W: The Whizzer!

w 

is for Whizzer.

Yeah, yeah...laugh if you want, but it's still better than "Elongated Man"...right?

Anyway....The Whizzer...aka Robert Frank...debuted in USA Comics #1 (August, 1941), published by the precursor to Marvel Comics, Timely Comics. Created by artist Al Avison, rumor has it that Stan Lee, himself, was the writer who came up with the character, but that has never been confirmed. 

The Whizzer was featured in solo stories for the first half of the 1940s then, in 1946, was made part of The All Winner's Squad.

Now onto The Whizzer's origin. You'll probably be glad to note that he was not a scientist and radiation also wasn't involved in Frank getting his powers. No, he got his powers from being bitten by a cobra while on a trip with his father (who was a scientist). Well, he didn't get his powers from the cobra bite itself, but from the transfusion of mongoose blood his father gave him to try to save his life. 

Yes...I said... 'mongoose blood'.

Mongoose blood to combat cobra venom.....makes sense, right? What? You've never seen Riki Tiki Tavi??

Later on, in the 70s, his origin was amended (retconned) a bit to say that the mongoose blood triggered his latent mutant abilities, which accounted for his super speed. Personally, I think the straight mongoose blood is a more fun origin tale. 

Robert discovers that he can now run up to 100 mph and his reflexes have become super human. He decides to go out and fight crime, joining The All Winner's Squad. During the characters revival in the 1970s, he was also (retro continuity-ed, retconned) attributed to joining The Invaders as well as The Liberty Legion. (you do remember them from "L", right?)

I like to think of it as 'recycling'

Frank married Miss America and the couple settled down, giving up the superhero business after WWII. They had a son who....well, that's a story for another post, I think... :)

L: Liberty Legion!

L 

is for The Liberty Legion.

(This is an eleventh hour change from my original "L", which was Longshot....hence my 'luck' clue yesterday)

Way back in 1942, Captain America's junior partner Bucky was in a pickle. Ya see, his pals in the supergroup, the Invaders, had been captured and brainwashed by the evil Red Skull! It was up to Bucky to rescue them, but he knew he couldn't do it alone.

So, he put out a rallying cry and assembled his own team of patriotic, home-front heroes to help him get his pals out of the jam they were in. 

Those who answered the call were:

• The Patriot: (Jeff Mace) A top notch hand to hand combatant and military strategist.
• Ms. America: (Madeline Joyce) She could fly, had super strength and limited invulnerability
• The Whizzer: (Robert Frank) Could run at about 100 mph.
• The Thin Man: (Bruce Dickson) He could stretch, slip in between cracks, and resist injuries due to his pliable nature.
• Jack Frost: (Mythological winter spirit) Could create and project cold and ice for various effects. 
• Blue Diamond: (Elton T. Morrow) Was invulnerable to most forms of harm.
• Red Raven: Coming from a long lost tribe of 'bird people', he had a costume that allowed him to fly as well as other 'advanced' (for the 40s) gadgets. 

Way back when, I was really a big fan of a book Marvel Comics was putting out, called The Invaders. It featured Captain America, his sidekick Bucky, the Sub Mariner, the original Human Torch and his sidekick Toro. Set back during World War II, the Invaders fought against the Axis powers at home and abroad.

I've always been a big fan of team books, so when I saw the above issue that featured a new group...one like the Invaders...I was immediately hooked. 

Back then, as a young kid without the magical thing we know as the 'internet' to reference, I had no clue that all the characters had originated back in the (real) 1940s and were featured in the old Timely Comics, the golden age predecessor to Marvel Comics. Writer Roy Thomas, needing more 'patriotic type' heroes, put the team together.

While they never got a title of their own, the Legion guest starred in quite a few books over the years....mainly as individual characters...and the old characters from the Golden Age of comics were re-woven back into Marvel continuity.

Tune in Monday to find out more about a member of the Legion...