I made it into the column!? YAYYY
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This is embarrassing, but what column did my question appear in? I can’t find the post or remember the question.
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Phantom Stranger had his first solo title in late ‘60’s after appearing in an issue of Showcase, correct? I heard that the character goes back even further to early ‘50’s?
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Here you go!
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The 60s series was the first one ABOUT Phantom Stranger, but not the first one CALLED “Phantom Stranger.” In 1952, a six issue “Phantom Stranger” series had its run, each issue an anthology of supernatural horror stories not unlike House of Mystery or Doorway to Nightmare. But instead of being hosted by Cain or Madame Xanadu, the character used to introduce the stories therein was… the Phantom Stranger. It wasn’t until Showcase in the ‘60s that we got to know more about the man himself, and following that a second series about Phantom Stranger’s own strange adventures.
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Thank you for quick reply. Maybe with DC Universe going to all Comics, they can dig up some of these rare old comics for us to read unless there is some reason they are not available?
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The ongoing effort to digitize DC’s archives will indeed resume in 2021!
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Hello @HubCityQuestion,
After watching Wonder Woman '84 3 times as of this writing and planning to watch it alot more times, how often has Wonder Woman face Maxwell Lord and what comics and issues are they in? The DC search is not really helping me. Thankyou.
Though he was introduced in 1987, until 2005, Maxwell Lord wasn’t really a villain at all. His reveal as one of the masterminds leading up to INFINITE CRISIS was one of the major twists of the story at the time. Wonder Woman is forced to confront Maxwell Lord for the first time in 2005’s “Superman: Sacrifice” crossover storyline, which runs through the following issues:
Superman (1939) #219
Action Comics (1938) #829
Adventures of Superman #642
Wonder Woman (1987) #219
After Maxwell Lord is killed, Wonder Woman confronts him again during the Blackest Night event as a Black Lantern in BLACKEST NIGHT: WONDER WOMAN. After Blackest Night, Maxwell Lord is one of the twelve deceased characters permanently returned to life, and Wonder Woman is one of the many characters who falls victim to his further machinations as depicted in BRIGHTEST DAY and JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST.
After The New 52, Maxwell Lord’s history with Wonder Woman was all but erased, but Lord opposes both the League and the Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman included, in 2017’s JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD.
Most recently, Maxwell Lord has become a major presence in Wonder Woman’s life as of the beginning of Mariko Tamaki’s run on the WONDER WOMAN series beginning with issue #759 in September. If my math is right, you can expect that run’s DC Infinite debut this March.
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Thankyou!
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Lately i have noticed several queries about characters crossing over from other media into the comics. It was recently announced that the new Superman team is planning to incorporate characters who have only appeared in the Superman movie or radio serials into DC continuity. So i guess i’m just wondering does that mean DC actually owns the copyright to those characters? Is this like a standard contract stipulation to give DC control of all characters?
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One of my cohorts on this board asked what the first DC crossover was. While i don"t have your resources Q i believe i remember reading an account years ago that said the first in universe crossover happened somewhere around 1939 or 40 when a popular character of the time called Pep Morgan crossed over into another strip. I believe it was with the Specter but i may be misremembering that part.
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Like this!
The Fortress of Solitude made its first appearance in 1958’s ACTION COMICS #241… though, at the time, it was referred to as “Fort Superman.”
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Only one! Victor Fries appeared under the name “Mr. Zero” in 1959’s BATMAN #121, and wasn’t seen again (apart from a reprint appearance) until the 60s TV show – where he was then and forever renamed Mr. Freeze.
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Thankyou so much for answering my two questions!
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Well, for one, there’s William Cobb, Talon to the Court of Owls – Dick Grayson’s great great grandfather. And of course, in Pre-Crisis continuity, there’s Aunt Harriet, who comes to live with Bruce and Dick for a while. But no biological brothers.
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Welcome back Q-meister, and Happy New Year, everyone! Let me start off with something light and indeed a followup to that which @Reaganfan78 laid on ya back in April of last year, reference Superman’s private hideaway. I remember that he considered a few other places before choosing the frigid regions of the Arctic. What were they? And when did the “key” morph into a disguised airplane route marker? I also recall a couple of DC special editions on the Fortress (many years ago) that answered those questions. Unfortunately, I have neither to refer to at the moment.
And while I have vivid memories of that fabulous Alan Moore Superman Annual story from ‘85, it prompts a query for which I as yet, have no answer. Moore’s story gave us a moving tale that first introduced the “Black Mercy” into DC continuity. It was also (if memory serves), the first time that Jason Todd and Wonder Woman would visit the FoS. Which had me trying to recall when Batman & Robin (the Dick Grayson version) were first allowed within its’ frozen confines. Was it a social call, or something more? As usual, if already answered, please direct to said source. Thanks!
Stay safe, be well.
PS - How many members of the JLA have ever been to the mighty Fortress, anyway? All the team-ups Supe had over the years (especially in DC Presents) got me to wondering.
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That’s another Geoff Johns invention, starting with 2004’s Green Lantern: Rebirth. That’s kind of his go-to trick in a way: take a number in the DC Universe and make it bigger. 3 Jokers, 6 Shazams, 7 Kingdoms of Atlantis…
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Greetings once more HCQ. 
A very Happy New Year’s Day to you. 
Ah, if the office is open for business again, time for that timelines inquiry previously mentioned. 
So while I was reading through the Flashpoint story, there was a panel when Barry was traveling through time that he was stopped short of reaching his destination by a mysterious figure. 
This figure mentioned that there were in fact 3 timelines at that time. 
Oh, and funny looking above to your answer in adding more to that fascination with 3 from Mr. Johns. 
So, as we begin a new “Rebirth era” so to speak now that 2020 is thankfully behind us it was this inquiry that came to mind. 
Are any of those timelines still in tact by today’s continuity standards? If so, when did they begin? If any of those timelines do not exist anymore, when did they end?
Thank you again for what you do in fielding all these inquires and cheers for a Happy New Year again! 
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The three timelines alluded to in the end of Flashpoint were the timelines of the main DC Universe, the sort of cordoned off “Vertigo” continuity of titles like Hellblazer, Swamp Thing, Doom Patrol, and Animal Man, and the timeline of “WildStorm” titles – the idea being that, going forward, all of those would be part of the main DC continuity. The Vertigo aspect has remained in place, while WildStorm has faded in and out and in again… though Jim Lee says he has big plans for reintegrating his WildStorm stable back into DC continuity this year (which we’re already getting a taste of with Grifter over in Batman).
And Happy New Year!
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