Magno the Magnetic Man Debuts in Super-Mystery Comics #1, at Auction

Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: Ace Periodicals, golden age

Magno the Magnetic Man was the underappreciated star of Ace Periodicals’ long-running Super-Mystery Comics title, debuting in issue #1 in 1940

If you’re familiar with the Marvel character Magneto, Magno the Magnetic Man is exactly what you expect.  As explained in his debut in Super-Mystery Comics #1: “Seldom has the world seen anything so strange as the powers possessed by Magno — the Magnetic Man.  Mysterious and mighty, Magno is able to draw to himself anything of metal. In addition, he can hurl himself through space, attracted by anything metallic. With such powers, Magno could rule the world. Instead, he chooses to devote his life to fighting evil of all kinds.”

The entire Ace superhero line is incredibly underrated, and Magno in Super-Mystery Comics was among the best of the bunch, and a lot of the run is tough to get.  An important superhero debut from the early WWII era, there’s a nice copy of Super-Mystery Comics #1 (Ace, 1940) CGC FN 6.0 Cream to off-white pages up for auction in the 2024 May 30 Adventures in the Golden Age Comics Showcase Auction #40261 at Heritage Auctions.

According to a lawsuit over the creation of Ace Periodicals comic books during this era, Magno the Magnetic Man and the rest of the material in Super-Mystery Comics #1 was the creation of a comic production studio run by Patrick Lamar.  At least two stories in this issue were based on plots from past Ace Periodicals pulps (Magno’s debut story was based on the Secret Agent X storyline “Octopus of Crime by writer Paul Chadwick), but the Magno character is original to the comics.

Vulcan the Volcanic Man is another interesting debut in Super-Mystery Comics #1.  One of several fire-based superheroes of the Golden Age, Volcan was “a direct descendant of the famous god of fire” who ventured forth into the world from the mouth of a volcano, in order to help the oppressed fight evil.  Vulcan did not burst into flame, but he control flame, superheat his body for a variety of purposes, and was generally very durable and strong.

One of the best-known characters from the Ace Periodicals line, Magno enjoyed a long career in Super-Mystery Comics and Four Favorites, and eventually got a sidekick, and had an interesting rogues gallery of supervillains, including his archnemesis the Clown.  But it all started  Super-Mystery Comics #1 (Ace, 1940) CGC FN 6.0 Cream to off-white pages up for auction in the 2024 May 30 Adventures in the Golden Age Comics Showcase Auction #40261 at Heritage Auctions.

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