Silver Streak (comics)
Encyclopedia
Silver Streak is a fictional superhero
character created by Joe Simon
, who first appeared in Silver Streak Comics #3 (March, 1940), from Lev Gleason Publications
. He is believed to be the second-ever comic book superhero whose primary power is speed; All-American Publications
' The Flash preceded him by two months. However, Silver Streak beat out National Allied Publications' Johnny Quick
(who debuted in 1941) as the first superhero whose two powers were speed and flight. Silver Streak has a kid sidekick
called "Mercury" (soon changed to "Meteor"); he is also assisted by a hawk named "Whiz".
Silver Streak. With issue #3, the title was taken over by Lev Gleason Publications and Silver Streak himself first appeared.
Silver Streak appeared in Silver Streak Comics until issue #19 (March, 1942); the title itself ended with #22, and was renamed Crime Does Not Pay
. Also during this run, Silver Streak appeared in Lev Gleason's Daredevil #1.
In 1945, Silver Streak appeared in the one and only issue of Dime Comics, and then in the 23rd and final issue of the briefly revived Silver Streak Comics. Since then, this character has fallen into the public domain
. In 2008, he appeared in issue #141 of The Savage Dragon
, along with a score of other Golden Age
heroes.
In 2008, Silver Streak appeared in flashbacks in issue #0 of Dynamite Entertainment
’s Project Superpowers
, a title that uses mostly public domain Golden Age characters. In the one-shot Project Superpowers: Chapter Two Prelude, it was stated that Silver Streak will appear in future stories in this line; indeed, he appeared in the related Dynamite miniseries The Death-Defying ’Devil.
Editor Erik Larsen
's "Next Issue Project
" (Image Comics
) published Silver Streak Comics "#24" in December 2009. Silver Streak himself appeared in one of the stories, written and illustrated by Paul Grist
.
driver (name unknown) was hypnotized
by a mysterious swami
(name unknown) into working for him as a race car
driver; all of the swami’s previous drivers had been killed by giant insects, sent by a mad scientist named Dr. Katan. The cab driver was killed as well, but the swami used his mystical powers to bring him back to life, after which he gave the resurrected driver an injection of a “secret fluid” that gave him super-speed and the power of flight. Motivated by a strong desire to make the world a better place, he donned a colorful costume and fought against crime, Nazi spies, and The Claw
, calling himself “Silver Streak” after the race car he was killed in. He had changed costumes a few times over the years, but one detail that remained constant was his arrowhead
-shaped emblem with the shape-fitting “SS” inside it. (Curiously, his costumes had no silver coloring anywhere on them.)
He later learned that anyone who receives a transfusion of his blood gains super-speed; he gave this gift to a pet hawk
named Whiz, and to a kid sidekick named Mickey O’Toole who first called himself "Mercury" but quickly changed it to "Meteor."
In Silver Streak Comics #5 (June, 1940), Jack Cole
, who by this time was writing and drawing the characters's adventures, directly addressed the readers and explained the hero’s motivations:
Project Superpowers
At some point after World War II
, Silver Streak and other heroes were imprisoned in the mystical Urn of Pandora
by the misguided Fighting Yank
. Decades later the Urn was broken and the heroes released; Silver Streak emerged (wearing a red and silver costume similar to his original one) just in time to aid his former ally The Death-Defying ’Devil against a terrorist attack. Exactly what part this hero will play in the modern world remains to be seen.
.
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
character created by Joe Simon
Joe Simon
Joseph Henry "Joe" Simon is an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s-1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the first editor of Timely Comics, the company that would evolve into Marvel Comics.With his...
, who first appeared in Silver Streak Comics #3 (March, 1940), from Lev Gleason Publications
Lev Gleason Publications
Lev Gleason Publications, founded by Leverett Gleason, was the publisher of a number of popular comic books during the 1940s and early 1950s, including Daredevil, Crime Does Not Pay, and Boy Comics....
. He is believed to be the second-ever comic book superhero whose primary power is speed; All-American Publications
All-American Publications
All-American Publications is one of three American comic book companies that combined to form the modern-day DC Comics, one of the world's two largest comics publishers...
' The Flash preceded him by two months. However, Silver Streak beat out National Allied Publications' Johnny Quick
Johnny Quick (Johnny Chambers)
Johnny Quick is a Golden Age DC Comics character with the power of superhuman speed. He was a superhero who appeared mostly in More Fun Comics during the Golden Age...
(who debuted in 1941) as the first superhero whose two powers were speed and flight. Silver Streak has a kid sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
called "Mercury" (soon changed to "Meteor"); he is also assisted by a hawk named "Whiz".
Publication history
Silver Streak Comics was originally published by Arthur Bernhardt’s Rhoda Publications, and the title was inspired by Bernhardt's car, a PontiacPontiac
Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...
Silver Streak. With issue #3, the title was taken over by Lev Gleason Publications and Silver Streak himself first appeared.
Silver Streak appeared in Silver Streak Comics until issue #19 (March, 1942); the title itself ended with #22, and was renamed Crime Does Not Pay
Crime Does Not Pay (comics)
Crime Does Not Pay is the title of an American comic book series published between 1942 and 1955 by Lev Gleason Publications. Edited and chiefly written by Charles Biro, the title launched the crime comics genre and was the first "true crime" comic book series. At the height of its popularity,...
. Also during this run, Silver Streak appeared in Lev Gleason's Daredevil #1.
In 1945, Silver Streak appeared in the one and only issue of Dime Comics, and then in the 23rd and final issue of the briefly revived Silver Streak Comics. Since then, this character has fallen into the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
. In 2008, he appeared in issue #141 of The Savage Dragon
Savage Dragon
Savage Dragon is an ongoing American comic book series created by Erik Larsen, published by Image Comics and taking place in the Image Universe. The comic features the adventures of a superheroic police officer named the Dragon...
, along with a score of other Golden Age
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
heroes.
In 2008, Silver Streak appeared in flashbacks in issue #0 of Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book company that primarily publishes licensed franchises of adaptations of other media. These include adaptations of film properties such as Army of Darkness, Terminator and RoboCop, literary properties such as Zorro, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Alice in...
’s Project Superpowers
Project Superpowers
Project Superpowers is a comic book limited series published by Dynamite Entertainment beginning January 2008. It was co-plotted by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross, with scripts by Jim Krueger, covers by Alex Ross, and interior art by Doug Klauba and Stephen Sadowski for issue #0, and Carlos Paul for the...
, a title that uses mostly public domain Golden Age characters. In the one-shot Project Superpowers: Chapter Two Prelude, it was stated that Silver Streak will appear in future stories in this line; indeed, he appeared in the related Dynamite miniseries The Death-Defying ’Devil.
Editor Erik Larsen
Erik Larsen
Erik J. Larsen is an American comic book writer, artist and publisher. He is best known for his work on Savage Dragon, as one of the founders of Image Comics, and for his work on Spider-Man for Marvel Comics.-Early life:...
's "Next Issue Project
Next Issue Project
The Next Issue Project is a series of American comic-book anthology one-shots published by Image Comics beginning in February, 2008. The multi-title project, edited by Erik Larsen, creator of Savage Dragon, features comic book characters that have fallen into the public domain.The premise behind...
" (Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
) published Silver Streak Comics "#24" in December 2009. Silver Streak himself appeared in one of the stories, written and illustrated by Paul Grist
Paul Grist
Paul Grist is a British comic book creator, noted for his hard-boiled police series Kane and his unorthodox superhero series Jack Staff.-Biography:...
.
Lev Gleason Publications
In 1940, a taxicabTaxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
driver (name unknown) was hypnotized
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
by a mysterious swami
Swami
A swami sometimes abbreviated "Sw." is an ascetic or yogi who has been initiated into the religious monastic order founded by Adi Sankara, or to a religious teacher.The Oxford English Dictionary gives the etymology as...
(name unknown) into working for him as a race car
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
driver; all of the swami’s previous drivers had been killed by giant insects, sent by a mad scientist named Dr. Katan. The cab driver was killed as well, but the swami used his mystical powers to bring him back to life, after which he gave the resurrected driver an injection of a “secret fluid” that gave him super-speed and the power of flight. Motivated by a strong desire to make the world a better place, he donned a colorful costume and fought against crime, Nazi spies, and The Claw
Claw (Lev Gleason Publications)
The Claw is a fictional supervillain character who first appeared in Silver Streak Comics #1 , from Lev Gleason Publications.-Publishing history:...
, calling himself “Silver Streak” after the race car he was killed in. He had changed costumes a few times over the years, but one detail that remained constant was his arrowhead
Arrowhead
An arrowhead is a tip, usually sharpened, added to an arrow to make it more deadly or to fulfill some special purpose. Historically arrowheads were made of stone and of organic materials; as human civilization progressed other materials were used...
-shaped emblem with the shape-fitting “SS” inside it. (Curiously, his costumes had no silver coloring anywhere on them.)
He later learned that anyone who receives a transfusion of his blood gains super-speed; he gave this gift to a pet hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
named Whiz, and to a kid sidekick named Mickey O’Toole who first called himself "Mercury" but quickly changed it to "Meteor."
In Silver Streak Comics #5 (June, 1940), Jack Cole
Jack Cole (artist)
Jack Ralph Cole was an American comic book artist and Playboy magazine cartoonist best known for creating the comedic superhero Plastic Man....
, who by this time was writing and drawing the characters's adventures, directly addressed the readers and explained the hero’s motivations:
Project SuperpowersProject SuperpowersProject Superpowers is a comic book limited series published by Dynamite Entertainment beginning January 2008. It was co-plotted by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross, with scripts by Jim Krueger, covers by Alex Ross, and interior art by Doug Klauba and Stephen Sadowski for issue #0, and Carlos Paul for the...
At some point after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Silver Streak and other heroes were imprisoned in the mystical Urn of Pandora
Pandora's box
Pandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology, taken from the myth of Pandora's creation around line 60 of Hesiod's Works and Days. The "box" was actually a large jar given to Pandora , which contained all the evils of the world. When Pandora opened the jar, all its contents except for one item...
by the misguided Fighting Yank
Fighting Yank
-Publication history:The initial comic-book character called Fighting Yank first appeared in Nedor Comics' Startling Comics #10 , during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books. He was created by writer Richard E. Hughes and artist Jon L. Blummer...
. Decades later the Urn was broken and the heroes released; Silver Streak emerged (wearing a red and silver costume similar to his original one) just in time to aid his former ally The Death-Defying ’Devil against a terrorist attack. Exactly what part this hero will play in the modern world remains to be seen.
Living Legends
The Metahuman Press serial Living Legends has introduced a new version of Silver Streak. This character is an Asian female, native to the fictional city of Riccapoor, home of The ClawClaw (Lev Gleason Publications)
The Claw is a fictional supervillain character who first appeared in Silver Streak Comics #1 , from Lev Gleason Publications.-Publishing history:...
.