THE HEROES OF QUALITY COMICS TOUR

In 1973, an annual Justice League/Justice Society crossover story included a new team of heroes. These heroes resided on an alternate Earth that would become known in the DC multiverse as Earth-X. This team of new heroes was called the Freedom Fighters. As I read this two-issue tale, I was in fanboy heaven discovering these new characters. I would eventually learn that the Freedom Fighters were characters who were originally published by another comic book company called Quality Comics. In this tour, we'll take a look at these Freedom Fighters and many other Quality Comics heroes. All aboard!

Justice League of America (vol. 1) #107, cover art by Nick Cardy

Quality Comics was a comic book publishing company that began operating in 1937. They created and published many successful titles during the height of the Golden Age. When appeal for the superhero genre began to wane in the 1950s, Quality unsuccessfully attempted to publish other genres including horror, humor, war, and romance. Ultimately they ceased operation in late 1956. Many of the Quality character and title trademarks were sold to DC Comics. DC opted to continue publishing four of Quality's ongoing titles. These were Blackhawk, G.I. Combat, Heart Throbs, and Robin Hood Tales. The issues dated December 1956 for these four titles featured the Quality logo on their covers. With no delay in monthly publication, their next issues, dated January 1957, carried the DC logo. I wonder how many readers actually even noticed the change? It's worth noting that 3 of these four titles would continue publication under DC Comics for more than 100 issues. It would seem DC's investment in these characters and titles paid off!

But what of all the other Quality characters DC now owned? Outside of Plastic Man, who began appearing in DC publications in 1966, the rest remained unused... until Justice League of America #107 (Oct. 1973). In this issue, the Black Condor, Doll Man, Phantom Lady, Uncle Sam, the Ray, and the Human Bomb were featured in their first new adventure in over a decade! Though they had never actually been a team when they were published by Quality, they were now collectively known as the Freedom Fighters. They would even be given their own short-lived series in 1976. Over the years that followed, many more of the Quality characters showed up in DC titles. Most often in the series called All-Star Squadron (1981 - 1987), which was set in the World War II era, when the original adventures of most of these characters were first printed. This tour of the Quality heroes will be taken in no particular order. Grab yourself a drink or a snack, and enjoy the trip! DOLLMAN Real Name: Darrel Dane First Appearance: Feature Comics #27 (Dec. 1939) Created by: Will Eisner and Jimmy Palmiotti Doll Man's adventures were published regularly until 1953, He even earned his own self-titled comic book. He was often portrayed on covers containing "bondage" motifs typically reserved for female characters of the day. He is the first hero to employ shrinking as a superpower, predating DC's Atom and Shrinking Violet, and Marvel's Ant-Man and Wasp, by over 20 years.

After being revived in Justice League of America (vol. 1) #107, he was a regular member in the Freedom Fighters title that began publication in 1976. The character would later be included in All-Star Squadron and eventually in other legacy titles tied to the Freedom Fighters characters.

DC has attempted twice (2006 and 2012) to revive the Doll Man character, both times giving him a different secret identity and origin.

RED BEE Real Name: Richard Raleigh First Appearance: Hit Comics #1 (July 1940) Created by: Toni Blum and Charles Nicholas

The Red Bee was one of Hit Comics' main characters through 1942. "Rick" Raleigh was an Assistant District Attorney who put on a costume and fought crime using trained bees and a stinger gun. He fought villains and Nazis but never became very popular.

When the character was obtained by DC, he was retroactively inserted into the All-Star Squadron. As a member of the group, he was asked by Uncle Sam to join the new team of "Freedom Fighters" Sam was organizing. The Red Bee ended up being killed by Baron Blitzkrieg, his death saved the lives of Hourman and the other original Freedom Fighters members (All-Star Squadron #35, 1985).

DC would eventually create a legacy Red Bee by making Rick's great-niece Jenna the new Red Bee in 2007. She has appeared in subsequent Freedom Fighters mini-series.

FIREBRAND Real Name: Rod Reilly First Appearance: Police Comics #1 (August 1941) Created by: S.M. Iger and Reed Crandall

Millionaire playboy Rod Reilly decided he was bored with his life and would don a costume and fight crime! He appeared in just 14 issues of Police Comics, his adventures ending in 1942. He employed a lariat and used "vacuum cups" to scale buildings and walls.

When DC granted the Freedom Fighters their own title in 1976, they decided to add another member to the team, and Firebrand was dusted off and officially became a member of the team in Freedom Fighters #12 (1978). The character was slated to be killed by the Silver Ghost, but that storyline was never published due to the DC Implosion.

When All-Star Squadron began publication in 1981, Rod was noted as having been injured in the attack on Pearl Harbor, and subsequently, the mantle of Firebrand was taken over by his sister, Danette. Her run as Firebrand would be much longer and more popular than her brother's. Unlike her brother, Danette was given the super ability to control heat and shoot fire blasts.

DC has since created two other heroes named Firebrand. Alejandro Sanchez in 1996, and Andre Twist in 2006, the latter being added to the lineup of an updated version of Freedom Fighters.

PLASTIC MAN Real Name: Patrick "Eel" O'Brian First Appearance: Police Comics #1 (August 1941) Created by: Jack Cole

After debuting in Police Comics, Plastic Man was so popular he was soon awarded his own title. His tales continued to be published through 1956, the year Quality Comics ceased publication. After being accidentally bathed in industrial chemicals, Eel discovered he could stretch every aspect of his body and limbs. He could also use his powers to change the way his face looked.

Unlike most of the other Quality characters, DC published Plastic Man in his own title well before the introduction of the Freedom Fighters. Though DC was publishing his adventures, he was originally not considered a part of their Earth-One (primary continuity) roster of heroes, and his stories typically were more comedic in nature.

The character would be retconned several times. First as a member of the All-Star Squadron from Earth-2, and then after the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths he would be integrated into Earth Prime and eventually serve as a member of the Justice League.

THE GREAT DEFENDER Real Name: Stormy Foster First Appearance: Hit Comics #18 (Dec. 1941) Created by: Max Elkan

This character made his debut in 1941 and appeared roughly 15 times through 1944. Stormy was a soda-jerk by day who took a pill to enhance his strength as he fought crime as the Great Defender. In addition to losing his glasses, he also donned a fake pencil-thin mustache as the Great Defender. How long his pill-imbued strength would last seemed to vary from issue to issue. An oddity about the character is that his strip was actually called "Stormy Foster", even though no one knew his secret identity as Great Defender.

The character barely qualified for an individual entry on this tour, since he had just a tiny presence in the pages of DC Comics. After the DC "New 52" reboot, the character of Stormy Foster was introduced in the pages of Earth-2 in 2013. Stormy was a commander in the World Army. During the war against Steppenwolf his plane was blown up. All aboard were killed.

BLACK CONDOR

Real Name: Richard Grey, Jr. First Appearance: Crack Comics #1 (May 1940) Created by: Will Eisner and Lou Fine

Originally Black Condor's power of flight was said to have been "learned" from the intelligent condors that raised him as a child! A sort of bird version of Tarzan! His adventures stopped being published in 1943.

Black Condor returned in 1973 in Justice League of America (vol. 1) #107 as part of the Freedom Fighters of Earth-X. When this group was eventually given its own title, Condor's origin was modified and his powers attributed to him being a mutant. The character was retconned as being originally from Earth-2 and he served some time with the All-Star Squadron. Eventually, after the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths his origin was revamped again and his powers attributed to the energies of a fallen meteor.

DC has attempted to update this character twice. First as Ryan Kendall in 1992 and more recently as John Trujillo in 2006.

QUICKSILVER Real Name: (Max) First Appearance: National Comics #5 (Nov. 1940) Created by: Jack Cole and Chuck Mazoujian (later revamped by Mark Waid)

In 1940 Quality Comics began publishing the adventures of a superhero named Quicksilver. This Quicksilver was a speedster whose adventures were published through 1946. Quality's Quicksilver existed twenty-four years before Marvel Comics introduced Pietro Maximoff as their speedster, also known as Quicksilver. The secret identity and origin of Quality's Quicksilver were never established. Only his first name (Max) was ever revealed.

In 1993 DC pulled this former Quality character out of obscurity and provided him with a full name and fleshed-out back story. It was revealed that he was the first person to ever tap into the Speed Force (the extra-dimensional force that supplies all of DC's speedster characters with their powers). Now called Max Mercury, this character was retconned into being a mentor to other speedsters. First to the Golden Age Flash and later to Johnny Quick. Reluctantly he would also agree to mentor the young hero named Impulse.

The newly christened Max Mercury would be a regular cast member in most Flash-related titles for many years.

MISS AMERICA Real Name: Joan Dale First Appearance: Military Comics #1 (August 1941) Created by: Elmer Wexler Like Max Mercury, Miss America is another Quality character that has been utilized more by DC than she was by the company that created her! Her adventures ended with Military Comics #7 in 1942. During her seven outings, her costume was constantly changing.

In 1984, she would make her first appearance in DC Comics, retconned as a member of the All-Star Squadron. She would be one of many members who were put together to form a splinter group, the Freedom Fighters. Following the events of the Crisis on Infinite Earths maxi-series, there would no longer be a (Golden Age) Wonder Woman who existed during the World War II era. She was wiped from existence. To fill the void left by Wonder Woman's absence... Miss America was retroactively inserted into the Justice Society. Miss America would also be established as the adoptive mother of Lyta (Fury) Trevor (Lyta was previously the daughter of Earth-Two Wonder Woman).

In more recent years, Miss America was included in updated adventures of modernized versions of the Freedom Fighters. In 2007 she absorbed the energy of the Human Bomb and she evolved into an upgraded lifeform. She discarded her Miss America identity and became Miss Cosmos. Miss America has the power of transmutation from a molecular level. Following the New 52 reboot, she was shown to have telepathic abilities as well.

JESTER Real Name: Charles Lane First Appearance: Smash Comics #22 (May 1941) Created by: Paul Gustavson

The Jester was a fairly popular character for Quality Comics, his run in Smash Comics lasting until the title's cancellation in 1949 (issue #85). The Jester had no superpowers, but he was an Olympian-level athlete and trained detective. He was sometimes accompanied by a flying sphere he called the Quinopolis.

Once obtained by DC, he was retconned as being on Earth-2 in the pages of All-Star Squadron in 1984. Like many other Quality characters, he was part of the Freedom Fighters that migrated to Earth X to help fight Nazis there. Ultimately he resigns from the hero business and returns to being a police officer.

In recent appearances (Freedom Fighters vol. 4 - 2010), the Jester was a villain. He is the head of The Arcadians, a group of patriotic radicals.

MANHUNTER Real Name: Dan Richards First Appearance: Police Comics #8 (March 1942) Created by: Tex Blaisdell and Alex Kotzky

Dan Richards was the first of many comic book characters who would use the Manhunter name. He arrived on the printed page in 1942 and proved to be a very popular character. His adventures would run through 1950. Manhunter did not possess any superpowers, but was skilled in hand-to-hand combat and the use of firearms.

When not fighting crime as Manhunter, Richards fought crime as a policeman. He was accompanied by his dog Thor when on patrol, and as Manhunter he could summon Thor (the Thunder Dog!) by a whistle that was inaudible to human ears.

Like most Quality characters, he would be retroactively inserted into DC's Earth-Two and be integrated into the All-Star Squadron and the Freedom Fighters. Richard's legacy would also be intertwined with many of the future DC Manhunters, and he would eventually be killed by Mark Shaw, the 5th (of 8 to date) person to use the moniker of "Manhunter".

RAY Real Name: Langford "Happy" Terrill First Appearance: Smash Comics #14 (September 1940) Created by: Will Eisner and Lou Fine

The Ray's publication time in Quality Comics was rather short, lasting just over three years. Due to an incident involving sunlight and lightning, Happy gains energy-based powers which he can emit from his body, and use to fly. The origin of his powers would change, and over time he would also be able to manipulate and control light.

The Ray would reappear in DC Comics in 1973 as a member of the Freedom Fighters from Earth-X in Justice League of America #107. Following that outing, he would remain a member of the Freedom Fighters when the team was awarded their own series in 1976. The character would later be retconned as originally being from Earth-2 in All-Star Squadron.

After the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Happy Terrill would end up being the father of Ray Terrill. Ray Terrill would take up the mantle of the Ray beginning in 1992. He was given his own ongoing series and served as a member of the Justice League Task Force and later in the Justice League of America.

DC would try two other versions of the Ray. The first was Stan Silver who first appeared in 2006 and the second was Lucien Gates who first appeared in 2012. Neither version had any lasting impact.

RED TORPEDO Real Name: Jim Lockhart First Appearance: Crack Comics #1 (May 1940) Created by: Henry Carl Kiefer (under the pseudonym Drew Allen)

Jim Lockart built a torpedo-ish submarine that he named Torpedo. Using the many devices he built into Torpedo, Jim became the protector of the seas, Red Torpedo. The character, and the torpedo he created, lasted just 21 issues.

When DC created the All-Star Squadron in the 1980s, they dusted off all the golden-age heroes from Quality Comics that they had the rights to, including the Red Torpedo, retroactively inserting them into their stable. Red Torpedo would be part of a group of heroes who chose to migrate to Earth-X as the Freedom Fighters.

In more modern times, Red Torpedo was weaved into the Starman series in 2001 and most recently into an Aquaman storyline in 2006.

BLACKHAWK Real Name: Originally unknown First Appearance: Military Comics #1 (Aug 1941) Created by: Will Eisner, Bob Powell, and Chuck Cuidera Blackhawk and the Blackhawk Squadron debuted in 1941. They are a group of World War II ace pilots. Though there would be occasional roster changes, typically the Squadron consisted of 7 members of varying ethnicities. The adventures of these flying heroes were published by Quality Comics in several different titles through 1956.

As previously noted, unlike most Quality characters obtained by DC, Blackhawk experienced no hiatus. In fact, his self-titled book would be picked up by DC with the numbering and publication continuing uninterrupted. Blackhawk began publication in 1944 under Quality Comics and ended publication in 1984 under DC Comics.

The Blackhawks characters continue to be utilized by DC Comics. Lady Blackhawk (Zinda Blake version) also served as a member of the Birds of Prey from 2004 through 2011.

HUMAN BOMB Real Name: Roy Lincoln First Appearance: Police Comics #1 (1941) Created by: Paul Gustavson

The Human Bomb debuted in 1941 and his solo adventures continued publication through 1946. A secret formula gave him the power to create explosions from his hands. To prevent himself from accidentally destroying things, he needed to remain in a "fibro-wax" lined protective body suit that he designed. Later he would only need to keep the gloves on.

Human Bomb was one of the original six Quality characters revived in 1973 as part of the Earth-X team called the Freedom Fighters. His adventures continued when the Freedom Fighters were given their own series in 1976. He would turn up post-Crisis on Infinite Earths as a supporting character in Damage and The Ray in the 1990s. In 2005 he was killed by Bizarro in Infinite Crisis #1.

DC has since created two revised Human Bomb characters. The first was Andy Franklin created in 2006, and the second was Michael Taylor who was created with the DC New 52 relaunch in 2011.

MIDNIGHT Real Name: Dave Clark First Appearance: Smash Comics #18 (January 1941) Created by: Jack Cole

Inspired by Will Eisner's famous character, Spirit, Midnight is a suit-clad, non-superpowered hero who debuted as a backup tale in Smash Comics #18. After just 7 appearances in that title, he would take over the cover. He would remain the lead character of that series through the rest of its run, which ended with issue #85 in 1949.

Like many Quality heroes bought by DC, Midnight was retroactively inserted onto Earth-Two and made a member of the All-Star Squadron. He eventually joined a splinter group of Squadron heroes, named Freedom Fighters, who migrated to Earth-X.

PHANTOM LADY Real Name: Sandra Knight First Appearance: Police Comics #1 (August 1941)

Created by: The Eisner & Igor Studios and artist Arthur Peddy

Phantom Lady is Sandra Knight, the debutante daughter of Senator Henry Knight. In her initial appearance, it's established that she has been fighting crime as Phantom Lady already. No origin of how or why she decided to be a costumed hero was offered. In her costumed adventuring, she employed her black light ray projector which rendered her opponents temporarily blind and made her virtually invisible. Her strip would run in Police Comics for two years.

She was created by the Eisner & Igor Studio at the request of Quality Comics. Because of this, when Quality stopped publishing her adventures, the Eisner (Igor no more) Studio believed they could assign the character to other companies. In 1947 they allowed the Fox Feature Syndicate to publish Phantom Lady stories. It was while at Fox that her costume was altered to blue and red, and many of her covers would become iconic for their "good girl art". Fox would publish her adventures through 1949.

Phantom Lady would go on to have stories printed by Ajax-Ferrell Publications in 1954/1955. Farrell assets were then bought by Charlton Comics and Phantom Lady would be published by them in the late 1950's and early 1960's.

In 1956 DC acquired the rights to almost all the Quality characters. They believed they owned Phantom Lady, and included her in their new Freedom Fighters team in Justice League of America #107 (1973). She would go on to appear in DC's Freedom Fighters series in 1976 - 1978. She would then be retconned into the All-Star Squadron like most other Quality characters now owned by DC. Following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985), many characters were given revised origins. For Sandra Knight, she was now the cousin of Justice Society member, Starman (Ted Knight). It was revealed in 1994 that she eventually married fellow All-Star Squadron member, Iron Munroe. Their granddaughter would end up being Kate (Manhunter) Spencer, a heroine who had her own comic book in 2004 - 2009.

With Sandra getting much too old for the superhero business, DC has introduced several other versions of the character. Dee Tyler debuted in 1989, Stormy Knight debuted in 2006 and Jennifer Knight debuted in 2012.

BOZO THE IRON MAN (with Hugh Hazzard) First Appearance: Smash Comics #1 (August 1939) Created by: George E. Brenner

Hugh Hazzard was suiting up in a robotic armor some twenty years before Tony Stark over at Marvel Comics! Bozo the Iron Man (sometimes referred to as Bozo the Robot) had adventures published from 1939 through 1943. The Iron Man, quickly named Bozo, was originally created by a villain to commit crimes. The villain was apprehended by Private Detective Hugh Hazzard. Hazzard began inhabiting the Iron Man to assist law enforcement around New York City.

When DC acquired the Quality Comics characters, Bozo was among them. Unlike most of those characters, Bozo was not integrated into the All-Star Squadron. He eventually made his DC debut in several Starman stories in the early 2000s and most recently in the 2019 Freedom Fighters maxi-series.

KID ETERNITY Real Name: Originally unknown First Appearance: Hit Comics #25 (December 1942) Created By: Otto Binder and Sheldon Moldoff

Kid is an unnamed young boy who, along with his grandfather, is killed by Nazis while they are out fishing. When the two arrive in heaven, the lector's books say that only the grandfather was scheduled to arrive in heaven that day. The boy isn't scheduled to die for another 75 years. To try and make up for this celestial error, the Kid is sent back to Earth and given superpowers to try and compensate for things. His power is the ability to summon the dead (including historical figures, legendary characters, mythological people, and animals) to assist him in his mission to maintain good in the world. His powers are activated when he says, "Eternity". To assist him on his journey, a heavenly clerk named Mr. Keeper is sent down to travel with him. He debuted in Hit Comics in 1942. In 1946, Kid Eternity was awarded his own self-titled book. He continued to be featured in both titles through the end of 1949. Like most Quality Comics characters, he was acquired by DC Comics in 1956. In the 1970s, DC would occasionally reprint tales of Kid Eternity's Quality adventures in some of their Giant Sized comics. But the Kid wouldn't be featured in a new tale until 1977 when he was a guest star in Shazam! #27. This was a significant guest appearance because it revealed that while all the other Quality heroes resided on Earth-X in DC's multiverse... Kid Eternity instead resides on Earth-S. Earth-S was another Earth established as the world where all the former Fawcett Comic characters existed. Similar to Quality, Fawcett was another former comic book publisher who closed down and sold their characters to DC. Fawcett had been the original publisher of the Shazam-related characters such as the original Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr., and Ibis the Invincible. Someone at DC had made the observation that Kid Eternity's powers were activated by saying a word, similar to how the Marvel Family's powers were activated by saying a word ("Shazam"), so they thought Kid Eternity might be a better fit on Earth-S. Leave it to DC to further cement this decision. Almost since their inception, the folks at DC have been notorious for trying to make characters be related to each other! And they did this again in 1982. Kid Eternity discovers that his real name is Kit Freeman, and he is the brother to Freddy (Captain Marvel Jr.) Freeman!

DC would eventually update the character of Kid Eternity a couple times. The first was in their Vertigo line, where he was given a short-lived series from 1993 to 1994. In 2009 (post Infinite Crisis) he would appear with the Teen Titans.

UNCLE SAM Real Name: Uncle Sam! First Appearance: National Comics #1 (July 1940) Created by: Will Eisner

Uncle Sam is a mysterious entity who appears whenever the United States needs him. He originated as the spirit of a Revolutionary War soldier. He has exhibited numerous different powers including super strength, invulnerability, size alteration, and super speed. He appeared in every issue of National Comics which concluded with #44 in 1945. He would also be awarded his own quarterly title which was printed from 1941 through 1943.

After being acquired by DC Comics, he first reappeared in Justice League of America #107 as the leader of the Freedom Fighters... a group of superheroes fighting the Nazis in the current time on Earth-X.

The character's origin has been modified and rewritten numerous times since his return... thanks to DC Comics. But he's continually shown as representing the good of the United States and being the leader of numerous iterations of teams named... the Freedom Fighters.

At this point, some might close this tour and call it a day. But not me! I'm a completist! So, as the theme lyrics of the original season of Gilligan's Island would say, here's "...and the rest"! These are characters that DC acquired from Quality, but have only been used in a passing panel or two, or merely only referenced. CAPTAIN TRIUMPH (Lance Gallant can merge with the ghost of his dead twin brother Michael. When doing so he becomes Captain Triumph with super strength, super speed, invisibility, and flight.) DOLL GIRL (Martha Roberts is the fiance, and later wife, of Darrel (Doll Man) Dane. Using the same formula Darrel did, she operated as his partner in crime fighting.) INVISIBLE HOOD (Detective Kent Thurston dons a crimson robe that has been treated with an invisibility formula that allows light to bend around him. He also employs a gas gun that knocks out opponents.) LADY LUCK (Brenda Banks dons a green costume with a veil to fight crime. She's often accompanied by her Italian chauffeur named Peecolo)

MADAM FATAL (Retired actor Richard Stanton uses his acting and disguise skills to become the elderly Madam Fatal to infiltrate the gang that kidnapped his daughter. He holds the distinction of being the first cross-dressing hero in comic books.

MAGNO (Tom Dalton acquired electrical powers that he used to fight crime. His powers would need to continually be recharged by touching exposed wires.)

MERLIN THE MAGICIAN (Jock Kelly discovers he is the last in the lineage of Merlin from King Arthur's court. He is bestowed a green cloak which grants him an array of different magic based powers.)

NEON THE UNKNOWN (Tom Corbet, lost in a desert, drinks from a glowing oasis and discovers he has gained "neonic power". He can shoot "neonic bolts" from his hands, and he can fly.)

So there you have it! A swath of characters who, without the foresight of DC Comics, would most likely have gone unheard of after 1956! I hope you've enjoyed this look into the many characters created and originally published by Quality Comics. I think I'm going to go rummage through my comic collection and find my copies of Justice League of America #107 and #108 and reread the tale that introduced Earth-X to nine-year-old me!  All characters, names, and elements and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of DC Comics, Inc.