More Fun Comics #73
More Fun Comics #73 is one of the most consequential single issues of the Golden Age, packing the debut appearances of two DC pillars — Green Arrow (with his sidekick Speedy) and Aquaman — into the same anthology. The twin introductions are all the more remarkable because neither character appears on the cover, and both were conceived not as headliners but as supporting features in a book where Doctor Fate and The Spectre were the marquee attractions. Both characters went on to anchor decades of solo runs, Justice League membership, and major screen adaptations, making this November 1941 anthology the unexpected wellspring of a substantial portion of the DC Universe's roster. It also captures a pivotal transitional moment for More Fun Comics itself, as the title shifted from mystical heavyweights to a broader, action-adventure lineup that would define DC's mid-Golden Age identity.
In "Mr. Who," Jerry Siegel crafts a gripping tale of scientific ambition and betrayal, featuring the Spectre as he intervenes to protect a brilliant but vulnerable inventor. Bernard Baily handles the art, inks, and lettering with crisp precision, bringing the eerie tension of a man trapped by his own creation to life. Howard Sherman’s cover captures the mystery with a striking, shadowed figure that hints at the story’s unsettling core.
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Editor and writer Mort Weisinger was tasked with expanding the More Fun Comics lineup with new features, and in a single issue he delivered two. Green Arrow — a Robin Hood-inspired archer — was written by Weisinger and drawn by George Papp; their debut approach was unconventional, dropping readers directly into an ongoing adventure without a formal origin, implying an already-established hero. Aquaman was likewise written by Weisinger but illustrated by Paul Norris; conceived partly as DC's answer to Timely's Sub-Mariner, he was given a condensed eight-page origin in the final slot of the anthology. The book was officially published by Detective Comics, Inc. (the indicia-listed name for what would become DC Comics), with Whitney Ellsworth nominally credited as editor while Weisinger handled the actual editorial duties, and Howard Sherman provided both the cover art and interior Doctor Fate artwork.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) and his sidekick Speedy (Roy Harper), in the story 'Case of the Namesake Murders,' written by Mort Weisinger and illustrated by George Papp.
- First appearance and origin of Aquaman, in the story 'The Submarine Strikes,' written by Mort Weisinger and illustrated by Paul Norris — the last, eight-page feature in the issue.
- In Aquaman's debut origin, his father is described as a famous undersea explorer who discovered an ancient sunken city and used its science to give his son the ability to breathe underwater; the name 'Aquaman' is bestowed by the father ('My son is a true dweller of the deep – his name shall be Aquaman').
- Green Arrow's first story introduces his trick-arrow-equipped automobile, called the 'Arrowplane' (an in-joke reference to the Hudson Terraplane automobile of the 1930s), and presents him as already an established, well-known hero in Manhattan — the story even references a prior adventure called 'The Case of the Golden Mummy.'
- The issue also marks the first appearance of Doctor Fate villain Mr. Who, whose 'Solution Z' grants him size-changing, regeneration, and invisibility powers; this story also debuts Doctor Fate in his half-face helmet, signaling a deliberate de-powering and tonal shift for the character away from cosmic mysticism toward conventional superheroics.
- The Spectre story — written by Jerry Siegel and drawn by Bernard Baily — ends with a promotional blurb announcing the debut of comic-relief character Percival Popp, The Super-Cop, in the next issue, foreshadowing a major tonal change for that feature.
- The full issue was reprinted as Millennium Edition: More Fun Comics #73 by DC in January 2001 (which notably recolored Aquaman's original yellow gloves to green), and again as a full Facsimile Edition by DC in June 2025.
- The issue was published on-sale September 19, 1941, by Detective Comics, Inc., with a cover price of ten cents and a November 1941 cover date; cover art was by Howard Sherman.
Cast · 25 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
The Spectre comes to the aid of a scientist who has been captured by his own assistant, who wants to obtain Kirk's invention of a space-folding machine, which can transport anything from one spot on the earth to another in an instant.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).