#fly-man

[chronivore]

Fly-Man

Fly-Man

Clip Foster is a heavyweight boxer who is shrunk to fly size by his father, an inventor and scientist. Before the process is reversed, gangs

[kekwcomics]

Pep Comics #160 (Archie, 1963)

Art: John Rosenberger

[panel-on-point]

Spitfire Comics, #1 (1941), art by Sam Glanzman (Featuring the Fly-man)

A interesting perspective with the action heading at the reader.

[comic-covers]

(1966)

[superherobriefings]

The Fly-Man

Creator(s): Sam Glanz

Alias(es): Clip Foster

1st Issue w/Uniform: Spitfire Comics #1

Year/Month of Publication: 1941/08

pdsh.fandom.com/wiki/Fly-Man

[chronivore]

[paulsebert]

Bad Comics I Love #1

Fly-Man & The Mighty Crusaders

Archie's Radio Comics/Mighty Comics Superhero line.  (1965)

So in 1965 Archie Comics decided re-enter the supehero genre to cash in on Marvel's success relaunching a number of superhero properties from the Silver Age. The books basically attempted to mix the style of Lee & Kirby era Marvel with a bit of Batman style camp thrown in.  Unfortunately writer Jerry Seigel didn't really seem to understand camp humor nor the character dynamics that made books like Fantastic Four work. Also he was inexplicably writing under the name “Jerry Ess.”  One would think having the co-creator of Superman on your creative team would be a marketable selling point but Archie comics seemed to dissagree.  Artist Paul Reinman's work wasn't much better basically being Jack Kirby's Mexican non-union counterpart.

Here’s the line-up of their premier superheroes The Mighty Crusaders.

Fly-Man:  Formerly “The Fly” he was Created by Jack Kirby as a sort of insect-themed Captain Marvel riff. After a handful of issues this character was re-imagined as adult guy with wings who flew around zapping things with a ray-gun. His name was changed to Fly-Man and given powers that were like a cross between Ant-Man and Spider-Man.  Prior to being given a Marvel-style overhaul this was actually one of the more successful Archie Heroes having a series that lasted almost 5 years.

Fly-Girl: Distaff counterpart to Fly-Man and his side-kick.

The Shield: Patriotic superhero whose sole interesting feature is that he predated Captain America.  Also star of his own backup features where the running gag was that he couldn’t hold a steady job because he was always running off to superhero stuff.

The Comet: The Golden Age Comet was essentially a prototype version of Cyclops who ran around killing people with death-ray vision.  Then he became one of the first ever superheros to actually get killed of.  Silver Age Comet was strange visitor from another planet who wore a hideous orange and green costume with a rainbow colored turban.

Black Hood: A dude with no superpowers who rides around on a flying robot horse. Then the horse was destroyed and he had to rely on a motorcycle making him even lamer.

What elevates Might Crusaders, Fly-Man, and the like into the true land of so-bad it’s good comics is the complete reckless anything goes nature.  Jerry Seigel frequently introduces new villains only to forget about them a few pages later. Characters develop new powers as the plot requires them. No origin stories or character motivations needed.  One story ends with our heroes being saved by a sentient superpowered fly from Atlantis while the Shield randomly develops the power to teleport, but can never use it again after saving the day.

Fly-Man #32 also features a brilliant gag about a group of superheroes walking into a comic convention and getting mistaken for entrants in a cosplay competition that works far better today than it did in 1965.  Considering that the first major comic convention was held in New York 1964  Seigel was strangly observant of where fan culture was heading

About a decade ago Archie released collection of these in a trade called “The Mighty Crusaders: Origin of A Superteam” that can still find pretty cheap.  It’s well worth going out of your way just to see some of the most bonkers superhero action ever made.

[leagueofforgottenheroes-blog]

Fly-Man Primera aparición: Spitfire Comics #01 (agosto 1941) creado por Sam Glanzman Editorial: Harvey Comics Este pequeño hombre mosca solía ser Clip Foster, boxeador profesional. Clip se prestó a un procedimiento experimental de su padre, un científico, que disminuyó su tamaño. Antes de poder revertir el proceso, su padre fue asesinado por mafiosos, y Clip quedó desfigurado con ácido. Tomando un traje creado por su padre, Clip decidió entonces combatir el crimen con el nombre Fly-Man. La imagen pertenece a Spitfire Comics #01 (agosto 1941) por Sam Glanzman