The Fargo Kid

The Fargo Kid was Tim Turner, who operated in the 1940s and rode a horse named King. He was in FEATURE COMICS #47-63 (1941-1942).

The Fiend With Five Faces

Well, I dusted off my box of JLA and found the story is from JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #156 (July 1978), "The Fiend With Five Faces!":

The Justice Leaguers battle four gods, who are causing all kinds of havoc. Over the course of the story, the heroes learn that, many millennia ago, while humanity was still in it's primitive infancy, the last five living gods of Oceania thrived in peace on an isle of plenty. They were Tangora the Wise, Ku the War-God, Mauri the Love-Goddess, Tane the Nature-God, and Rongo the Jester. One day, 70,000 years ago, Tangora saw dark clouds swirling on the horizon. He warned the others of a coming disaster, but they only laughed. Then the disaster did come. Earthquakes, storms, floods, and other catastrophes struck all over the world. Tangora proclaimed that the Great Age was ending, that the time for gods was past. They would all die unless they joined together for common survival. The others dissented, but Tangora insisted there was no other way. The five gods of Oceania joined hands and merged into one, a single being with five faces. The isle was sinking, gales raged across the Earth, and glaciers began their long march south to begin the last ice age. The merged gods sought high ground, but there was no escape. Before the waters closed in, Tangora spoke of a day when the seas would recede, freeing them from their imprisonment. When that time came, he said, they would need restraint, lest they overpower the new race with their magnificence. The other gods pretended to heed him, but they had other plans. They passed into a dreaming death, as the rising waters claimed their island. Recently, Oceania surfaced and the gods were freed.

Phantom Stranger, Red Tornado and Batman locate the imprisoned Tangora, who was betrayed and bound by the others when the island surfaced and the quintet separated. Once freed, the leader of the gods summons the other four against their wills back to their island home. Tangora explains to the heroes that this happens every time they return to the surface world. They arise periodically to recover their lost strength and to regain, for a time, their much-needed individuality. Each time they rise, the other four believe it is their first time. They can only remain on the surface for one lunar interval, then they must merge once again and return to their watery grave. The memory is so painful that only Tangora can retain it. The others forget the wars, the disasters, and the tragedies they cause. The five gods then merge back into the "fiend with five faces", and the island sinks beneath the waves, as it has countless times before.

The story ends in Atom revealing his secret ID to Jean, and they wed.

Comments

The only characters I can think of off hand that might fit your description are the heroes of the Microcosmos, who appeared in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #213 (Apr 1983) - #215 (June 1983), but that's a few years after the Atom's wedding. They were Wanderer (Krystal Kaa), Twigg, Sister Light & Mother Moon of the Siren Sisterhood, and Mule. They have not yet been covered. Were these the ones you were thinking of?

No no no, that was much later, with art by Don Heck. I only have the issues I mean in a German collection, so I have no ideas about the actual names. Art was by Dick Dillin.

Fighting Yank

I noticed that since Sept 11, another comic company (AC Comics, I believe) has been reviving that golden oldie, Fighting Yank.

Maybe he could team up with Commando Yank and we could have an All-Yank special.

Was there ever a hero called Captain Yank?

I know there was a strip called "Yank and Doodle" but I think that was a comedy.

Filmation Cartoon Characters (1966-68)

The following characters appeared only in episodes of various cartoons produced by Filmation in the late 1960s. Follow the links for more detailed information.

Some information summarized from the Big Cartoon Database by John Censullo (http://www.bcdb.com/)

THE BRAIN (Filmation cartoon)

The Brain was a foe of Aquaman who appeared in 4 episodes of the The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure:

• "The Brain, The Brave and The Bold" (6 February 1968)
• "The Trio Of Terror" (17 March 1968)
• "The Mirror-Man From Planet Imago" (26 May 1968)
• "Programmed For Destruction" (15 July 1968)

MIGHTY LAD (Filmation cartoon)

Written by John Censullo

Mighty Lad appeared in the The Batman/Superman Hour:

• "Superboy Meets Mighty Lad" (21 September 1968)

On the outskirts of Smallville, a dark cloud spewing flames moves towards town. Clark Kent spots the distant threat and changes to Superboy. He is joined by Krypto and the two intercept the cloud and try to beat back the flames. Superboy is very concerned that the cloud is getting too close to Smallville. Suddenly, a flying teen dressed in blue, yellow, and black streaks down and destroys the menace.

After they land, the teen introduces himself as Mighty Lad of Krypton! Superboy questions how he survived Krypton's destruction and got to Earth. Mighty Lad responds by saying he rocketed away from Krypton at the last moment, just like Superboy did, but his craft became trapped in orbit around the Earth. He remained in suspended animation until the orbit decayed and the ship landed on Earth. Mighty Lad tells Superboy he now has competition, but Superboy replies that he welcomes the help. After Mighty Lad flies away, Krypto begins barking. Superboy tells his pet that that's no attitude to take; that Mighty Lad may be boastful, but there's nothing wrong with having a super-helper.

Soon after, an undersea volcano erupts, menacing the shipping lanes. Superboy and Krypto arrive at the scene. Superboy decides that they must first eliminate the water spouts caused by the eruption, but Mighty Lad arrives and takes care of them before they can act. Superboy and Krypto instead team up to seal off the volcano itself. Afterward, Superboy thanks Mighty Lad for his help, and the teen again departs. Krypto barks again, but Superboy tells him to knock it off, that he's just being jealous.

The following day, an unmanned missile is launched toward outer space. Suddenly, it begins to topple out of control. Superboy and Krypto respond to the emergency, but before they can do anything, Mighty Lad arrives and saves the missile. He tells Superboy that he is slowing down, then flies off. Krypto begins barking once more, this time drawing Superboy's attention to a tampered wire on the missile. Superboy now realizes that Krypto has been trying to tell him something.

Within minutes, Superboy's x-ray vision leads them to Mighty Lad, who is in a cave working on a strange machine. Superboy and Krypto enter the cave, startling the mysterious teen. Superboy asks Mighty Lad what his game is and what the machine is for. Mighty Lad states that it's none of Superboy's business. Superboy then says he'll just have to take it to someone who can explain it, and promptly lifts the machine. Mighty Lad tells Superboy to put it down, and leaps at him. The machine drops and explodes. The damaged device projects devastating rays about the cave, melting everything they touch and sealing the exit. Visibly shaken, Mighty Lad states that the rays are getting close. Superboy says that it doesn't matter, with their super-powers they can crash right out of the cave. Mighty Lad admits that he doesn't have any powers, and begs Superboy to help him. Superboy responds by shielding the frightened teen, and Krypto clears a path for them through the cave wall.

As Superboy flies the phony hero to safety, he asks Mighty Lad how he pulled off the hoax. Mighty Lad points to his spaceship, saying he comes from another world where their science is very advanced. After they land, the teen explains that with special equipment he was able to create all the emergencies. His super-powers were derived from special gadgets hidden under his costume, which were powered by the generator in the cave. When it was destroyed, he lost all his special abilities.

As he prepares to leave, Mighty Lad says he learned a valuable lesson... there's only one Superboy, and nobody should try to imitate him. After the ship departs, Superboy tells Krypto that he too has learned a lesson... there's only one Super-Dog, and he should never doubt him.

THE WARLOCK (Filmation cartoon)

The Warlock was a foe of Superman and Batman who appeared 7 episodes from:

The New Adventures of Superman:

• "The Wicked Warlock" (24 September 1966)
• "Return Of Warlock" (12 November 1966)
• "The Men from A.P.E." (19 November 1966)

The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure:

• "A.P.E. Strikes Again" (9 September 1967)
• "The Warlock's Revenge" (21 October 1967)

Batman/Superman Hour:

• "The Team of Terror, Part 1" (28 September 1968)
• "The Team of Terror, Part 2" (28 September 1968)

Fireball

Sonya Chuikov was born to a pair of Soviet scientists in 1922. Her parents had been investigating the mysterious Tunguska Fireball that had struck central Siberia in 1908, and apparently their exposure to the aftermath of the event had a mutagenic effect on Sonya. Soon after she was born, her wrists burst into a cool, non-burning flame. the flame could heat up and cover her entire body at times when she became angry or upset. As she grew, she learned to control the fire, being able to hurl firebolts and fly for short distances. Josef Stalin made her a ward of the state, and she was drawn into the War when her village was attacked by Nazi planes. Her family was killed and she almost died herself from wounds she received while destroying some of the planes. She was one of the Allied "mystery-men" who were gathered to open a second front (along with the Squire, Kuei, and Phantasmo). Franklin Roosevelt had brought the four together to go on a War Bond Drive with the Young All-Stars.

Fireball went with Iron Munro to New York City's Columbia University, where they were attacked by Ubermensch and Gudra the Valkyrie of Axis Amerika. She was left for dead and Iron was captured by the Nazi "heroes", as were several prominent scientists (including Albert Einstein). She then proceeded to the Perisphere to get help from the All-Star Squadron, and she and the Atom headed out to try to save Iron and the scientists, who were all taken to a hidden laboratory in Kansas.

The scientists were put into a strange apparatus that would harness their intellects and will to detonate a plutonium device that Baron Blitzkrieg had hidden in Kansas City. Their test worked fine on a model, and as they prepared to use the device for real, they were attacked by a team of All-Stars (the Squire, Kuei, the Atom, Fury, Fireball, and Flying Fox). After a pitched battle with many injuries on both sides, Axis Amerika was forced to retreat.

The War Bond Drive was cancelled after those events, and Fireball returned to her homeland.

Appearances:

• Young All-Stars #22, 24, 25, 26

Fireman Fred Farrell, Jr.

Please also visit http://members.tripod.com/originalvigilante/firemanfarrell.htm

Fred Farrell, Jr. was the son of a famed Center City firefighter. Fred, Sr. had died (apparently of smoke inhalation) when his son was a boy and the youngster vowed to honor his father in his chosen profession. Joining the Center City Fire Department in 1956, young Fred was quickly regarded as a heroic figure in the mold of his father (SHOWCASE #1, by Arnold Drake and John Prentice). Fireman Farrell showed up again briefly in 1978 on two occasions (SHOWCASE #100 and BATMAN #305) and returned for another cameo in CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #7. In current DCU history, Fred is part of the Metropolis Fire Department (ACTION #693 and BATMAN & SUPERMAN: WORLD'S FINEST #4).

Flashback

The past several months had been difficult ones for Diana Prince. Steve Trevor, the love of her life, had been restored to life by the goddess Aphrodite (WONDER WOMAN # 223) only to perish again at the hands of a madman (WW # 248). Seeking a new start as an astronaut with NASA in Houston, Texas (WW # 252), Diana found herself feeling homesick for New York and her job with United Nations security (WW # 255). The last straw came when Diana, as Wonder Woman, unmasked the new leader of the Royal Flush Gang in Texas -- and found her new boyfriend, Mike Bailey staring back at her. Within twenty-four hours, Diana Prince had left the space program, intent on returning to the U.N. (WW # 256).

The U.N.'s head of security was convinced that Diana was a security risk (WW # 256) and said as much (WW # 263) but the young woman still had plenty of friends who wanted to see her back. Hoping to ease some of the tension, they invited her to a reception for French ambassador in Manhattan's Gramercy Park in October of 1979. Making the most of it, Diana was only too happy to hold back when Batman, of all people, stepped in to stop a trio of gun-toting thieves in stocking masks.

Working through the crowd, Diana eventually cornered Bruce Wayne for a personal thank you. He was in the Big Apple, he explained, on behalf of the Wayne Foundation. The United States had been privately pushing for France to be the home of a proposed European automotive plant and Bruce was there to consult with the ambassador. "It means jobs ... prosperity ... and an important step toward easing international trade tensions."

As Bruce joined the ambassador, Diana spotted an intruder on the grounds and realized that Wonder Woman was going to have to make an appearance, after all. The stranger wore a violet body suit with blue tinted goggles and a white gas mask. His gloves were white as was the icon on his chest, a circle with lines of varying lengths erupting from it as if in a burst of light. And, most ominously, he wore holster belt that contained a gun of sorts, a weapon he was prepared to draw on the Amazing Amazon.

Accustomed to deflecting bullets with her bracelets, Wonder Woman nearly laughed when several small green glass spheres struck her. In a moment, her eyes were burning and she was lost in a fog of emerald gas. And suddenly it was 1968 again and a powerless Diana Prince was entering the mansion of millionaire Robert Fass in search of Doctor Cyber (WW # 180). "Go BACK!"screamed Steve Trevor from the top of a staircase. "Get OUT OF HERE!" "You're walking into a TRA ..." The cracking of gunfire roared in Diana's ears and a sobbing Wonder Woman could do nothing but scream.

Alerted by the agonizing cry, Bruce Wayne made his apologies to the ambassador and rushed outside to help the still disoriented Amazon. As his JLA teammate regained her composure, Bruce observed that it "sounds like a drug flashback ... a chemically-induced case of deja vu. Normally it only happens to people who've had a bad trip on LSD."

A collective chill ran through Bruce and Wonder Woman when she recalled that the intruder had a French accent. Racing to the ambassador's side, they were horrified to find the elderly Frenchman convulsed and giggling in a state of madness. The attack of the thieves and the masked subsequent confrontation with Wonder Woman had both been efforts to divert attention from his true target. "There shall be no 'deals' between the people of France and the American traitors!" a note read. "The ambassador is a warning. Anyone who attends the Paris conference will suffer at the hands of Deja Vu!"

Vowing that the economic summit would proceed, Bruce Wayne took his place at the meeting the following week while Wonder Woman paid a visit to the DuBois chemical plant elsewhere in Paris. "Several of the compounds used in the fog were developed at (DuBois)" and "the glass spheres containing the fog used a form of silicon unique to this region of France." The Amazing Amazon was stunned to find "the man we call Flashback" at the site and intently mixing a new brew of his mind-altering compound. Having managed to distract his opponent for a second time, Flashback escaped again, gloating that "you cannot stop me, ma jolie cherie. The traitors will die! They will die -- tonight, in memory of one who died before!"

Aware that he'd have costumed interference, Flashback made it a point to fire a volley of spheres at Batman and Wonder Woman before proceeding with his attack on the international delegation. In a heartbeat, Bruce Wayne was nine years old once more, reliving the murder of his parents and vowing that, this time, he would strike back at their killer. In his delirium, Batman hammered Wonder Woman with punches, convinced that he was pummeling Joe Chill. The beating, coupled with Diana's "Amazon constitution," shielded her from the effects of the nightmare fog but she was far from secure.

Diana and the deranged Dark Knight were now dangling above the streets of Paris, prevented from falling only by a thin loop of Wonder Woman's lasso wrapped around a rooftop spire. Pulling the lasso free, Wonder Woman and Batman began to descend rapidly, finally jolting the Dark Knight back to reality and putting his acrobatic skills to the test as he dived for the cushion of a fabric restaurant awning.

Rushing into the meeting, the Justice Leaguers found Flashback standing on top of the conference table, tossing dozens of glass spheres and laughing maniacally as the economists began to relive the darkest hours of their lives. The Amazing Amazon twirled her lasso into a cyclonic force that blew the fog towards Flashback, obscuring his vision long enough for Batman to land a knockout punch on his jaw. Now aware that even his iron will wasn't enough to withstand the villain's drug, the Dark Knight wore a gas mask as he prepared to air out the room.

Following the terrorist's incarceration, authorities learned that Flashback had been a chemist at DuBois whose "father lost his life working in an American canning plant in southern France ... All his life, he's BLAMED it on Americans and American business."

His confidence still shaken by the effects of the gas, Bruce Wayne wondered what his own hatred of crime said about his mental state. "There IS a difference, Bruce," she emphasized. "HIS obsession ALMOST made him a killer. YOUR obsession leads you to SAVE lives."

"Thank you, Diana," Bruce nodded. "I need to be REMINDED of that, now and then ..."

Published in October of 1979, THE BRAVE & THE BOLD # 158's "Yesterday Never Dies" represented the beginning of a new era in that title's history. Hoping to inject some new voices and perspectives into the venerable Batman team-ups, editor Paul Levitz had removed veteran writer Bob Haney from the book in favor of a succession of guest-writers working with artist Jim Aparo. Gerry Conway was the first of these and, making it a family affair, he featured a villain created by his wife, Carla. Flashback had originally been called Deja Vu, a name that still survived in the art on the villain's manifesto. Destined to be a one-shot wonder, Flashback was sentenced to a long stay in his prison, where he relives his mission of vengeance to this day.

The Flash Dynasty

Flash
Jason "Jay" Peter Garrick. Husband of Joan Williams. No children. Member of the Justice Society. First app. in Flash Comics #1. Active 1939 to the present.

Flash
Bartholomew "Barry" Henry Allen. Twin brother of Malcolm Thawne, a.k.a. the villain called Cobalt Blue. Husband of Iris Russell-West. Father of Don and Dawn Allen (the Tornado Twins). Mentor to Wally West (Kid Flash), his wife's nephew. Member of the Justice League. First app. in Showcase #4. At one point, Iris is believed to have been murdered by the Reverse-Flash however, at the end of his career, Barry is transported to 2957AD and is reunited with his wife. The couple spend a few weeks together, then Barry sacrifices his life to save the Universe. Barry is killed approximately four years ago by the Anti-Monitor in Crisis On Infinite Earths #8. See entry under '30th century' for more.

Kid Flash/ Flash
Wallace "Wally" Rudolph West. Adopted nephew of Iris Russell-West-Allen. Husband of Linda Park. Destined to be the father of Iris West (Kid Flash/ Flash) with Angela Margolin. As Kid Flash, the sidekick to Barry Allen (Flash). Member of the Teen Titans/ Titans and the Justice League. First app. as Kid Flash in Flash v1 #110, first app. as Flash in Crisis On Infinite Earths #12.

Impulse of 30th century (b.2993 AD), later of the late 20th and early 21st century [pre-Zero Hour]
Bartholomew "Bart" Allen. Son of Don Allen (Tornado Twin) and Carmen Johnson. Grandson of Barry Allen (Flash) and Iris Russell-West-Allen. First app. in Flash v2 #91. Born in 2993 AD. Brought into the late 20th century from 2995 AD. Currently active in the early 21st century. See entry under '30th century' for more.
Impulse of 30th century (b.2980 AD), later of the late 20th and early 21st century [post-Zero Hour]
Bartholomew "Bart" Allen. Son of Don Allen (Tornado Twin) and Meloni Thawne-Allen. Grandson of Barry Allen (Flash) and Iris Russell-West-Allen. Cousin of Jenni Ognats (XS). Member of the Titans and Young Justice. First app. in Flash v2 #91. Born in 2980 AD. Brought into the late 20th century from 2982 AD. Currently active in the early 21st century. See entry under '30th century' for more.
Note: The Allen line will likely continue from Bart Allen's descendants.

Kid Flash/ Flash of early 21st century
Iris West. Daughter of Wally West (Flash) and Angela Margolin. Member of the early 21st century Titans. First app. in Kingdom Come #1. Contacted by Jay Garrick (Flash) during 'Chain Lightning' in Flash v2 #146.

Flash of late 22nd? century (century assumed, based on analysis)
Real identity unrevealed. Cameo in Flash v2 #145 (page 3, 12 o'clock), first full app. in Flash v2 #148 (page 8). Contacted by Sela Allen (Flash) during 'Chain Lightning'.

Flash of early 23rd century (years leading up to 2231 AD)
Real identity unrevealed. Father of Sela Allen (Flash). First app. in Flash v2 #146 (page 11). Contacted by Max Mercury during 'Chain Lightning'. Killed by Cobalt Blue in Flash v2 #146.

Flash of mid 23rd century (2231 AD and beyond)
Sela Allen. Daughter of previous Flash. First app. in Flash v2 #146 (page 15). Fought alongside Max Mercury during 'Chain Lightning'.

Flash of late 23rd? century (century assumed, based on analysis)
Real identity unrevealed. Cameo in Flash v2 #145 (page 3, 11 o'clock), first full app. in Flash v2 #148 (page 7). Contacted by Jace Allen during 'Chain Lightning'.

Flash of early 24th? century (century assumed, based on analysis)
Real identity unrevealed. Cameo in Flash v2 #145 (page 3, 3 o'clock), first full app. in Flash v2 #147 (page 18). Contacted by Jace Allen (Flash) during 'Chain Lightning'.

Flash of late 24th? century (century assumed, based on analysis)
Thondor Allen. Fifth generation Jupiter colonist. Cameo in Flash Secret Files #1 (page 26), cameo in Flash v2 #145 (page 3, 6 o'clock), first full app. in Flash v2 #146 (page 18). Contacted separately by Impulse and the Flash of 2591 AD during 'Chain Lightning'.

Flash of mid 25th century
Chardaq Allen. Father of Simogyn Allen (Flash?). First app. in Flash v2 #147 (page 2). Lost his speed powers in battle against Savitrix some years prior to the early 2460s. Possessed briefly by the Cobalt Blue crystal in the early 2460s, defeated by the combined efforts of Wally West (Flash) and Professor Zoom during 'Chain Lightning'.

Flash of late 25th century
Simogyn Allen. Son of Chardaq Allen (Flash). First app. in Flash v2 #147 (page 2). Although not shown with powers in the early 2460s, it is implied he will one day succeed his father as the Flash.

Flash of late 26th century (circa 2591 AD)
Real identity unrevealed. Cameo in Flash v2 #145 (page 3, 1 o'clock), first full app. in Flash v2 #147 (page 18). Contacted by Jesse Quick during 'Chain Lightning'.

Flash of mid 27th century (from 2645 AD to ?), later briefly in the late 20th century, later briefly in the mid 30th century (2945 AD), later of the 853rd century (85,265 to 85,271 AD and beyond)
Jonathan "John" Robert Fox. First app. in Flash v2 Special #1. Born in the 27th century. Previously active in the mid 27th century, and briefly in the late 20th century and 2945 AD. Currently active in the 853rd century. See entry under '853rd century' for more.

Agent Flashling of late 27th? century (century assumed, based on analysis)
Real identity unrevealed. Cameo in Flash Secret Files #1 (page 26), first full app. in Flash v2 #148 (page 7). Contacted by the Flash of the early 29th? century during 'Chain Lightning'.

Flash of mid 28th century (years leading up to 2754 AD)
Blaine Allen of Petrus. Father of Jace Allen (Flash). First app. in Speed Force #1. Death caused by Cobalt Blue in Speed Force #1.

Flash of mid 28th century (2754 to 2764 AD and beyond)
Jace Allen. Son of Blaine Allen (Flash). First app. in Speed Force #1. Contacted by Jesse Quick during 'Chain Lightning' in Flash v2 #145.

Flash of early 29th? century (century assumed, based on analysis)
Real identity unrevealed. First app. in Flash v2 #148 (page 6). Contacted by John Fox (Flash) during 'Chain Lightning'.

Flash of mid 29th? century (century assumed, based on analysis)
Real identity unrevealed. Cameo in Flash v2 #145 (page 3, 7 o'clock), first full app. in Flash v2 #148 (page 6). Contacted by John Fox (Flash) during 'Chain Lightning'.

Flash of late 29th century (circa 2899 AD)
Real identity unrevealed. Cameo in Flash v2 #145 (page 3, 4 o'clock), first full app. in Flash v2 #147 (page 18). Contacted by John Fox (Flash) during 'Chain Lightning'.

Flash of early 30th? century (century assumed, based on analysis)
Real identity unrevealed. Possible cameo in Flash Secret Files #1 (page 26), first full app. in Flash v2 #148 (page 12, bottom). Contacted by Iris West (Kid Flash) during 'Chain Lightning'.

Flash of mid 30th? century (century assumed, based on analysis)
Real identity unrevealed. First app. in Flash v2 #148 (page 12, top). Contacted by Iris West (Kid Flash) during 'Chain Lightning'.

Iris Russell-West (b.2945? AD, 2956? to 2995 AD), also mid 20th to early 21st century [pre-Zero Hour]
Iris Russell was born in 2945? AD, but was sent into the past and adopted by the Wests of the 20th century. Wife, and later widow, of Barry Allen (Flash). Mother of Don and Dawn Allen (the Tornado Twins). Grandmother of Bart Allen (Impulse). Adopted aunt of Wally West (Kid Flash/ Flash).
Iris Russell-West (b.2945 AD, 2956? to 2982 AD), also mid 20th to early 21st century [post-Zero Hour]
Iris Russell was born in 2945 AD, but was sent into the past and adopted by the Wests of the 20th century. John Fox (Flash) was present in 2945 AD just prior to her transportation. Wife, and later widow, of Barry Allen (Flash). Mother of Don and Dawn Allen (the Tornado Twins). Grandmother of Bart Allen (Impulse) and Jenni Ognats (XS). Adopted aunt of Wally West (Kid Flash/ Flash).
Note: The date for Iris Russell's transportation to the 20th century is given as 2927 AD in the Flash Secret Files #1 timeline, however this contradicts the date of 2945 AD given in the John Fox story in Flash 80-Page Giant #1, and is thus considered in error.

Barry Allen (2957 AD), previously mid to late 20th century
At the end of his career, Barry Allen (Flash) is transported from the late 20th century to 2957AD and is reunited with his wife, Iris Russell-West-Allen, who he believed had been murdered. The couple spend a few weeks together, then Barry sacrifices his life to save the Universe from the Anti-Monitor. While in this time period, Barry meets Jenni Ognats (XS) in Legionnaires Annual #3 and Wally West (Flash) in Flash v2 #148-149. See entry under 'late 20th century' for more.

the Tornado Twins of 30th century (2979 AD, 2995 AD) [pre-Zero Hour]
Donald Wallace Allen and Dawn Jae Allen. Twin children of Barry Allen (Flash) and Iris Russell-West-Allen. Don Allen is husband of Carmen Johnson, and father of Bartholomew "Bart" Allen (Impulse). Dawn Allen is unmarried. First app. in Adventure Comics #373. Killed by the Dominators in Legion Of Super-Heroes v4 #17.
the Tornado Twins of 30th century (2979 to 2980 AD) [post-Zero Hour]
Donald Wallace Allen and Dawn Jae Allen. Twin children of Barry Allen (Flash) and Iris Russell-West-Allen. Don Allen is husband of Meloni Thawne, and father of Bartholomew "Bart" Allen (Impulse). Dawn Allen is wife of Jeven Ognats of Aarok, and mother of Jenni Ognats (XS). First mentioned in Impulse #1, first full app. in Legion Of Super-Heroes v4 Annual #6. The Twins first meet Wally West (Flash) in Flash v2 #114. They are contacted separately by Iris West (Kid Flash) and Wally West (Flash) during 'Chain Lightning' in Flash v2 #148. Killed by the Dominators, under orders from Earth President Thawne, in Legion Of Super-Heroes v4 Annual #6.

Impulse of 30th century (b.2993 AD), later of the late 20th and early 21st century [pre-Zero Hour]
Bartholomew "Bart" Allen. Son of Don Allen (Tornado Twin) and Carmen Johnson. Grandson of Barry Allen (Flash) and Iris Russell-West-Allen. First app. in Flash v2 #91. Born in 2993 AD. Brought into the late 20th century from 2995 AD by his grandmother, Iris Allen. Currently active in the early 21st century. See entry under 'early 21st century' for more.
Impulse of 30th century (b.2980 AD), later of the late 20th and early 21st century [post-Zero Hour]
Bartholomew "Bart" Allen. Son of Don Allen (Tornado Twin) and Meloni Thawne-Allen. Grandson of Barry Allen (Flash) and Iris Russell-West-Allen. Cousin of Jenni Ognats (XS). First app. in Flash v2 #91. Born in 2980 AD. Brought into the late 20th century from 2982 AD by his grandmother, Iris Allen. Currently active in the early 21st century. See entry under 'early 21st century' for more.

XS of 30th century (2994 to 2995 AD and beyond) [post-Zero Hour only]
Jenni Ognats of Aarok. Daughter of Dawn Allen (Tornado Twin) and Jeven Ognats. Granddaughter of Barry Allen (Flash) and Iris Russell-West-Allen. Cousin of Bart Allen (Impulse). Member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. First app. in Legionnaires #0. Contacted separately by Impulse and Iris West (Kid Flash) during 'Chain Lightning' in Flash v2 #148.

Flash of the "Dead Earth" era
Bryan Mallory. First app. in Flash v2 Annual #9. Lives on a world that worships the Flash legend. Aided by that era's J'onn J'onzz.

Flash of 98th century
Kryad. First app. in Flash v1 #309. Kryad travels back to the late 20th century, then with Barry Allen/ Flash's help, becomes the Flash of his own era and sacrifices his life to save Earth from an alien beast.

Flash of mid 27th century (from 2645 AD to ?), later briefly in the late 20th century, later briefly in the mid 30th century (2945 AD), later of the 853rd century (85,265 to 85,271 AD and beyond)
Jonathan "John" Robert Fox. Member of Justice Legion A. First app. in Flash v2 Special #1. Born in the 27th century. Previously active in the mid 27th century, and briefly in the late 20th century and 2945 AD. Currently active in the 853rd century. Contacted by Wally West (Flash) in the 853rd century during 'Chain Lightning' in Flash v2 #146. See entry under 'mid 27th century' for more.

Flora, The Girl In The Golden Flower

1st and only appearance: Strange Adventures #18 (March 1952), "The Girl in the Golden Flower"
Description: Blonde hair with a red streak; light green one-piece "bathing suit" with leafy dark green collar; purple blotches on her left shoulder and left thigh.

One spring day, a tiny spore drifted into Earth's atmosphere from space, and landed in a flowerbox outside the window of astronomer Brad Mulford's cottage. A few days later, Brad noticed an oddly colored flower in the box that he didn't recognize, and couldn;t identify from any of his botany books.

Shortly after that, one hot night, Brad had a dream that he was standing in a scarlet desert on an alien world, and fireballs were falling from the sky. He met a girl named Flora, and rescued her from the fireballs by bringing her to a river. The next morning he noticed the odd flower withering from too much sun, and gave it some extra water. It also occurred to him that the flower's colors matched those of the girl in his dream.

Some time later, on a rainy night, he dreamed of Flora again. This time, he saved her from a flood caused by giant raindrops. The next morning, he noticed the flower sagging from too much water.

Brad began to suspect that the flower was somehow telepathically communicating with him, causing him to have these dreams. He moved the flowerbox to the windy side of his cottage, and sure enough, the next night he dreamed of saving Flora from a violent hurricane. The next morning, he transplanted the flower into a hothouse where it would be protected.

For the rest of the summer, the flower thrived, and Brad dreamed every night of visiting worlds beyond our solar system with Flora by his side. But when autumn arrived, Brad had a final dream in which Flora died in his arms, saying that they would meet again. In the morning, Brad found the flower had died. But just then, the doorbell rang. It was a pretty blonde transfer student named Flora Everard, who was sent to meet Brad by a professor at the university... and she had a funny feeling that she and Brad had met each other somewhere before....

This story was reprinted in the MYSTERY IN SPACE trade paperback in 1999, and in DC SPECIAL #3, the all-girl issue.

The Fly-Catcher

Created by Steve Skeates and Berni Wrightson

PERSONAL DATA:

Alter Ego: Vernon Glute, a.k.a. "the Gourmet"
Occupation: Fly-catcher, former millionaire
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: None
Base of Operations: Sleez-Zee Diner, in a poorer part of an unnamed U.S. city
Height: N/A
Weight: N/A
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black, balding
Skin: White

First appearance: Plop! #1 (September-October 1973)

HISTORY:

The story as related by Cain of the Dreaming:

Vernon Glute was a millionaire with no concern for his fellow man. Words as "fat", "gross", and "a slob" would easily apply to him, although he considered himself a gourmet. All of his money was spent on eating, exotic dishes, an excellent kitchen and elegant dining falilcities. Stories are still told of how Vernon Glute spent millions to obtain exotic fruits from faraway lands, of how these fruits would be soaked for years and years in expensive brandies and liqueurs, before they would finally reach the table of the master gourmet, to be savored and consumed.

Yet not even these fruits could compare with Vernon Glute's favorite delicacy - frogs' legs. Mounds and mounds of frogs' legs. Never growing tired of this food, Vernon Glute demanded that the frogs' legs be as fresh as possible. the frogs were to be slaughtered right in his own kitchen.

Sitting down to eat perhaps the 300th batch of frogs' legs he had had that year, Glute was utterly shocked upon discovering that they were under-cooked. Angered, he called for his humble cook and butler Hormsley. When Hormsley suggested he would cook them some more, Glute furiously threw the plate away and demanded a new batch full of newly killed, freshly cooked frogs' legs.

The clock ticked as Vernon Glute impatiently waited and waited for Hormsley to return from the kitchen. But for some reason, that never happened. Finally, Glute's curiousity got the better of him. Lifting his bulk and standing up from the dining table, something he seldom did and therefore quite a task, Glute made an attempt to go out into the kitchen himself and find out the reason for the delay.

But no sooner had he risen than he heard strange sounds, a squaking, as from old wheels, and Hormsley's horrified shouting:

"No! Stay away!... Please! I didn't mean to! I was only doing as I was told! I..."

Then, a blood-chilling scream.

Vernon Glute froze with fear, as the sounds started to appear from everywhere around him, from behind each and every door, growing louder and louder until it became an unbearable symphony. Things began to thud at the doors. Millions of small objects were hitting the doors again and again, causing the woods to splinter. the doors gave away and the terrified Vernon caught a glimpse of what was coming to him.

Frogs. Hundreds, thousands, millions of frogs. Legless frogs, walking with crutches and rolling on squeaking wheels, leaping upon him, croaking for revenge...

Vernon Glute was never heard from again. Years passed, and the stories about him became legend.

Years later, an incident was reported from a sleazy diner in a poorer part of town. the joint had some vermin problems, with summer flies flying and buzzing everywhere. Annoyed, one of the cooks whistled for "the Fly-Catcher". Into the restaurant rolled a fat, slobby, well-dressed but legless man on four squeaking wheels. He surveyed the scene, his eyes riveting on one of the flies. Then, a frog's tongue propelled out from his mouth and caught the fly. the Fly-Cather swallowed his prey, then wiped the corner of his mouth with a linen napkin. Two young costumers fled the diner in disgust.

Vernon Glute's fate was ironic. the man who had once savored only the best of foods was now transformed into a half-human creature, cursed for the rest of his miserable life to dine on the most common of insects.

APPEARANCES:

• Plop! #1 (September-October 1973) "The Gourmet"
• Reprinted in DC Millennium Edition: Plop! #1 (July 2000)

The Flying Boots

Don't know much about them but the Flying Boots were Henny, Steve and Tommy Frank and appeared in STAR-SPANGLED WAR STORIES #99, 100, 104 and 105 as part of the "War That Time Forgot" series.

The Flying Dutchman Of Time

Apps: Firestorm, The Nuclear Man #70 (Apr 88) - #71 (May 88)

Professor Emily Rice, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, holds a press conference at Vandermeer University, discussing the school’s selection for experiments with the proposed Strategic Defense Initiative. Suddenly, an angry, bespectacled man appears, grabs and crushes the SDI model in his hand, then just as suddenly disappears. Although Prof. Rice recognized the man, she feigns ignorance when questioned by the authorities.

A few hours earlier, the new Firestorm battles the beast called the Zuggernaut. The creature fells the Nuclear Man and escapes. When Firestorm splits into Ronnie Raymond and Mikhail Arkadin, the mind of the new Firestorm is drawn into the timestream, where it encounters Rikkard Rynders, the Flying Dutchman of Time.

The Flying Dutchman realizes that Firestorm is meeting him for the first time. The Dutchman explains that in his own past he has had other meetings with Firestorm, but they still lie in the Nuclear Man’s future. They have been enemies and also sometimes friends, for the Dutchman has changed many times during his captivity. He is adrift in the timestream, passing from one end of time to the other with no hope of escape. It is because of this that he calls himself the Flying Dutchman of Time, as in the legend.

By focusing their mental energy, the Dutchman brings Firestorm back to the late 60’s. They observe Professor Rynders holding a peace rally with his students. Later, they see Rynders in his lab with Emily Rice, his graduate assistant and lover. Rynders had come to the conclusion that time-travel was a matter not of physics but of the consciousness. Utilizing psychedelic drugs, Rynders’ astral self had already made several trips through time. It irritated him that none of his colleagues believed his successes without demonstrable, verifiable proof. Thus, he devised machines which could record his neural impulses so that what he experienced, others could see. Emily questions the safety of the experiment, but Rynders is arrogant and patronizing, and insists on proceeding. The Dutchman tells Firestorm that he has watched these events unfold thousands of times. He has tried to stop himself, to no avail.

Rynders wants nothing less than to travel back to the beginning of time. All the wonders he passes on the way mean nothing to him. He is determined to reach the primal big bang that began the universe and see if anything, perhaps, lay beyond it. As Rynders approaches the dawn of time, he sees a large hand in the midst of unimaginable swirling energies. Emily too watches the events from her view-screen. Without warning, the time machine shorts out. Rynders’ physical body begins to convulse, and the machine explodes, bursting into flames. Believing that Rynders is dead, Emily flees the room.

The Dutchman tells Firestorm that his body’s destruction is what has cast him adrift in the timestream, but that Firestorm might be able to help him. The Dutchman explains that he himself cannot change his own past, that he is blocked from entering his own body, but that Firestorm is not. He can enter the body and use his powers to set it free. Firestorm says he is incomplete, that he derives his powers from others not in this time frame. The Dutchman insists and shoves Firestorm’s mental form into his past self. Firestorm becomes trapped in the burning body. The Dutchman tells the Nuclear Man that he will either save him from his doom, or share in it!

Firestorm is in agony as he burns in the body of Rikkard Rynders. With great effort, he succeeds in abandoning the physical form. The Dutchman tells Firestorm that his failure has doomed him to wander the timestream forever. Firestorm demands that the Dutchman return him to his own time. The bitter wanderer claims that he did not bring Firestorm into this realm, and does not know the path back. It was a temporal worm-hole -- a time eddy -- that had drawn Firestorm’s roaming mind into the timestream. The Dutchman states that they will be enemies once again, as they were before. He tells Firestorm that he will be content with the fact that, in one of their meetings that Firestorm has not yet experienced, the Dutchman has had his revenge for the Nuclear Man’s failure. The Dutchman fades away, leaving Firestorm to wander the timestream on his own.

Firestorm spends years traveling forward through time, watching the events of his own birth, as well as the events of the world at large. Eventually, he reaches the present, just as the villain Stalnoivolk is attacking Ronnie Raymond. Firestorm concentrates as Ronnie attempts to summon his fiery alter ego. Firestorm re-emerges in his physical form, ready for battle.

Lt. Dan Foley of the Fighting Fifth Calvary Regiment

Lt. Dan Foley of the Fighting Fifth Calvary Regiment began his adventures in ALL-AMERICAN WESTERN #103-126 (1948-1952). When that magazine was cancelled Dan joined Johnny Thunder in moving to ALL-STAR WESTERN (bumping Don Cabellero and the Roving Ranger in the process). Foley debuted in ASW #66, Johnny in #67. Foley remained a fixture in the book through #115 in 1960 (missing only #108 due to the Silver Age rewrite of Johnny's origin). The Trigger Twins made their final bows in ASW #116 and Johnny Thunder closed out the final three issues with Super-Chief in the back-up slot.

Joe Kubert pencilled Foley for the first two years of its existence (AAW #103-116) before handing the reins to such men as Frank Giacoia (AAW #117, 126; ASW #96, 99), Carmine Infantino (AAW #118-125; ASW #75-77), Gil Kane (ASW #66), Irwin Hasen (ASW #67-74, 78, 80) and Sy Barry (ASW #82). Howard Sherman provided art for most of the series' final six years (ASW #79, 81, 83-95, 97-98, 100-107, 109-115).

Script credits on the first few episodes are unknown so there's no identification as to who created Foley. Certainly, though, John Broome was the writer most associated with the character, generating at least 53 stories (AAW #112-113, 115, 121, 123-126; ASW #66, 68, 70-72, 74-80, 82-90, 92-115). Other scripters included Irv Weirstein (AAW #106), Leo Goldsmith (AAW #107-110), David V. Reed (AAW #116-119), Alvin Schwartz (AAW #120), Dave Wood (AAW #122; ASW #67, 69), France Herron (ASW #73, 81) and Gardner Fox (ASW #91).

Dan's horse was identified by name as Charger in AAW #123 and Blaze in ASW #94. Based at Fort Desolation, Foley reported to Colonel Henry, whose daughter Terry showed up in the early Kubert episodes (AAW #105, 108-110) but vanished when writer Goldsmith left. Late in the run, Broome featured the Colonel's niece, Nancy, in one story (ASW #101). Dan's partner, an Indian Scout named Wingfoot, made several appearances in ALL-AMERICAN (#104-107, 118, 120, 121) but didn't make the move to ALL-STAR. The only other recurring character was a Broome-created inventor named Professor Phineas in ASW #70 and 74.

Villains of note were the Highwayman (Reginald Torbin) in AAW #104 and King Rikon in AAW #105. The last issue of ALL-AMERICAN WESTERN (#126) introduced a female heroine known as the Fighting Redhead.

Only one "Foley of the Fightin' 5th" story has been reprinted. The Broome-Infantino-Giella episode from AAW #124 can be found in SUPER DC GIANT #S-15.

The Forever Man

It was a discovery that would have made the 1940s coalition of scientists informally known as the Time Trust green with envy. In 1943, while trying to create an invisible warship, government scientists thrust the U.S.S. Eldridge into another plane, "the dimension of the time stream."

One of those on the scene, Doctor Reno Franklin, reported that "I was one of many who 'got stuck' as we call it -- caught in between time and NON time. Before I came out of it, I absorbed vast amounts of an energy we termed chronal radiation. Of all those who 'got stuck,' I was the only one who survived without going mad. ... We had somehow teleported the Eldridge through the time-stream from Philadelphia to Virginia and back." Throwing a veil of secrecy over the incident, the military asked Franklin to head up a braintrust to adapt the chronal energy to a new type of aircraft "which would be able to repeat that time-phasing at will."

Stationed in a hollow Utah mountain, the scientists began experimenting, creating devices that the public would describe as flying saucers. It was soon discovered that time was passing far more quickly outside the base than within. The radiation within Franklin's body "was disrupting time in the whole area". By the time Franklin encountered a trio of time travellers accidentally brought to the lab by one of the saucers, he theorized that the outside world was now in the 21st Century (1984's WARLORD #79, by Cary Burkett, Pat Broderick and Rick Magyar).

The visitors in question were Travis Morgan, Krystovar and Shakira, three adventurers from the other-dimensional Skartaris. When they accompanied Franklin into the outside world, it soon became apparent that far more time had passed. It was now 2303 and the Earth had been ravaged by nuclear war. Joining with Franklin's forces, Morgan freed the era's future United States from tyranny and then vowed to use the time machines to prevent the war from happening in the first place (WARLORD #80, 82-85, by Burkett, Dan Jurgens and various inkers).

The small army succeeded but was thrust far back in time as a consequence. They landed in ancient Atlantis, freeing the nation from the despot known as Lord Daamon. When Morgan, Krystovar and Shakira encountered themselves from their first passage through time (WARLORD #79), the time-stream corrected itself and thrust the trio back to their proper era (WARLORD ANNUAL #3).

Franklin and his fellow scientists weren't as fortunate. With their time ships leaking chronal radiation, they sought a safe location to house them and, to their astonishment, found "the same cavern where we had built the ships so far in the future! Apparently our experiments had created a unique phenomenon -- a 'rip'in the time-stream within the cavern ... so that cavern now existed outside of time -- but could be entered from and exited at any point in the time-stream, past or future. It was like a little pocket existing in all times at once -- and a perfect place to leave the ships."

The scientists joined the Atlantean community, sharing their vast scientific knowledge and inter-marrying with them. Rendered immortal by the 1943 incident, Franklin finally went into seclusion, unable to bear the deaths of his now elderly friends and companions. He learned that "with the unique nature of the cavern, existing as it does as a corridor between time and nontime, the chronal energies in my body allowed me to use it as a passageway from one time period to another. I was able to slip the physical limitations of our reality and travel the time-stream at will" (WARLORD #86, by Burkett, Jurgens and Mike DeCarlo).

Now wearing a hooded black bodysuit, its technological enhancements stored in decorative straps on his torso, the Forever Man became a passionate observer of "the history of peoples and civilizations. "Eventually, he paid visits to Morgan's wife Tara (WARLORD #80) and Morgan himself (#86). Bidding them farewell, he noted that "I suppose it has become something of an obsession with me -- to view the history of man firsthand ... but after centuries of life, I find I am more comfortable as an observer than as a participant in the human race." Even today, The Forever Man remains on the fringes of the time-stream, observing those like the Linear Men, who continue to defend its integrity.

The Forgotten Heroes

Frankenstein in the DCU

I received a book called The Frankenstein Catalog that has helped me track DC's Frankenstein stories, and this represents what I came up with:

Unexpected #189 Jan-Feb 1979; Gag.

Unexpected #191 May-Jun 1979; Doctor Henry Frankenstein brings a graverobber back as a monster, but later decides to replace the head.

Unexpected #199 June 1980; gag.

Weird Mystery Tales #8 Nov 1973; A director displeased with a phony monster gets led to a house where the real Frankenstein Monster kills him.

Swing With Scooter #24 Jan 1970; Earth-12 tale.

Secrets Of Haunted House #15 Aug 1979; Gag.

Secrets Of Haunted House #18 Nov 1979; Gag.

House Of Mystery #255 Nov-Dec 1977 - #256 Jan-Feb 1978; Forces Cain to relate stories.

House Of Mystery #220 Dec 1973; Hunter has actual Frankenstein Monster.

Secrets Of Haunted House #34 Mar 1981 - #35 Apr 1981; Lady Frankenstein appears.

House Of Secrets #124 Oct 1974; Edmund Frankenstein (actually a robot; "father" got burned).

Superman #276 June 1974; Monster League of Evil (Earth-T).

House Of Mystery #270 July 1979; Sculptor who makes monster models gets killed by the real and offended Frankenstein Monster and becames a model himself.

House of Secrets #63 Nov-Dec 1963; Mention of Baron von Frankenstein.

DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #4 1971; Gag.

Ghosts #40 July 1975; Mary Shelley story.

Ghosts #106 Nov 1981; Appears with Dracula.

House Of Mystery #36 Mar 1955; Joe Frankenstein.

Weird War Tales #96 Feb 1981; Gag.

Plop #4 Mar-Apr 1974; Gag.

Witching Hour #45 Aug 1974; Gag.

Action Comics #531 May 1982; Duplicate?

House Of Mystery #286 Nov 1980; Gag.

Superman #202 Dec 1967-Jan 1968; Alleges that Bizarro inspired Mary Shelley.

Tomahawk #103 Mar-Apr 1966; Possible inspiration for Frankenstein.

Detective #135 May 1948; Frankenstein without the Monster (Earth-2).

Superman #344 Feb 1980; Appears with Dracula.

Phantom Stranger #23 Jan-Feb 1973 - #30 Apr-May 1974; Spawn of Frankenstein back-up series.

Young All-Stars #16 Sep 1988 - #19 Dec 1988; Appeared in "Dyzan Inheritance" multi-parter.

Comments

Apparently Kaluta did draw one more Spawn of Frankenstein story, but for some reason it was either rejected or unused, so about 10 years later he redrew some panels and added some other stuff here and there, and it saw print in Marvel's Epic Illustrated magazine as "The Wanderer" or something like that.

The Patchwork Man, who debuted in the Wein/Wrightson SWAMP THING (#3, I believe) and later got a one-shot in HOUSE OF SECRETS #140. Patchwork Man was pretty much a Frankenstein's monster swipe slash homage.

One of the faculty of Benedict Arnold High School was a Frankenstein Monster, I don't remember what they called him. It was in the later issues of THE ADVENTURES OF BOB HOPE, #95-109, IIRC. Most of 'em also featured the great Super Hip.

A two-parter in JIMMY OLSEN during the Kirby reign had a miniature planet whose culture was based on the Universal monster movies. There was a Frankenstein Monster in it.

In one of his issues of THE DEMON, there was a huge Frankenstein monster-looking creation who was being victimized by some creepy looking doctor type. I think it was around issue #11 or 12.

The Freedom Brigade

THE FREEDOM BRIGADE are best known as the parents of the incompetent Inferior Five. However, unlike their children, the Brigade were quite a formidable force against evil. Since only bits and pieces of information about the Freedom Brigade and it's members are available, I will attempt to create a post-Crisis view of their adventures from what is already known.

So exactly when and where were the Freedom Brigade active? Well, we know that when the Inferior Five first appeared, the Brigade had retired "nearly 20 years ago". Using the 12-year timeline from SECRET FILES & ORIGINS GUIDE TO THE DC UNIVERSE 2000, the Inferior Five would have appeared about "7 years ago", therefore the Freedom Brigade would have retired about "26 years ago", or around 1974. This would have made them contemporaries of the Justice Experience, a group retroactively introduced in CHASE #6. It is assumed that the Freedom Brigade was active primarily in the city of Megalopolis.

Here's a look at the membership roster...

Finally, here's a list of the known enemies of the Freedom Brigade:

The Freedom Brigade first appeared in SHOWCASE #62 (May-June 1966). When last seen, in SHOWCASE #65 (Nov-Dec 1966), the retired heroes had become instructors at Dean Egghead's Academy for Super-Heroes.

Post Script: I wanted to create a picture of the Freedom Brigade to show just how similar their costumes were to those of the Justice Leaguers. I realized that one of the JUSTICE LEAGUE ARCHIVE covers would be perfect as a base for such a picture, so I started with that and began the painful process of bit manipulation. The result is far from perfect, but you'll get the idea. One interesting thing I learned, which actually caused me to do a significant amount of rework, was that the color schemes of the costumes were altered in the DC DIGEST reprint of the Inferior Five's origin. What you'll see is the true colors as shown in Showcase #62. The picture can be found at http://users.aol.com/outpost2/obscure/freedombrigade.jpg .

Frogmen

I can only provide the name of SHOWCASE #3's wartime Frogmen. They were Sardine, Shark and Whale.

Funny Face

First appearance: a 1942 Superman story.

Powers: He had a strange ray which could transform comic strip characters into real people. He later said that the ray was a result of his "dimensional experimentation" so we can use some pseudo-scientific explanation to say that the ray drew actual people from the hypertime realities where they really existed.

Although dressed rather conventionally (in a business suit that virtually all adult males wore in those early Superman stories), Funny-Face used a spherical mask with a cartoon face that looked like a goofy, buck-toothed version of the Smiley-face symbol, on it. Of course, this being comics, the mask changed expressions with the wearer.

In the story, Funny Face uses the ray to bring to life the villains of various Daily Planet comic strips. Among the baddies he animates are a club-wielding ogre called "Torgo" from a Prince Valiant-type strip, a tommy-gun toting gangster called "Machine-Gun Mike" from a Dick Tracy-like serial, a dwarfish alien called "Goola" from a sci-fi strip entitled "Streak Dugan" (guess where that one came from), a cowboy badman called "Black Raider" from the Lone Ranger clone and lastly, a Snidely Whiplash- type vaudville villain called "the Viper" from a slapstick strip called "Happy Daze."

Not only can he bring these villains to life but Funny-Face can enlarge them to giant size and even make them immaterial at will, so not even Superman can hurt them. In addition, Funny Face can project multiple giant images of his own cartoon face in the sky to obstruct the man of steel.

The villains rob banks and museums at Funny Face's bidding, easily escaping Superman who can't even touch them. Somewhere along the line, Lois gets held hostage by Funny Face. (What a plot twist.) But this time, Lois makes up for it by first tipping Superman off to the baddie's hideout and then using Funny Face's ray to bring the heroes of the Daily Planet comic strips to life so they can rout their respective villains.

At the end, Superman rips off Funny Face's mask to reveal... someone totally unfamiliar. The guy, who never reveals his real name, explains that he wanted to create a world famous comic strip but no one would buy his creations. So he turned to science and devised this ray to bring comic characters to the real world.

I can sympathize with him. When DC cancelled its submissions policy, I was also tempted to unleash giant monsters on society to get revenge.

This story may seem like a minor trifle yet it stands out as possibly one of the first times the characters from other comics "guest-starred by proxy" in a comic book from another company, ala "Squadron Supreme".

The story was so memorable that years later, just before ALL-STAR SQUADRON wound down, Roy Thomas virtually did a remake, this time with the All-Stars standing in for the Earth-2 Superman who was no longer in continuity.

Yet the odd thing is, there is nothing in the original story which violates the post-Crisis continuity of Superman. Once you get past the absurdity of a failed comic strip writer bringing fictional characters to life, it fits in with the conventions laid down by John Byrne, et al.

In the original story, Superman smashes the ray. In ALL-STAR SQUADRON, the villain destroys his own invention but Funny Face is still out there and could theoretically come up with another dimensional ray. He could always use it on a copy of "the Uncanny Mutates" or "the Avenging Ultimates" etc....