LEFTY LOUIE

Real Name: Louie (last name unrevealed)

Identity/Class: Human (1950s era)

Occupation: Criminal

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Mrs. Miggs, police officers, Santa Claus

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Lefty Louie

Base of Operations: His apartment, somewhere in America; temporarily in Mrs. Miggs' house

First Appearance: Journey into Unknown Worlds#34/1 (April, 1955)

Powers/Abilities: Lefty Louie was a habitual criminal who was skilled at picking pockets and burglary. Having learned to sew while serving a prison sentence, he eventually used this skill to make himself a Santa suit.

Louie regularly wore eyeglasses to correct an unspecified impairment with his vision.

Height: Unrevealed (5' 8"; by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed (170 lbs.; by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Brown

History:
(Journey into Unknown Worlds#34/1 (fb) - BTS) - Small-time criminal Lefty Louie did a stint in prison for an unspecified crime -- while serving his sentence, he learned how to sew. After his parole, the unrepentant Louie returned to a life of crime.

(Journey into Unknown Worlds#34/1) - Three days before Christmas, Louie was in a crowded department store, where he planned to pick some of the shoppers' pockets. He was bemused to see Mrs. Miggs, an old woman wearing a mink coat and expensive jewelry, waiting in line to visit the store's Santa. But Louie's interest was piqued when he overheard Mrs. Miggs tell the Santa to pass her house by this season -- she claimed that every year, Santa brought her so much that she was now very rich, and he should instead just give her gifts to someone who needed them more. Upon learning that the wealthy and eccentric woman still believed in Santa Claus, Louie left the store and followed Mrs. Miggs to her opulent home, then he came up with a scheme to use the old lady's child-like belief to his advantage for his next "job".

   Louie went back to his apartment and put his sewing skills to use by making himself a Santa suit; after dressing in the completed outfit and stuffing it with a pillow, he put on a fake beard and mustache, then checked himself in the mirror -- whether Mrs. Miggs liked it or not, "Santa Claus" would be coming to her house...but not to bring something!

   [ 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through Mrs. Miggs' house, not a creature was stirring... except for Lefty Louie (That louse!) ]

   Late on Christmas Eve, Louie--dressed in his Santa suit--broke into Mrs. Miggs home and found it loaded with silver and valuables, and he figured that robbing the place would be a cinch -- if Mrs. Miggs woke up and saw him, she wouldn't scream in fear... and if somebody else spotted him, Mrs. Miggs would never press charges against "dear ol' Santa"!

   Louie began his heist by pulling mink coats from a closet filled with the furs; but he was interrupted by another "burglar" who seemed to have had the same idea as he did, for that other "burglar" was also dressed as Santa Claus! Louie confronted the "burglar" and demanded that he leave, but the "burglar" insisted that he had been there first...and besides, he'd been coming to Mrs. Miggs' house for years!

   Figuring there was no compromising with the other "burglar," Louie put up his fists and was about to rough him up and show him who was the boss, but he was shocked when the "burglar" grabbed him by the collar and picked him up with one hand, then slapped away Louie's fake beard. All the commotion awoke Mrs. Miggs, and after seeing the restrained Louie, she immediately telephoned the police.

   When he heard the approaching sirens, Louie tried to reason with the other "burglar," telling him that even thieves had to cooperate with each other, or else they'd both end up getting locked in jail. But as Mrs. Miggs let the police in the front door, the other "burglar" threw Louie to the floor in front of them, then dashed out the window and up onto the roof.

   Immediately recognizing the career-criminal, the police placed Louie under arrest; Louie willingly confessed that he tried to rob Mrs. Miggs, but he insisted that the cops had to take that other "burglar" wearing the Santa suit into custody as well. Mrs. Miggs confirmed with the disbelieving police that what Louie told them was true, but they couldn't catch that other "burglar" anyway, so they'd better not try.

   To explain what she meant, Mrs. Miggs led Louie and the policemen up the staircase to a second floor terrace so they could have a look outside, and the men could only stare in stunned silence as the "burglar" made his "getaway" -- he was flying off in a miniature sleigh, pulled by eight tiny reindeer...

Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Bill Benulis.

Profile by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Lefty Louie has no known connection to:

• Lefty - Angel (Halloway) foe -- Marvel Mystery Comics I#74
• Lefty - alias of Miguel Rodriguez -- Hawkeye III#7
• Lefty - alias of Belasco -- Adventure into Fear I#22
• Lefty - mutant bartender -- Madrox#1
• Lefty Donovan - Hobgoblin imposter -- Amazing Spider-Man I#244
• Lefty Lucie - Squirrel Girl ally -- Unbeatable Squirrel Girl II#40
• any other characters with similar names, or anyone else named "Louie"

Mrs. Miggs has no known connection to:

• any other characters with similar names

Mrs. Miggs Apparently a widow, Mrs. Miggs lived alone in a large house. Every Christmas, Santa Claus brought her gifts because she was the only grown-up who still believed in him, and Mrs. Miggs became very wealthy as a result. But a few days before one particular Christmas, Mrs. Miggs went to a crowded department store to visit the store's Santa -- because she was so rich, she told the Santa to pass her house by this season, and to instead give her gifts to someone who needed them more. As she left the store, Mrs. Miggs didn't realize her conversation was overheard by criminal Lefty Louie, who was planning to use her belief in Santa against her. While dressed in a Santa suit, Louie broke into Mrs. Miggs house on Christmas Eve, and he planned to burglarize her home; but Louie was seized by Mrs. Miggs' annual visitor, the real Santa Claus! While Santa restrained Lefty Louie, Mrs. Miggs telephoned the police. --Journey into Unknown Worlds#34/1

police officers Late one Christmas Eve, this quartet of uniformed law-enforcers (one of whom was named "Prescott") went to Mrs. Miggs house to investigate a report of an attempted burglary. When they arrived, they immediately recognized the burglary suspect as criminal Lefty Louie, who was dressed in a Santa suit. They placed Louie under arrest, but Louie insisted that there was another burglar in the house who was also dressed in a Santa suit. Mrs. Miggs led the policemen and Louie up the staircase to a second floor terrace, where the men could only watch in stunned silence when they saw the other "burglar" flying away in a reindeer-drawn sleigh... --Journey into Unknown Worlds#34/1

images: (without ads)
Journey into Unknown Worlds#34/1, p1, pan1 (Main Image - Lefty Louie)
Journey into Unknown Worlds#34/1, p1, pan3 (Headshot - Lefty Louie)
Journey into Unknown Worlds#34/1, p2, pan7 (Lefty Louie tries on his Santa suit)
Journey into Unknown Worlds#34/1, p4, pan1 (Lefty Louie dressed in Santa suit, confronting other "burglar" (foreground))
Journey into Unknown Worlds#34/1, p5, pan6 (Mrs. Miggs, Lefty Louie, and policemen men on terrace, watching other "burglar" leaving)
Journey into Unknown Worlds#34/1, p2, pan1 (Mrs. Miggs; department store Santa)
Journey into Unknown Worlds#34/1, p4, pan4 (Mrs. Miggs; Santa Claus restraining Lefty Louie)
Journey into Unknown Worlds#34/1, p4, pan8 (policemen with Mrs. Miggs; Lefty Louie thrown to floor by hand of Santa Claus)
Journey into Unknown Worlds#34/1, p5, pan1 (policemen arrest Lefty Louie; Mrs. Miggs (background))

Appearances:
Journey into Unknown Worlds#34/1 (April, 1955) - unidentified writer, Bill Benulis (pencils), Jack Abel (inks), Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 12/27/2022
Last updated: 12/27/2022