When has a superhero made it onto the “A-list?”
Well, my rule of thumb is this: when a character inspires direct imitations, it’s nearing top rank. And by that reckoning, the Spectre made the grade.
Because a year after the Spectre debuted in More Fun Comics 52 (Feb. 1940), MLJ’s ghostly clone Mr. Justice bowed in Blue Ribbon Comics 9 (Feb. 1941).
As comics historian Don Markstein noted, “Superheroes often come in distinct sub-genres, many of which are epitomized by a single character. For example, The Flash is the exemplar of the super-speedster, Batman of the mysterious creature of the night and Captain America of the patriotic-style hero (despite the fact that The Shield beat Cap to the stands by more than a year). The Spectre is the template upon which the ‘avenging spirit as superhero’ is based. Others (include) Mr. Justice and the Vision.”
Writer Joe Blair and artist Sam Cooper supplied his origin. Slain by Scottish rebels in the 18th century, Prince James’ spirit remained trapped in his ancestral castle until that fortress was dismantled for shipment to America. When a Nazi U-boat sank the ship, Prince James was freed to fight evil.
I only got one brief, tantalizing glimpse of the character in the 1960s, when Archie’s Mighty Crusaders 4 (April 1966) was throwing superheroes at the wall to see who might stick.
In addition to the Crusaders (Fly-Man, Fly-Girl, the Black Hood, the Shield and Comet) we got a couple of panels of the Ultra Men (the Fox, Captain Flag and the Web) and the Terrific Three (Mr. Justice, the Jaguar and the Steel Sterling). The Three presumably and literally looked down on the Ultra Men because the latter could not fly.
And after that the Royal Wraith simply vanished again, as ghosts are wont to do.
Bob Doncaster wrote: I had some Jaguar comics but as a kid those few panels featuring heroes I hadn't seen sure intrigued me and I hoped to see more of them.
ReplyDeleteJohn Ferrigno wrote: I consider characters A-List when they break out of comic book Fandom and enter general pop culture. If the average person knows who they are, or if they are referenced in movies, tv shows, stand up comedy routines, etc. If they show up on kid's bed sheets or party plates.
ReplyDeleteBasically, if my dad or my daughter know who they are lol.
Edward Lee Love wrote: I consider A-List to be a mix of things: longevity of consistent publishing, consistency of character, self-named title, ability to headline more than one book, a certain amount of prominence within the comic community in which the character exists. Green Arrow and Black Lightning have both had television shows and are more well-known to the general public than a lot of other characters, but I'm not sure I'd call them A-list. Definitely wouldn't consider Groot an A-list character of the Marvel Universe even if he's the most quoted outside of Uncle Ben.
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