Pep Comics #12
Pep Comics #12 (February 1941) marks a significant editorial turning point for MLJ Magazines, simultaneously retiring the long-running 'Rocket and the Queen of Diamonds' science-fiction serial (which had occupied the title since issue #1) while launching two brand-new features to replace three cancelled strips. Most significantly, it presents the first appearance and complete origin of Fireball (Ted Tyler), MLJ's entry into the competitive fire-powered superhero subgenre that Timely's Human Torch had already established; the character's willingness to kill in his debut story set a notably harder edge than many contemporaries. The issue also kicks off 'Danny in Wonderland,' a surreal fairy-tale anthology strip that would run all the way through issue #39, and it provides the second appearance of Dusty the Boy Detective, the Shield's newly-minted sidekick, in full action — cementing the Shield/Dusty partnership that would define Pep Comics through the rest of its superhero era.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Pep Comics was published by M.L.J. Magazines Inc. and edited at this stage by Abner Sundell, who oversaw the title through issue #23 before Harry Shorten took the helm. Issue #12 was part of a deliberate roster shuffle: with issue #11, three features — 'Fu Chang, International Detective,' 'Perry Chase, The Press Guardian,' and 'The Rocket and the Queen of Diamonds' — had all concluded, and Sundell used #12 to introduce replacement strips. The Fireball story was drawn in the studio style of the period under Sundell's editorial guidance, with the cover rendered by Irv Novick, who was the principal artist for The Shield throughout this era. The GoCollect listing records the on-sale date as February 10, 1941, with a 68-page count at the standard 10-cent cover price, published under the MLJ/Archie Publications indicia.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance and complete origin of Fireball (Ted Tyler): a firefighter knocked unconscious by an arsonist called the Bug and coated in chemicals, gaining the ability to absorb and control fire — MLJ's direct response to Timely's Human Torch.
- Fireball's debut story is notably dark for the era: at its conclusion, he deliberately engulfs the Bug in flames, killing him — one of the more morally extreme moments in a Golden Age superhero origin.
- First appearance of 'Danny in Wonderland,' a surreal fairy-tale adventure strip written by Harry Shorten with art by Lin Streeter, which would run continuously in Pep Comics through issue #39 (1943).
- Final appearance of 'The Rocket and the Queen of Diamonds' (Lin Streeter), a science-fiction serial that had run since Pep Comics #1 (January 1940); this issue's story ends the feature with the Rocket and Queen battling a 'Groman' fleet.
- The Shield (Joe Higgins) and his new sidekick Dusty (Dustin Simmons) — who had debuted one issue earlier in #11 — appear together in an adventure against the villainous Dr. Wang, whose first and only appearance is in this issue (dies).
- The Comet (John Dickering), drawn by Jack Cole for the title's first 17 issues, continues as a fugitive alongside supporting character Thelma Gordon — one of the final installments before his landmark death in issue #17.
- Cover art is by Irv Novick, featuring a Shield 'bondage' cover in the style common to Golden Age action anthologies.
- The Fireball origin story was reprinted in Gwandanaland Comics #2006 — 'The Golden Age Firsts of MLJ Comics: Volume 1' (June 2018), making it accessible to modern readers alongside other key MLJ debuts.
Cast · 27 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
A fireman left to die in a fire is exposed to strange chemicals and gains superpowers.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).