FRED PALMER

Real Name: Fred Palmer

Identity/Class: Human technology user (1950s era)

Occupation: Inventor

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Hubert Winslow, Joyce Winslow

Enemies: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: The city of Harperton (somewhere in the United States)

First Appearance: World of Fantasy#14/5 (October, 1958)

Powers/Abilities: A normal human, Fred Palmer had no paranormal physical abilities.

An honest, idealistic man and an inventive genius, Palmer built a thought control machine--he had hoped to use the device for the betterment of mankind, but later found himself a victim of the apparatus.

Height: 5'10" (by approximation)
Weight: 170 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Brown

History:
(World of Fantasy#14/5 (fb) - BTS) - The past of Fred Palmer is largely unrevealed, but at some point he built a working model of a thought control machine; seeking funding for manufacturing the device, Palmer made an appointment to meet with businessman Hubert Winslow.

(World of Fantasy#14/5) - In Winslow's office, Palmer presented his thought control machine, claiming it could benefit the world; as a demonstration, Palmer activated the device and mentally commanded Winslow to write him a check for $10 million--Winslow found himself compelled to do just that. But after Winslow handed him the check, Palmer calmly tore it up. Winslow was convinced of the machine's power, but he didn't understand how it could help mankind, so Palmer explained that the device could be used to rehabilitate criminals and force them to go straight...it could even be utilized to end the threat of war for all time! Seeing the potential of such a machine, Winslow invited Palmer to his house for dinner to settle the financial arrangements.

   That evening at Winslow's palatial estate, Palmer first met Winslow's daughter Joyce--she and Palmer felt an immediate attraction to each other, and it was love-at-first-sight for them. Winslow began discussing business, and he offered to give Palmer a flat settlement of $100,000 and forty percent of the sale price of each machine manufactured and sold thereafter; but Palmer was smitten by Joyce, so he offered no argument to Winslow's terms of the deal.

   Later, Palmer and Joyce were keeping each other company on the moonlit patio, and the two realized they were meant for each other; Hubert Winslow also had a realization of his own, for it occurred to him the monstrous power Palmer's machine could give him--he thought to himself that soon the whole world would think his way, and he would be the richest, most omnipotent man on Earth!

   Within a month, Winslow was making his might known through the operation of Palmer's thought control machine, as his business rivals were compelled to sell their stocks to him at ridiculously low prices. When the news of Winslow's dealings hit the headlines, Palmer voiced his suspicions to Joyce that her father was using his invention for unethical business practices, but Joyce didn't believe her father was capable of any wrongdoing.

   Palmer met with Winslow and told him he knew Winslow was cheating men out of their fortunes, so he demanded the return of his invention; Winslow offered Palmer a larger share of his profits, but Palmer insisted he'd rather destroy his creation than see it used as an instrument of evil. Mad with power, Winslow instead used the machine to overpower Palmer's will, and he planted thoughts in Palmer's mind to ruin the inventor's budding romance with Joyce; Winslow further sought to degrade the man who was trying to take his power from him by commanding Palmer to go out to commit a robbery, to be followed by an armed confrontation with the police.

   The entranced Palmer first spoke with Joyce, and (per Hubert Winslow's command) he broke off their relationship, then he walked off to commit the crime. The distressed Joyce went to her father, and Winslow admitted that he had been using the thought control machine, but insisted he was doing it for Joyce's benefit. Angered by her father's betrayal, Joyce pushed the machine from his desk, and it smashed on the floor, then she ran out of the house to follow Palmer.

   Joyce caught up with the mesmerized Fred Palmer, but with the thought control machine destroyed, Palmer came to his senses before he could carry out Winslow's final command. As Joyce embraced him, she requested that Palmer marry her that night.

   With his power to dominate the minds of others gone, Hubert Winslow came to his senses as well; when legal authorities arrived at his estate, the dejected Winslow realized he had lost everything he held dear--his daughter's love, people's trust and respect--and he offered no resistance as he was placed under arrest.

   The next day, Joyce (now Mrs. Fred Palmer) learned what happened to her father, so she and Fred hurried to the city jail to see him. The newlyweds met with the shamed Hubert Winslow, who was sincerely sorry for what he had done, and he was ready to accept any punishment that was given to him. Joyce assured her father that she and Fred would do what they could to help him. Winslow shook hands with his new son-in-law and told him he'd cover any financial losses he had caused anyone. But Fred Palmer took full responsibility for creating the entire situation in the first place, for no man should have the right to inflict his will on others.

Comments: Created by Carl Wessler (writer) and Joe Orlando (artist).

Profile by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Fred Palmer has no known connections to:

Hubert and Joyce Winslow have no known connections to:

Fred Palmer's thought control machine has no known connections to:

Fred Palmer's thought control machine

Built by inventor Fred Palmer, the suitcase-sized device allowed the operator to overpower the will of others and mentally modify their thoughts; its range and limitations were unrevealed. Palmer had hoped to use it to benefit the world.

In an attempt to get funding for its manufacture, Palmer demonstrated the machine to businessman Hubert Winslow. But the otherwise moral Winslow became corrupted after he realized the machine's power, and he would eventually use it to take advantage of his business rivals.

After the power-mad Winslow used the machine on Palmer in an attempt to stop the inventor from reclaiming it, Joyce Winslow pushed it from the top of her father's desk, and it smashed on the floor.

--World of Fantasy#14/5

Joyce Winslow

The daughter of Hubert Winslow, she thought her father incapable of wrongdoing.

She first met and fell in love with inventor Fred Palmer when her father invited him to dinner.

But Joyce learned that her father was using Palmer's thought control machine to cheat his business rivals out of their fortunes; worse yet, Winslow had used it against Palmer. Angered by her father's betrayal, Joyce pushed the machine off his desk, and it smashed on the floor.

She eventually married Palmer, and later reconciled with her father.

--World of Fantasy#14/5

Hubert Winslow

The wealthiest man in the city of Harperton, he was a multi-millionaire businessman of fine repute, and a philanthropist of spotless character.  He lived in a large mansion with his beloved daughter Joyce.

Winslow had a meeting with inventor Fred Palmer, who had created a thought control machine and was seeking funding from Winslow for its manufacture.

Initially, Winslow shared Palmer's enthusiasm for using the machine to bring an era of peace and goodness to the world, but he would eventually be corrupted when he realized how much power the thought control machine could give him; Winslow began to use it to acquire stocks from his business rivals at ridiculously low prices.

But Palmer was suspicious that Winslow was using the machine for unethical purposes, so the inventor tried to reclaim the device. Winslow instead used the machine on Palmer to end the inventor's romance with Joyce; he also commanded Palmer to commit a robbery and have an armed confrontation with the police.

When Joyce learned what her father had done, she destroyed the machine; with his power to dominate others gone, Winslow came to his senses.

Hubert Winslow was eventually arrested for his unethical business practices and taken to the city jail. When he later met with newlyweds Joyce and Fred Palmer, he was ashamed and sincerely sorry for what he had done, and he was willing to make reparations for his wrongdoings.

--World of Fantasy#14/5

images: (without ads)
World of Fantasy#14/5, p2, pan1 (Main Image - Fred Palmer tears up Hubert Winslow's check)
World of Fantasy#14/5, p3, pan4 (Headshot - Fred Palmer demands the return of his invention, while Hubert Winslow uses it to mentally command him)
World of Fantasy#14/5, p2, pan2 (Fred Palmer (standing, left) explains how he hopes to use his invention to Hubert Winslow (seated at desk, right))
World of Fantasy#14/5, p4, pan7 (in city jail, Fred Palmer (right) shakes hands with Hubert Winslow (left), as Joyce watches)
World of Fantasy#14/5, p1, pan2 (Fred Palmer presents thought control machine to Hubert Winslow)
World of Fantasy#14/5, p4, pan3 (Joyce Winslow pushes thought control machine to floor and destroys it, as Hubert Winslow protests)
World of Fantasy#14/5, p3, pan1 (Joyce Winslow)
World of Fantasy#14/5, p4, pan4 (Joyce stops entranced Fred Palmer from committing a crime)
World of Fantasy#14/5, p1, pan3 (Hubert Winslow writes check as Fred Palmer (right) mentally compels him to do so)
World of Fantasy#14/5, p2, pan4 (Hubert Winslow realizes potential of Palmer's invention (Joyce and Fred Palmer (in silhouette) in background))
World of Fantasy#14/5, p3, pan5 (Hubert Winslow (right) uses thought control machine to mentally command Fred Palmer (left))

Appearances:
World of Fantasy#14/5 (October, 1958) - Carl Wessler (writer), Joe Orlando (pencils and inks), Stan Lee (editor)

Last updated: 09/26/17

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