Polite Dissent

John Dickering was a chemist who discovered a gas “fifty times lighter than hydrogen.” So what does he do with it? He injects it into his bloodstream. Regular readers (and fans of Manhunter) will remember that Dickering’s plan isn’t particularly clever. Injecting air into the veins will end up causing a blocked blood vessel or a pulmonary embolus, neither of which are good things. What is it about the Golden Age that led otherwise intelligent people to inject strange chemicals in their bodies?

Of course, John’s a chemist and not a physician (in fact, he seems to have a thing against physicians — check out the last panel below), so he goes ahead and injects the gas. Not only does he escape injury, but he miraculously gains super powers: a tremendous jumping ability (almost like flying) and eyes that shoot disintegrating beams (called “dissolvo-vision”).

The Comet was an interesting hero. Like many other Golden Age heroes, he was extremely bloodthirsty. In his first story, he killed every villain without a second thought. Most were disintegrated with his dissolvo-vision, but one was dropped from a mile up. However, unlike most other Golden Age heroes, he was killed in his prime — probably the first super-hero to be killed. His brother then decided to become the super-hero known as “The Hangman” to avenge him, though he had no compunctions about stealing his dead brother’s girlfriend. It’s all about priorities apparently.

The Comet first appeared in Pep Comics #1 (January 1940). He was written and drawn by Jack Cole, who is chiefly remembered today for his creation of Plastic Man (who followed the Comet by about a year and a half).