Superman would eventually run into any number of living mythological figures, but in Superman Versus Atlas (Action Comics 121, June 1948) the titular titan turned out to be a trickster.
The schemer was William Sharp, “…a racketeer and confidence man who passes off a sideshow strong man as the legendary Atlas — and then stages a cunningly rigged super-strength competition in which ‘Atlas’ appears to be mightier than Superman,” noted Superman chronicler Michael L. Fleisher.
It was all “…an elaborate scheme to establish Atlas as the world’s mightiest mortal so that Sharp can launch a lucrative racket selling his victims ‘protection’ from Atlas. The strong man, who is only an innocent dupe in the scheme, helps Superman apprehend the crafty Sharp.”
Artist Wayne Boring’s conception of Atlas has him wearing a Tarzan-like leopard skin garment — the same raiment he would provide the real Hercules when Superman met him more than a decade later, when the Man of Steel’s adventures became more fantastical. Both Hercules and Samson would make several appearances in the Superman titles.
After all, as comics historian Michael E. Grost observed, “Comics did not invent the idea of beings with special powers: Greek mythology was full of them.”
Richard Meyer wrote:
ReplyDeleteI remember a story of a crook dressed as Achilles pretending to be invincible. He was actually generating a force field from inside a lead boot that supposedly was protecting his vulnerable heel.
Carl Thiel wrote:
ReplyDeleteNice assessment, Durban. While this Atlas is a fake, Superman would use magic to summon the real Atlas in Action Comics #353 (1967). On more than one occasion, Superman would meet Atlas and Hercules and Samson (Superman #112, “The Three Men of Steel,” 1957). The trio also appear in Action #320 (1965).