March 1947: To Venus With Neptune

What’s the opposite of a bird-man? Well, a fish-man, right?

That very contrast was likely the reason that Neptune Perkins appeared twice in the Golden Age Hawkman feature, first in Flash Comics 66 (Aug-Sept 1945) and again in Flash Comics 81 (March 1947). 

According to writer Gardner Fox, Perkins was the “Webbed Wizard” to Hawkman’s “Winged Wonder.” Joe Kubert handled the art.

Although he couldn’t breathe in water, Perkins was a mutant undersea explorer who had webbed feet and a sodium deficiency that required him to live near salt water. His constant swimming made him stronger than most men. A bestselling nonfiction author, Perkins kept a pet seagull (who proved handy for communicating with Hawkman).

In 1945, Hawkman helped Perkins recover his stolen houseboat. In 1947, Perkins and Hawkman traveled via giant light bulb to Venus, where they saved the Q-tip-headed inhabitants from an avian/aquatic menace (attacks by a gigantic Roc and Kraken).

Writer Roy Thomas revived the character of Neptune Perkins in All-Star Squadron 33 (May 1984) and went on to star him in The Young All-Stars, beginning in 1987.

DC’s tendency to juxtapose bird people with fish people continued into the 1960s, when Mer-Boy’s rival for Wonder Girl’s affections was of course Bird-Boy. And one of the first superhero team-ups in The Brave and the Bold featured Hawkman and Aquaman fighting an aquatic/avian monster in Fury of the Exiled Creature (issue 51, Jan. 1964).