355 - Satanichia Kurumizawa Mcdowell (Gabriel DropOut)
25/6/23
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The editor of American Comics Group, Richard E. Hughes, really disliked the superhero genre, although he wrote a number of superhero yarns in the 1940s. He apparently preferred stories/comic books without recurring characters.
However, by the mid-1960s everyone was jumping on the superhero bandwagon, and ACG was bo exception. ACG’s sales had never been blockbuster, especially with DC and Marvel owning the lion’s share of the market. Therefore, Hughes introduced two bona fide superheroes, Nemesis and Magician. These two became the lead feature in two of ACG’s long-running titles: Forbidden Worlds (Magician) and Adventures into the Unknown (Nemesis).
Nemesis debuted in Adventures into the Unknown #154, February 1965, in a story written by Shane O’Shea (one of numerous pseudonym’s for editor Hughes, who had written almost every ACG story since 1957), and drawn by Pete Costanza, an industry veteran who had worked at Fawcett Comics and on various Superman family stories at DC. The cover (first image above) is very definitely by Kurt Schaffenberger’s work, even though it’s signed by Costanza. That was probably so Schaffenberger wouldn’t getting trouble with DC editor Mort Weissenger, who did not approve of his artists moonlighting.
Nemesis was a ghost who became a superhero, a tired retread of DC’s the Spectre, although not quite as powerful. Nemesis was super-strong, could fly, turn invisible, time travel, change size, and was invulnerable to bullets. Despite all that, and being a ghost and all, he could still be burned, could be affected by gases and poisons, and bright light could rob him of his powers.
Like the Spectre, Nemesis was originally a lawman who was killed while pursuing a crook. Open reaching the pearly gates (or in ACG’s case, gates with the sign “Unknown” over them) he is given a chance to return to Earth as a crimefighter.
He is also given “...a costume -- something symbolic of your mission that will strike fear into their hearts!” I dunno about you, but the only fear I would have of that costume is a wedgie
Nemesis was the cover feature in Adventures into the Unknown until issue #167 (October 1966), with his last story appearing in issue #170 (February 1967). That issue also marked the end superheroes at ACG, which presaged the end of the 1960s superhero boom, with characters and companies disappearing left and right.
ACG itself lasted only a few months more before the company, which had been in operation since 1939, shut down for good in 1967.
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Satanichia Kurumizawa McDowell & Princess Holding A Puppy
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The Devil´ Star (Satana) · Dark Meditation Audio
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