Doc Savage
Real Name: Clark Savage Jr.
Identity/Class: Human employing magical devices
Occupation: Adventurer
Affiliations: Ham, Long Tom, Renny, Monk, Johnny, Pat
Enemies: Beggar King
Known Relatives: Clark Savage Senior (father, deceased); Pat Savage (cousin); Clark Savage the Third (son, deceased, DC Comics only); Clark "Chip" Savage IV (grandson, DC Comics only)
Aliases: Man of Bronze, the Invincible
Base of Operations: Penthouse Apartment, 86th Floor, Empire State Building, New York
First Appearance: original version The Man of Bronze (March
1933);
this version Shadow Comics #3 (Street
and Smith, 1940);
diverged from Pulps version Doc Savage #5 (Street and Smith, 1941)
Powers/Abilities: Incredible strength and intellect, even without the sacred hood. The sacred hood and "miracle-working ruby" allows him to hypnotise people, deflect bullets, and gives him superhuman strength.
History: (Doc Savage Pulp novels and early Street and Smith comics) Clark Savage Jr was raised to be a perfect human speciman. As an adult, he became an adventurer, fighting bizarre criminals and protecting the weak.
(Doc Savage #5, "The Angry Ghost") Doc Savage crash landed in Tibet, where he was found and nursed back to health by a local mystic. Once the adventurer was fit enough, he departed to the outside world once more, but not before his benefactor gave him a magical hood adorned with a mystic ruby, which granted him superhuman powers. Taking the name "The Invincible", Doc Savage began a new phase in his crimefighting career.
Comments: Doc Savage created by Lester Dent; this modified version was created by Jack Binder.
This incarnation of Doc Savage was based on the original pulps version (and as such, could be considered to have the same allies and enemies), but in Doc Savage #5 the character radically diverged, as detailed above, briefly becoming a genuine superhuman. After Street and Smith's Doc Savage comic cancelled with #10, this incarnation made one more appearance in Shadow Comics #1, "Murder is a Business" (1944). With #2 of same, he had lost the magical hood and returned to his old look; I'm not sure if his costumed phase was ever referenced in the comics again, or if it was quietly forgotten. It was, however, used as the basis for the 1943 Doc Savage radio program.
In any case, while other comic incarnation of Doc Savage can be looked on as continuations of the character, I consider this version to be different enough to warrant a separate entry. This is the Doc Savage of an alternate Earth, if you will.
CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with
Doc Savage, the seminal Pulps hero this character was based on
Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.
All images and characters depicted on this site are copyright their respective holders, and are used for informational purposes only. No infringement is intended and copyrights remain at source.