#fly-man

Here’s the line-up of their premier superheroes The Mighty Crusaders.

Fly-Man:  Formerly “The Fly” he was Created by Jack Kirby as a sort of insect-themed Captain Marvel riff. After a handful of issues this character was re-imagined as adult guy with wings who flew around zapping things with a ray-gun. His name was changed to Fly-Man and given powers that were like a cross between Ant-Man and Spider-Man.  Prior to being given a Marvel-style overhaul this was actually one of the more successful Archie Heroes having a series that lasted almost 5 years.

Fly-Girl: Distaff counterpart to Fly-Man and his side-kick.

The Shield: Patriotic superhero whose sole interesting feature is that he predated Captain America.  Also star of his own backup features where the running gag was that he couldn’t hold a steady job because he was always running off to superhero stuff.

The Comet: The Golden Age Comet was essentially a prototype version of Cyclops who ran around killing people with death-ray vision.  Then he became one of the first ever superheros to actually get killed of.  Silver Age Comet was strange visitor from another planet who wore a hideous orange and green costume with a rainbow colored turban.

Black Hood: A dude with no superpowers who rides around on a flying robot horse. Then the horse was destroyed and he had to rely on a motorcycle making him even lamer.

What elevates Might Crusaders, Fly-Man, and the like into the true land of so-bad it’s good comics is the complete reckless anything goes nature.  Jerry Seigel frequently introduces new villains only to forget about them a few pages later. Characters develop new powers as the plot requires them. No origin stories or character motivations needed.  One story ends with our heroes being saved by a sentient superpowered fly from Atlantis while the Shield randomly develops the power to teleport, but can never use it again after saving the day.

Fly-Man #32 also features a brilliant gag about a group of superheroes walking into a comic convention and getting mistaken for entrants in a cosplay competition that works far better today than it did in 1965.  Considering that the first major comic convention was held in New York 1964  Seigel was strangly observant of where fan culture was heading