MISTER DEATH
Real Name: Max Blucher
Identity/Class: Human technology user;
citizen of
the United States of America;
World War
II era
Occupation: Terrorist
Group Membership: His fellow (unidentified and unseen) fifth columnists
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Captain Wonder (Steve Jordan), Tim Mulrooney
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None;
"Death" (nickname used by Captain Wonder),
"that death bird" (nickname used by police official)
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly
mobile throughout Wisconsin
First Appearance: Kid Komics I#1/1 (February 1943)
Powers/Abilities: Mister Death possessed no known
superhuman powers. He pretended to be the actual specter of death,
killing his victims simply by pointing at them. In reality, he relied on
a tube of invisible poison gas he sprayed in the face of his victims
when he pointed at them.
Height: 6'3" (by approximation)
Weight: 160 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
History:
(Kid Komics I#1/1 - BTS) - Max Blucher was a well known
fifth columnist, working to undermine American society from within. In
order to sow the seeds of despair and disarray, he created the
costumed identity of Mister Death, pretending to be the actual Grim
Reaper ready to dole out final judgment. To add to the illusion, he
hid inside Wisconsin's Endless Caverns which had come under scrutiny
in recent times because famed geologist Dr. Martin had gone missing
trying to chart the caves. Blucher waited until Martin found his
way out to make his move (or
perhaps he was the one who located the good doctor, exposing him to
the poison and then coaxing him out).
(Kid Komics I#1/1) - Martin stumbled out of the caves and was spotted
by two officials who had been posted there to be on the lookout for
his possible return. Frantic, the doctor insisted the entrance to the
caves was to be bombed immediately to make sure "death" wouldn't get
out. Martin died moments later, leaving the men to wonder what he
meant, but eventually figuring the doctor must have been delirious.
However, that's when Mr. Death appeared, claiming the world would
"once again feel his power," while using his lethal gas on the
men. Blucher then turned his attention to the nearest town,
killing several officials over the next few weeks while baffling the
police.
(Kid Komics I#1 - BTS) - Mild mannered chemistry professor Steve Jordan had accidentally exposed himself and his student Tim Mulrooney to the strength increasing compound he'd invented called Wonder Fluid. It turned them into the super-powered crime fighting duo of Captain Wonder and Tim.
(Kid Komics I#1/1) - Mister Death had targeted his next victim, one senator Carson, planning to kill the politician on the streets, just as Captain Wonder was out on patrol. Even though Death managed to kill Carson, he was no match for Captain Wonder, who proved immune to his poison gas and easily knocked him out.
(Kid Komics I#1/1 - BTS) - Mr. Death was taken to Pentmore prison from which he managed to escape after a while, swearing revenge on Captain Wonder (see comments).
(Kid Komics I#1/1) - Hoping to find his enemy, Mr. Death retraced his steps and eventually located Wonder and Tim in Jordan's lab. Having heard the news of Mr. Death's escape from prison, they were getting ready to go look for the villain. Death surprised them by kicking in the door, immediately pointing at Wonder and releasing his poison gas. While Captain Wonder was momentarily woozy, Tim picked up the slack and sucker-punched Mr. Death in the jaw. Angered and hurting, Mr. Death also doused Tim with the gas, unaware Wonder had by now recovered. Furious, Captain Wonder threw the villain into a lab table filled with volatile, corrosive chemicals. Mr. Death immediately caught on fire and died, claiming in his final moments that he saw the real death coming. After Mister Death stopped burning, Captain Wonder was finally able to confirm his true identity as noted fifth columnist Max Blucher. Wonder then summoned the police, who were surprised to see the hero had caught "that death bird."
Comments: Created by Otto Binder & Frank Giacoia.
You can't help but love golden age silliness like this... Mister Death was sent to prison by Captain Wonder, while there he's not only allowed to wear his costume, his true identity as a fifth columnist pretending to be death only gets discovered *after* he escapes and dies fighting Wonder and Tim... So, following that logic, he was locked up for a day (or possibly even months) while people still believed he was the grim reaper himself... and since he wore his costume, we can assume he also had his poison gas canisters on him the whole time? Talk about a low security penitentiary.Profile by Norvo.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Mister Death should not be confused with
images: (without ads)
Kid Komics I#1, p3, pan1 (main image)
Kid Komics I#1, p4, pan3 (closeup)
Kid Komics I#1, p13, pans5,6,7,8 (dies)
Appearances:
Kid Komics I#1/1 (February 1943) - Otto Binder (writer), Frank
Giacoia (pencils & inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Last updated: 07/17/14
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