HARRY SPAHN

Real Name: Harry Spahn

Identity/Class: Human (1950s era)

Occupation: Millionaire, would-be explorer (see comments)

Group Membership: Explorers' Club (see comments)

Affiliations: Morgan (see comments)

Enemies: Felix Bradin

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile

First Appearance: Strange Tales I#66/4 (December, 1958)

Powers/Abilities: Having no paranormal abilities, Spahn was a wealthy man--the extent of his fortune was unrevealed, but he owned a personal airplane.

Although having attained fame, glory, and riches, Spahn was apparently dissatisfied with his life, and he secretly longed to "get away from it all"; when he learned of Felix Bradin's plans to circumnavigate the world in the midget submarine Wanderer, Spahn jumped at the chance to join him in the adventure.

Spahn used his wealth to finance the construction of Bradin's submarine, but only on the condition that he could accompany Bradin on the voyage.

But Spahn's overbearing and decisive personality, along with his hard-driving directness in getting things done, irritated Bradin, who thought that Spahn would try to claim all the credit for the expedition. Later, Bradin violently dissolved their partnership, then went on the journey by himself.

Height: 6' (by approximation)
Weight: 180 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Black

History:
(Strange Tales I#66/4 (fb) - BTS) - The past of Harry Spahn is largely unrevealed (see comments), but at some point--after having led a life of fame, glory, and riches--he became one of the honorary members of the Explorers' Club.

   One day, Spahn arrived at the club just after Felix Bradin had delivered a presentation. Although Spahn had arrived too late to hear Bradin talk, Morgan (see comments) gave him the gist of Bradin's plans; Spahn was intrigued when he learned that Bradin wanted to make a non-stop underwater trip around the world in the midget submarine Wanderer--seeing this as his chance to "get away from it all," Spahn left to catch up with Bradin.

(Strange Tales I#66/4 (fb) ) - Spahn had just exited the club and immediately saw Bradin--he proposed the idea that he would finance the construction of Bradin's submarine, but only under the condition that Bradin would take him along on the voyage; seeing Spahn's offer as the fulfillment of his dream, Bradin agreed.

   On a remote Atlantic Ocean inlet, Spahn and Bradin began to secretly build the Wanderer--at one point, Spahn flew to Detroit in his personal aircraft to pick up some stabilizer parts. Because of Spahn's hard-driving decisiveness, and his directness in getting things done, work progressed quickly, and the Wanderer was finished three weeks later. After giving the Wanderer an initial submersion test, Spahn and Bradin provisioned the sub with supplies; then, as they went to the shelter of the tool shed to retire for the evening, Spahn scheduled their trip to begin at 6:00 AM the next morning.

   But Spahn's overbearing manner during the building of the submarine had caused Bradin to have misgivings about partnering with him--Spahn had bossed him around as if he were just a laborer, and Bradin was convinced that Spahn was going to take full credit for their mission.

Very early the next morning, Spahn was awakened by the sound of a creaking floorboard; as he climbed out of his cot, he saw Bradin sneaking out the door. When Spahn asked him where he was going, Bradin lashed out and punched him on the jaw, then responded that he was taking the Wanderer out alone!

   By the time the stunned Spahn reached the dock, Bradin had already climbed aboard the sub. Although Spahn pleaded with Bradin to take him along, Bradin only responded that nobody was going to to steal the fame and glory from him.

But as he watched the the Wanderer submerge beneath the waters, Harry Spahn lamented that he didn't care about fame and glory...he had just wanted to get away from it all...

The subsequent fate of Harry Spahn is unrevealed.

Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Al Eadeh.

The name of the organization was mentioned in a caption as "Explorers' Club" (with apostrophe).

It was never revealed exactly who the unseen "Morgan" was, or whether it was his/her first name, or surname; I'm assuming "Morgan" was a member of the Explorers' Club, although he/she could have just as easily been a club employee.

This 4-page story--It Waits Under the Sea!--never elaborated upon the source of Spahn's wealth; since he was able to assist with the building of the Wanderer, and he was familiar with finding a source for parts, my guess is that he made his fortune as an industrialist (but not quite Tony-Stark-level)--maybe the pressures of running his business were getting to be too much for him, so he joined the Explorers' Club as a diversion.

And in regards to Spahn's mustache: Considering some of the others who chose that style on their upper-lips (e.g. J. Jonah Jameson and this guy), it's not surprising that Spahn had an overbearing personality.

Profile by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Harry Spahn has no known connections to:

images: (without ads)
Strange Tales I#66/4, p2, pan1 (Main Image - Harry Spahn coming out of Explorers' Club to speak to Felix Bradin)
Strange Tales I#66/4, p2, pan2 (Headshot - Harry Spahn)
Strange Tales I#66/4, p2, pan7 (Harry Spahn being punched by Felix Bradin (foreground) )
Strange Tales I#66/4, p3, pan1 (Harry Spahn on dock, as Felix Bradin climbs into Wanderer)
Strange Tales I#66/4, p3, pan2 (Harry Spahn watches as Wanderer submerges)

Appearances:
Strange Tales I#66/4 (December, 1958) - unidentified writer, Al Eadeh (pencils and inks), Joe Rosen (letters), Stan Lee (editor)

First Posted: 01/05/2020
Last updated: 01/05/2020

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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