SIMON SLEDGE

Real Name: Simon Sledge

Identity/Class: Human (1960s era)

Occupation: Millionaire-businessman; owner of Simon Sledge Products

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: James (last name unrevealed, chauffeur)

Enemies: Bootblack, Johnson (first name unrevealed, business rival)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: An unidentified American city

First Appearance: Amazing Adventures I#4/2 (September, 1961)

Powers/Abilities: Having no paranormal physical abilities, Simon Sledge was a punctual businessman who boasted that he was never late. He owned a factory which manufactured unspecified products.

Having made his fortune through unethical business practices, Sledge was cruel, heartless, and unconcerned about the welfare of his employees.

Sledge's shoes were enchanted when they were polished by the Bootblack, which left him temporarily unable to control his feet--as a result, Sledge missed an important business meeting.

Height: 5' 10" (by approximation)
Weight: 250 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Gray

History:
(Amazing Adventures I#4/2 (fb) - BTS) - The past of Simon Sledge is largely unrevealed, but he established a factory and became very wealthy. But Sledge ran his business like a ruthless tyrant--he cared nothing about his longtime loyal employees, and would cruelly fire them if it benefited him financially.

   Sledge's main business rival was Johnson, but he eventually made arrangements to purchase Johnson's factory (Although the details of the sale were unspecified, the terms of the deal were such that Sledge would lose everything if he didn't sign the paperwork to finalize his purchase by the appointed time).

   Once his purchase of Johnson's factory was completed, Sledge was planning to shut the factory down and fire all the employees--with his main competitor out of business, Sledge was then going to cut the salaries of his own employees in half.

   On the day his purchase of Johnson's factory was to be finalized, Sledge rode into the city in his chauffeured limousine to attend the important meeting.

(Amazing Adventures I#4/2) - When he arrived at the place of the meeting, Sledge checked his wristwatch and saw he had twenty minutes to kill; noticing the Bootblack walking up the sidewalk, Sledge called at him for a shoeshine and gave the pathetic old man ten minutes to finish his shoes.

   While the elderly Bootblack was polishing his shoes, Sledge began reminiscing about the ways he made money with his unethical business deals; then he thought about his plans regarding closing down Johnson's factory--he didn't care if the terminated workers went hungry, and he arrogantly thought that since he was doing nothing illegal, he couldn't be punished by any law.

   But unknown to Sledge, the Bootblack could apparently "see" his thoughts--the old shoe-shiner came to the conclusion that Sledge was an evil man who deserved to be punished.

   When the Bootblack hadn't completed the shoeshine within the ten minute time-limit, Sledge told him his time was up and refused to pay him, but the Bootblack told Sledge that it was his time which was up. Perplexed by the Bootblack's remark, but having no desire to waste any more words on the "old fool," Sledge began to walk away to his meeting...but then he noticed something was wrong with his feet, for they wouldn't go where he wanted them to!

   As his feet began to walk against his will in the opposite direction, away from the meeting place, Sledge realized that the Bootblack had somehow bewitched his shoes. Although he eventually managed to grab hold of a lamp-post to stop himself, Sledge checked his wristwatch, saw that he was too late for the meeting, and tearfully realized he would be financially ruined.

   As Sledge lay upon the sidewalk and bemoaned his lost fortune, he stared in disbelief when he saw the Bootblack with angel wings upon his back! As the Bootblack walked away into a Divine Light, he warned Sledge that although there was no law on Earth which could punish him, there was always a Higher Law which could...

Comments: Created by Stan Lee (writer) and Steve Ditko (artist).








Profile by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Simon Sledge has no known connections to:

The Bootblack has no known connections to:

Bootblack

Unidentified by any proper name, he appeared to be only a shabbily-dressed old man who eked out a meager living by shining shoes for 15 cents.

One day the Bootblack was shining the shoes of corrupt millionaire Simon Sledge, who was in town for an important business meeting.

As he was getting his shoes shined, Sledge was thinking over his plans to close down a competitor's factory he was purchasing, and he didn't care if the unemployed workers went hungry, as long as it benefited him.

But the Bootblack could "see" Sledge's thoughts, and determined that Sledge was an evil man who deserved to be punished.

The Bootblack enchanted Sledge's shoes so that his feet wouldn't obey his will, and Sledge found himself walking in the opposite direction, away from his meeting place; as a result, Sledge missed signing important paperwork to finalize his purchase of the factory, and he was left financially ruined.

As the Bootblack walked into a Divine Light, he displayed his angel wings and warned Sledge that while there was no law on Earth that could punish him, there was always a Higher Law which could...

(Of course, a "bootblack" is a person who polishes shoes and boots for a living)

--Amazing Adventures I#4/2

images: (without ads)
Amazing Adventures I#4/2, p2, pan6 (Main Image - Simon Sledge (center) calls Bootblack (left); James the chauffeur with limousine (right))
Amazing Adventures I#4/2, p2, pan9 (Headshot - Simon Sledge)
Amazing Adventures I#4/2, p2, pan7 (Simon Sledge getting his shoes shined by Bootblack)
Amazing Adventures I#4/2, p5, pan1 (Simon Sledge unable to control his feet)
Amazing Adventures I#4/2, p2, pan8 (Headshot - Bootblack, as Simon Sledge taunts him)
Amazing Adventures I#4/2, p4, pan3 (Simon Sledge refuses to pay Bootblack)
Amazing Adventures I#4/2, p5, pan5 (Bootblack's true nature revealed to Simon Sledge (left))

Appearances:
Amazing Adventures I#4/2 (September, 1961) - Stan Lee (writer), Steve Ditko (pencils and inks), Artie Simek (letters), Stan Lee (editor)

First Posted: 05/21/2018
Last updated: 05/21/2018

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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