The Debut of American Eagle in America’s Best Comics #2 , at Auction

While coming into a subject that had already grow to be aggressive with patriotic superheroes by 1942, American Eagle nonetheless managed to be distinctive — in powers and look, if not in identify.  As defined in his origin and first look in America’s Best Comics #2, his powers got here from being “accidentally endowed with the strength and buoyancy of an eagle.”  Publisher Standard/Better/Nedor will need to have thought they’d one thing fascinating on their palms, because the character would instantly begin getting cowl appearances in Exciting Comics after his America’s Best Comics debut.  An uncommon reflection of this second in historical past, there’s an American Best Comics #2 (Nedor Publications, 1942) Condition: Apparent FR/GD up for public sale at Heritage Auctions in the 2023 February 23 The Thrillingly Exciting Heroes of Nedor Comics Showcase Auction #40219.

American Eagle was created by Richard E. Hughes and Kin Platt, and was the newest in a protracted line of patriotic superheroes that had emerged since 1940, when MLJ’s the Shield had debuted. While MLJ’s the Shield was forward of the curve together with his January 1940 cover-dated debut, 1941 unleashed a veritable military of patriotic American heroes, together with Captain America, Fighting Yank, and U.S. Jones Super-American, the Flag and fairly a couple of others.  And notably, Fox had already debuted their very own patriotic character extra merely named “The Eagle” as effectively.  But Standard/Better/Nedor’s American Eagle was scientist Tom Standish, aiding one other man named Dr. Wolf in the creation of a serum that may impart an eagle’s “strength and bouancy.” Standish unintentionally spills a serum vial on a cathode-ray tube, and decides to attempt it in a projector. This outcomes in a bizarre black ray hanging him from the projector. Soon, Standish realizes that Dr. Wolf is a Nazi who intends to poison America’s water provides. He subsequently realizes he has nice power and the power to kind of leap or float nice distances into the air. A caped costume completes his transition by enabling him to fly. The character would make quite a few appearances in each America’s Best Comics and Exciting Comics.

Versatile author/artist Kin Platt was the preliminary artist of Startling Comics‘ Captain Future and should have additionally been the author and creator of this model of the character. Platt was additionally the creator of Supermouse for Standard’s Coo Coo Comics, and that character would grow to be the longest-running characteristic of the Pines comedian ebook empire. Platt contributed work to varied publishers through the Golden Age, together with Marvel/Timely, Standard/Better/Nedor, Fawcett Publications, and MLJ. He took over the long-running Mr. and Mrs. newspaper caricature 1947-1963. Platt did intensive writing work for TV animation through the Nineteen Sixties, together with for The Jetsons, The Flintstones, and Jonny Quest. The 1961 novel The Blue Man could also be Platt’s best-known work of science fiction.

While the copy up for provide right here is uncooked, there are solely 20 entries for America’s Best Comics #2 on the CGC census, indicating that this a fairly robust get even by the requirements of the 1942 period. This copy of America’s Best Comics #2 has been graded Apparent FR/GD by Heritage Auctions, and is presently up for public sale in the 2023 February 23 The Thrillingly Exciting Heroes of Nedor Comics Showcase Auction #40219 at Heritage Auctions. Prospective bidders who’re new to Heritage Auctions ought to take a look at their FAQ on the bidding course of and associated issues.

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