One-hit wonders?

[Kevin Yong]

Hi all. While I've been enjoying reading the ongoing series for various Golden Age characters, I've recently taken an interest to the "one shot" superheroes who only made a single appearance before the publisher moved on to other things.

So far I've stumbled across "Amazona" from Fiction House's Planet Comics #3, "Purple Tigress" from Fox's All Good Comics #1, and "The Rainbow" from Centaur's Arrow Comics #3. I find these stories fascinating in the same way as TV pilot episodes that never got picked up as series: sometimes good, sometime bad, but always an interesting potential of what might have been.

Anyone have recommendation for more superheroes who lasted only for one issue? Thanks!

-- Kevin Yong

[skybandit]

A (very incomplete) list from my own personal (very incomplete) PD Superhero Cyclopedia:

Atlas the Mighty from Choice Comics #1
Atoma from Joe Palooka Comics #15
Black Orchid from Tops Comics (1944 one-shot) 2 adventures, but only 1 comic
Black Panther from Stars and Stripes #3
Black Satan from Yankee Comics #1
Black Widow from Cat-Man Comics #1
Blue Fire from Wham Comics #2 (also contains a text story)
Bogey Man from Red Band Comics #1 (reprinted in #2)
Buck Skin from Super-Mystery Comics Vol. 2 #1
Captain Red Cross from War Victory Adventures #3   
Dr. Mystic from Comics Magazine #1 (a renamed Dr. Occult story)
Electric Ray from Amazing Man #26   
Ferret from Man of War #2
Golden Girl from Golden Lad #5

I’ve only gotten up to the “Gs” so far.  Check out the Public Domain Super Heroes website for a way to find more without actually reading through ten thousand comics.

[JonTheScanner]

   
Dr. Mystic from Comics Magazine #1 (renamed Dr. Occult when acquired by DC)

Dr Occult appeared first in New Fun #6.  This was before Dr. Mystic in Comics Magazine #1. The story in Comics Magazine #1 was the first part of a story continued in More Fun (which New Fun changed its name to) #14-17. The speculation is that that the first installment of the Dr Occult story was stolen by or given to the founders of Centaur Comics in lieu of payment owed.  In any case, it's not really a one-shot hero, but one who had one part of one story told under another name possibly for trademark reasons.

[narfstar]

Solarman and Buzzard also from Wham 2
Atomic Thunderbolt from Regor
Captain Truth and Lucky Man from Gold Medal
Captain Combat, Ghost Woman, Comandette and Red Rogue from Star Studded
Super Dog in Zoo Comics 5 yes a funny animal superhero predating Krypto

[Kevin Yong]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I'll look those up. They sound fun.

Check out the Public Domain Super Heroes website for a way to find more without actually reading through ten thousand comics.

Good idea. (Not that I'd mind reading through ten thousand comics, but that may take me awhile.) 

-- Kevin Yong

[Kevin Yong]

Hmm, I found another interesting one-shot character: "Nature Girl", who made a grand total of one appearance, in a one page backup story in Nature Boy #5 by Charlton. That has to be the most abbreviated character appearance I've found yet.

-- Kevin Yong

[narfstar]

Even worse their are one shot characters that only appear on a cover no other mention ever. Green Ghost appeared in a one page text story never even got see what the character looked like.

[Bob Hughes]

   
Dr. Mystic from Comics Magazine #1 (renamed Dr. Occult when acquired by DC)

Dr Occult appeared first in New Fun #6.  This was before Dr. Mystic in Comics Magazine #1. The story in Comics Magazine #1 was the first part of a story continued in More Fun (which New Fun changed its name to) #14-17. The speculation is that that the first installment of the Dr Occult story was stolen by or given to the founders of Centaur Comics in lieu of payment owed.  In any case, it's not really a one-shot hero, but one who had one part of one story told under another name possibly for trademark reasons.

Comics Magazine #1 features a bunch of former Nicholson features, some of which continue in later Nicholson books with new titles and artists while the originals run in Comics Magazine titles.  An equally likely scenario is that Siegel and Shuster went with Cook and Mahon and the Major talked them into coming back to Nicholson somehow. (Maybe he paid them what he owed them).  Dr. Mystic was a new strip- the remaining chapers were reworked and later used as Dr. Occult stories.  Same thing happened with Federal Man which became Spy when it moved to Detective.

[Yoc]

Another one-shot character was 'Mekano' in Standard's 'Wonder Comics #1' art by Bob Oksner.
It can be found here -
http://tinyurl.com/359hx84

-Yoc

[darkmark (RIP)]

How's about Little Hercules from MYSTIC COMICS, who was drawn by Popeye artist Bud Sagendorf?

[Yoc]

Atoma from Joe Palooka Comics #15 by Powell is especially good!
You can find it here -
http://tinyurl.com/36fh2md

-Yoc

[Kevin Yong]

Atoma from Joe Palooka Comics #15 by Powell is especially good!
You can find it here -
http://tinyurl.com/36fh2md
-Yoc

Thanks. Atoma was an interesting story. I can't help but wonder what the creators had in mind when constructing this unusual tale: Panel layouts that counted down the page numbers? Interesting character designs but no background art at all? All this, plus hints of trouble at the end of the story that just begged for follow-up sequels. It left me disappointed that this was just a one-shot, I would have loved to see more of this character (quirky page layouts and all).

--- Kevin Yong

[Yoc]

I totally agree Kevin.
Perhaps it was just too 'out there' for them back then?

[Geo (RIP)]

Atoma from Joe Palooka Comics #15 by Powell is especially good!
You can find it here -
http://tinyurl.com/36fh2md
-Yoc

Thanks. Atoma was an interesting story. I can't help but wonder what the creators had in mind when constructing this unusual tale: Panel layouts that counted down the page numbers? Interesting character designs but no background art at all? All this, plus hints of trouble at the end of the story that just begged for follow-up sequels. It left me disappointed that this was just a one-shot, I would have loved to see more of this character (quirky page layouts and all).

--- Kevin Yong

I remember when I was scanning that issue, that it was a very different type story. What I didn't know at the time was that it was only a one-shot story, (like you stated it was setup to be a continuing story). I did mention that it was done in a 'number' style, that I'd never seen done before.

Geo