MASKED MARVEL (1939)

KEEN DETECTIVE FUNNIES 10

ITALIAN EDITION 1945

BEN THOMPSON KA-ZAR

Masked Marvel in July 1939 was one of the earliest costumed fighters to follow in Superman's wake,

and the first to use the "marvel" word, months before Martin Goodman would take it for MARVEL COMICS 1.

Where Masked Marvel's creator, Ben Thompson, had his role bringing into comics Bob Byrd's Ka-Zar (born on pulps in 1936)

along The Human Torch and Sub-Mariner. MM was a hypertech mystery man, star on Centaur Press's KEEN DETECTIVE FUNNIES

until late 1942, when the publisher closed shop. But the character didn't vanish and, 50 years later, Malibu Comics

had it back and guiding the Protectors governative superteam.

This is one of his few appearances in the insanely rare 1945-46 Italian showcase nameless series

where The Spectre, Hourman, Sandman, The clock, Crimson Avenger, Black Condor, Green Lantern

and Batman himself all had their debuts. Story from KEEN DETECTIVE 10, October 1939.