DETECTIVE X

Real Name: Herbert Daye

Identity/Class: Unrevealed (see comments) (1950 era)

Occupation: Police detective

Group Membership: Police department of an unidentified city

Affiliations: Captain Charles Holt (superior officer)

Enemies: Danny Rice

Known Relatives: Esther Daye (daughter)

Aliases: "The Man With No Face" (in story title); Herb (as called by Captain Holt)

Base of Operations: Unidentified American city (possibly New York City)

First Appearance: Mystery Tales I#47/1 (November, 1956)

Powers/Abilities: An incredibly powerful telepath, Daye could read the minds of people, as well as project his thoughts to them--the range of his power was unrevealed, but he was known to have remotely used it over several thousands of miles. He also seemed to be able to completely mentally dominate others, to the extent that he could possess their bodies and control their actions (see comments).

Height: Unrevealed (5'8"; by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Brown (balding)

History:
(Mystery Tales I#47/1 (fb) - BTS) - The past of Herbert Daye is largely unrevealed, but at some point he secretly developed telepathic abilities; the middle-aged man lived with his adult daughter Esther, and he worked as a plain-clothes police detective. During his investigations, he apparently used his mental powers to possess other people (see comments); because Daye always appeared in different bodies, Captain Holt--who referred to him as "Detective X"--was under the impression that Daye was an expert in the art of disguise.

   While in pursuit of criminal fugitive Danny Rice, Daye possessed the body of an unidentified man and went to Rice's hideout.

(Mystery Tales I#47/1) - Detective X had Rice cornered in his hideout--without speaking, he telepathically revealed his mental powers to Rice; but by reflex action, Rice doused the lights, bowled over his uninvited guest, and fled--as he ran, Detective X's thoughts again invaded Rice's mind, warning him that there was no escape, for Detective X would find him wherever he went. Rice headed to the railroad freight yards and hopped aboard a train--he dared Detective X to read his mind, because Rice himself didn't even know where the train was heading.

   Three-thousand miles later, the train reached its final destination--San Francisco--and Rice was confident that he had eluded Detective X; but two weeks later, after he finished his meal at a cafe, Rice was shocked when he "heard" Detective X's projected thoughts as the waiter attempted to handcuff him. Believing the waiter to be Detective X in disguise, Rice overturned the table and made his escape; but as he ran out of the cafe, Rice once again "heard" Detective X advising him that he'd never get away.

   Rice booked passage aboard a freighter headed for a small Brazilian port; when he reached Brazil, he took a taxi to a small town, where he gradually made friends. One day, while he was playing cards with Senor Rafelo, something happened that sent a chill down Rice's spine--Rafelo pointed a gun at him, and Rice "heard" Detective X's telepathic "voice" in his mind, warning him that he'd been caught. But Rice still managed to make a break for it, and rode out of town on a horse.

   Rice returned to the United States, and went back to his home town. He got an honest job at an automobile factory, where he met Esther Daye--the two fell in love, and they eventually decided to get married. But one night, while he was at Esther's home to have dinner with her and her father, Rice again "heard" Detective X's telepathic "voice," and realized he'd never get away from the persistent lawman. Rice loved Esther too much to run out on her, so he decided that he'd just go to the police to turn himself in--he resolved that he'd serve his time in prison, and hoped that maybe Esther would be waiting for him when his sentence was over.

   After dinner, Herbert Daye excused himself and took a walk to the nearby police station; he informed Captain Holt that he had a feeling the elusive Danny Rice would soon turn himself in--Daye didn't mention that he had "listened" to what Rice was planning to do.

   As Daye turned to walk back home, Holt commented to him that this one of the few times he'd seen "Detective X" without a disguise.

Comments: Created by Carl Wessler and Robert Q. Sale.

This 4-page story was done with Danny Rice as the protagonist--Herbert Daye wasn't even introduced until the last page, and the surprise-ending in the last panel revealed him to be Detective X.

The true nature of Herbert Daye was never revealed, but possibly his mental powers were the result of his being a mutant.

It was never overtly stated that Daye could possess other people, it's just something I inferred that the writer intended to explain how Daye "disguised" himself as various men (see fourth image) and how he was able to appear in so many places--if this is true, then Herbert Daye would seem to have a power similar to Karma (Xi'an Coy Manh) of the New Mutants.

As to why Daye didn't just use his powers to force Danny Rice to turn himself in...maybe he wanted Rice to willingly redeem himself to show that he was truly rehabilitated.

Profile by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Detective X / Herbert Daye / "The Man With No Face" has no known connections to:

• Shabby Dayes - extraterrestrial prospector--Captain Marvel I#42
• Harry "Happy" Daze -AIM agent, suspect in the murder of Ralph Rider--Nova I#12
• any other detectives or characters with similar names

Danny Rice has no known connections to:

• Kingsley Rice - aka Amphibian of Earth-712, Squadron Supreme member--Avengers I#148
• Ron Rice - Justice Department lawyer--Defenders I#70
• Susan Rice - aka Soupcan, student, waitress--Alpha: Big Time#1
• Timmy Rice - fan of the Punisher--Marvel Comics Presents I#59/4
• any other characters with similar names

Esther Daye The adult daughter of Herbert Daye, she lived with her father. She worked at an automobile factory, where she met coworker Danny Rice. Esther and Rice fell in love, and they were considering getting married. But unbeknownst to Esther, Rice was a criminal fugitive on the run, and he was secretly being pursued by her police detective father. --Mystery Tales I#47/1

Danny Rice On the run for an unspecified crime, Rice was being pursued by a telepathic lawman that he knew only as "Detective X". No matter where he ran, Rice was confronted by the mind-reading investigator, and because Detective X had a different appearance every time, Rice believed him to be a master of disguise (see comments). Rice eventually returned to his home town and got an honest job at an auto factory, where he met Esther Daye; he and Esther fell in love and were considering getting married. But one night, while having dinner with Esther and her father, Rice "heard" the taunting telepathic "voice" of Detective X in his mind. Rice loved Esther too much to run out on her, and realized he could never escape from the mind-reading lawman, so he decided to "take his medicine" for his crime and turn himself in to the police; he hoped Esther would be waiting for him after he served his prison sentence. Rice was unaware that Detective X was actually Esther's father, Herbert Daye. --Mystery Tales I#47/1

images: (without ads)
Marvel Tales I#47/1, p4, pan6 (main image - Herbert Daye, speaking to Capt. Holt)
Marvel Tales I#47/1, p4, pan2 (headshot - Herbert Daye)
Marvel Tales I#47/1, p1, pan2 (Detective X [standing] projects his thoughts into Danny Rice's mind)
Marvel Tales I#47/1, p1, pan1 (unidentified man)
Marvel Tales I#47/1, p2, pan6 (unidentified waiter; Danny Rice [right])
Marvel Tales I#47/1, p3, pan6 (Senor Rafelo; Danny Rice [background])
Marvel Tales I#47/1, p4, pan1 (Esther Daye; Danny Rice [foreground])
Marvel Tales I#47/1, p4, pan5 (Esther Daye)
Marvel Tales I#47/1, p2, pan4 (Danny Rice)
Marvel Tales I#47/1, p3, pan1 (Danny Rice)

Appearances:
Mystery Tales I#47/1 (November, 1956) - Carl Wessler (writer), Robert Q. Sale (pencils/inks), Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 11/10/2024
Last updated: 11/10/2024