Pep Comics: Origin of the Comet

[alicemacher]

The publisher now called Archie Comics began in 1939 as MLJ Comics. Pep, its third title, is today best known for introducing the world to Archie Andrews. However, he didn't debut until Issue 22 (Dec. 1941). Before that, and for some time afterwards, Pep was an anthology comic of which the lead feature was the Shield, America's first patriotic-themed superhero. This post is about neither of them. Rather, it's about the Comet, a superhero with the chemically-induced power to disintegrate evildoers with a glance. The creation of Jack Cole (Plastic Man), he was, like many early Golden Age capes, a brutal, take-no-prisoners guy who didn't hesitate to kill. Here, from Issue 1 (Jan. 1940), is his origin story and first adventure. Pep issues from 1 through 71 are in the public domain; scans are courtesy of ComicBookPlus.com.

Comments

[kamino_neko]

So brutal...sort of like a more coherent Stardust.

[dustbunny105]

The panel where he knocks the mug out of the guy's hand is inexplicably hilarious to me.

[zapbiffpow]

Please post more of these. They...they are glorious.

[arrogantcur]

You may also like a Golden Age story about Zatanna's pop then.

[zapbiffpow]

"You can tell the dictator because he wears a little sign that says "The Dictator." That's kind of cute."

Thank you.

[halloweenjack]

Gibble ook!

[ozaline]

Hah, never seen a "hero," take the "let me go," line literally before *well maybe Batman but then he always catches them*.

[alicemacher]

I think Schwarzenegger did that in one of his movies. Don't ask me which; all I remember is the exchange afterward:

"What did you do with him?"

"I let him go."

[drtechnobabel]

I find it hilarious that the Comet basically kills a guy because a pigeon lands on his house. Doesn't even try to get a confession or any kind of irrefutable evidence whatsoever on the guy before dropping him from a mile up. For all he knew, Dr. Archer could've been working on the cure for the typhoid epidemic rather than causing it.

Also, him smacking the cup of water out of that guy's hand give me flashback to Batman kicking people's ice cream cones.

[junipepper]

This is hilarious. It reads like something written by a 10 year old. "Hopping the plane..." *giggles*

[arrogantcur]

This looked familiar to me, and then I remembered where I'd seen some of these panels before.

So if this guy reminded you of Cyclops there's good reason for it, apparently.

Changing the subject, while there were a lot of things I disagreed with in the old Comics Code (e.g. that the first version stated bad guys always had to lose), at times I kind of miss it when I see present-day heroes acting like the Comet here, or worse.

[bradygirl_12]

I'm ambivalent about the Code, too. While some of it was just silly or stifling to creative freedom, as a kid I could read a superhero comic without seeing people eviscerated or buckets of blood and the heroes as stone-cold killers as the villains. Pros and cons to everything!

[silicondream]

I love how little the Comet's feats have to do with his actual stated powerset. His body is super-lightweight and he has disintegrat-O-vision, so he can...backflip across continents at the speed of light and change course in midair? Sure! Land on a shingled roof hard enough to smash through it, without injuring himself? Why not! Somehow leap upside down through an underground tunnel that he created, possibly with his vision powers, possibly with Satanic magic? Sounds good! Tossing, choking and KOing thugs with one hand apiece? All scientists can do that!

I also love how enthusiastic he is about his costume. He wears it to answer his phone! It's not to conceal his secret identity since he doesn't have one, and he doesn't need anything except the visor to control his eyebeams. Dude just decided that he now has an excuse to wear a unitard covered with stars and moons and never ever stop.