go through all my pages and a posting on a message board about this particular character, I realized this entry is pretty much identical to an entry on the MLJ Encyclopedia of the Cat's Claw, a Bob Phantom foe, information provided by Mr. Durrant, although readers that have read both assure me there's also quite a bit of difference.

Ghosts: 1941, Daring Mystery Comics #7. On her way way to a masquerade ball Betty Barstow investigates the reports of ghosts at Woodline Cemetery that her boss private investigator Dan Hurley dismisses as drunken tales by the caretaker. With her knowledge of Jui-jitsu, she easily takes out the counterfeiters using it as a base of operations. The police get a laugh out of them being taken out by a woman dressed as a "Silver Scorpion" and the papers get quite a few headlines. Betty on the other hand decides to continue moonlighting as the crimefighter. NOTE: The Silver Scorpion's costume is almost all yellow, with what may be silver boots, bracelets and a silver scorpion emblazoned on her red cape.

Iron Duke: 1940, Mystic Comics #3. Despite the colorful name, Iron Duke is a run of the mill gangster who goes around setting fires for people wanting to collect on insurance or refusing to pay protection monies. Stopped by Joshua and Joel and Flexo.

Dr. Leech: 1942, USA Comics #4. Dr. Gustave Leech is billed as the Nazi scientist of "sudden death". Bald-headed and with a monocle, he heads a Nazi spy ring in the South American country Arbolivia as well as commanding a submarine. With which, he destroys cargo ships carrying food and such to the country, hoping to ultimately sway the country to the Fatherland's side. He's apparently killed when his submarine is destroyed by Captain Terror.

Lens, the Unknown: All-Winners #2. This Nazi agent first tussled with the Whizzer when he was arranging for wholesale slaughter of women through jewelry with poisoned gems. With a dark hat, coat and glasses, his identity remained a secret and he managed to evade capture by shedding that identity while the Whizzer rounded up the rest of his men.

Prince Shinto: Anthony Durrant writes us: Prince Shinto was a heavily scarred Japanese nobleman who sent a group of young boys to perform acts of sabotage on an unnamed Pacific island; these boys would sneak in and out of the U. S. Navy installation there without anyone knowing who had done the sabotage - at least until one of the boys was killed while stealing a jeep. The Young Allies (including Bucky and Toro) were called in and they allowed a group of young native boys to pose as them and allow themselves to be captured by Prince Shinto. In the process of trying to free the native boys, the Young Allies destroyed Prince Shinto's base and the Prince as well.

The Vampire: 1940, Daring Mystery Comics #2. Arch-enemy of Mr. E. While only the one adventure is published, it's evident in the story that he and Mr. E had numerous clashes previously. The black hooded and robed Vampire does not display any supernatural abilities, but seems more of a mad scientist and criminal mastermind type.

Zarpo: 1941, Captain America Comics #9. This inventor went mad after being mocked and continual refusals from the government to buy his invention of a special small time bomb, one that explodes 5 minutes after being near a human being. He starts going after various men that were refused it, killing them with his 'bomb of doom." He's apparently slain by one of his own bombs during a fight with the crime fighter Father Time.

Unknown Sources

The Hawk: Anthony Durrant tells us: The Hawk was a slender villain who dressed up as a hawk and carried a trained hawk that he would use to bring down various circus acrobats, which he kept concealed under his cape. Unfortunately for him, his last target was the circus run by the Announcer, and in the process of trying to stop a set of quadruplets from performing their trapeze act, he was killed by the lion after he ran into his cage to retrieve his pet hawk, which had flown into the lion's cage. His real name was Ravonno and he was a former circus magician which explained his ability to disappear and to switch himself for his trained hawk, making it look like he changed shape. NOTE: Sadly Mr. Durrant didn't provide me with any publishing info, so not sure where the proper place is for this entry.

Pretty Face: Anthony Durrant tells us: Pretty Face was a ruthless killer who left his trademark - a card with a picture of a heart pierced with an arrow on it - at the scenes of his murders. He mistakenly kidnapped Ethan Hunt, Special Police Operative 13, on the assumption that he was Tom, a fellow police officer and the fiance of a girl named Rosie. His plan was to burn down his hideout with both Tom and Rosie in it, killing them both. Unfortunately for him, Rosie dashed water in his face, and Hunt pulled off Pretty Face's handsome face to reveal his real one - Pretty face's real face was hairless, with big wild eyes and frizzy hair, the result of a warehouse fire. Just as Pretty Face was about to shoot Hunt, Tom burst in and shot him.