October 1939: Something of a Shock

A flashy first name followed by a regular-guy last name — that durable heroic tradition stretched from Bulldog Drummond to Buck Rogers to Flash Gordon to Shock Gibson, an electrifying Harvey Comics superhero. 

Created by artist Maurice Scott and appearing in three different costumes, Shock fought Nazis, mad scientists, zombies, gorillas, a gigantic beetle, a thinly disguised KKK — you know, the usual.

Debuting in October 1939 in Speed Comics 1, the alter ego of humanitarian scientist Robert Charles Gibson had a nine-year run, outliving the title where he was born.

“He was experimenting to see if electricity, which had already improved people’s lives in so many ways, might also be useful in improving their personal selves, by enhancing their strength, health, etc.” recalled historian Don Markstein. “He found that by proper application of electricity to his own body, he did gain super strength, as well as the ability to emit powerful electrical bolts, magnetize things, weld metal with his bare hands, and even fly. But instead of sharing his discovery with the world, he kept it to himself and became a superhero, using his newly minted nickname, ‘Shock,’ as part of his monicker.”

“Shock Gibson was the cover-featured star for the first couple of years Speed Comics was published. But he was eclipsed as of its 16th issue (Jan. 1942) by one of the Captain America-style flag wearers, Captain Freedom, who hung onto the lead position for the rest of the title’s run.”

Shock also appeared in All-New Comics and finished as a backup in Harvey’s Green Hornet title, where he was last seen in Green Hornet 38 (March 1948) making a trip to the moon.

Shock Gibson was one of the few Golden Age superheroes not revived in the 1960s. 

That in itself was kind of a shock.