Harry Houdini

Few figures from history have proven as irresistible to comic storytellers as Harry Houdini, the legendary escape artist and illusionist who made his four-color debut in Kid Eternity #8 in 1948 — a Golden Age introduction courtesy of artist Pete Riss. Over a remarkable span stretching across nearly eight decades, this real-world icon has turned up in some fascinatingly eclectic company: sharing pages with the likes of Judge Dredd, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Howard Phillips Lovecraft across titles as varied as 2000 AD, Daredevil, and his very own Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini. That kind of range — from Golden Age curiosity to prestige indie spotlight — speaks to the timeless grip Houdini holds on the imagination. If you love comics that blur the line between myth and history, this is a name worth tracking down.