The Comet

Real Name: John Dickering

Identity/Class: Mutated human

Occupation: Scientist

Affiliations: Queen Naija; The Mighty Crusaders

Enemies:

Known Relatives:

Aliases:

Base of Operations:

First Appearance: Pep Comics #1 (Archie, January 1940)

Powers/Abilities: Originally he was able to make huge leaps in the air (later he could fly), and was also able to fire disintegration beams out his eyes. His eye beams cannot disintegrate glass, so he originally wore a glass visor which he lifted to unleash the deadly rays. He is skilled enough with the beams to shoot bullets out the air.

History: After Professor John Dickering discovered a gas "fifty times lighter then hydrogen", he injected it into his bloodstream so that he could make great leaps into the air. He also discovered that when he crossed his eyes, two beams of energy would fire out of them, disintegrating anything he looked at. Wearing a glass visor to prevent accidental use of his "disolvo-vision", he designed a costume, adopting the superhero identity of the Comet.

One day while out testing his flying powers he was encircled by a comet, which transported him to the planet Altrox. Queen Naija, the local ruler, had summoned his help to robot invaders who threatened her kingdom. He defeated them, but was unable to save the queen from a robot assassin. Having been somehow stripped of his original powers, he used alien technology to develop a "rainbow helmet" and gloves equipped with power rays to replace them. He also changed his costume, reasoning that the old one would be a constant reminder of his failure. Refusing the rulership of the kingdom, the Comet had the Altroxians return him to Earth, where he helped form the Might Crusaders.

Comments: Created by Jack Cole

During the early years the Comet used to be fairly ruthless, as witnessed by the panel on the left. During his first story, the Comet spots a thug he fought recently, and successfully gets him to spill where the rest of his gang is hiding by choking him. Rather than try and take the crook into custody, he unleashes his disintegration beam on him without a moment's remorse. Once he finds them, he slays two gang members the same way. But the classic example of his ruthlessness comes at the end of the tail. Trying to identify the big boss, he follows one of the gang's homing pigeons, which they use to communicate with their secret leader. Spotting a man coming out a house where the pigeon has landed, the Comet comes up behind him, grabs him, flies him high into the air, then lets him go to fall to his death! Let's hope he got the right guy, and not just some poor bystander who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

John died in the Golden age comics, with his brother becoming the Hangman to avenge him. However come the silver age revival of the Archie characters, he got better.

CLARIFICATIONS:

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