This edition of Secret Origins is certainly weird, and that’s not just because of the creepy stories and spooky characters that appear in it. DC must have obviously been impressed with the third Secret Origins 80-Page-Giant, published in 2003 (about four decades after the previous two). Well, this one is especially different. First of all, it’s the only one in the series which specialises in a certain type of story. Sure, when you read these stories, the genre connection between them all is fairly loose, but this reprint features something odd, something the series has never really done before. If you read the previous three, all the reprinted stories are from the silver age. I don’t believe there are any from the bronze age in there, and there certainly isn’t any golden age classics present. Therefore, the fourth 80-Page-Giant is different in that it isn’t exclusively silver age. The stories here are all from the golden, silver and bronze ages, ranging from 1940 to 1971. Due to that, there are some obscure, yet undeniable classics in here. There could have been some bias in that last sentence, but that’s only because this edition reprints the origins of some of DC’s best heroes. You’ll know who I mean when it comes to it…
Weird Secret Origins was published in October 2004. As usual, all stories are reprints, this time of More Fun Comics 52-53, 67 (not 55, as the book states), Strange Adventures 180, 187, World’s Finest Comics 181, 226, Action Comics 247 and All-Star Western (vol 2) 3, by classic talent such as Gardner Fox, Bob Haney, Carmine Infantino, Dave Wood and Jerry Siegel to name just a few. There is also a two-page story about Metamorpho, told by Batman and written by Ramona Fradon and strangely, Joe Simon. It just explains how Dr Rex Mason was trapped in an Egyptian Pyramid and exposed to strange radiation which transformed his physical appearance and made him into a monster. You know, normal stuff. It’s a
nice addition, but not much of a story you can really get your teeth into. Lastly, I have read these stories in the DC Universe: Secret Origins hardcover.
The Origin of Doctor Fate --- Written by Gardner Fox with art by Howard Sherman
While he may be known to some, Doctor Fate is a fairly obscure character to newer fans. That is quite possibly down to the fact that he was a member of the Justice Society, rather than the League. But, if you’ve read the JLA/JSA crossovers from the 1960s to the mid-1980s, you’ll know that Doctor Fate stands out from the rest, especially with his mystical powers and mysterious ways. His origin is no different. Its 1920, in the Valley of Ur, when Sven Nelson and his young son Kent explore the pyramids with the aim of discovering who built them. However, during their expedition, Kent discovers a seemingly dead (yet recently so) Egyptian. Suddenly, he awakens and the Egyptian thanks Kent after aiding him in releasing him from his self-induced molecular-controlled coma. There’s some Gardner Fox babble. Anyway, Kent then finds his father dead from poison gas and the Egyptian pledges that he will repay Kent by teaching him the secrets of the universe. With nothing better to do since he’s stranded, Kent agrees and as the years pass, he learns how to levitate and use telekinesis for good purposes. With his training complete, the Egyptian gives Kent the costume of his new identity, Doctor Fate. Years later, Kent met Inza, his future wife who helped him in his heroic duties. In New York, they meet a man who claims to be haunted as he once made a pact with his now-dead friends to help them return to life. However, they are now trying to take over his body and Doctor Fate decides to follow the phantoms. Once he does so, he confronts Nergal, the ruler of a realm where the ghosts came from. Doctor Fate basically shouts at him and gives him a sample of his powers, causing Nergal to surrender. Sure, the second half of the story may not be its greatest moment, but you’d have to be delusional if you didn’t think the origin was excellent. It works even better in the golden age when Fox could get away with a darker and more sinister tone. The method in which Doctor Fate gets his powers is very vague, but it is nice to get a quick glimpse of what type of stories Doctor Fate would have featured in, especially since there aren’t many reprints of them. But, overall, it’s a golden age tale that has an unforgettable origin to a great character, even if it doesn’t make too much sense at times.
Sherman is a golden age artist who I’ve never really heard of before, but his art is certainly what I expect from a 1940s story. Visually, it’s incredibly dim and it has an amateur appearance in terms of both the storytelling and the people in the story. But there’s a certain amount of charm in that. Sure, by the standards of then 1960s or even the 1950s, the art looks unimaginative and sloppy, but I can accept it because of the time period it was drawn. Ultimately, it does work with the tone of the story. Therefore, I can’t be too hard on it.
Story: 8.5/10
Art: 8/10
The Enchantress of Terror Castle --- Written by Bob Haney with art by Howard Purcell and Sheldon Moldoff
These days, Enchantress is known simply for that awful Suicide Squad film. But the original character was something else entirely. Visiting an ancient castle (as you do), June Moone and her boyfriend Alan are spooked by two partygoers dressed as giant winged animals. They invite June and Alan to their costume party at the castle. There, they explore the castle for only a few moments before a minotaur appears and roars. In the confusion, June and Alan are separated. June unexpectedly finds a secret door and enters it, finding a strange red mystical creature that tells her to say the words ‘The Enchantress’ in order to stop the minotaur and end the crisis. Once she does so, June transforms into The Enchantress, a magical heroine who looks very different from June. Using her magical power, she fights against the minotaur and transforms it back into a statue, ending the confusion. With that, the castle begins to collapse and as it does so, the Enchantress transforms back into June and she escapes unharmed with Alan, who is completely unaware that June and the Enchantress are one in the same. Reading that, you wouldn’t have thought that this was the same character from the Suicide Squad 2016 film. For starters, its good. But its DC’s attempt to try and create a new hero. This is from the 1960s and it’s a period where comics are being more experimental and different. Enchantress does feel different from many of the other more significant heroes at the time, but it continues to include some of the same old cliches that it perhaps could have done without. For instance, June’s boyfriend not knowing that she is the Enchantress is almost too easy of a direction to go. I think it also would have been better if the Enchantress almost possessed her entirely, so that June almost becomes buried by this magical force. Yep, I’ve read John Ostrander’s Suicide Squad and that is where most of these ideas are from, but I think that it would have been great to have seen them introduced earlier. However, while it may be a classic from the 1960s, it’s still good fun and it certainly isn’t dull.
Purcell’s and Moldoff’s artwork works very well with Haney’s creative and mystical story. It is very colourful, and the storytelling is very dramatic and interesting. However, I think that its big problem is that it lacks an identity and the art sometimes has that bland appearance to it. The art has enough energy and power in it, but I think it needs more of a distinguishable identity.
Story: 8/10
Art: 7/10
I Was the Man with Animal Powers --- Written by Dave Wood and France Herron with art by Carmine Infantino and George Roussos
Animal Man! Probably the best hero in the book, next to a certain green-hooded vengeance seeker. Of course, most fans know Animal Man from Grant Morrison’s excellent and ground-breaking run from 1988 to 1990. Morrison was good enough to even go through Animal Man’s strange origin again his own run. It begins with Buddy Baker struggling to propose to his girlfriend, Ellen. The next day, while out shooting with his friend Roger, Buddy is overcome by a huge flash of light. When he recovers, he is attacked by a tiger. But he amazingly jumps out of its path and fights against it using strange new powers which the light gave him. After taking out the tiger, who teams up with a gorilla to ensure that Buddy is defeated, Roger arrives, stunned that Buddy is still alive. He tells Buddy that there was a train crash nearby and it was full of circus animals. With his new super-human powers, Buddy helps in locating the escaped animals, before something new and unique appears. By that, I mean a freaky looking fish-like animal in purple pants. Strange how he’s never come back. I’m sure that George Perez could have fitted him into a panel in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Regardless, Buddy tries to trick the creature by using a mirror, but it fails spectacularly. Then, Roger gives Buddy an idea. In a convoluted plan, Buddy uses a fire truck to spray water at the creature, which causes it to chase Buddy. Then, on the edge of a cliff, Buddy presents the creature with a cage of two little mice. The creature becomes frightened, walks back in fear and falls to its death. That was a bit of a (continued)
gamble and I’m still none the wiser to how Buddy discovered that mice would frighten it. Now considered a hero, Buddy comes up with the courage to propose to Ellen, but when he does, he collapses, but she accepts. So, it’s all happy in the end, apart from that weird creature wearing purple pants. Seriously, what type of circus would own that? Regardless, what really makes this story work is the silliness of it. You don’t exactly laugh at the story, since the characters feel very fleshed out and real, but it is amusing in the sense that it features an oddly interesting, yet seemingly nothingy plot. Its great asset is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s a shame that we don’t see any of Animal Man in his costume as that would have made the story much better, but I guess they left that for later stories.
Infantino’s art is, as usual, great (since it’s still the 1960s). It feels incredibly dynamic and interesting in terms of the storytelling. Visually, it could stand up with the likes of Green Lantern and The Flash. But I have to say that George Roussos’s inks are rather poor. I usually don’t mind them, but here they feel incredibly flat and messy. I think somebody like Murphy Anderson or Sid Greene could have done a much better job here. Some of the inks also look very unnatural and the lack of backgrounds in some panels just reminds of Vince Colletta. It could have been much better honestly.
Story: 9/10
Art: 6.5/10
The Amazing Congorilla --- Written by Jack Miller with art by Howard Sherman
Well, this is certainly an odd one. Congo Bill, a famous jungle hunter, rescues his old friend Kawolo, who is dying from injuries after falling from a mountain. In his final moments, Kawolo gives Bill a ring, telling him that when he needs the strength of a gorilla, he should stroke the ring. With Kawolo’s death, Bill believes that he was just delirious, and the ring means nothing. However, when exploring a cave later, an avalanche occurs and suddenly, Bill is trapped by rubble and there is no way out. He rubs the ring and surprisingly, he transforms into a gorilla and breaks out. Upon leaving the cave, Congo Bill, or now Congorilla, finds an actress being chased by a leopard. Although he takes out the leopard and is thanked by the actress, the production team decide to chase Congorilla and sell him for money as he is a rare breed. However, Congorilla fights back using his incredible strength, but he is captured and locked in a cage. As you’d expect, he breaks out, but what you wouldn’t expect is that he manages to fly away in a plane and escape. Congorilla is a fairly forgotten character and its honestly surprising that DC decided to reprint this story. I would guess that it is to do with James Robinson’s run of Justice League of America which brought him back, but it’s still an odd choice. It’s a laughable story, to put it simply. It’s an odd story that has very limited potential. You certainly couldn’t imagine Congorilla to have his own miniseries, let alone an ongoing one. Although it isn’t a classic or a game-changer, it’s just good fun and you can’t really criticise it that much. It’s not trying to be serious. In fact, I don’t know what it is trying to be, but whatever it is, it isn’t serious storytelling.
Years after his Doctor Fate story, Sherman seems to have cleaned up his art quite a bit. It looks slightly more refined in the sense that it blends in with the other artists of the late-1950s, but it’s nothing too impressive and there really isn’t much to say about it. Its good, but not exactly notable.
Story: 8.5/10
Art: 8/10
Call Him Satan – Call Him Saint --- Written by Robert Kanigher with art by Gray Morrow
Although the most recent story in the whole book, El Diablo is a fairly forgotten character, even compared to some of the others who appear here like Animal Man and Congorilla. In the wilderness, an old man is attacked by a group of thugs on horseback, before El Diablo appears, taking them out and rescuing him. He tells El Diablo that his attackers were part of the Hanged Man’s Gang that have killed many in his family. El Diablo remains silent as he continues his mysterious quest. A month before, a man named Albert is murdered by the same gang and his friend, Lazarus, failed to protect him. Due to his guilt, Lazarus travelled for miles until he found a wise old man named Wise Owl, who predicts that something will soon change Lazarus’s life. This comes true when not long afterwards, Lazarus is confronted by the Hanged Man’s Gang once again, but in his rage, Lazarus is struck by lightning. Wise Owl then (continued)
appears and finds that Lazarus isn’t dead, as his spirit decides it cannot leave his body. Once a doctor finds that his heart is still beating, but there are no other signs of life, Wise Owl prays for Lazarus, who now believes he is two men that will find eternal sleep once he completes his task. He calls himself El Diablo. Back in the present, El Diablo confronts the Hanged Man’s Gang and takes them out. Although his task is seemingly complete, Wise Owl knows that the great spirit of the world will not allow him to sleep yet, for there is more to be done. In some respects, this is a very golden age story in both its main character and the darker plot. It does have the structure and storytelling of a 1970s comic, hence why it looks so out of place compared to some of the other stories here. But the very concept of El Diablo and his appearance screams gothic 1940s, especially as he is a masked vigilante rather than a brightly coloured hero. I would agree that this story does lack originality, since El Diablo’s origin is very similar to the Spectre’s (as you’ll see shortly). It’s almost a carbon-copy at times. However, I think it does well in establishing a character that can be and has been used since multiple times.
Similarly, to the plot, the art is also very retro and modern at the same time. Morrow’s storytelling is obviously very different compared to what you’d see in the golden age. Its much more dramatic and stylistic than the 1940s. But the finishes have that rough golden age appearance. It works with the tone of the story however, particularly a character such as El Diablo. Its not exactly what I consider fantastic art, but when you consider the tone of the story and the darker direction that Kanigher takes it, it works excellently.
Story: 8.5/10
Art: 8/10
Origin of Bizarro World --- Written by Otto Binder and Jerry Siegel with art by Wayne Boring, John Forte and Stan Kaye
To be honest, this one barely counts as a story. As the title suggests, it focuses on one of Superman’s most well-known villains and the world he has created. In the past, Superman was cloned, but it went wrong and created a bizarre and strange clone named Bizarro, who creates a Bizarro duplicate of Lois Lane and leaves Earth to start his own Metropolis. He creates numerous clones of himself and Lois before creating a Bizarro Junior, Bizarro Jimmy Olsen, Bizarro Perry White, Bizarro Lana Lang, Bizarro Lucy Lane, Bizarro Krypto, Bizarro Mr Mxyzptlk and Bizarro Lex Luthor. He then transforms his spherical Earth into a cube before all the Bizarro’s start to mean the opposite of what they are actually saying and mean. Its only four pages long and while its not much of a story (its more of a biography piece), you can’t really condemn it for any reasons. I think if it was any longer it would start to become stale, but as its short and fun, it’s an enjoyable read.
The likes of Boring, Forte and Kaye are classic Superman artists, and their style works brilliantly with this story. Sure, they may be lacking in any creative storytelling and some aspects may appear to be very static, their designs of the characters are some of, if not, the most iconic you’ll ever find and their designs of Superman and Bizarro will never be forgotten.
Story: 9/10
Art: 8/10
The Spectre/The Spectre Strikes --- Written by Jerry Siegel with art by Bernard Baily
Last, but certainly not least, we come to what I consider one of the best in the book. As Detective Jim Corrigan heads to a party to announce his engagement to Clarice Winston, he finds a truck with gangster Gat Benson’s men transporting a mysterious box. Casually, Corrigan beats the criminals up, but misses the party and Clarice is angry with him. Once she meets him, the two drive off together as Corrigan explains what happened. Suddenly, their car is stopped by Gat Benson’s men, who take both Corrigan and Clarice to a hidden warehouse on their boss’s orders. As Corrigan has ruined their plans, the criminals place him in a barrel and fill it with cement and water, before throwing it into the river. There’s no way out and moments after the barrel hits the bottom of the river, Corrigan is dead. Suddenly, Corrigan finds himself in the presence of God, who tells him that his mission is far from finished as he sends him back to Earth, ending the first part. You think that they wouldn’t have published that in the silver age, just wait until the second part. With Clarice still imprisoned by Benson’s men, she faints upon the possibility that she may be killed. Suddenly, Corrigan appears and frightens the criminals, before fading away into nothingness. He continues to tease the criminals before appearing once more. This time a gangster shoots him, but the bullets go straight through him. From there, Corrigan kills the criminals, aging one significantly to the point where all that’s left is a skeleton. With the criminals taken care of, Clarice wakes up and finds Corrigan alive.
Afterwards, realising that he is still dead, Corrigan breaks it off with Clarice and tells her that the engagement is off. On his own, Corrigan realises that he no longer breaths as he is now a mystical being of sorts. He then creates a green cloak and heads into the night as the Spectre, a brutal seeker of vengeance. Without a doubt, this is the best story in the whole book, and it has influenced so many other origins such as El Diablo, Deadman and Swamp Thing. The real hard hitter here is that Corrigan dies. There is no way that Siegel tries to get Corrigan out of the barrel. By then, it is too late. But his death is what transforms him. He is powered by vengeance and anger, explaining why he kills those criminals in such brutal ways. His life becomes absorbed by the Spectre. As you see by the ending, Corrigan is dead. His personal life is gone as every second of life will be taken up by the Spectre. It’s a story that could only really work in the golden age. They wouldn’t have allowed it in the silver or bronze ages and in the modern age, the creative brutal violence that wouldn’t have been there. These days, this origin would be full of blood, guts and corpses torn into bits. The use of creative violence, as you see here and in The Wrath of the Spectre (Fleisher and Aparo) are so important to the character of the Spectre. Realism just wouldn’t work. Overall, this is the best story here and I struggle to find any real criticisms of it.
Despite its crudeness, Bernard Baily’s art works brilliantly with a grim character such as the Spectre. The mood of the story is reflected greatly by the gritty and rough art and while it may appear to be very amateur and unclear in its storytelling at some particular points, Baily’s rendition of the Spectre is so chilling and iconic. Baily’s art style I don’t think would work with many other characters, but when it does work with certain characters, it is amazing.
Story: 10/10
Art: 9/10
VERDICT
Overall, Weird Secret Origins is the best of the four in the series. Usually, there would be one or possibly two stories that I would consider to be below average or even bad, but this one is an exception. There is no bad or average story here. Every single one of them is good and there are some which are undeniable classics, such as the Spectre, Doctor Fate and Animal Man. Those three are probably the best to me, but others such as The Enchantress, Congorilla, Bizarro and El Diablo are also great. There are also so many classic artists here whose work may be forgotten now, but they certainly helped in creating some of DC’s spookiest and greatest heroes.
Stories: 9/10
Art: 8/10
Next Week: The History of the DC Universe (History of the DC Universe 1-2). Written by Marv Wolfman with art by George Perez and Karl Kesel. Expected by 11/04/2021.
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