Marvel Comics... Before there was "Marvel Comics"

At the present time, the powerhouse in comic books is Marvel Comics, in no small part due to their dominating box offices in theaters around the world. But there was a time when a different "Marvel Gang" gave Superman and his Super Friends a run for their money, from printed page to studio serials.

Beginning with Whiz Comics and its most famous creation, dozens of series were spawned from this success, each capitalizing on masked mystery men. Two of those heavily featured in the early days were Bulletman and Mister Scarlet. The former headlined Nickel Comics and moved over to Master Comics when his first title folded, while the latter headlined Wow Comics with multiple tales each issue at the start.

Though neither of these colorful crusaders had a movie serial of their own, like others in their fictional universe such as Captain Marvel, Spy Smasher and Captain Midnight, there presence was still strong. More so with Bulletman, whose popularity spawned a self-titled comic of his own.

Were it not for a war between their publisher, Fawcett Comics, and their main rival in National DC Comics, it could have been these two heroes and their partners whom you would see in movie near you. 

Showdown with Blackmask (Nickel Comics #3)

Once more, Jim "Bullet" Barr is keeping a keen eye on potential or realized crimes... rather on the dashing damsel that seems to habitually hover around him. It seems both he and his arch-enemy read the same paper, since they each draw the same conclusion that each other will be present for a diamond shipment, Blackmask to steal it and Bulletman to stop him. But since the former is really Steven Doone, publisher of that's paper, there is no reason for him to pursue such ill-gotten gains as he would be wealthy as is. See, Blackmask is all about power and gaining it through his underworld activities. But Bulletman wouldn't know that, or would he? He would become known as the Flying Detective eventually, so he could piece it together. But not quite yet as he is a social crusade at this point.

Throughout this tale, Blackmask's goal is to eliminate the mystery man who twice crushed his crooked capers. To that end, Bulletman is led through a series of tests to his endurance and will. First, at the locale of the diamond shipment, our flying friend sees a seemingly lifeless body dresses as a guard outside. In fact, it is a dummy that lures him close enough to breath in knockout gas which knocks him out. Awaking to new shoes on his feet, made of concrete, he is hurled over the side of a ship into the ocean. Yet with a combination of his miraculous Gravitu Regulating Helmet and his sturdy physique, he is able to propel himself out of the drink and onto the autogyro that his adversary's hoods are piloting. Grabbing a radio receiver from one of them, he locates Blackmask's lair.

However, Blackmask had planned for this contingency, and has poison gas flood the room they are in, which temporarily effects Bulletman while the arch criminal escapes. Seeing that this likewise has no lasting effect of the hero, the mastermind removed his hood and as Mr. Doone tricky Sergamt Kent and his daughter to join Jim for a car ride, kidnapping them.

Again, using the radio antennae he grabbed from that henchman, Bulletman followed Blackmask to another site also laid with snares for the superhero. First hydrochloride acid. The electrical shocks transmitted from a hanging device. When neither of these stopped the Avenging Artillary, Blackmask used a tank! That's okay, Bulletman trumped him with a tower of cars he stacked on top of it. Finally capturing and unmasking Blackmask, the world  now knew of Doone's criminal enterprises. Although maybe not if they got their news from his paper, the Trumpet. Whatever Doone's endgame was, it was never revealed to the reader.

Bullet Buddies: To focused on his crime fighting careers, both inside a lab coat and inside spandex, Jim is to oblivious to notice the two forces that pull him towards and away from self-confidence. On one hand, is her pop her mercilessly heckles the young man for his... well... lack of manliness? Wondering how Kent treats the rest of his officers?

Rocketing Romance: And on the other hand, there is a perpetually adoring Susan who seems to center her life on hovering around the police lab, Really, doesn't she have anywhere else to be? Or a personal life of any sort? Soon, she will.

Bedeviling Bulletman: For his third and final felonious foray, Blackmask goes all out this episode. With a poison gas, an autogyro, hydrochloride acid, electrical stun projectors, our villain really tries three times to risk himself of his foe. Alas for our antagonist, not only are his schemes squashed but his civilian identity is revealed. 

Powerful Projectile: The germ destroying serum is amping up Bulletman's strength big time! Despite being fitted with concrete goloshes that sink him into the sea, he is able to lift them aloft partially due to his helmet. Still, the stress that would out on normal legs would've torn them clean in two, hence some significant bone and muscle mass is evident. And the stack of cars he lays in a pyramid is a testament to his treatment. The Gravity Regulator on his helmet apparently is controlled by a control panel on the front plating. This would change over time, and would his strength (or lack thereof) to fit the story. 

Fawcett Facts: We are only months away from Bullet meeting some of his contemporaries. Surprisingly, this occasion will be the first time he is seen alongside his future sidekick/partner, before she even dons her own super-suit.

Melodious Death - Mr. Scarlet Meets the Ghost - The Horned Hood (Wow Comics #2)

Since his last appearance, which was also his first appearance, in the winter of 1940, evidently big plans were in the works for our red raider, as not one nor two but three tales were penned of him for the upcoming summer 1941 Wow Comics edition! From these tales, the mythos of this masked manhunter were built upon, from his hot and cold relationship with secretary and girl friday in Miss Cherry Wade, to his first repeating rogues revealing themselves in each of these three adventures.

In the first tale "Melodious Death", special prosecutor Brian Butler and Miss Wade are working through their legal case workload, when strange music radiates from a nearby window. Quickly changing into his scarlet spandex, our hero finds the deceased body of orchestra pianist Campini. It seems that the musician had delivered to him an odd melody that he found himself playing until stuck in a cord that inexplicably led to his demise.

Shaking down a hood, as would become his standard m.o., Mister Scarlet ultimately used a note left with the victim with a postdate to somehow track down the culprit and his goons. The ghastly looking Doctor Death was the man behind this crime, although Scarlet needed prove to pin on him. So, leaving the shaken hood at the base of a stairway, Scarlet impelled his adversary to make his next move. That move, to strike at the next man of three that were on his list... a Mister Ravelle.

Once more, Scarlet shows his creepy side as a man with no barriers, once more lunging in midair into the apartment of Miss Wade, who provided him with a key to cause of Campini's death. Poison laced in the paper that contained the notes of the sheet music which was Campini's last performance.

At Ravelle's home, Mister Scarlet made quick work of Doctor Death and his hoods, although it seemed at first that Death had our protagonist somehow sweating for his life! And through deduction, Scarlet ascertained that Doctor Death was in fact Ravelle, who had recently been fired from the symphony and sought revenge on the man he blamed for this.

But never fear, Doc Death would return...as would the next two villains this issue!

In "Mister Scarlet Meets the Ghost", we see our colorfully clad crimefighter this time prowling the streets of the yet to be named Gotham City in pursuit of problematic prey.

Henry Suffridge, the Orphan Society's president, discovered that one of his board members has stolen from that organization's funds. Three candidates as to who this could be... Petrie, Crane or Jones. As each man left the meeting, the mysterious Ghost sent out his minions to scare one of the trio, leaving Mister Jones in a panic when a Mister Scarlet on patrol found him.

Assuring the businessman there is no such thing as ghosts, our caped crusader decided to approach Suffridge himself to see is the president knew anything about this. From a distance, the sheet-clad ghosts working for our arch-villain were spying Scarlet. Meanwhile, Mister Scarlet had a plan.

When next seen, the masked Brian Butler is, yet again, somersaulting through the perpetually open window of his secretary, jarring her from her slumber. Then, almost as suddenly, he leave! What is this guy's deal?

Tracking down the Ghost and goons, who now have cornered Jones and seek to scare him into admitting who the criminal is that is stealing from the Orphan Society, one of their number throws off his sheet to reveal... Scarlet himself.

Making quick work of the thugs, are daring do-gooder reveals his suspicions which turn out to be true, that Suffridge himself was the Ghost who was seeking to distract attention from claims that he himself was the crook behind this theft.

Never fear, the Ghost would reappear, although we first need to meet the third member of this budding battalion of bad guys.

When the Maharaja Jewels were being displayed in the local museum, they were a temptation to much for the Horned Hood to resist. Realizing as Brian Butler that his alter ego would be needed to guard these jewels, Mister Scarlet was on hand later that night when professional henchmen Rocco and Slugger broke in to steal these priceless items, as their boss looked on. Busting up the dastardly duo, Mister Scarlet's attention was distracted as the Hood got away with his ill-gotten gains. Once more muscling information from one of the felons, Mister Scarlet tracked down the jewels to a local fence who seemingly got the drop on the hero, as his boys overwhelmed the hero. Never fear, Scarlet broke through his bonds without breaking a sweat, and once more force one of his captors to reveal the hideout of Horned Hood.

But before facing his the floppish fiend himself, Scarlet decided to revisit his favorite pasttime, breaking into Miss Cherry Wade's flat! At this point, it is quite obvious she's fed up with her employer's frequent visits, although still insists on leaving her windows ajar! Then, after trouncing both his remaining cronies and the Hood himself, Scarlet brought the jewels back to their rightful owners. Another case closed.

• Supporting Scarlet: At this point, Miss Cherry Wade really would like someone else to occupy the attention of Brian and his other identity.

• Red Romance: As for the caped and cowl crusader who during daytime hours plays the part of her Miss Wade's boss, Mister Scarlet seems to be throwing out not-so-subtle hints of interest.

• Menacing the Mister: Three foes who would later reappear... together with others... in their next appearance! Indeed, Doctor Death, Ghost and Horned Hood were the first recurring rogues of many that would face Scarlet throughout the years.

• Crimson Capabilities: Tremendous strength, to burst out of bonds so easily. Daring acrobatics from ledge to ledge, without nary a rope in sight. Astute observational and/or bold assumption skills.

• Fawcett Facts: Still no outside connections to the greater Fawcett-verse. But soon...

Will the streak of multiple tales in a single issue continue? Let's find out...

Who is Bulletman? (Nickel Comics #2)

Weeks after his initial appearance, Bulletman reappears in the offices of the Trumpet newspaper to track down a missing check. That paper had advertised that they would pay $1000.00 to any individual who sent them a picture of this new superhero, which Bulletman happily provided with the condition that they pay this amount the the police pension fund. However, its obstinate publisher Steven Doone was skeptical as to the validity of this picture, which was verified by Bulletman dragging him through the skies above the city in flight. This enmity between hero and newspaper prefigured the dynamic decades later between a spider and an editor. Be that as it may, Doone was secretly the crime lord known as Blackmask whom Bulletman tangled with in his origin tale, and would be a source of trouble now.

Investigating the death of a Doctor Danton, police lab investigator Jim Barr used a powerful chemical to reveal hidden writing on the right arm of the corpse. Although both Jim and Susan Kent saw this, the writing then faded for good before Sergeant Kent could witness this. As always, Kent questioned the usefulness of Jim, while his daughter had unswerving loyalty to the tech, despite Barr's standoffish behavior.

Heading to the bank where the safety deposit box was located, Jim saw a gang of crooks there seeking to steal the contents of that box. Prefiguring an iron armored hero many years later, Barr had his super-suit stored in a handy briefcase, and quickly transformed into the poorly nicknamed "Robin Hood of Crime".

After a standoff between the two, wherein the thugs were locked in a vault after fleeing a Bulletman who ripped a slab of flooring to block their escape route, one hood escaped with a freezing gas which Danton had developed. Flying the locked vault into a nearby river and threatening the well being of its captives, Bulletman obtained from them the location of their leader's lair where the fleeing hood and the gas would end up. Once there, Blackmask himself used the freezing gas to immobilize Bulletman, although the effect was only temporary as the hero activated his Gravity Regulator Helmet to effect an escape.

After briskly responding to an inquisitive Susan, as she sees her love interest investigating this new chemical concoction, Jim used his antidote to the freezing gas as Bulletman to free the paralyzed citizens held under Blackmask's sway. Using his massive strength to bat away the airplane that had sprayed the gas on the city below, Bulletman then retreated to his alter ego.

• Bullet Buddies: Sarge Kent kept up his disbelieving demeanor towards his technician. Was it out of disrespect for the young man, or did Kent sense that his daughter was falling for a frail lad whom her father thought wasn't good enough for her?

• Rocketing Romance: Susan continued to show consistent confidence in Jim while curious about this new helmeted hero whom he dismissed. Could a love triangle soon be forming?

• Bedeviling Bulletman: Blackmask showed his extensive network of knowledge, by rooting out this hidden piece of technology invented by Doctor Danton, and a bit of courage in so far as he was the one to throw this experimental freezing gas at his mortal foe though untested. No doubt he was still stinging at being hijacked from his business and threatened to pay funds he had promised. However, Doone was still not one to back down, stating in an editorial his disbelief in the picture provided to him by Bulletman. As he related to J. Jonah Jameson?

• Powerful Projectile: From his last adventure, lifting a water tower, to pulling out concrete and and entire vault from its moorings, and carrying it aloft for presumably a few miles, is impressive. The controls of the Gravity Regulator Helmet are seemingly activated by Bulletman while he is bound, and have a devastating effect on the roof of Blackmask's hideout.

• Fawcett Facts: How Susan doesn't connect budding boyfriend nicknamed "Bullet" to the fearless flying Bulletman is mystifying.

Is this the last we hear of Blackmask? Will there be any future confrontations between publisher Doone and his city's newest champion? Will Sergeant Kent cut Jim a brake? Will Jim finally take a clue from the fawning of Susan and ask her out? More yet to come...