What's this page? Instead of having to go to the individual pages for new profiles and updates, this page is where all the updates will now reside. For a little while at least and then they will be moved to their respective homes. The first one will be sizeable, but afterwards, they will be shorter and more frequent.
Block Buster Barton: 1946, Black Cat #2 (Harvey). “Flash! Block Buster Barton, public nuisance number one, and his desperate mob, public nuisance number two, three, four and five — are at large! “ Block Buster and crew are criminals, a bit dim-witted and though talented at escaping prison, they are shortly incarcerated again. One of their crew, Ape, is either an ape dressed in a man's suit and they don't know different or he's just pretending to be an ape. Either way, when the rest go to jail, he goes to the SPCA! In their second appearance, they are joined by Pop, a crusty old sailor.
Captain Lash: 1938, The Comics (Dell). Captain Lash is the captain of the ship Lady May. Pedro is his right hand man and a knife-fighter and the rest of the crew save one is no better. They are after the treasure that pretty Miss Trew knows about. However, their plans have one hitch and a half: the tough bosun Bill and his kid pal Davey.
The Crime Merchant: 1944, Power Comics #3 (Narrative). Shylock Green is a ruthless, cold-hearted businessman. When his unfair cut-throat practices result in him going bankrupt, he decides to organize crime into a business and become The Crime Merchant. As such, he plans crimes including possible escape routes and offer them for sale to criminals. However, his always trying to cut corners and be as cheap as possible lead the Black Raiders to him.
Dr. Mephisto: 1944, Power Comics #3 (Narrative). Underneath a tombstone in a deserted cemetery is the lair and headquarters of Dr. Mephisto. Even though he has a gang, Dr. Mephisto takes a hands on approach and kills even if not necessary. Just to show the powerlessness of the police, he kills Police Captain Drake. When finally cornered, he and his gang get in a gun fight with the police and he's last seen jumping off a bridge, supposedly to his death.
Masked Czar: 1937, The Comics #1 (Dell). This corpulent man is the masked leader of the underworld. Likewise, all his men wear masks as well. They kidnap G-Man Jim's girlfriend Ellen Swan in an effort to get him to lay off their business. Instead it makes him all the more eager to catch the criminals.
Master of Birds: 1944, Power Comics #4 (Narrative). This crook has trained birds to steal for him. He also has trained eagles, large enough to carry a man on his back and enough for each of his men to ride. He was originally a vaudeville performer with trained birds before he turned to crime. Captured by the Black Raiders, the electric chair seemed to be his near future fate. No reference as to how he created the super large versions of some of his birds.
Professor Morgan Le Faye: 1944, Power Comics #3 (Narrative). Professor Le Faye and his gang are knocking over magic shops and such, looking for a special two-headed coin. The coin is really a medallion that belonged to the Merlin of Camelot and supposedly the source of his power. However, one of the people they steal from is the Boy Magician known as Merlin. Realizing that the crooks are looking for a coin, Merlin and pal Pancho decide to consult Professor Le Faye as he's an expert on coins. When they call on him, the recognize him as one of the crooks. When Le Faye finally gets the coin, it grants him magic powers, but it's short-lived as the coin has no effect on the Boy Magician. He theorizes that the boy must be descended from the original wizard, but he's captured and taken to jail.
Rhang: 1941, Bang-Up Comics #1 (Progressive). Middle-Eastern villain. He spent three years in prison at Senegal for Ivory poaching thanks to Jeff Barter. He escaped and started dealing in slaves with the help of some of the more merciless tribes.
05/31/13
The Green Fog/Mist: 1943, Green Hornet Comics #14 (Harvey). Weather scientist Professor Ronley creates a formula for a thick green fog or mist that can only be seen through by infra-red goggles. He intends it for American use, but murderous gangster Vic Zaza kidnaps his daughter and forces the scientist to make it for him and his gang to use in their robberies. Zaza is captured by the Green Hornet and Kato.
Juggernaut of Destruction: 1943, Green Hornet Comics #14 (Harvey). This giant crawled forth from a smoking volcano, caused vast destruction, ate Reid's gal Miss Case before returning to his volcanic lair. Following him, Green Hornet and Kato discover that the volcano is only made to appear active to mask the activity of a vast laboratory and headquarters of Nazi saboteurs. Likewise, the giant is merely a giant machine operated by agents inside it where they are holding the kidnapped Miss Case. The giant's size is described as being 6 stories tall, but the art is a little inconsistent displaying it. The name comes from the title of the story. Internally, he's only referred to unimaginatively as "the monster".
The Thinking Ape: 1943, Green Hornet Comics #14 (Harvey). Mala is "the thinking ape", an intelligent type of gorilla that seems able to understand and answer questions from her trainer Fersatz, such as "how many fingers am I holding up". During one show, she escapes and John Doyle goes into action as the Zebra. However, he sees Mala just exiting and then re-entering the building from the back. He's surprised to hear over the radio of an ape running loose, engaging in acts of sabotage and is bullet-proof to boot! As the Zebra, he tracks down this Thinking Ape and reveals it to be Mala's master in an ape costume. He is the one who set Mala loose to cover his actions, but didn't anticipate her simply returning back to her home.
05/24/13
The Avenger: 1941, Weird Comics #12 (Fox). The Avenger is the masked and robed leader of the Secret Nine. The other members are not costumed. The Secret Nine is an enemy organization in the US with international reach and stealing military secrets. When one of their agents double crosses Sandra Tarnov, another of their agents, she gets revenge by exposing him to the Tarmanian Government and signs her own death warrant. However, the Avenger's agents kidnap the wrong woman, getting Miss Tilbury who doesn't even look like the other woman. This draws her wannabe boyfriend Caius Martius Wheeler aka the Dart into the case. The Avenger falls from a bridge and is presumed dead. His real identity is unrevealed.
Faux Pirate Prince: 1941, Silver Streak #10 (Lev Gleason). "Beau" (always referred to in quotation marks so probably an alias) is a pirate longing for his home in Spain. When the Pirate Prince arrives in port, Beau has his girl Zara lure him into an ambush where he hopes to take all of the Prince's loot and force him to take him back to his country. He alters his plans when he realizes he bears an uncanny resemblance to the Pirate Prince. He shaves, cuts and dyes his hair and then takes over the Prince's ship, treating the crew with cruelty. However, the Pirate Prince escapes, disguises himself as Beau and takes Beau's ship, the "Eel", and confronts him on the seas. He reveals himself to his crew and then fights and kills Beau in a sword-fight, thus cementing his identity.
Hun: 1943, Exciting Comics #30 (Better). Hun is a bestial German working with the Dr. Plantz. Wideshouldered, slightly fanged and slightly pointed ears, he sometimes appears to be average height and other times a good head taller than others. He possesses superior strength, able to go one on one with the Black Terror and lift huge stone blocks over his head. He's presumed dead, buried under several tons of said stone blocks.
Ah Ling: 1941, Daredevil Comics #3 (Lev Gleason). Beautiful but deadly Asian crime boss, she runs a night club in Hollywood. There, she manages to extort as well as kidnap and torture those she thinks she can get money out of. Her torture room is in the cellar of her home manned by Chinamen. The editor of the local paper is in deep with her and when his reporter Hal Higgins suspects Ah Ling behind a Hollywood star's disappearance, he has the man sacked. However, it proves to be the impetus that Higgins needs to become the hero 13. She manages to escape their first encounter.
Lone Leopard: 1941, Wings Comics #12 (Fiction). German ace who wears a leopard skin aviator's cap and gloves. He challenges Grease-monkey Griffin to a duel and ends up being captured by Griffin thanks to his pluck and inordinate amount of luck.
The midget (name not given): 1944, Heroic Comics #28 (Eastern Color Pringing). In medieval Europe, an alchemist is about to succeed at making gold when he's arrested for being in the league with the devil. He argues with the captain of the guards and flings a test tube of molten gold onto his cheek. He curses the captain just before he is choked to death that the captain would forever be tortured by their lust for gold and his family would only bear midgets as descendents. Sure, enough years later, the captain has a midget for a son who is fascinated by gold coins. Thus through the years, his descendents were part of the conquistadores; robbed miners in California and the Yukon. And, in 1943 back in a small obscure section of Europe untouched as yet by War, a great American scientist Professor Hargrove comes across the alchemist's incomplete notes. He is promptly kidnapped by the current midget descendent in order to finish the alchemist's formula. The midget is dressed as a gypsy and has a gang of thugs who are armed with a bola. His hideout is the “Castle of Doom”, complete with torture chambers. Hargrove is rescued by Hydroman who had come to keep an eye out over him. Hydroman floods the castle but doesn't make any attempt to rescue the midget or his men. Hydroman is aware of the midget's history and that he had been stalking Hargrove for days. Even so, he fears the midget may not be dead and will plot further evil.
Miss X: 1941, Daredevil Comics #5 (Lev Gleason). When the Claw is rumored to be out of the picture, Hitler is actually a bit happy as there is now no rival to his plans of conquest in America. He sends the beautiful Miss X to meet up with agents there. However, on the heels of her arrival is the reappearance of the Claw and a new mysterious hero calling himself the Ghost!
The Phantom Driver: 1943, Heroic Comics #18 (Eastern Color Pringing). Hyrdroman investigates a series of crashes that involve an invisible man knocking out the drivers and causing crashes that cause extensive damage and mayhem. Before the case is over, he finds himself made invisible in order to hamper his effectiveness. The Phantom Driver was at one time an official of the public utilities company and decides to wreck transportation lines because of past wrongs done him. His invisibility comes from a solution using some unknown power from the company's own dynamos. NOTE: At this point in time, the Hydroman stories often ended with a panel or two leading into the next adventure. As these were often a tease, and not actually showing the criminal on the page (though it would sometimes give his name), I'm listing the comic that actually has the story as the first appearance.
Dr. Plantz: 1943, Exciting Comics #30 (Better). Dr. Plantz is a Nazi spy and ringleader. He is notable for two things. 1) He has an invention that subjects those within range with an overpowering desire to destroy and which he uses on workers at defense plant factories. 2) His right-hand man is Hun, a super-strong brute. Dr. Plantz is killed when explosives meant for sabotage are thrown at his getaway car by the Black Terror.
Princess Sheba: 1941, Daredevil Comics #3 (Lev Gleason). Dr. Pierce discovers a serum that allows him to bring the mummy of Princess Sheba back to life and he teaches her English and about modern civilization. However, when he reveals that she must regularly take a serum that's kept in a gold cobra artifact, they fight for control of it until she stabs him in the back. From there, she uses her beauty to seduce men, making them her slaves with a kiss and the cutting out their tongues. She then sends them to rob and steal. This brings her into conflict with Daredevil. He outfights her men and finds her lair where he she is guarded by bald spearmen. However, she considers him a perfect specimen and tries to likewise enslave him. When he resists her charms, she gets angry and in spite throws the golden cobra at him where it breaks and spills all the serum. She ages back into a mummy before his eyes. NOTE: There's a certain irony that Daredevil who started off in Silver Streak as a mute would fight a group of mute men early in his own title (though he was already speaking by this point).
The Red Scorpion: 1943, Heroic Comics #17 (Eastern Color Pringing). The Red Scorpion is a gang leader that has his hands in many pies. He doesn't wear a costume but has taken the code-name. Whenever he has a rival bumped off, the gangster bears an ink mark on his body of a tiny red scorpion. The villain kidnaps Joyce, friend of Hydroman, as Hydr crime fighting activities are bad for business. Instead, this only puts him on his trail as he'd never heard of the Red Scorpion before (although that whiz kid Rainbow Boy has). The bug-eyed face of the villain turns out to be a mask, that he's in reality Barney, an owner of a nightclub who was suspected as to having underworld ties as well as being an associate of the Scorpion. NOTE: At this point in time, the Hydroman stories often ended with a panel or two leading into the next adventure. As these were often a tease, and not actually showing the criminal on the page (though it would sometimes give his name), I'm listing the comic that actually has the story as the first appearance.
Ruby Khan: 1945, Heroic Comics #29 (Eastern Color Pringing). Ruby Khan is a stage magician who uses his shows as ways to steal valuable jewelry, substituting convincing fakes in their place. His crimes are uncovered when one hierloom that is stolen was on the way to get appraised the next day and the theft is thus deiscovered. Despite his magic tricks, he's captured by Hydroman.
The Spider Woman: 1943, Heroic Comics #21 (Eastern Color Pringing). Baroness Taklachak leads a gang of murderous Asian men identified as a cult that worships “Durga the spider god” as well as practicers of “thuggee” (they look more Chinese than Indian, but why quibble). In addition to somehow able to spin a web of silk as if by a giant spider, which is strong as steel yet almost invisible in its thinness.. Another method of killing is by synthetic black widow poison administered by a needle concealed in a spider ring. One of their targets for murder is noted scientist Dr. Benar Zengh who is able to send his astral body around invisibly, yet use it to interact with the physical world. As such, he effects a rescue of Hyrdoman by knocking a glass of water on him, thus paying him back for saving his life earlier. While Hydroman captures much of her gang, she managed to elude capture both times their paths crossed.
05/03/13
The Heater: 1941, Silver Streak #10 (Lev Gleason). The Heater is a man who is destroying planes and killing pilots with a heat ray from his plane with a skull and crossbones on it. Pop invents a plastic covering for Cloud Curtis' plane that will absorb the heat and then allow him to return it back to the source. So equipped, Cloud Curtis sends the Heater to his doom.
Jig and Blackie: 1936, Funny Picture Stories v1n2 (Comics Magazine Company/Centaur). Jig and Blackie are smugglers. Jig seems to have somewhat bug eyes, they are often wide open. He's a mean guy and has a foul mouth. Blackie is his moll, short dark hair and sultry. They are captured after they take on a customs agent "Free" Smith as muscle.
The Night: 1947, X-Venture #1 (Victory Magazine). This masked criminal mastermind, planned some bank robberies and pinned them on Dorne, the bank manager. However, the reporters Rick Rawson and Laura Brown exposed the Night as the bank manager's private secretary, Miss Davis. Even under her mask, she wears a wig for disguise and she's not above kidnapping and murder to achieve her goals. The text of the story describes the Night as wearing black, but the suit is colored green throughout.
Red Raider I: 1936, Funny Picture Stories v1n2 (Comics Magazine Company/Centaur). In the mid-East (possibly India), Hillman Rango Osef is called the Red Raider because of his red beard. He leads an army of 100 ruffians on raids against various towns and is feared that he could raise 500 more. He's captured by Lt. "Smoky" Battle and his Gurkha soldiers (specifically, it's one of Battle's men, Shabu, who physically captures a wounded Rango Osef).
04-26-13
Ali Pasha: 1939, Jumbo Comics #5 (Fiction House). Ali Pasha is a rotund mystic who studied under the yogi Massap Rey and after his death kept his skull which still contained dark mystic powers. Pasha was a master hypnotist and seemed to have some scientific knowledge as well as other dark arts. He meets up with the scientist Dr. Howard, his daughter and her fiance and Howard's assistant Stuart Taylor as he's uncovered a way to make something invisible but not how to restore it. Associated with the invisibility, is a way to reduce subjects to electronic impulses and transport them, but he doesn't know how to control it. Pasha has a castle with dungeons and complete lab where he does his work and keeps Rey's skull. The castle is manned by murderous blood-thirsty Africans whom he keeps under control through his mystic/black arts powers.
Flying Dutchman: 1940, Fantastic Comics #13 (Fox). The Flying Dutchman is Captain Van Der Decken whose obsession to reach Flushing through a storm of Cape Horn had him and his crew cursed for eternity. Eventually, his crew tired of following the captain for eternity and mutinied. Since they couldn't kill him, they just cast him off and then turned to piracy. In the Badlands, he is still trying to reach Flushing only now driving a ghost car. His actions draw the attention of the Son of Aztlan who overpowers him and offers to re-unite him with his piratical crew which he does. A text story, there's no image of this version of the Flying Dutchman though he's described as having a red beard. No clue where he got his ghost car.
Ghost Riders: 1937, Star Ranger #1 (Centaur/Chesler). The Ghost Riders are a group of three villains in the Old West They wear identical red shirts, black hoods and hats. They prove hard to catch and Ranger Lee Trent is tasked to bringing them to justice. He eventually proves that there really are SIX of the villains but only three would be seen at any given time, giving the other three a chance to establish hard alibis. One of the six is killed.
Nipon: 1940, Fantastic Comics #13 (Fox). Nipon is cruel dictator of the Orient, with spies, armes, and a fleet at his disposal. He plans on invading Misco/Mexito (Misco may be the name of a city in "Mexito" a country on the South American coast). He also has use of an electronic "voltage net" which is strong enough to capture Samson. However, with the help of his sidekick David, Samson destroys Nipon's forces and captures Nipon, leaving him to the justice of the South American government.
One-Eye: 1940, Fantastic Comics #13 (Fox). Missing his left eye has left One-Eye bitter, and he has his base under the sea with strange humanoid beings as well as monsters such as a giant devil octopus. He starts poisoning the seas, fumes overwhelming ships. He's captured by Sub Saunders.
"Sivad": 1940, Hyper Mystery Comics #1 (Hyper Publications). "Sivad" is reputed to be a "Werdorf", a man who can change himself as well as others into were-goat creatures on Maiden Island which is apparently in the area of Central/South American countries. Commodore Ambord and crew investigate the mystery of Werdorfs and hear the story of "Sivad", a man currently reported to be one. "Sivad" is a trader, and especially cruel and brutal to the natives that cross him. They plot to kill him and on several occasions he manages to elude them, disappearing in the jungle and often a great black bearded goat is seen nearby. Thinking the goat is "Sivad" they kill it and hack it to pieces. The next morning, a servant girl finds "Sivad" coming to, covered in blood with parts of the goat body scattered about, cementing his reputation as a powerful Werdorf.
Ambord visits "Sivad" to get his version of the story and he relates the story of the myth. Centuries earlier, when Spanish conquistadores came, they saw the original natives with gold adornment and stole from them and enslaved them to work in the mines. Over the years, the island passed from many hands and the original inhabitants died under rough treatment. African slaves were brought in to work under successive rough governors. And, over the years slaves rebelled and were squashed in bloody squirmishes. One governor sees the native's statues to their gods and gets the idea to use the superstition against them. Carving into the statues, he convinces the natives that he and others are Werdorfs, wizards that can change unruly natives into goats and that the goats that populated the island were in fact natives who had gone missing, a myth that persisted to the present day.
"Sivad" made use of that legend and superstition himself, to the point that the natives thinking he was a goat killed a goat that had been seen nearby when he had successfully eluded his would-be assassins. It was only an accident that when sneaking back to his trading post he happened to slip in the blood of the goat they killed and knocked himself out Satisfied with his account, Ambord and company leave the scoundrel. Note: his name was in quotations throughout and is obviously "Davis" spelled backwards. The significance of that is unknown.
Sky Pirates: 1940, Sky Blazers #1 (Hawley). Will Sparrow is fired from his job and desiring revenge hires on as pilot to the unscrupulous Mark Park. With Mark's initial planning and Sparrow as his daring field leader and second, the two lead a gang of successful pirates. With their planes, they raid zeppelins and ships, kidnap famous people for ransom, all from the safety of their lair hidden beneath a deserted and inactive volcanic isle. Sparrow even manages to lead a successful raid and net the crew three submarines to guard their base!
3/11/13
Gool: Adventure (D.C. Thomson & Co., Great Britan). A popular name for villains for this magazine. It first shows up as the name of a witch doctor chief villain in "The Revolt of the Terrible Ten Thousand" whose plans for the Lost Valley of the Mountains of the Moon are foiled by engineer Jack Handy and Tarza, the large Zulu warrior. The Valley is slowly dying as their water supply is running out. Gool hopes to make Handy, his father, and other captured white men to supervise them building a tunnel under the mountains from which his ten thousand warriors will conquer and plunder. Twelve years later, the next Gool also faces a white man, a large Zulu warrior over the fate of a hidden society as Killer Gool wants a treasure hidden in Ophar, a lost Roman Legion city and must face Congo King and Umtala.
King Walro: Champ Comics #14 (Harvey). King Walro has taken over the rule of Polaris from Prince Eon. Despite being underwater beings, they also have mole ships and he allies himself with Mhera, who has usurped the rule of Almoza from her sister Neptina. Opposed by Neptina and Lt. Brad Fletcher and allies.
Dr. Koch: Champ Comics (Harvey). The villainous Dr. Koch has a secret lab and gang in Mexico. Through Sue Katsu, he arranges to receive a forumula for a tonic developed by Dr. Martin that gives physical perfection. However, the formula is taken from him by the Champ, a recipient of the tonic, his pal Henry and the duplicitous Sue acting under-cover.
Mhera/Mhersa: 1939, Champion Comics #2 (Harvey). Mhera is the sister of Neptina, the queen of Amloza and its
fish-men, an underwater race. She originally passes herself off as a freedom fighter, against Neptina's despotic rule. However, once she sets herself up as queen, the fish-people prefer Neptina to her. She eventually allies herself with King Walro of the Walrus men who have taken over Polaris in order to try to re-take the throne. Failing, she is imprisoned by the restored Queen Neptina. Like her sister, she looks completely human though can breathe underwater and the fish-men are decidedly not.
Oo-Lhat:1939, Champion Comics #2 (Harvey). In ancient Egypt, Oo-Lhat was a high priest of Osiris. However, he let greed for gold and power and lust for the princess to overcome his priestly duties and he murdered a man. Fleeing justice, he found the worshippers of the Blazing Scarab, a glowing scarab suspended over the black altar of Set. He discovers the scarab is a key between a timeless dimension and this one. There with the scarab worshippers, he establishes an almost immortal city called Baracs. They formed a link to the outside world at the oasis of Memthet where they would lure and kill travellers through their League of Assassins. They aged only during their raids of caravans and their immortality was linked to reason and thought, thus beasts of burden could not come through the portals. Even if a man's brain and heart were destroyed, he still remained, just losing his identity and part of his visibility. Eventually, the Oasis was buried in a sand-storm.
However, the discovery of the scarab and activating it by Walt Worthington in the present day, allows Oo-Lhat to renew his designs of conquest and pillaging, leaving Walt and his servant behind with the women. When Walt convinces the women to accompany him to this world, it is sadly discovered, that once here, their true ages catch up with them after so much time and Walt and his servant are left alone in a field of skeletons.
Scaly Dragon: 1941, Champ Comics #14 (Harvey). Asian saboteur leader. He's a wily leader and somehow knows or deduces the Human Meteor's vulnerability to wood. However, he and his gang are still captured by the hero. A colorful name, but not much else to recommend him.
Scorpion: ~1936; Adventure (D.C. Thomson & Co., Great Britan). This Scorpion is the masked mastermind of a vast criminal empire in America. His crimes are foiled by detective Wolf Magee.
Yellow Spider: 1940, Champion Comics #3 (Harvey). The Yellow Spider is referenced in the blurb of issue 3 for issue 4 and is only mentioned in passing in 4 but actually appears in issue 5. I'll leave it to wiser heads as to which issue is his "first". The Yellow Spider is a dwarfish Asian who leads a whole gang of Asian men with vast resources including gas weapons, airplanes, etc. He's after Dr. Marlin's tonic that was used to make the Champ a peak of physical and mental development. To that end, the Doc's assistant was one of the Spider's men and he killed the doctor, but before he could divulge the location of the formula. He's ultimately killed by the Champ who felt bad about taking a human life though he thought it necessary and just.
Zolok: 1935, The Lost City (Sherman S. Krellberg)/ Comic: 1942, Great Comics #3 (Great Publications). Zolok is the last of the Lemurians in a lost city. Zolok desires to take over the world. He holds brilliant scientist Dr. Manyus and his beautiful daughter Natcha hostage and forces the scientist to create giants from the natives, including the "six-armed crusher" and other weapons. His right-hand man is Appolyn. However, his plans are discovered by a group of men headed by Bruce Gordon. NOTE: Originally an independently produced serial, it was partially adapted into the comics, part 1 in Great Comics #3 and part 2 in Choice Comics #3. Don't know if there was ever a part 3. Not sure the accuracy of the adaption where some of the story info comes from, as a giant six-armed man would be really hard to pull off but looks pretty good in the comic.
12-06-12
Amazons: 1940, Fight Comics #10 (Fiction). In the Brazilian jungles, Oran comes across a strange rocket ship disgorging an army of women. Investigating, he soon finds himself back in their hidden society and meeting their queen. He's immediately forced to fight a dinosaur like monster in an arena. He manages to kill it, but not before using it to break free from the arena. He escapes by their rocket ship and contacts the authorities who come and round up the Amazon army, though he still thinks fondly of their queen.
Black Crow: 1940,
Fight Comics #6 (Fiction). In the modern American West, Black Crow is a renegade and murderer, having killed five men. He's skilled at tracking and masking his trail, a wily fighter, and either has a trained bear or able to call animals to his aide with a call of "ooee". He also carries a knife and gun and isn't shy about using either. Despite all of this, he's captured by touring jungleman turned boxer Oran.
Condor Legion: 1942, Fight Comics #20 (Fiction). The Condor Legion is a fascist organization in Argentina that's in league with the Nazis and planning a takeover. The leader is a half-German named Graf who goes around wearing black semi-military garb and carries a whip. Senorita Rio goes undercover, romances his right-hand man Saenez and sows 
seeds of discord resulting in them being called before three men in black hoods, the judges of the Condors, of which Graf is one. Graf kills Saenez but is stabbed in turn by the Blanco, a servant to the father of a man he killed.
Faux- Mr. Universe: 1951, Mr. Universe #1 (Media) The fake Mr. Universe is an ex-con by the name Al Burche. Near the end of his sentence, he is given Silas Cratchett as a cell-mate. Cratchett has been sent to prison based on testimony given by the wrestler. Noticing the uncanny resemblance, he concocts a needlessly complex plan of revenge that centers on training Burche mentally and physically into a duplicate of Mr. Universe, so that he could fool even his closest friends. Which he does. The plot seems to center on worming his way into Universe's pals Scarcely's and Clayton's confidence. A fake manage is to ingratiate himself with the real hero with a plan to assert his identity by agreeing to a match as the counterfeit wouldn't be able to match his skills in the ring. Then during the match, a bomb would be set off killing his friends, framing Mr. Universe as being the ex-con Al Burche while Burche continues to pass himself off as Universe. However, Mr. Universe sees through the fake manager and is combing official records for anyone reported to resemble him. He turns their own game on them, the match is at a time and place of his choosing not theirs and the night before the match, the crooks beat up the imposter thinking to be softening up Mr. Universe. Ultimately, all the crooks are captured and go to jail for a long time.
Monster-Man: 1945, Captain Tootsie ad. The Monster Man is described as being a giant and he is taller than average and muscular, drawn as being a caricature of an ape man and wearing the leopard pelt a circus strong man might wear. Likewise he talks in Johnny Weismuller Tarzan-speak. He possesses great physical strength. However, he is knocked out by one punch from Captain Tootsie.
Dr. Narsty: 1945, Captain Tootsie ad. Looking like Dr. Sivana's better looking and taller brother and even using one of his catch phrases (Curses!), Narsty doesn't show quite the same ambition and genius. He has a quick adhesive that he can use to seal a person's lips, but he seems satisfied with simple burglary of jewels. Perhaps, he simply needed a quick influx of funds for his bigger scheme? Either way, he's captured by Captain Tootsie.
Professor Gustoff: 1940,
Fight Comics #9 (Fiction). On Milo Island, Professor Gustoff has come up with a fluid that transforms white men into fish-men though powerless on natives. After experimenting on several beachcombers, he decides on a more hearty 
specimen, Shark Brodie. In the end, Shark manages to outfight thefish-men, rescue Terry, a kidnapped girl from the Geographic Society, and capture Gustoff and his aide Basil. He claims that all the fish-men drowned while fighting him which seems a bit suspicious.
The Professor: 1940,
Fight Comics #11 (Fiction). In addition to heading a gang of crooks, the Professor is an extremely talented hypnotist, able to hypnotise a normal man into becoming a criminal. However, his talent fails to bring the detective Spencer Steel under his control and he and his gang are captured.
Sneely: 1940,
Fight Comics #3 (Fiction). On an undersea dive, Kinks Mason finds an old wreck of a ship manned by a pirate calling himself "Sneely, the pirate terror of the seven seas, the great, the magnificent". On board are skeletons of other men that came seeking his treasure. Sneely boasts of having drunk a magic potion that will allow him to live for centuries underwater and he's trained sword fish to serve as guards and servants. The two fight with cutlasses, but ultimately Sneely is defeated by Kinks using a thigh bone as a club.
Dr. Teufel: 1941, Key Ring Comics #1a or 1e (Dell). Dr. Teufel is a saboteur out to destroy America (presumably for the Nazis). He has agents scattered about in key places such as Operator 4 is a radio operator at an Army camp. Teufel is causing planes to wreck as well as kidnapping the pilots and holds hostage Arlene Loughran, a sister of a pilot. Teufel has a remote and well equipped mountain base, surrounded by electrical towers and an electrical fence. His agents also have access to at least one autogyro as getting there any other way is near impossible. He is apparently killed when the hero Radior turns his vast powers onto the tower that Teufel retreated to, melting it and surrounding the villain with flames of vast heat. Note: An interesting comic, especially considering the early date for an atomic hero. The limited and bizarre color scheme (blue, black and yellow, with blues replacing about 75% of the areas where there should be black) though probably helped to insure this hero would not be wildly known.
Un-named: 1940,
Fight Comics #3 (Fiction). The Giant of the Red Skull only appeared on the cover, knocking over skyscrapers and able to fight off an army. He carries a sword but doesn't really seem to need one.
Un-named: 1940,
Fight Comics #5 (Fiction). Monster Maker built large robotic monsters, though they appeared on the outside to be built of body parts ala Frankenstein. Defeated by Power Man. Only appeared on the cover. Power Man fought a different type of monster in the comic.
Un-named: 1940, Fight Comics #6 (Fiction). This Skull Squad are a criminal gang with their own plane emblazened with their logo. They wear black hoods with the emblem of the skull on the foreheads. They are captured by Power Man. As usual, they appeared only on the cover and are more interesting than the Power Man story inside.
Pierre Villon: 1940, Fight Comics #8 (Fiction). Pierre Villon is doing the Dr. Moreau thing, experimenting on animals and humans to create animal-men. Things go awry once pilot Chip Collins gets involved and Villon is apparently killed by his own creations.
Walrus Men: 1940,
Fight Comics #6 (Fiction). Somewhere in the frozen mountains in northern Tibet, a lone figure stumbles across the cabin of the elderly adventurer and scientist Professor Larson and speaks of the Walrus Men, an ancient and savage mythical race. They stand near 7 ft tall and have large tusks. Larson radios for flier Chip Collins and the two strive to rescue a captured explorer and fellow scientist only to have him die in their arms. They barely escape with their lives.
Zarita: 1941,
Fight Comics #11 (Fiction). Zarita is the leader of a murderous gang and the Cult of the Black Sword, whose members and/or victims are branded on the neck with a small black sword. The victims are generally skewered by a large swordfish kept in a pool at the secret compound that is a remnant of the days of the Spaniards in South American jungles. When Oran kills her pet and she realizes her days of murder are up, she kills herself.
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The Baron: 1944, Captain Flight #4 (Four Star). Chief of foreign spies and after plans for a new torpedo. The Baron shows himself to be technologically gifted, able to quickly cobble a device to control the torpedo from a distance. His endeavors at sabotage come to naught as he's captured by Ace Reynolds, thus not as great a fighter as inventor.
Fat Man: 1944 Captain Flight #5 (Four Star). The Fat Man, also called the Limping Nazi (he uses a cane) is head of a group of spies. When his men kill Danny Corbet, by accident they end up motiving his brother Bruce to become the hero the Grenade. Part of the group is a monstrous man-beast he uses to kill the henchmen who screwed up, but the man-beast gets a bloodlust and they are forced to kill him too.His right-hand man is Longo. The Grenade makes good on 
his threat and kills the gang the same way they killed his brother, with a hand grenade. The wiley Fat Man escapes though and takes off in a plane. The Grenade follows and the Fat Man is shot down.
Ghoro: 1944, Captain Flight #3 (Four Star). Ghoro looks quite a bit like Hitler, except maybe a little fitter. He sees the War in Europe as being self-destructive. When they are done, he hopes to swoop in and rule the remains. Meanwhile, he plans a similar fate for the Orient, fostering revolution with the goal of coming in with armies to establish himself as Emperor. He apparently dies falling from a cliff overlooking a river while fighting the secret agent 2B-3.
Green Hoods: 1944, Captain Flight Comics #5 (Four Star). This duo was in the process of forcing a woman into a vault like deathtrap, but caught in the process by the Red Rocket.
Murder Maestro: 1944 Captain Flight #6 (Four Star). Bandit leader of the hills of Dalmania. He's apparently killed by Captain Flight.
S. Aitan: 1947, Captain Flight #11 (Four Star). A crafty and resourceful jewel thief, he has an elaborate getaway planned. So, when he runs afoul of the Blue Flame, his car is equipped with a trapdoor that allows him to slip down an open manhole. In the tunnels, he has a wax dummy duplicate prepared to delay the hero while he makes his way to the river and get away on the boat. The Blue Flame catches up and in the scuffle, he ends up in the river. He's assumed drowned until the Flame turns in the jewels and finds a card from the villain waiting for him hinting at a future encounter. In addition to looking stylized as his namesake, S. Aitan likes leaving little cards to torment the hero. He doesn't show any overt powers or abilities.
Harr Sang: 1944, Captain Flight #4 (Four Star). In war torn China, Harr Sang is waiting out the War and nations to exhaust themselves and be ready for him and his super-science to take over. He's developed a ray that allows him to control thoughts of men. His lab is destroyed by Top Bowers' Death Squad and he is captured by Top.
Seaweed Queen: 1944 Captain Flight #5 (Four Star). In the deep seas are the seaweed people. They plan conquest of the surface world. They are dependent on
a chlorophyll plant for survival. They also have transformer machines for changing air-breathers into people just like them. Their machines are destroyed by "Deep Sea" Dawson, dooming them.
Un-named - Death Pilot: 1945 Captain Flight #10 (Four Star). This possibly masked pilot had a scantily clad woman strapped to the wing of his plane. But, the Black Cobra and Cobra Kid were coming to the rescue.
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The Big Boss: 1941, Lightning Comics vol2 #2 (Ace). In the Chinese section of Middletown, a city on the Pacific coast, a masked man is head of an opium smuggling ring with a gang Asian men (his right hand man is Saki). Kate Cramer, reporter for the "Record" gets herself in trouble investigating and is rescued by illusionist Marvo and his monkey Tito. With their help, the boss is unmasked as caucasian J. Harold Stetson who had been badgering Police Chief Babcock about the opium problems. While Kate calls him "the big boss" he's not really given another name to call him by.
Captain Nemo: 1940, Science Comics #5 (Fox). Yes, that Captain Nemo. He appears on the scene in time to help Navy Jones and Princess Coral out of a jam. Turns out, he and his crew are looking for a sunken Roman Galley that has a map to Atlantis. He, Jones and Coral team up, fight some Octopi-men in a hidden grotto, find the map and then part company.
Dark Eyes and Madame Death: 1944, Four Favorites? (Ace Periodicals). A gangster and his hatchet faced moll who are not above selling government secrets. Despite not having apparent super powers, they are able to briefly hold their own against Lash Lightning and Lightning Girl. The one story with them I've read in Four Favorites #15 suggests prior appearances.
Deathless Guardian of Montezuma's Treasure: 1946, Super-Mystery Comics v6 #2 (Ace)?. Deep in a secret pyramid lies Montezuma's treasure as well as this large native who kills interlopers. He's momentarily directed by Ruk to kill Commissioner Lopez of Mexico City who had come with Magno and Davy in pursuit of the criminal. Magno and Davy manage to save Lopez' life, capture Ruk and re-seal the tomb with the Guardian inside.
Genius: 1940, Science Comics, #3 (Fox). When Dynamo beings cleaning up the Rako gang, the few gang members Gun and Sop still at large hire a macabre looking scientist named Genius to help rid them of their trouble. He agrees to help them at a price of $15000. When a special gun works as advertised and Dynamo is thrown into a trap, the gangsters offer ony $500 claiming they don't have the means to get the rest. Maddened at being double-crossed, he also throws them in the death trap where they inadvertantly reveal to Dynamo a way he can restore his powers. He quickly makes short work of Genius and transports them to jail. Interestingly, one of the crooks call Dynamo by his original name "Electro".
Professor Lago: 1940, Science Comics #5 (Fox). Professor Lago heads a gang of spies and saboteurs (Radnor, Olga, and an un-named man) who blow up the Panama Canal which puts the hero Dynamo on their tracks. Lago has another act up his sleeves, he plans on poisoning Extown's water supply from his secret chemical lab. Again he's stopped by Dynamo. He's presumably killed when his lab is blown up. The other members of the gang are arrested.
Marcus: 1942, Lightning Comics vol2 #6 (Ace). Marcus is a descendent of a cousin of Caesar who had plotted to assassinate the emperor. His ancestor fled from Egypt into the African jungles. There he founded a city kingdom, accessible by a cave. Somehow, Marcus seems to be the sole white man, his Legionnaires consisting of African natives. Marcus indulges in human sacrifices to Jove, but he's blocked by the fighting ability of Congo Jack. As Jack is fleeing with Tina and her father, it appears the castle is being destroyed by a volcanic eruption.
Professor Meier: 1940, Science Comics #5 (Fox). Experimenting on animals, the Professor has managed to transform them into humanoid winged beasts, able to shrug off bullets and obey his every whim. He lays waste to an African village that brings him to the attention of Marga the panther-woman. He captures her and intends to make her his first human-beast. However, his serum doesn't change her, possibly because she's already a hybrid of human and animal. It combines with her panther blood and gives her super-strength. She escapes from the cages and is aided by a beast she calls "Homer". They get help from soldiers at a nearby caucasian village and turn the tables on Meier. They find a neutralizer that turns the winged beastmen back into their animals. Faithful Homer turns out to be a police dog and becomes Marga's companion.
Octopi-men: 1940, Science Comics #5 (Fox). The violent Octopi-men reside in a hidden grotto where a sunken Roman galley lies. Unfortunately for them, Captain Nemo is looking for the galley and is joined by Navy Jones and Princess Coral. When the trio are trapped in the grotto, the octopi-men attack them but ultimately repulsed, thanks to the timely intervention of the Nautilus and her crew.
Dr. Passendorf: 1940, Science Comics #5 (Fox). Augustus Elba, the crooked Napoleon of Wallstreet fears arrest and hires the scientist Dr. Passendorf to help him. Passendorf uses an auto-suggestion ray to force a young man to steal some stocks and then commit suicide, thus diverting suspicion of the crimes to him. However, the Eagle, a friend of the young man's uncle, investigates. He manages to stop the crooks and destroy Passendorf's machines, including a paralyzing ray. Passendorf is presumed killed by shrapnel from the grenades that the Eagle used.
Prime Minister of the Fishmen: 1940, Science Comics, #1 (Fox). This leader among the Fishmen aimed to rule and found himself on the outs once Navy Jones came around. He managed to build an army of like minded fishmen and took over the city in issue 2, but was again defeated. As ruler, he set himself up to wearing robes.
Ruk: ?1946, Super-Mystery Comics v6 #2 (Ace)?. Murderous and cunning criminal. In this appearance, he escaped from prison, suggesting that he'd appeared before. Caught by Magno and Davy.
Scarlet Knave/Scarlet Knight: 1948, Zoot Comics #14-b (Fox). There is an old African desert legend of the Scarlet Knave, and Rulah is surprised when out of legend he rides out with an ancient clad and armed army to ra
id her tribe preceded by a mysterious sand storm though 200 miles from the desert. Meanwhile Cora and her lover are looking for a treasure that her husband Daniel had disappeared looking for and good-riddance as he had tried to kill them at one time. Instead they find the Red Knave, his castle and men and his large machine that he uses to cause the sand storms. To save her life, Cora offers a split of the hidden treasure and to prove her loyalty, shoots her lover. Rulah with an infatuated warrior named Tandi find the castle, but Tandi is killed. When the Knave is unmasked as being her husband, she tries to flee but is stabbed by one of his men. He is slain in turn when Rulah throws an axe that cleaves his skull. The sordid tale ends on an ironic angle as it's revealed that Rulah had found that gold some time before and turned it over to the authorities. It is unknown where the castle and Knave's men came from, if Daniel hired them and had it built, or if he found it and used the legend to establish himself. They show reverance towards him, calling him "Your Grace".
Skull-men: 1940, Science Comics #2 (Fox). On a previously undiscovered planet are the technologically advanced skull-men. They are a cadaverous looking race. They come into conflict with space-faring earth-men, specifically Cosmic Carson. They discover that despite their science, they are physically weaker than earth-men. Chains that are good enough to hold them, a reasonably fit man like Carson can easily snap them.
Dr. Stone: 1941, Lightning Comics vol2 #4 (Ace). Dr. Elijah Stone is a mad scientist whose specialty is plagues and hopes to wipe out humanity with one. However, he's such a great genius, that he's also able to invent his own futurescope that allows him to flee to the future to hide. But time and space aren't vast enough to hide from Whiz Wilson. Stone seems obviously inspired by Dr. Sivana.
Superior Council: 1940, Super-Mystery Comics v1 #2 (Ace). An organization working against the US. Headed by explosive expert Miltor and his fiance Rika. However, when he suggests that Rika is of no more use and being suspicious of a newcomer to the group, he arranges for their deaths. However, the newcomer is really the agent Q-13 and he saves Rika. He lets her go and arranges for Miltor to blow himself up using his own explosives.
Torcher: 1943, Super-Mystery Comics v3 #5 (Ace). Murderous partner of the Clown who used a flame-thrower to torture, maim and kill at the Clown's command. He helped the Clown steal an artificial fog machine, by killing the inventor's helpers and turning on his flames on the inventor and his son. Each was horribly disfigured and thought the other dead. The inventor sought out the help of Magno and Davy while his son seemed to throw in his lot with the Clown and Torcher. However, he was really working to turn the fog into a poisonous gas that he used on the gang, killing them and himself in the process. The Clown however has come back from seeming sure death before.
Uchunku: 1940, Science Comics #2-3 (Fox). From a fort in the African jungles, a large Ethiopian named Unchunku plans on rising up against the white men in Africa and embarking on world conquest. He is also smitten with Marga the panther-woman and wishes her to rule beside him. Marga and pal Ted Grant manage to organize resistance and destroy his plans. He is last seen, unconscious in a snake pit being bitten by venomous serpents, a fate he intended for Marga.
In his second appearance, Uchunku is described as a giant and seems to be about 7 feet tall. In addition to his native army, he keeps various dangerous animals on hand: tigers, a gorilla, snakes, leopards (or cheetahs).
Un-named - Powerlord: 1940, Science Comics, #2 (Fox). This villain seemed in control of a gang, a power plant, and a technologically advanced gun. He kidnapped and stripped a woman for some unknown experiment. That's when Dynamo came to the rescue, destroying the dynamo.
Un-named -Creatures: 1940, Science Comics, #3 (Fox). These creatures were menacing some brunette when Dynamo suddenly appeared.
Von Monsta, Karl: 1941, Our Flag Comics #3 (Ace). Karl Von Monsta was an American who during the first World War loved the Kaiser and, thanks to the efforts of John "Old Glory" Courtney exposing his traitorous nature, he was run out of the country. He changed his appearance and returned to the USA and hides out in a castle off the Great Lakes. He then kidnapped 200 baby boys, raised and trained them over 20 years to be cruel brutes. On the cusp of getting revenge on America in service to his new idol Hitler, he gives them injections that increase their strength and vitality. Being little more than dumb brutes, they will obey his commands and to further aid him, he can broadcast his orders directly to their brains through a control board. He outfits each with a shield and helmet that are specially coated to resist weapons that would be used against them. With floods threatening the Mississippi River, he judges this to be the time to strike.
One of them, #40 is not indoctrinated as the others and rebels against their cruelty. Overcome, he is left for dead. The Flag, son of Old Glory had come to the area to help flood victims and finds himself fighting a war against these super-soldiers. Finding #40, he is able to identify him as being Martin Benson through a locket he carries, a long missing son. After his men are defeated, Von Monsta injects himself, restoring his youth and giving him the strength that his men had. He puts on one of their uniforms, helmet and shield and fights the Flag. Knocked into the river, he is last seen going under in the flooded waters, unable to swim. Note: Cannot help but wonder if Von Monsta's men are meant to be a knock on Captain America: a super strength formula and shields, only there's 200 of them and they still cannot stand against the Flag. Also have to wonder what happened to Martin Benson after this story. He still posssesses super-strength.
Witch of Spittin' Devil: 1945, Four Favorites #18 (Ace). When a construction crew moves a stone covering a small cave, heiress Marcia goes nuts, claiming they released an ancestor of hers, a deathless witch. She calls off her engagement and soon strange goings on are spotted Isobel "Lightning Girl" Blake is assigned to cover the story. She and Lash are run off the road when a woman in dark robes rolls a huge stone down towards their car. They decide to investigate in their heroic identities. Meanwhile, Marcia's fiance heads into the night to find her, looking at the old mill that she sometimes goes to. He finds the witch instead and is murdered. Lightning Girl later figures out the identity of the witch, Marcia herself by seeing mud on her shoes. When Lightning Girl destroys the mill wheel, Marcia jumps to her presumed doom. Marcia had gone insane with the story of her incestor and believed herself to be a witch too. And, judging from the size of the boulder she rolled down the hill, she just might have been...